In an earlier blog, Gerard Zuidweg addressed the topic of sustainability, which is becoming increasingly important, partly due to the introduction of new environmental, social, and governance (ESG) guidelines. He briefly explained what the ESG guidelines mean for the IT organization and concluded that – perhaps to everyone’s surprise – we as database consultants can be of great added value in establishing, but more importantly realizing, a more sustainable IT environment for our clients.
ESG policy and policy objectives
As database consultants, we can play a key role in collecting and analyzing data that companies need to meet their sustainability goals. This includes collecting and monitoring key KPIs, such as storage and memory of the database environment in order to then set targets accordingly. In fact, these KPIs are largely responsible for the energy consumption of an IT environment.
Realize sustainable databases aimed at achieving objectives
The database consultant can help like no other in reducing energy consumption while reducing operational costs. This can be done in a number of ways, which I explain below.
Optimization of databases for energy efficiency
One of our main tasks is optimizing databases to improve performance. We do this by indexing tables, optimizing queries and regularly cleaning up obsolete data. Making databases more efficient reduces the load on servers, which leads to lower energy consumption. Cindy previously wrote an interesting blog about this . Not only is this optimization good for the environment, but it can also significantly reduce the cost of energy consumption.
Consolidation of databases
Many companies face a proliferation of databases, often due to mergers, acquisitions or company growth. This leads to inefficient data storage and increased energy consumption. We can help by consolidating and centralizing databases. This reduces the amount of hardware you need and optimizes the use of resources, leading to less energy consumption and a smaller carbon footprint.
Use of sustainable cloud solutions
The shift to cloud computing presents enormous opportunities for sustainability. Cloud providers such as AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure are investing heavily in renewable energy and energy efficiency for their data centers. We can help companies implement and manage these sustainable cloud solutions. By migrating databases to the cloud, companies can take advantage of these providers’ economies of scale and green initiatives, reducing their own energy consumption and environmental impact.
Automation and orchestration
Automation is another way we can contribute to sustainability. By automating routine tasks such as backups, monitoring and maintenance, we can increase the efficiency of database management and reduce human error. This leads to a more streamlined operation that uses less energy. In addition, orchestration tools can help dynamically allocate resources based on workload, reducing energy waste.
Data archiving and lifecycle management
Managing the full lifecycle of data is essential to sustainability. As database consultants, we can implement policies for data archiving and lifecycle management, archiving inactive or obsolete data to cheaper and more energy-efficient storage media. This not only reduces the amount of active storage required, but also optimizes data center energy consumption.
Conclusion
As database consultants, we have a positive impact on companies’ efforts to become more sustainable and achieve sustainability goals from ESG guidelines. By optimizing databases, consolidating them, using sustainable cloud solutions, applying automation and implementing data lifecycle management, we can have a significant impact on a company’s sustainability.
Moreover, we can help make sustainability efforts transparent and accountable. This creates a nice win-win situation: we not only help reduce the environmental footprint, but at the same time improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.
Want to know more?
Wondering how your business can benefit from sustainable IT solutions and the expertise of database consultants? Contact us today for a no-obligation consultation.