A new State computer server strategy could reduce CO2 emissions by 18,000 tonnes
AS the emergency budget looms, and, with the Irish Government looking to cut spending, there is an opportunity for the State to save between €20m and €30m, as well as reduce carbon emissions by 18,000 tonnes, if it commits to an overhaul of its IT systems.
Right now, the average server in any business or State department operates at around 10pc capacity, and many organisations keep several servers, each for specific functions such as email, web hosting, accounts, sales and human resources.
A new revolution is sweeping the computing world under the term ‘virtualisation’, which allows firms to own fewer servers, spread the load and create ‘virtual’ machines to handle a sudden spike in demand. So, instead of seven machines running at 10pc capacity each, organisations can have two servers running at 50–60pc capacity.
The impact of this means that organisations require fewer servers, reducing maintenance and electricity costs significantly as well as the environmental impact.
Globally, computer emissions are estimated to account for 2pc of CO2 emissions, equivalent to the impact of the airline industry.
A further revolution in ‘cloud computing’, whereby IT infrastructure can be accessed remotely over the internet to internet data centres rather than in-house, could pave the way for further cost savings.
A parliamentary question tabled by Fine Gael’s spokesperson for Small Business and Labour Affairs, Damien English TD, last month to every minister revealed that there are an estimated 4,608 servers across Irish State departments, including 52 in the Department of the Taoiseach, 154 in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, 1,288 within the HSE, 376 in the Department of Agriculture and 510 in the Department of Justice.
A subsequent question about whether any of these departments intend to deploy virtualisation to reduce the number of servers, found only one department — the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources under Minister Eamon Ryan TD — had plans to move to virtualisation.
Data centre expert Stephen McCarron of Dublin-based Hosting365 has looked at the number of servers currently being run by the Irish Government, and he estimates the Government could save the Exchequer at least €23m per annum.
“The running costs of these servers would be €23m a year just in maintenance; this ignores the cost of buying the machines and housing them securely.
“If you are running 4,600 servers, the electricity bill alone to keep them switched on and cooled would be €7m per annum. So, the Government is paying €500,000 a month to run these servers.”
The environmental impact of this, McCarron reckons, could be enormous.
“This would be the equivalent of a small town’s worth of CO2 emissions. There would be 18,000 tonnes of carbon dumped every year by the Government’s own IT infrastructure. If the Government moved to cloud computing, the output of carbon could be reduced to 200 tonnes per annum, he says.
English says the environmental and budgetary aspects of the current swathes of Government servers need to be addressed.
“These things are like smelters, they use that much energy. The people I’ve been talking to estimate a minimum of €20m in savings, this could rise to €60m. That would be by rearranging servers and getting better use out of them.
“This wouldn’t cost any jobs, it would not entail any reduction in front-line services and, in fact, would free people up to provide citizens and businesses with better services.”
English says that Colm McCarthy, who heads up An Bord Snip Nua, in his previous role at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General brought attention to the vast number of servers used within Government departments.
“This should be looked at in a strategic way. Minister Eamon Ryan TD was the only minister who indicated his department may move to a virtualised environment. A Government plan is needed because this is one area that would deliver an immediate return for the economy,” English says.
Fredrik Sjostedt, director of EMEA product marketing at VMware, says a move to virtualisation would require literally little more than a software upgrade and would safeguard existing IT investments.
“It is important to maintain and keep the investment you’ve already made. The difference is you use what you have more effectively. If these machines were operating at 10pc of capacity, then you don’t need to buy new servers for some time if the devices are modern,” Sjostedt explains.
Microsoft Ireland’s server group manger, Bill O’Brien, says the savings of €20m in running costs and 18,000 tonnes of emissions would be conservative.
“Without looking at the exact calculations, broadly speaking there are huge savings to be made.
“We’re only at the start of the virtualisation journey. Servers are a good place to start and, in fairness, many departments have started. There’s a lot more to do, but it’s great area to save time, energy and space,” O’Brien concludes.
John Kennedy
© Silicon Republic Ltd 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wasting Valuable Resources by Exporting Electronic Waste from the EU
With our current daily diet of bad news on the economy, loss of jobs, banking crisis, and shortage of money, why do we continue to export valuable materials to third world countries, materials we then have to replace with costly virgin supplies.
