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| Pexels Photo by Luis del Rio |
We live in fraught times where a degraded environment has
become an existential problem for the whole world. This has prompted an across-the-board clean up in the way that mankind goes about the business of living.
Everything from the way we travel and pursue our livelihoods to how we eat and
entertain ourselves is seeing a paradigm redefining move towards a more
ecologically sustainable way of doing things.
That includes even something like cloud computing-something
one would never imagine has anything to do with the environment, but apparently,
it does. The fact of the matter is that with an exponential rise in the demand
for cloud architecture across enterprises, there has been a huge surge in
energy consumption emanating from a large number of data centers and servers
required to support this.
It is, therefore, essential that efficiency in the use of
energy resources be incorporated into the cloud computing process. That is what
green cloud computing is all about. We
could define it as the process by which one devises the use of digital
spaces in a manner that has minimal impact on the environment.
How organizations can achieve green cloud computing
Plan for it
Green cloud computing will not occur in a vacuum.
Organizations need to come up with a green computing plan. This requires them
to look at elements like power management by way of using a green algorithm
that significantly reduces power consumption at cloud computing data centers. Another thing that one can look at is virtualization-using multiple operating
systems running simultaneously on a computer system. This use of common servers
and terminals can result in a substantial reduction in energy consumption.
Among other things that an organization can do to facilitate
green cloud computing is to go for a cloud service that uses an eco-friendly
model for data storage and backup. An integral part of any green cloud
computing initiative has to be a green data center that makes use of technologies
that are energy efficient. They will make sure to work with systems that are up
to date with regard to data storage and management.
That apart, an organization would do well to choose
equipment that is certified for energy efficiency. All in all, it is important
that any organization looking at implementing green cloud computing should
ensure that they use the available resources optimally, leverage virtualization
and manage power consumption optimally.
Why Green Cloud Computing
Green cloud computing provides benefits on several levels
including environment, efficiency and cost saving. Taking the environmental factor first, using
cloud computing has a huge salutary impact in the shape of a reduced carbon
footprint on account of more efficient use of energy and the enabling of
paperless working. From the point of
view of cost saving, green cloud computing is driven by efficient use of
resources driving down costs for consumers and improving customer service. That
apart, green cloud computing brings down the cost of operations on account of
lower energy bills, which benefit too can be passed on to the customer. Another benefit that accrues to consumers on account of green cloud computing is the
fact that it can be used as a pay as you go service that is scalable and very
market-orientated.
Conclusion
The need for green cloud computing is only going to grow as
time progresses on account of the fact that the kind of energy needed to power
data centers is increasing exponentially. Not addressing the issue will lead to
a phenomenal increase in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and the best way
to do so is by implementing green cloud computing. This is something that has
to be done in light of not just the Paris Climate Accord obligations, but a
growing realization that things will not continue the same old way.
The growing importance and indeed the urgency surrounding
the need for green cloud computing also presents a great business opportunity
to many. It lets organizations easily scale up and down in accordance with the
demand. This helps them reduce idle time with regard to energy consumption in a
major way. The benefits of adopting green cloud computing help organizations in
terms of not just money savings, but also better customer experience, retention
of employees, faster development and of course, reduced greenhouse emissions-a
winner all the way.
