(insert deck here)
After gorging themselves on technology, an increasing number of
companies are looking for ways to condense their computing environments
and save on energy costs. Here is what EDS, which has a strong green IT
practice, recommends:
1. Virtualize servers. It’s time to end the “one application-one
server” paradigm favored by many organizations. Moving multiple
applications to a single server can boost server use by 15 to 90
percent.
2. Turn off unused servers. Servers and disk drives should be on
only when needed. Help customers understand that sophisticated
operating processes can bring servers back online whenever increased
demands require them to do so.
3. Employ power-saving techniques. Techniques used for laptops work
for servers, too. When demand allows it, organizations can run their
servers at reduced speed to lessen consumption of energy.
4. Optimize applications. In the data center, bloated and
inefficient software, or software that offers little business value,
needs to be pruned, optimized or even discontinued.
5. Perform rigorous maintenance. This ensures that all data center
equipment is operating at peak efficiency. In addition, modify layout
and configuration of equipment to reduce cooling requirements.
6. Move to higher-density, multicore CPUs. The lower-voltage
requirements of multicore CPUs deliver significant efficiencies. Eight,
16, 24 and higher processors on a chip allow for fewer server blades in
a rack to reduce electricity use.
7. Pay more attention to operating the infrastructure. The
increasing affordability of technology has encouraged laziness in the
process of procuring, deploying and operating infrastructure. Often,
though, the cost of electricity used to run a server exceeds the
purchase price of the unit.
8. Cash in on being green. For example, an enterprise can use a DALI
(Dimmable Addressable Lighting Interface) in electronic ballasts
networked to lighting control software that reduces electrical use by
up to 40 percent, or use programmable thermostats and schedules to
standardize the temperature, pressure, humidity and set points for
occupied and unoccupied periods in all buildings.
