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Most people prefer the environmentally friendly option when given the choice. How does that tie in to the cloud, though? Surely a virtual cloud server can have no impact on our physical world?
As it turns out, most of us have been deceived by the language of the internet. When we talk about it, it sounds ethereal, virtual and unreal, when in fact, it is anything but. Every bit of data we generate must be stored somewhere – either on our personal storage media or on a cloud server. Cloud servers are just as hard and tangible as our personal storage, although on a scale that is hard to imagine. These servers are located in data centers, which are enormous, nondescript buildings surrounded with state of the art, around the clock security to prohibit unauthorized access. Inside these data centers you will find row upon row of storage units, industrially cooled for optimal functionality.
Data centers run at full capacity at all times, regardless of the actual current demand. This renders them capable of handling a sudden surge in usage at any time. Back-up power generation is also on around the clock, since a millisecond’s interruption in the power supply could crash the servers, leaving countless websites and virtual servers down and costing the company untold amounts in business and revenue.
As you can imagine, all of this has an extensive environmental impact. The cooling systems require vast amounts of electricity, while the back-up power generators pump gallons of toxic carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every minute.
Responsibility to reduce the impact these data centers have on the environment lies with two parties: the companies that own them and the users whose data is stored there. While the companies that own the data centers should use environmentally friendly alternatives to power their plants and invest in storage media that require less power and cooling, this will only help up to a point. The user demand is what drives these centers to exist and expand.
Users should be wise regarding what they store and how much of it. They should also be wise in their usage of virtual servers. This is where CloudSnooze enters the scene. Most companies leave their virtual servers running around the clock, wasting upwards of 65% of their cloud expenditure in the process. Switching off virtual servers and other resources when not in use has a two-fold benefit: firstly, the company saves money, since they don’t pay for resources that they don’t use. Secondly, the demand on the data centers decrease, thus decreasing the amount of energy needed to keep it running. In a word, we save the planet by saving cloud expenditure.
CloudSnooze is able to automatically switch off idle resources, switching them on again when needed. This could also be done according to a set schedule.
To find out more on how to save the planet while eliminating cloud waste, visit our website
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