A report from UK-based energy and climate consultancy, AEA Technology, estimates that the following yields would be possible from the 9 million tonnes of e-scrap generated each year in Europe:
2.3 million tonnes of ferrous metal
1.2 million tonnes of non-ferrous metals including-
652 000 tonnes of copper,
336,000 tonnes of aluminium,
162,000 tonnes of heavy metals,
12,000-27,000 tonnes of lead,
6-8 tonnes of mercury
Plus
1.2 million tonnes of plastics
156,000 tonnes of flame retardants
336,000 tonnes of glass.
All of these materials could be used in manufacturing within the EU and the cost of buying raw materials to replace them combined with the loss of employment in the recycling industry is enormous
The EU Commission estimates that 54% of WEEE produced in the EU is shipped to sub-standard treatment facilities inside and outside the EU,
Only 33% of the e-scrap in the EU is reported as collected and properly treated in recycling/recovery facilities, while 13% goes to landfill ,
According to a study by the Dutch environment ministry VROM, 28% of Dutch businesses/collectors and exporters were found to be exporting e-scrap illegally from the Netherlands. A UK study shows that 10% of WEEE was being shipped illegally to non-OECD countries.
Each year, 9.3 million tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment are placed on the market in the EU-27 and some 9 million tonnes of e-scrap is generated.
Forecasts are that, by 2020, 12.3 million tonnes of e-scrap will be generated each year in the EU (up to 24 kg per EU inhabitant).
There has been strong growth in the electronic equipment market with worldwide revenues growing by 11%, 8% and 7,7% in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively. The largest growth has been in computers, mobile phones, refrigerators, televisions and air-conditioners, as well as hot consumer products such as MP3 players, digital televisions, etc.
The UN Environmental Programme estimates that, each year, up to 50 million tonnes of e-waste is generated worldwide and that the figure is growing at a rate of 3-5% per annum.
More than 90% of the 20-50 million tonnes of e-waste generated globally every year ends up in Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan.
Speaking at the ICM “International Electronics Recycling Congress” in January this year, Timo Mäkelä, Director, Sustainable Development and Integration of the European Commission’s Directorate-General, Environment said “ when more material is collected and recycled within the EU, there will be more revenue for the waste treatment and recycling sector and, not unimportant in these difficult economic times, more jobs. Recycling creates five to seven times more jobs that than incineration and ten times more jobs than disposal at landfills”
This of course is when the materials are processed in the EU, when e-scrap is exported there is a 100% loss of employment to the EU recycling sector
For more see this months Recycling International
http://www.electronic-recycling.com/
A report from UK-based energy and climate consultancy, AEA Technology, estimates that the following yields would be possible from the 9 million tonnes of e-scrap generated each year in Europe:
2.3 million tonnes of ferrous metal
1.2 million tonnes of non-ferrous metals including-
652 000 tonnes of copper,
336,000 tonnes of aluminium,
162,000 tonnes of heavy metals,
12,000-27,000 tonnes of lead,
6-8 tonnes of mercury
Plus
1.2 million tonnes of plastics
156,000 tonnes of flame retardants
336,000 tonnes of glass.
All of these materials could be used in manufacturing within the EU and the cost of buying raw materials to replace them combined with the loss of employment in the recycling industry is enormous
The EU Commission estimates that 54% of WEEE produced in the EU is shipped to sub-standard treatment facilities inside and outside the EU,
Only 33% of the e-scrap in the EU is reported as collected and properly treated in recycling/recovery facilities, while 13% goes to landfill ,
According to a study by the Dutch environment ministry VROM, 28% of Dutch businesses/collectors and exporters were found to be exporting e-scrap illegally from the Netherlands. A UK study shows that 10% of WEEE was being shipped illegally to non-OECD countries.
Each year, 9.3 million tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment are placed on the market in the EU-27 and some 9 million tonnes of e-scrap is generated.
Forecasts are that, by 2020, 12.3 million tonnes of e-scrap will be generated each year in the EU (up to 24 kg per EU inhabitant).
There has been strong growth in the electronic equipment market with worldwide revenues growing by 11%, 8% and 7,7% in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively. The largest growth has been in computers, mobile phones, refrigerators, televisions and air-conditioners, as well as hot consumer products such as MP3 players, digital televisions, etc.
The UN Environmental Programme estimates that, each year, up to 50 million tonnes of e-waste is generated worldwide and that the figure is growing at a rate of 3-5% per annum.
More than 90% of the 20-50 million tonnes of e-waste generated globally every year ends up in Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan.
