Consolidation for Efficiency
Are you aware that the energy consumption by data servers in the EU is comparable to the energy required to operate 8 nuclear power plants? In this day and age in which we seek to reduce the human footprint on the globe, this amount of energy is mind boggling. A necessary focus of our technology and effort should be to reduce this consumption through developing methods of maximizing the efficiency of data servers in high demand networks.
Computers provide us with our entertainment as well as our livelihood and lifestyle. Whether we are taking in an opera or purchasing a drink at the local pub, we can be sure that information has passed through a computer at some point in the transaction.
The administration of this municipality is very much dependant on Information Technology (IT). However, their servers were not operating very efficiently. They were employing 16 distributed servers and using outdated desktop tower servers. There were over 100 desktops in use. The municipality decided upon
The servers that hold and distribute all of this information are the focal point of that energy requirement. The amount of hardware necessary to store this information and the energy it takes to cool these systems are the main culprits. Solutions are needed. As we find ways to reduce the hardware necessary to store all of our information, we will also reduce the energy it takes to cool these servers and save ourselves money while reducing our impact on the environment.
There are products and techniques in use right now that are achieving great success in doing just that. Let’s have a look at one of them.
Memory options: Memory type- DDR-2 675 MHz (PC3200) registered DIMMs with ECC (128 bit plus ECC databus) Memory Capacity- 16 DDR2 DIMM slots (8 per processor)64GB maximum with 2 CPUS and 4GB DIMMs, standard 32GB
This storage of information in a centralized server greatly reduces the “physical” space required for logistical operation, reducing management costs. Also, this bolsters security by moving data from numerous desktop devices to the datacenter. This will also increase the speed of provisioning while strengthening user flexibility by providing universal access. This removes the desktop from the environment of the hardware and OS, thus eliminating unnecessary storage and potential IT problems from your workplace.
Many more case studies can be viewed at http://efficient-servers.eu/ for more information and opportunities to support this project as we continue to develop technology toward a more energy efficient IT future.
