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  • Essay / Latest Technologies and Practices for ICT Sustainability: Green Computing

    In terms of growing awareness of the environmental impact of IT, green technology is gaining importance. With the increase in energy consumption, global warming and electronic waste, the idea of ​​green computing is widely taken into consideration by government agencies and private companies, as their contribution to good practices for development sustainable. Green computing refers to the practice of environmentally responsible and efficient use of computing resources while maintaining economic viability and improving its performance in an environmentally friendly manner. This article aims to present the main approaches and assumptions of green computing by showing the latest energy-saving solutions and practices in the IT industry. This article has carried out a systematic study of several strategies and developments in the context of ICT sustainability as a future growth asset for modern society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The article focuses on practices such as use, disposal, design and manufacturing as well as technological solutions such as electronic products and services, for example green. cloud. Prospects for greener ICTs should include the use of the Internet as a powerful promotion and education program for environmentally friendly behavior and as a useful tool for creating environmentally friendly technology. Keywords: green computing, energy management, sustainability, environmentally friendly technology, green cloudI. IntroductionGreen computing is the term referring to the efficient use of resources in IT and IT/IS infrastructure. Green IT efficiency focuses on minimizing hazardous environmental impacts while achieving economic viability and improving system performance. The field of “green technologies” covers a wide range of topics – from alternative techniques for energy production and electricity consumption and the use of environmentally friendly and recyclable materials to the implementation of sustainable digital services. Technical issues in green technology include: green infrastructure (energy-efficient buildings, smart cooling systems, renewable energy sources), green hardware (multi-core computer systems, energy-efficient server design, and semi-automatic storage). drivers and green software and applications - parallelization of computer scientific algorithms to run on modern energy-efficient multi-core clusters, intelligent load balancing and CPU shutdown Nowadays, to raise awareness in society and promote technological solutions. green, four main complementary approaches are used: • Green use: reducing the energy consumption of computers, information systems and their peripheral subsystems in an environmentally friendly manner. reuse of existing old computers and other associated electronic devices Recycling of unwanted used computers and other electronic waste by IT suppliers using their 'take back' policy in order. to take responsibility for the complete life cycle of the products they manufacture. • Green design: in a broader aspect, connecting companies, agenciesgovernment and environmental organizations to develop inventive management, business and regulatory processes that can improve environmental quality while promoting economic development. and practicality of designing energy-efficient and environmentally friendly computers and their subsystems such as servers and cooling equipment. • Green manufacturing: The production process for computers and related devices includes biodegradable manufacturing methods and components for minimal or no impact on the environment. This approach helps deliver economic benefits such as long-term cost savings and business process efficiency improvements. II. Green Manufacturing In order to achieve the goals set by the idea of ​​ICT sustainability, the entire process of creating ICT infrastructure must be considered. Minimal impact on the environment should be one of the key assumptions for information technology manufacturers during the design and production process of all ICT components. Large IT companies are already applying green standards to their own operations in order to: gain new revenue opportunities and promote social and environmental responsibility by influencing customers and market competition. The main areas of green computer manufacturing are: • Green design: the design of computing resources that meet the strict restrictions of Energy Star, for example, allowing further use with determined power and storage requirements. energy management (including special modes and allocations). “Energy Star devices can be programmed to turn off to a low electrical state when not in use, saving energy and operating at a lower temperature, helping them to last even longer.”• Use of bioproducts: biodegradable and renewable materials Their production often requires less energy than traditional toxic materials. Manufacturers use many different types of plastic in computers, making recycling very difficult. In addition, computers contain contaminants dangerous for the environment such as: cadmium, lead, mercury and even chromium. The use of harmful and energy-intensive materials can be replaced by efficient and recyclable elements, for example displays made of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) - mercury is not used in manufacturing, making them more environmentally friendly. III. Green UsageIt is very important to understand the complete life cycle of IT resources, while applying the idea of ​​green computing. Here are areas and practices that users can implement to maximize utility and minimize negative environmental consequences: • PC power management techniques: set of actions and mechanisms to control consumption of personal computing equipment, primarily by turning off the power or switching the system to the low-power state when idle. In IT, this type of power management is built around the specification called The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), an open industry standard that allows direct control and management of energy savings by the power system. operating - automatically turn off your monitor, go to stand-by mode, etc. Additionally, the system may go into hibernation, at which point the CPU and RAM are disabled. Some software solutions allow you to define thevoltage, for example on the CPU, which reduces heat production and energy consumption. Some mobile processors