Greener Cloud Computing Options

IBM just made greener clouds a reality.

IBM has patented a solution which it claims is a “green button” that distributes a cloud service to lower power systems to help save environmental costs.

“The efficient, distributed cloud computing model has made it possible for people to bank, shop, trade stocks and do many other things online, but the massive data centers that enable these apps can include many thousands of energy-consuming systems,” said Keith Walker, IBM Master Inventor and co-inventor on the patent.

“We have invented a way for cloud service providers to more efficiently manage their data centers and, as a result, significantly reduce their environmental impact.”

Walker offered more details about the idea behind the patent, stating that there would be an “environmentally friendly option’ on the CSP’s setup wizard. “It’s like purchasing a computer – you have the choice of buying a high speed hard drive, but do you need it for what you actually plan to do with the computer?” Walker said, according to an article on Cloudcomputingnews.net.

“Would something less powerful, but more energy efficient, meet your needs? Certain cloud services, or tasks within a service, don’t need a great deal of power, or can be done during off-peak hours,” he added.

Business and government demand for cloud-based IT infrastructure services is growing rapidly. As a result, cloud data center power consumption is on the rise. Most commodity cloud providers follow a one-size-fits-all approach to delivering services via power-crunching servers — without taking into account the sustainability strategies of individual customers.

Big Blue’s patented cloud computing invention is similar to how energy utilities offer consumers ways to automatically access and pay for alternative energy sources such as wind or solar to reduce their impacts on the environment. Here’s how it works: A cloud will be tuned to automatically route service requests through network devices, systems and software that process the service while consuming the least amount of electricity.

IBM’s cloud data center management invention will address the complexity of deploying optimal cloud environments, while making it easier and more affordable to offer new solutions and services to clients.

Patrick Burke is a writer and editor based in the greater New York area and occasionally blogs for Rackspace Hosting