Here is an article I worked on the Seven Steps to a Hyper-Green Virtual Server System.

Green IT Framework for Building a “Hyper-Green” Virtual Server System

Adam Bogobowicz and Dave Ohara

Contents

Step 1: Know Your Server Loads
Step 2: Plan for High Utilization
Step 3: Save Power
Step 4: Eliminate Waste
Step 5: Identify your Hyper-V SKUs
Step 6: Plan, Deploy, Monitor
Step 7: See the Forest, not the Trees
Moving Forward

Organizations of all sizes are focused on cutting costs by increasing the efficiency of their computing resources. Virtualization is a standard Green IT technique. But how do you equate energy efficiency efforts beyond "I used virtualization to consolidate my servers."

Server virtualization allows multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine as virtual machines (VMs), consolidating workloads across multiple underutilized servers. But are you really achieving a performance per watt that is better than other enterprise users?

Building a Hyper-Green virtualization server system is focused on taking the extra steps necessary to further reduce energy consumption. Your approach can start small; it can be comparable to switching from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs at home. Your next step could be analogous to turning off lights, automatically setting thermostats, and using devices such as Kill-A-Watt to identify practices and components that waste energy. The specific technologies are not as important as an awareness of the situation and a dedication to make things better. A zealous focus on efficiency and reducing waste has lasting effects.

In Warren Buffett's biography Snowball, he discusses the idea of an "Inner Scorecard" that allows you to measure where you are meeting your personal goals and where you are falling short. The internal scorecard measures whether you are doing what is right versus doing what external forces or expedience would lead you to do. In the area of green services, doing what is right is having a focus on performance per watt, not just on performance or on watts expended. The Microsoft Virtualization site can help you keep score of your energy savings by measuring energy consumption before and after virtualization and then using local energy prices to calculate savings. By focusing on reducing energy costs, you can ensure the success of your virtualization project.

There was a deadline to hit the publish date, and there will be an update to this article. Adam Bogobowicz and I have had great success with these seven steps to discuss a framework for green virtual server system.

One of the things we have been able to do is arrange the order of execution in an easier way to execute the seven steps.

1) Save Power

2) Eliminate Waste

3) Manage for High Utilization

4) Power Size Hardware

5) Power Size Software

6) Plan and Deploy for Green

7) See the Forest for the Trees