Archiving a database on BD-ROM / M-DISC?

DEVONthink Scenarios
1

Archiving data on an M-Disc may be a viable option to save important files virtually forever.

Blu-ray ROMs are available as M-Discs, up to 100 GB.

Is there anything preventing the idea to create a database of 100 GB, organize the data and then burn the DT3-database to a disc to archive it forever?

OR: Should I create and burn the archive first, and then index the BD-ROM after, in order to catalogue the files on my drive? But then the index/database must be write-protected, because the indexed BD-ROM can’t be modified anymore?

Which approach makes more sense?

Or should I avoid DT databases on ROMs altogether and use a cataloging app like NeoFinder instead?

2

Archiving data on an M-Disc may be a viable option to save important files virtually forever.

I’d take that with a big grain of salt.

Or should I avoid DT databases on ROMs altogether and use a cataloging app like NeoFinder instead?

It is unclear what you’re asking. You were asking about archiving database, but NeoFinder is just a disk cataloging app.

3

Sorry, this was written in a hurry, and I guess I mixed things up a little.

What I am asking is: Would it make sense to archive data on ROMs using DT3-databases instead of using something simple such as NeoFinder? Is there any advantage?

If DT3 is used, there are multiple ways to do this:

  • Copy a database to the disk, open it from the disk as read-only database
  • Copy a database to the disk, copy it back in order to open it (faster access, I presume)
  • Copy the data to the disk and index it after burning with DT3. Will it work? I mean, it would be nice to have a database of the indexed content available without the disk being inserted (a bit like NeoFinder, but with the features of DT3). But can DT3 handle it as “read-only-database”, since the indexed content can’t be changed anymore?

Or should I just use NeoFinder? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

4
  • Copy a database to the disk, open it from the disk as read-only database

Yes, you could do this.
If you’re writing to write-once media, the database would obviously be read-only as no more data can be written to it.

  • Copy a database to the disk, copy it back in order to open it (faster access, I presume)

Faster access? Perhaps, but this would also be terribly inefficient and you’d have to clean up after yourself or lose the disk space.

  • Copy the data to the disk and index it after burning with DT3. Will it work? I mean, it would be nice to have a database of the indexed content available without the disk being inserted (a bit like NeoFinder, but with the features of DT3). But can DT3 handle it as “read-only-database”, since the indexed content can’t be changed anymore?

Yes, you can index media, just as NeoFinder can. And yes, it would be searchable. Do note the size of the thumbnail may not be as useful when the media isn’t mounted, but search still works to find documents and the path to files will be shown.

5

Keep in mind that extreme long storage has some obscure practical obstacles you need to take into account. It is important to define “forever” I think.

  • Are you still able to read the document after 10, 20, 50 or 100 years? Does the necessary hardware still exists? Are the documents in a format that is still available at that time? (PDF/A etc.). Is the database still readable?
  • Is the carrier able to retain the data after 10, 20, 50 or 100 years? How do you know?
  • Where do you keep the archive? At what temperature? At what humidity? Safe from natural disasters?

Also, make sure to test and copy your archive before the carrier would (potentially) lose its data. This is a point for every backup of course.

To conclude: this company claims the lifespan of its sapphire discs from Grenoble, France is virtually endless. Not sure how you would test that claim though.
http://www.fahrenheit2451.com/