| In brainstorming our approach to developing a | | | | cool. Ironically these systems keep lights on. |
| curriculum that will be acceptable and | | | | I look at the Energy Star on my refrigerator and |
| non-confrontational, I suggested writing an article that | | | | remind myself that some think that efficiency |
| brings reason to the fore front. The term green IT is | | | | compromises reliability. Yes, it is great for the home, |
| relatively new to the world of technology. Some may | | | | but for a NOC? Who wants to be responsible for a |
| see it as a method of completely overhauling the IT | | | | crash that results in a $5 million dollar lost. The |
| infrastructure, others may see it is a dream dancing | | | | concerns of my peers are not unjustified. It is mind |
| in the mind of a few idealists. Maybe we should have | | | | boggling to even think about introducing new |
| started this journey with the mind set of those who | | | | innovations for conservation of energy. One friend |
| rode that fishing boat in 1971. They believed a few | | | | told me that he believes green has no place in the IT |
| individuals could make a difference. Maybe there | | | | environment. "It is a fad that will soon go away." |
| should have been more emphasis placed on education | | | | We both agreed to disagree. I look at conservation |
| towards "greening the home". | | | | as a "no-brainer." The challenges are overwhelming, |
| How many of us are aware of the waste in energy | | | | the goal is blurry, but the achievement of such is not |
| in our homes? How many of us have paid utility bills | | | | impossible. We must at first identify the incremental |
| without question, just a sigh of disgust and a dip into | | | | steps that can be made to overcome this adversity. |
| our bank accounts. I am impressed and motivated by | | | | Virtualization is encouraging, providing sensible |
| the up front commitment to green by big business. It | | | | solutions to our power swallowing addiction. We are |
| is a testimony of good faith when IBM, Cisco, | | | | beginning to see more and more power efficient |
| Staples, HP, and even Starbucks begin jugging along | | | | products. Companies should be rewarded for |
| the Green IT bus. History tells me that these | | | | implementing these. Server consolidation should be |
| companies expend a lot of time, research and money | | | | prioritized in any training program. It is a fact that |
| before showing their hands. My first serious look at | | | | most servers are utilized below 60%. Therefore, the |
| energy conservation can be traced back to my | | | | simple solution is advancing clustering technology. I |
| pursuit of Planet 3's Certified Wireless Analysis | | | | remember my father saying, "there is a price to pay |
| Professional certification. Companies were beginning | | | | for advancement". There are companies with as |
| to adopt Power over Ethernet and one Mr. Devin | | | | many as 4,000 to 10,000 servers. Mr. John |
| Akin, CTO, Planet3 did a great job of explaining the | | | | Humphreys, program director for IDC's enterprise |
| savings on utility spending introduced by the use of | | | | platform group identified the growth in the number |
| POE. It was a revealing moment. I was awakened to | | | | of servers at 24 million. This number was 6 million 10 |
| the truth of alarming waste of electrical power. I | | | | years ago. A recent study by HP and the uptime |
| immediately focused on my home, my bills, my | | | | institute suggested that for most of the world's data |
| ignorance and embraced my newly found knowledge. | | | | centers, 63% of the power is used for cooling. |
| My inquisitive mind prodded me to investigate | | | | The case for going green is undeniable, it is more |
| eco-friendliness, energy conservation and keeping | | | | than a fad. A look at the statistics, what we know |
| some loose change in my account. I looked at my | | | | and what has been proven true, warrants quick |
| home's washing machine, dryer, refrigerators, | | | | action. Activism comes from the word active. We |
| television, computers, heating and cooling and lighting. | | | | need to actively address our legacy. What will be the |
| It is alarming how these household appliances are | | | | state of our environment when we are through with |
| overlooked. I paid very little attention to what we | | | | it? Green IT has received a lot of attention. It is a call |
| were paying for. In my study of green IT, it quickly | | | | to action, not a total reclamation of our past, but |
| dawned on me that the concept of every individual | | | | simple steps, starting, like was stated in 1971, with |
| counts was right on the money. In appreciating the | | | | individuals and the homes, the cars, the lakes, the |
| need for greening on the IT side, an understanding | | | | rivers and the data centers. It is our moral duty to |
| of greening the home should be the logical starting | | | | demand low carbon products, a structured plan for |
| point. | | | | e-wastes, increased publicity about global warming, |
| A refrigerator (post-2001) being used 24 hrs/day, 30 | | | | and governmental rewards for organizations that are |
| days/month, costs around $60/year, roughly $5.04 | | | | actively moving towards eco-friendly operations. |
| per day.A 100-watt light bulb used 16 hrs/day, 31 | | | | The data center is the reservoir for end users. Lack |
| days/month costs around $6.00 per month. My laptop | | | | of awareness on this end will defeat the ultimate |
| that is on 24hrs. costs about $3.96/month. Although | | | | goal. Users should be trained on proper computing |
| this was newly found knowledge, it quickly sensitized | | | | practices and energy saving activities. The use of |
| me to the vast amount of money being paid to keep | | | | laptops, LCD monitors and thin clients, where |
| humongous enterprise networks running. One IBM | | | | applicable can reduce consumption costs. Use of |
| advertisement quoted figures of $21m to $27m per | | | | power-saving techniques, turning off computers at |
| year in some cases. Data centers immediately came | | | | nights and weekends, recycling old equipment and |
| to mind. These mission critical, complex rooms are | | | | proper asset disposal should be enforced. Enterprises |
| definitely money holes. They are the evil we cannot | | | | can implement small steps that will have a positive |
| live without. There are laws that force enterprises to | | | | outcome. Energy efficient lighting and |
| expand these monster rooms due to the need in the | | | | motion-activated lights can do a lot to reduce cooling |
| case of HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley to store data for | | | | needs. Coordinate air conditioner settings, it's easy to |
| specified time periods and emphasize secure data | | | | have one pitching heat while another cools. |
| storage. Other companies can ill afford any | | | | Again I will stress the need to investigate |
| downtime, so they are forced to design infrastucture | | | | virtualization. This technology presents environmental |
| with redundancy as the a major goal. | | | | friendliness and increases the utilization and availability |
| Confusion abound in the IT world. Most designs are in | | | | of servers. We should remember that older servers |
| place and have been so for numerous years. Size of | | | | are much less energy efficient than newer ones. |
| space, age of equipment and type of equipment | | | | Choosing drive capacity is crucial. A 500GB drive is |
| have tantalized decision makers. One infrastructure | | | | more efficient than a 250GB drive. Attention should |
| design professional, in a discussion told me "nothing | | | | be paid to UPS systems. Use newer systems which |
| can be done about energy consumption at my job". | | | | have less energy loss than legacy systems. Data |
| He went on to tell me about the unbearable heat in | | | | storage is another area where small steps can be |
| his communications room, he lamented that newer | | | | taken. One should evaluate their solution to ensure |
| more powerful servers burn more electricity. Says Mr. | | | | redundant data copies are not present. |
| Magnus Herrlin, principal, ANCIS Inc, "thermal | | | | Though the task at hand appears to be gigantic, it is |
| management is really the biggest issue at the | | | | attainable with small steps. Green IT, though |
| moment, there's too much hot equipment in these | | | | controversial, tackles our approach to environmentally |
| spaces. It's leading to failures." The heat compounds | | | | safe practices, earth friendly operations and |
| the problem because mechanical and other electrical | | | | sustainability. |
| systems must be introduced to keep this equipment | | | | |