Developing greener cloud computing software
Developing greener cloud computing software
Attending the annual Software Design & Development (SDD) conference in London earlier this year really got me thinking about a topic that’s only recently emerged as a big concern for the IT industry: climate change.
Looking afresh at software’s cloud-shaped future
For a long time, the general feeling was that exchanging information digitally was a lot more efficient – and a lot greener – than sending bits of paper back and forth. And meeting virtually is clearly better for the planet than driving or flying around to visit one another face to face. But lately, that reassuring picture has started to change.
Increasing cloud adoption is driving a radical transformation in how firms like DOCOsoft deliver software systems to end users. The cloud brings many benefits. These include increased accessibility, scalability at the click of a button, enhanced availability, and greater redundancy.
User expectations have risen dramatically and now typically include five-nines availability and minute-level Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs).
But, following Google’s recent admission that its greenhouse gas emissions rose by 48% between 2019, and 2023, driven in part by power-hungry AI applications, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the benefits of the new cloud computing come at a significant environmental cost.
Counting the cost of the cloud
Behind the financial costs for which cloud providers bill their customers lies a significant climate cost that often gets too little attention. The cloud might sound natural, fluffy and insubstantial. But, in reality, cloud-based systems run in large industrial data centers that require vast amounts of electricity to power servers, cooling equipment, and storage systems. Delivering the five-nines availability that users demand will often require replicating systems across the globe, doubling or tripling electricity demand.
The cloud already has a bigger carbon footprint than the global airline industry. A single data centre can consume as much power as 50,000 homes. Short of disappointing users by questioning whether they really need five-nines availability, what else can software developers like DOCOsoft do to mitigate the environmental impact of cloud computing?
Towards a greener cloud computing
One thing we can do is make sure we choose the right cloud providers and data centers. To guide our choice, we can calculate a data centre’s carbon footprint. Clearly, there are other factors to consider here, not least around security, reliability, and regulatory compliance. But selecting a more eco-friendly provider can significantly reduce the software’s carbon footprint.
If selecting or switching cloud providers or data centers based on their green credentials is not an option, there are other steps software firms can take. Small changes can make a real difference. For example, optimising image compression can have a surprisingly big impact. The average WebP file, for example, is 25%-34% smaller than a JPEG file. Steps like implementing lazy loading (loading resources only when they are specifically needed) can also reduce unnecessary data transfer and energy use.
How we can shrink the cloud’s carbon footprint
- Optimising code efficiency
Writing efficient code, reducing redundancy, and regularly profiling and benchmarking applications can help minimise the computational power required, thus reducing energy consumption
- Efficient resource utilisation
Right-sizing resources, implementing auto-scaling, and adopting serverless architectures can help avoid over-provisioning and wasting energy
- Data management
Effective data management – for example, compressing data and regularly cleaning up unused data – also has a role to play. Efficient data storage solutions balance performance with energy consumption, further reducing the carbon footprint
- Optimised networking
Optimising networking by reducing data transfer and using Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) can also help. Serving content closer to users reduces latency and energy consumption
- Energy-efficient software design
Designing energy-efficient software using microservices architecture and containerisation can improve scalability and reduce unnecessary resource usage
- Leveraging renewable energy
Leveraging renewable energy by choosing green cloud providers and deploying workloads in regions with greener energy grids can make a substantial difference
- Monitoring and reporting
Monitoring and reporting the carbon footprint of cloud usage, and continuously improving resource usage and software efficiency helps achieve sustainability goals
- Sustainable development practices
Educating teams about the environmental impact of their work, promoting sustainable development practices, and setting and tracking sustainability goals also crucial have a role to play
- Collaborating with cloud providers
Taking up tools and recommendations from cloud providers aimed at reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint, and advocating for green initiatives, further supports our sustainability efforts.
By making informed decisions and optimising our systems, software developers like DOCOsoft are working to reduce the environmental impact of our software and contribute to a more sustainable future.