can adjust the voltage up to the required capacity at any given time. This technology is called Speed ​​Stepon Intel, Power Now! • Virtualization: In traditional IT infrastructure, servers are dedicated to specific IT functions such as storage, communication, database, etc. Virtualization eliminates the need for a dedicated server to run applications – at the same time it allows multiple operating systems to be run on the same hardware platform and system with maximum possible performance. It is based on launching the operating system in a virtual machine, abandoning the universality of the emulation of numerous computer architectures. Limited only to the hardware platform used to run a number of guest operating system (emulated system) processes directly on the computer hardware. Only when these operations are not performed directly does the virtualizer emulate them. This means that a virtualizer boots the operating system so that it can coexist with the main system and achieve maximum compatibility and performance. Dedicated servers are only used when there are active connections, they can be used for other purposes during their idle or in-use time. Virtualization contributes to green technology on the one hand by reducing the number of servers, energy requirements and disposal of desktop computers and by limiting costly business travel for staff, customers and suppliers, as well as by replacing paper systems with online communication platforms. IV. GreenDisposalThe green technology disposal approach includes the refurbishment and reuse of existing old IT equipment and the appropriate recycling of obsolete, unwanted or broken computers and their subsystems. Due to the magnitude of the negative environmental effects resulting from a poor disposal approach, this aspect of green computing is one of the most important: • Reuse: even the oldest computers must continue to be be used as long as they meet the user's requirements. Computer systems whose basic functions are outdated and do not meet the needs of their owner can be handed over to someone who wants to use them or needs them for its functional components. Many charities and non-profit organizations are willing to receive old equipment through donation in order to reuse it or use its particular function. Prolonged use of a computer system contributes significantly to the reduction of negative environmental effects. • Refurbishment: By reconditioning and replacing computer hardware parts, the user can extend its use. Old equipment can be restored to maintain its functions; it can also be improved to get new functionality. The reasons for such actions may be driven by the lower cost of refurbished equipment – ​​these days, more and more companies are willing to purchase refurbished equipment, and this market is growing. At this point, it is important to understand the difference between a “refurbished” and “used” product. Refurbishment provides the guarantee that the product has been tested and verified to work properly, while "used" products may or may not be defective. Equipment sellers often resell equipment returned under warranty after repairing the defects and verifying that they are good.functioning. Refurbished equipment offers a cost-effective alternative. Another incentive could be to maintain company standards by ensuring all employees use the same equipment. Such action significantly reduces electronic waste. • Recycle: Recycling is one of the most complex methods of protecting the environment. Its objective is to reduce the consumption of natural resources and reduce waste. The principle of recycling is to maximize the reuse of materials, taking into account the minimization of expenses linked to their processing. This principle makes it possible to protect both: the raw materials necessary for manufacturing as well as those necessary for subsequent processing. Recycling takes place in two areas: the production of products and the subsequent formation of waste from these goods. Recycling assumptions involve imposing appropriate attitudes among manufacturers of goods, favoring production with the most recoverable materials, and creating appropriate behavior among recipients of those goods. Electronic waste from computers and related equipment contains different substances, many of which are hazardous, such as mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic and chromium. The effects of these toxins on human health include birth defects, damage to the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, skeleton, reproduction and nervous system. If computers are disposed of in landfills or other inappropriate locations, toxic chemicals may be released into the environment (food chain and water). The burning of electronic waste poses another threat: it causes the release of a toxic gas into the air we breathe. Although e-waste mainly contains harmful materials, some precious metals like gold and copper can be found and become a source of secondary raw materials. Such actions can turn into profitable business. To summarize: “the manufacture and purchase of energy-efficient IT infrastructure, the efficient operation and use of IT devices as well as their proper disposal, i.e. the manufacture, use and disposal "Ecological disposal, are those efforts that lead to economic and ecological benefits". latest developments Green Cloud ComputingThe May 2009 Gartner report defines the concept of cloud as "a style of computing in which scalable and elastic computing capabilities are provided as a service to multiple customers using Internet technologies." Understood in three dimensions: economic, environmental and social. Clouds consolidate the environment, saving energy, cooling, space and money. Cost savings and operational flexibility are among the most commonly cited benefits associated with the decision to adopt a cloud computing solution. The fixed costs of investing in infrastructure (which in the traditional business model typically increase with time and the need to update software) are reduced, as are the energy costs powering the infrastructure. Traditional costs related to licenses, number of users, equipment, operation, repairs and applications are replaced by paying for the functionality actually used by the company or other organization that also has access to the latest technology. This solution allows supply to be matched to demand, eliminating unnecessary costs associated with overestimating or underestimating customer needs. At the same time, it affects risk reduction.