Grading Storage Circularity: A Developer’s Framework for Measuring Device Health, Reuse, and Sustainability
San Tomas + Lawrence
Tue Sep 29 | 1:30pm
Abstract
As demand for storage accelerates, driven by AI - Training, inference, and large-scale data infrastructure, the industry faces a parallel challenge: how to extend the usable life of storage devices without compromising reliability.
The Circular Drive Initiative (CDI) has been developing a health grading framework designed to evaluate storage devices for reuse, redeployment, and circular lifecycle management. This session will present the technical foundations behind that framework, including how device-level telemetry (e.g., SMART attributes, error rates, workload history) can be normalized into a consistent, vendor-agnostic grading model.
We will walk through the architecture of the CDI health grading tool, including data inputs, scoring methodologies, and challenges in correlating device health signals with real-world reliability. The session will also explore how such a grading system can be integrated into storage management stacks, data center workflows, and procurement decisions.
Attendees will gain insight into the technical tradeoffs of designing a standardized grading system across heterogeneous storage media (SSD, HDD), and how developers can incorporate health-based decisioning into their own systems.
Familiarity with storage systems and device-level metrics (e.g., SMART data, endurance, error handling) is helpful but not required.
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