Speaking at the ICM “International Electronics Recycling Congress” in January this year, Timo Mäkelä, Director, Sustainable Development and Integration of the European Commission’s Directorate-General, Environment said “ when more material is collected and recycled within the EU, there will be more revenue for the waste treatment and recycling sector and, not unimportant in these difficult economic times, more jobs. Recycling creates five to seven times more jobs that than incineration and ten times more jobs than disposal at landfills”
This of course is when the materials are processed in the EU, when e-scrap is exported there is a 100% loss of employment to the EU recycling sector
For more see this months Recycling International
http://www.electronic-recycling.com/
Monday, March 16, 2009
Data Loss Prevention: Keeping Sensitive Data Out of the Wrong Hands
Data security breaches pose a serious threat to business, according to a report from consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
The recent Survey revealed that more than two-thirds of organisations do not maintain an inventory of user data or a list of locations and jurisdictions where this information is stored.
The survey found that only half of all companies have a policy that addresses the protection, disclosure and destruction of data and, although many organisations operate a security encryption policy while transmitting data, very few use encryption for data which is “at rest” i.e. information in databases, file sharing and storage, laptops and back up facilities
According to PwC, companies cannot afford to take data security lightly. Identity theft is rampant, accounting for about one-third of consumer complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission last year- whether you’re a security leader or a business line executive—now is the time for you to start better protecting your company’s customer data, core intellectual property, trade secrets, and regulated data.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Ciaran Kelly of PwC Ireland said: "With consumers and regulators demanding more control over sensitive data than ever, it is clear that now is the time to start better protecting your company's customer data."
In Ireland It is the legal responsibility of ICT data controllers to comply with Data Protection legislation. EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC specifies the general obligations of data controllers as to how personal data is handled. The Directive is transposed into Irish law as the Data Protection Act 2003; this in turn adds to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1988.
While managing and protecting current data is important, companies also need to be extremely careful when disposing of IT equipment that contains sensitive data. There are many reports of computers, with their hard drives intact, being found in open markets in the third world and there is also a market for used data tapes. Deleting files or even reformatting a hard drive does not remove the information, as this can be restored using readily available software
The problems associated with data security for end of life equipment can be eliminated by using reputable IT recycling companies, who can provide certified data destruction services as part of their asset management or equipment recycling processes.
Apart from a company’s responsibilities under the Data Protection Act, there is also a continuing responsibility under the Waste Management Act 1996 (amended 2001) for IT equipment, until it has been proven that it has been disposed of properly. If the cannibalised remains of a company’s equipment are disposed of illegally, it is the company that is responsible, not the person who took it away for disposal.
When replacing or disposing of end of life IT equipment, companies need to ask their new equipment vendor, waste service provider or facilities manager, what exactly happens to their equipment once it leaves their control.
The recent Survey revealed that more than two-thirds of organisations do not maintain an inventory of user data or a list of locations and jurisdictions where this information is stored.
The survey found that only half of all companies have a policy that addresses the protection, disclosure and destruction of data and, although many organisations operate a security encryption policy while transmitting data, very few use encryption for data which is “at rest” i.e. information in databases, file sharing and storage, laptops and back up facilities
According to PwC, companies cannot afford to take data security lightly. Identity theft is rampant, accounting for about one-third of consumer complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission last year- whether you’re a security leader or a business line executive—now is the time for you to start better protecting your company’s customer data, core intellectual property, trade secrets, and regulated data.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Ciaran Kelly of PwC Ireland said: "With consumers and regulators demanding more control over sensitive data than ever, it is clear that now is the time to start better protecting your company's customer data."
In Ireland It is the legal responsibility of ICT data controllers to comply with Data Protection legislation. EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC specifies the general obligations of data controllers as to how personal data is handled. The Directive is transposed into Irish law as the Data Protection Act 2003; this in turn adds to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1988.
While managing and protecting current data is important, companies also need to be extremely careful when disposing of IT equipment that contains sensitive data. There are many reports of computers, with their hard drives intact, being found in open markets in the third world and there is also a market for used data tapes. Deleting files or even reformatting a hard drive does not remove the information, as this can be restored using readily available software
The problems associated with data security for end of life equipment can be eliminated by using reputable IT recycling companies, who can provide certified data destruction services as part of their asset management or equipment recycling processes.
Apart from a company’s responsibilities under the Data Protection Act, there is also a continuing responsibility under the Waste Management Act 1996 (amended 2001) for IT equipment, until it has been proven that it has been disposed of properly. If the cannibalised remains of a company’s equipment are disposed of illegally, it is the company that is responsible, not the person who took it away for disposal.
When replacing or disposing of end of life IT equipment, companies need to ask their new equipment vendor, waste service provider or facilities manager, what exactly happens to their equipment once it leaves their control.
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