Stored Data Exceeded 40 Petabytes
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(English translation 2022-09-30)
To store data from KEK physics experiments, the Computing Research Center is operating a large tape library system. Belle II experiment, which uses this system, accumulates a large amount of data to search for new physics. If one stores all huge data on hard disks, it will consume more than 1 million kWh of electricity per year. Since magnetic tapes consume no power for retaining data, we save energy by storing a large part of infrequently accessed data on magnetic tapes with a robotic library.
With the development of magnetic technology in recent years, recording density and transfer speed have dramatically improved. And a tape volume currently in use has a capacity of 20 TBytes and extremely high transfer speed. In April 2022, stored data exceeded 40 petabytes (“peta” = 10 to the 15th power). It was achieved approximately one year after exceeding 30 PBytes. KEK is one of the leading research institutes in Japan that operates and accumulates recording equipment capable of storing this amount of data.
