russdev Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 I think someone has said this before but do people think about having green IT forum. Being that in next 12 months this going to become quite big in peoples agendas. Russ. p.s Blatant Self promotion - If at Open Source Schools unconference then please do check out my presentation on green computing. Green Computing | Open Source Schools
pete Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 (edited) So, reading between the lines of the press release that's been dumped everywhere "government decides on strategy, but yet again fails to properly communicate that strategy to the people who need to implement it?". Yes, forum would be a good idea. Edit: Ok, I've read through the strategy paper and my thoughts are twofold: a) Some of that stuff applies to undocumented .gov data centres where no-one actually knows what a server does or who owns it. b) The rest is stuff that we already do as a school because it's a) obvious b) saves us money. For example: Computers off overnight - check Enable monitor power-saving - check Printers on duplex - check Printers default to b&w - check Power saving on printers - check Hardware recycled - check Reuse older harder in low-demand areas - check Hardware only replaced when necessary - check Increase server utilisation to a minimum of 50% where possible - we've been using virtualisation for years in production and testing. Does .gov.uk really need a strategy to enforce what's common sense? Are there really knobheads in central government who don't power down end-user kit automatically overnight? I especially like item 6 on page 17 "a high powered machine suitable for high graphic gaming is not needed in a central government office" (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/3/12/) Edit again, reading of further idiocy. "Consider replacing CRTs with LCDs as part of a refresh cycle" - really? They really feel the need to point this out? Edited July 19, 2009 by pete
enjay Posted July 20, 2009 Posted July 20, 2009 It could be a useful forum to have in which to throw ideas around, although as Pete says, I suspect that most if not all of us are already doing the really obvious things. There are no doubt other areas which we haven't yet all explored, though. Remember that "green IT" should be more than just power-saving too - include re-use and recycling, as well as responsible sourcing/manufacture methods (i.e. not using brands who are known to have caused excessive pollution from their factories).
jamesb Posted July 20, 2009 Posted July 20, 2009 Does .gov.uk really need a strategy to enforce what's common sense? Are there really knobheads in central government who don't power down end-user kit automatically overnight? Yes. They're users, what do you expect? And unlike in a school there might actually be people working late (in theory, I don't know if civil servants actually know that you can stay at work past four-thirty), so you can't do a site-wide automatic power down.
enjay Posted July 20, 2009 Posted July 20, 2009 And unlike in a school there might actually be people working late ... so you can't do a site-wide automatic power down. Yes you can, you just need to be careful with it. Here the shutdown script runs with a "cancel" option so the one or two people working late can do so, but the remaining 99% of computers can shut down. The script then runs again later in the evening to get any which were cancelled. We also run it in phases, so the classroom computers switch off just after the end of the staff, but the staff room and office computers don't switch off until later on.
Guest TheLibrarian Posted July 20, 2009 Posted July 20, 2009 I'd be interested to see the script if at all possible.
pete Posted July 20, 2009 Posted July 20, 2009 Greening Government ICT Strategy doc (pdf) http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/141533/greening_gov_ict080724.pdf Areas for potential carbon reduction: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/141524/areas4reduction081028.pdf It's also worth noting that the requirements for 2012 are for Central Government. (I'm not saying we shouldn't be implementing green measures where sensible to do so, just that we don't need to panic anytime soon).
enjay Posted July 20, 2009 Posted July 20, 2009 The script is using BeyondExec - Spawn Processes or Shutdown Remote Windows NT/2000/XP WorkStations I have a batch file for each phase of the shutdown, with one line per PC, e.g. beyondexec \\it1-01 -l 60 -d Shutdown -f -m "This PC is about to shut down - please save your work now otherwise any changes you have made will be lost" beyondexec \\it1-02 -l 60 -d Shutdown -f -m "This PC is about to shut down - please save your work now otherwise any changes you have made will be lost" This batch file is saved and then set as a scheduled task on the server to run at whatever time is appropriate (I have 4 scheduled tasks). Then, at 9pm a scheduled task runs a second batch file which calls each of those 4 batch files in turn, using the following line: call "shutdown it1.bat" call "shutdown it2.bat" and so on.
