Huawei is developing a new solution called magneto-electronic disk (MED) to promote the development of archival storage technology. The storage device combines tape and solid-state drive technology and is designed to provide an alternative to traditional hard drives, achieving high capacity and low power consumption.
The first generation MED can hold up to 72TB of data in a compact 7-inch enclosure and consumes significantly less energy than a standard hard drive. MED was developed by Huawei to alleviate possible supply shortages of traditional hard drives, especially given U.S. export restrictions to China. By combining traditionally slow but reliable tape storage with high-speed SSDs, Huawei has designed a hybrid storage solution that meets speed needs while improving efficiency.
Data is initially recorded on solid-state drives for quick access and then written in sequential blocks to tape for long-term storage. Frequently accessed data, or "hot" data, is retained on the SSD for fast retrieval, while less frequently accessed "cold" data is stored on tape.
According to early specifications, a MED rack can store more than 10PB of data and consume less than 2000 watts of power, which is significantly lower than HDD-based storage. This efficiency can redefine data archiving, especially in large-scale data centers. MED's data throughput is expected to reach 8GB/sec, highlighting its potential to handle high-demand environments.
The MED is expected to launch in 2025, with a second, more compact generation in 2026 or 2027, with a 3.5-inch form factor.