Data Centers go green - Navtej Kohli

Navtej Kohli suggests some tips to IT data centers for efficient use of
energy. As IT sector is spreading its fangs far and wide, time is they
should take some responsibility towards society and ecosystem at large.

Navtej Kohli gives a few eco-friendly tips:


With Global warming threat looming over our heads, it’s high time for
us to get environmentally conscious. If we don’t put brakes on
pollution now, we may end up putting breaks on our lives.

This calls for some well thought out policies in place that will help
protect environment. To begin with technology, the booming IT sector is
actively partaking in efforts to protect mother earth. Data centers are
going the green way.

By switching to low power consuming servers, alternate fuels and energy
efficient cooling techniques, data centers can be run more efficiently.


We are now running out of time to save the earth. The increase in
global warming is so apparent today. The ever-continuous climate change
has resulted in the sea level rising and the extinction of animals.
There is no one to blame but us "human beings".


Most data centers around the world have started becoming more energy
efficient and what's more, they're even reaping business benefits out
of it. It will not be long before one starts seeing a similar trend in
India as well. There's enough buzz and concern in the market around
energy consumption to drive it through. It therefore makes sense to
start planning for it, immediately, rather than lagging behind.


Energy-efficient system design for data centers:


1. Airflow and cooling systems: It is important to control the airflow
in a data center. It is not the problem of generating the cold air but
to make sure it is directed to where it is needed.

2. Consolidation: Can be termed as the integration of the different
devices to be managed and reducing the ways to managing them.


A start can be the consolidation of processing power using server
virtualization and ensuring maximum utilization of server resources.
Replacing traditional servers with blade servers, utilizing low-voltage
processors in a data center. Migrating from two single-core servers or
one dual-processor-based server to a two-way server or a dual-core
server and also replacing a four-way server with a two-way dual-core
server.


3. Power supply: Inefficient power supplies waste a lot of energy.
Every unit of heat energy wasted requires another unit of cooling
energy to compensate for it.


4. Optimum Utilization: Power consumption in a data center also depends
upon how well are the resources being utilized. Nowadays, as servers
are increasingly becoming multi-core, it's important that the
applications utilize all the cores. The average utilization of a server
can be anywhere from 7 to 40 percent, but hardly 100 percent or
anywhere near that. The energy consumption however, remains the same
irrespective of utilization. The solution therefore is quite
clear-virtualization. Run more operating systems and applications per
server to utilize servers better. There is a trend towards using server
virtualization in the data center.


5. Get the management involved: Organizations can have the upper level
management involved with the ideas of an eco friendly environment in
the organization. A small step can start with the infrastructure of the
organization itself. Beginning with, implementation of eco friendly
products such as low emission carpet or paint, recycling of waste and
using eco friendly vehicles for transport. These small steps will
significantly help the environment.