carolbaroudi Posted August 5, 2009 Posted August 5, 2009 Launching a new research practice focused on Green IT and Sustainability and welcome your participation at Groups: Sign in Green IT & Sustainability Research . Determining our first research agenda and would love to know what’s top of mind for you. Please feel free to circulate this list to interested colleagues. You can write to me at [email protected] Of the following suggested topics and report titles, please rank your top five. Feel free to suggest other topics or titles and include them in your ranking. If you are interested in a particular subset or aspect of a topic or have a great report title to suggest, please tell us explicitly. We will read and consider your responses carefully. Thank you for your considered response. Our goal is to create a dynamic, responsible, well-informed community and we are eager for your active participation. Please choose five of the following topics and rank them in importance to you, (1) being the most important, (5) being the fifth most important. By importance to you we mean topics you’d like to see us research and write about. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** Green IT End User Interest Survey *** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOP 5 Priorities 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** Proposed Green IT Topic Areas *** Virtualization in General Desktop virtualization Application virtualization Server virtualization Storage virtualization Green Data Center Best Practices Measuring, Monitoring and Controlling Data Center Energy Consumption Green Cooling Strategies Data Center and Server Room Expansion and how to Avoid it, Postpone it, or Do it gradually (intelligently) Smart Grid/Smart Meter & B2B Energy Management Carbon Management Platforms and Services Product Life-cycle Carbon Foot-Print Platforms and Services Paper Choice / Paper Use Greener Printing Paperless processes Green IT Strategy Governing / Managing Green IT Is the Cloud Green? How Green is Your Cloud? Meeting Green Objectives through Outsourcing Responsible disposal of electronic assets Using collaboration to reduce carbon and costs Teleconference Web conferencing Telecommuting The impact of current (and coming) environmental regulations Regulatory Pressures Driving Green Adoption Using Software as a Service to reduce hardware purchase, energy consumption and maintenance Purchasing greener IT Asset life-cycle management Capacity on Demand PC power management Information Lifecycle Management and Greener storage strategies Replacing physical with digital distribution Environment, Health and Safety Smart Building Management Greener Networking The CFO’s View of Green IT Green-enabled Capital Management: CFO Drivers Green IT capex to opex transformation Green IT Services: Fact or Fiction Green Economics During Troubled Times Carol Baroudi Research Director Green IT and Sustainability [email protected] Aberdeen Group: Get Smart. Read Research. Aberdeen Group +1 617 854 5287direct Green IT For Dummies available now at online booksellers
russdev Posted August 5, 2009 Author Posted August 5, 2009 Greening Government ICT Strategy doc (pdf) http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/141533/greening_gov_ict080724.pdf Areas for potential carbon reduction: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/141524/areas4reduction081028.pdf It's also worth noting that the requirements for 2012 are for Central Government. (I'm not saying we shouldn't be implementing green measures where sensible to do so, just that we don't need to panic anytime soon). Thats not quite true... The sogce targets are central government but there is another set of targets for LAs. Two that effect schools % decrease across LA estate (that includes schools) and % decrease across whole of LA. Main thing is lot of LAs not making targets. Ofsted have green IT already in there. LA need a quick way to meet targets by forcing it on the estate Step one - LAs ask government to make sure ofsted inspect the green IT side with bit more detail Step two it becomes an issue for the school and IT support. 1
pete Posted August 6, 2009 Posted August 6, 2009 Main thing is lot of LAs not making targets. Ofsted have green IT already in there. LA need a quick way to meet targets by forcing it on the estate Step one - LAs ask government to make sure ofsted inspect the green IT side with bit more detail Step two it becomes an issue for the school and IT support. Fair enough, a few questions though: Is this something that's started or pending? How do Ofsted (comprising ex-teachers) assess green IT initiatives (understanding them, being able to spot spurious claims, accurately assessing)? Is it a checkbox thing - "saw computer monitors on in an unattended IT room" - or a quiz / assess school plan for green IT? When/of whom do Ofsted ask these questions? Is it part and parcel of a standard inspection or something more targetted? I know some people on here have actually been asked IT-type questions by inspectors, but our main interaction is occasionally leading them safely out of the corridor maze in the old part of the school.
russdev Posted August 6, 2009 Author Posted August 6, 2009 (edited) At the moment let me be very clear this speculation that LAs will get Green IT agenda inspected more detailed way but if I was betting man I would say that it will start to come within the next 12 months. "Being Green" and Green IT is part (is part of sustainable framework which school has to report on the SEF). Key here is that replacing all the windows is not cost effective. The fact is IT takes up large % of CO2 emissions that is not just including energy use but also manufacture/supply of the items. So at school level it is about making sure that you are doing the things you can (machines shutoff at night etc, move servers to virtual servers etc). Look at supply are machines buying green (but still do the job and cost the same of non green machines for example). It is showing that you are doing something towards reducing your CO2 so even once it becomes a focus on the ofsted inspection. I do think it will be along the lines of on the SEF you would have what your are doing and then inspection would make sure that is is the case and not just putting something on SEF for sake of it. My guess anyway... Russ Edited August 6, 2009 by russdev 1
pete Posted August 6, 2009 Posted August 6, 2009 Cheers. I'm going to badger SMT about our last SEF to see what they've been including (or not).
Dos_Box Posted August 7, 2009 Posted August 7, 2009 Well, it looks like Shaun and I shall get onto this as soon as we can.
FN-GM Posted August 7, 2009 Posted August 7, 2009 I would have thought it better fits under the IT Policies forum
Dos_Box Posted August 7, 2009 Posted August 7, 2009 It's not just policies though is it? It covers everything from policies to hardware from disposal to entire network setups.
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