Green Cloud Computing: A Beginner’s Guide

Introduction

‘Green Cloud Computing’, the word green with cloud computing denotes that this is environment-friendly. The concept is to reduce energy consumption and reduce the waste disposed to the environment. Before going further into the concept of what is green cloud computing, let’s understand what cloud computing is and how it is adapted in organizations today. The cloud computing concept has made work possible without having a physical server. The IT industry was used in campuses to connect servers in the server rooms. Cloud computing completely eradicated physical servers from organizations and gave the flexibility to work remotely. 

As cloud computing usage increased, energy consumption also increased. This increase in power consumption has resulted in a substantial increase in carbon emissions in the environment. The increase in energy consumption is due to the exponential increase of data servers and other infrastructure.  The reduction in energy consumption will reduce carbon emissions in the environment. To reduce energy consumption, cloud computing is exploring energy-efficient ways of working. Green computing in cloud computing is to find and produce energy-saving digital ways to reduce carbon emissions to the ecosystem. 

In this article, let us look at:

1. Advantages of Green Cloud Computing
2. Disadvantages of Green Cloud Computing
3. Green Computing Approaches
4. Applications in Green Cloud Computing

1. Advantages of Green Cloud Computing

The benefits of green cloud computing are numerous. Now, let’s take a peek at what the benefits of green computing are? 

• Conserving Energy by Green Cloud Computing

In the year 2013, Google funded a project to measure the energy usage and carbon emission of cloud computing. The amount of constant power consumed for common software programs such as spreadsheets, email, and CRM systems to cloud is expected to reduce total energy consumption by 87% with this new project.

Cloud computing technology reduced power consumption to an extent.  Before cloud computing, the servers were situated in the server rooms and needed a constant supply of power to keep them running. Along with the servers, power was required by the cooling systems to ensure they are not overheating. As life ends for servers and coolers, they need to be disposed too. With cloud computing, the hardware on the premises is reduced so is the reduction in power consumption. Now with green computing and cloud computing, the aim is to reduce power consumption even more.

• Remote Working reduces the Carbon Footprint in the Environment

The green cloud computing advantages seen in the organization today is remote working and flexibility to work from anywhere and anytime. Remote working is one of the biggest advantages that the corporate world has seen today. This flexibility has increased productivity and reduced the daily commute of employees to the office. This cut down in commute has reduced the fuel consumption and carbon emission to the atmosphere. This has benefited organizations to cut down on real estate costs along with energy consumption at the office premises.

• Going Paperless with Green Computing and Cloud Computing

The cloud is safe to store data. Storage of files in clouds is advantageous as it offers to access the documents anytime and from anywhere. The other important feature is that data is not lost as it could happen at times from hard drives in server rooms.

Cloud computing and green technology have several options for organizations to go completely paperless. The green mobile computing storage options like OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive, or Dropbox are in extensive use today. The secure cloud computing green technology like Adobe Sign and DocuSign have ruled out the need to print documents. These green computing tools allow users to sign, store, and send contracts and legal documents in a matter of seconds with just a few clicks.

Green computing in the cloud can manage technology resources with improvement in productivity and a decrease in costs. The green cloud storage architecture is working to reduce power consumption while still providing efficient services to the customer. The power management in cloud computing using green algorithm is implemented in the architecture. 

• Reduction in E-waste Generation

Electronic waste is increasing every decade. This disposal of waste to the environment is causing harm to the ecosystem and human health as well. On average, 24 million computers are disposed of by the USA alone. 14% of computers are donated or recycled. The e-waste further goes through a trade chain in developing countries where they are imported. The waste goes through scrap agents, reuse of segments, and the rest is burnt. The burnt e-waste finds its way into rivers causing river pollution. 

2. Disadvantages of Green Cloud Computing

• Implementation Cost is High

The initial investment for green computing is considered to be high by medium-sized and small organizations. Green computing is still not yet affordable to everyone.

• Evolving Technology will be challenging to Adapt To.

Green cloud computing technology is evolving, so it is slightly challenging for everyone to adapt to immediately. 

• Green Computers may be considered Underpowered

As the aim is to conserve energy, the computer applications that need high power to perform would be affected by green computing.

3. Green Computing Approaches

Organizations are implementing the following green computing approaches in their premises.

• Virtualization & Use of Terminal Servers

Virtualization is a process wherein multiple operating systems run on a computer system at the same time. The applications running appear as if they have their machine.  The use of common servers and sharing the terminal is found to save energy by 80%.

• Power Supply & Power Management

Electricity transmission wasted 40% of power and utilized only 60%. With green computing technology, energy will be used efficiently. The power management in cloud computing using the green algorithm is reducing the power consumption by computers.

4. Applications in Green Cloud Computing

Widely green computing is used in the following areas in organizations

• Management of energy in Data Centers
• Green Wireless Network
• Green Parallel Computing with Big Data Network
• Green computing with an algorithm

Conclusion

The green cloud architecture is aiming to reduce data center power consumption. The main advantage of the architecture of green cloud computing is that it ensures real-time performance while reducing the energy consumption of the IDC (internet data center). Going Green concept is in existence since 1992. Despite the disadvantages, green cloud computing is a concept that is being pursued to save our eco-culture. The concept is evolving and changing but very much needed to reduce carbon emissions to the environment.

The concept is expected to save money as well as the environment. The risk-on human life due to e-waste disposal is also expected to reduce to a great extent. Cloud computing and green computing together will work in favor of reducing carbon emission and to provide an effective work environment for organizations. Green cloud computing and environmental sustainability is the need of the hour today.

If you are looking for an extensive course in Cloud Computing, then the 5.5-month online Postgraduate Certificate Program In Cloud Computing offered by Jigsaw Academy can be of help. This program helps interested learners become complete Cloud professionals.