In our last blog the discussion revolved around the significance of the color green in a green data center and how much important is anything that might be done towards going green. Going forward what becomes important is to know how exactly the data centers can go green. For many firms turning green is not about lack of intention but lack of information on how to turn green.
The first step is to become green in the very approach towards IT. Once the attitude is green half the work is done. Then one can move towards chalking out a planned strategy and implementing it. The main motives, technologies and strategies etc. that need to be kept in mind beforehand are:
Reducing the power consumption of the data center
Minimizing the footprints of the buildings
Maximizing cooling efficiency
Using alternative sources of energy
The whole implementation exercise can be broken into different approaches as follows:
Consolidating the servers: With appropriate analysis and consolidation low utilization devices can be combined into a single physical server consuming only a fraction of the power thus saving on costs as well as energy.
Virtualization: It involves moving as many server-based applications as feasible into virtual machines and running one piece of hardware like many. Virtualization can be applied to servers, storage, desktop, applications, etc.
Energy-efficient Machines: Many ultra efficient products are available in market which are either more efficient or consume less power than the usual ones. Ultra efficient and multi-core servers are prime examples of such options.
Storage: To handle the problem of big racks, low utilization, too many redundant copies, etc. virtualization, Information Lifecycle Management (ILM), data de-duplication, green storage solutions like MAID etc. can be adopted.
Layout Design of Data Center: Some of the basic design elements that should be taken into account are hot aisle/cold aisle layout, floor-to-ceiling span, power management, distribution of power racks, etc.
Cooling and Heating Management: Liquid cooling systems have been found to be very effective and should be used in a green data center. Some of the ways of data center liquid cooling are through sidecar heat exchangers, modular liquid cooling units, device mounted liquid cooling, etc.
Green Energy Sources: IT managers should ensure that the power supply to their datacenters comes from sources of green energy like solar, hydro, wind, wave, etc.
Once the IT decisions makers are aware of the ways and methods of turning green they can align their financial goals with ecological intentions. As we discussed in last blog, in turning green to look at just the present only would blind our judgment. We should look at tomorrow and the day after when steps we take today would enable us to reap the benefits, be it cost effectiveness or controlled ecological footprint.
Written by: Rohit Mishra
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