While there are active
discussions about green data center initiatives across the IT space, a
large number of enterprises are unclear in framing strategies for a greener
approach.
An effective green data center strategy doesn’t just involve
the implementation of distinctive technologies or design parameters, but should
also constitute the following key fundamental elements-:
Measuring the energy
usage- Computing the
energy consumption of a data center comes as the first step towards building an
energy efficient data center. Availing a breakup of power consumption by
individual IT equipments in a data center will help an organisation reduce its
monthly power bill significantly by limiting the equipment usage when not
required.
Executive Support- The senior management needs to be open to
such initiatives. This campaign requires dedicated support in terms of
allocating specialised resources and funds to the implementation team to let
such initiatives see the light of the day.
Server Virtualization- Server virtualization helps in reducing
the power consumption of a data center significantly by running multiple
applications on a single physical server. It also helps an organisation reduce
its data center space by cutting down on the number of servers, as different
applications do not require separate physical servers.
Data Center Cooling- Maintaining an optimum temperature for a
data center gets crucial as most data centers operate at maximum capacity
to keep the risk of a malfunction to its minimum. Considering an intelligent
cooling system which makes use of outside air for a better airflow can help
achieve an organisation with significant energy savings.
Uniform IT policy- Implementing a green data center strategy across
an organisation will involve a uniform IT policy in place for every business
unit of the organisation. It will also get important for an organisation to
place a single experienced IT team to manage the entire data center operations
to achieve maximum efficiency.
Global IT giants like
Microsoft, Facebook and Google have already taken a lead in reducing the carbon
foot prints of their data center operations by setting up carbon neutral data
centers and using renewable energy sources like wind and solar power for IT
operations.
Having said that, it
also gets important for organisations to avoid a one size fits all approach
while implementing green data center strategy. Businesses should increasingly
focus on tying up with experienced technology partners who can help identify
and implement technologies to reduce operating costs and increase data center
efficiency.
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