Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • IT Management
    • Networking

    The Color of Money

    By
    Eric Lundquist
    -
    October 12, 2007
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The “green” in the green data center equation should start with the color of money and end at an environmental goal. Data centers are due for a major reworking during the next five years, and youd be best off starting with a financial model and reaching your environmental goals as a bonus.

      Data centers in the United States especially will need a reworking. Most data centers were designed for a time of much lower watt-per-square-foot heat output than the current mode of high-density blade products. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that data centers used 61 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2006. That figure translates to 1.6 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption and $4.5 billion in power costs.

      By 2011, the national energy consumption by data centers is expected to nearly double, and Gartner recently estimated that by that date more than 70 percent of U.S. enterprise data centers will face disruptions related to energy consumption, floor space and/or costs.

      Click here to read more about going green.

      Gartner analyst Rakesh Kumar contends that most legacy data centers were built to a design specification of about 150 watts per square foot, which is far below the current design needs of about 300 watts per square foot and distant from the expected 600 watts data centers will need by 2011.

      Thats the bad news. The good news is you have more options than when the data center was built 10 years ago. Heres a shortlist:

      • If you are going to build new, consider a lights-out, limited-access data center housed in a lower, secure part of an office building. The days of the raised-floor, glass fishbowl on the same floor as office workers just doesnt make sense in this era of high-capacity networks.

      • Include virtualization in your equation. Computer virtualization promises to deliver increased server usage, which can translate into fewer (albeit hotter) servers doing more work. Virtualization is no cure-all, with patching and security as necessary as ever, but if you are not planning for a server, data and storage virtualized environment, your rebuilding of the physical data center will be for naught.

      • Hosting and outsourcing need to be part of your infrastructure considerations. A high-speed data connection to your applications sitting on servers running on racks you rent by the year makes sense if compliance, security and access questions are correctly answered.

      All those data center considerations add up to a significant capital investment.

      But the result will be a computing infrastructure that can meet your IT needs and make the best use of the electrical power you buy—and yield a green environmental benefit.

      Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis on IT management.

      Eric Lundquist
      Since 1996, Eric Lundquist has been Editor in Chief of eWEEK, which includes domestic, international and online editions. As eWEEK's EIC, Lundquist oversees a staff of nearly 40 editors, reporters and Labs analysts covering product, services and companies in the high-technology community. He is a frequent speaker at industry gatherings and user events and sits on numerous advisory boards. Eric writes the popular weekly column, 'Up Front,' and he is a confidant of eWEEK's Spencer F. Katt gossip columnist.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×