Greener Data Centers: Brian P. McCann, CMO of OnPATH Technologies Explains How The "Virtualized Infrastructure Layer" Can Save Resources

Large data centers have long sought out contracts for reliable, low cost power sources. Some might be adding "green" to the list of power source selection criteria as they plan data center expansions or additions. Does OnPATH enable the migration to greener power, or somehow allow a client to be better adapted to distributed or renewable power sources: like... a windmill on site; or rooftop solar panels?

Data centers are consuming more power than ever, and outgrowing their original facilities at an alarming rate. OnPATH’s physical layer solutions offer direct benefits by trimming energy consumption and costs, enabling network flexibility and expansion, and reversing the trend of runaway environmental impacts. This is achieved primarily through the sustainability of existing data centers and equipment, and smarter planning of future data centers. OnPATH’s equipment is also protocol agnostic which allows for it to easily accommodate copper, optical or other types of transmission pathways.

Data centers consumed 180B kWh in 2007, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and overall energy consumption is projected to double in the next four years. Many IT departments are facing ballooning bills and feeling pressure to adopt greener practices. A VIL offers a solution to alleviate core energy drains and reshape data centers to become more eco-friendly.

Describe for me the data center of the future, one that has done everything possible to lessen resource consumption and lower its C02 footprint per user/minute? And include operation and maintenance planning. Does the ultimate green data center have to move to Niagara Falls to sip hydropower, or can the migration to green be less dramatic and more flexible?

The data center of the future is likely to rely on some form of “green” energy to help power its increasingly-thirsty equipment. Cutting edge data centers of the future will require less of a physical human presence, and are likely to:
• Rely on a VIL to optimize equipment management and provide for virtual remote control capable of instant changes, switches and adds
• Achieve LEED certification for the physical building
• Rely on more efficient water cooling that potentially takes advantage of an on-site tower to chill water for cooling the system (thus reducing energy consumption by using nature's natural cooling power to chill water)
• Use fluid dynamics models to precisely design the interior of the building to maximize the efficiency of the HV/AC system for air-cooled computing systems
• Tap into a mixed energy grid that relies on green energy sources such as solar, wind or hydroelectric (depending on geographic feasibility), along with a reliable city grid thus avoiding the need for the standard back-up Uninterruptible Power Supply (which will reduce equipment costs, minimize floor space used, and increase energy efficiency because systems that employ a UPS convert AC to DC and back, incurring substantial energy losses).

Google has also recently announced a possible plan to house their new data centers on barges anchored up to seven miles offshore. This scenario would take advantage of kinetic energy from ocean waves to power and cool their computers. A legal "offshore status," may also exempt the company from property taxes on its data center properties around the world.

Microsoft has reportedly investigated building a data center in Siberia to take advantage of the cold weather.

Sun Microsystems is exploring a plan to lower computers into abandoned coal mines to cool them with ground water. Sun has estimated it could save $9 million of electricity costs a year and use half the power the data centre would have required if it was at ground level.

An interesting site for discussion of this trend is GreenerComputing.

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