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Abstract
The energy required to supply data centers today is estimated to be around 1% of the global demand of electricity, with the cloud computing paradigm being the main driver of computing demand. Leading cloud providers are already making efforts to reduce energy expenditure of their data centers. However, the role that online platform operators and end-users can play towards a more sustainable cloud is still unclear. In this article, we raise the question whether making end users aware of their impact on cloud energy expenditure leads to more efficient use of the platforms. Focusing on non-retail platforms, we have run an A/B test in the Virtual Campus of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), one of the biggest online universities worldwide. In this intervention, we show the test group real-time information about the energy consumption of the platform, as well as tips on how to reduce it. Alongside, we monitor user behavior in terms of session duration and volume of traffic generated. Our results reveal that users who received this information did not change their behavior significantly. This result encourages us to find alternative ways to reduce the energy impact associated with the platform without the active participation of the end user, such as a more intelligent session management in conjunction with auto-scaling tools.
Highlights
RESULTS we provide an analysis of the obtained results, focusing on aspects such as reach, i.e., how many users effectively saw the widget, impact on the user session patterns, and changes in patterns related to file downloads
We take into account the first time they logged-in to the Campus after launching the pilot and see the widget for the first time
In this work we have conducted a large-scale behavioral intervention aimed at reducing unnecessary use –and the associated energy consumption– of an educational virtual platform
Summary
Aware of the vital need to preserve our planet, are demanding further commitment from the companies of which they are customers. Companies that base their commercial activity on the Internet cannot stay out of this global trend. The energy required to supply their computing hardware and facilities worldwide is estimated in 205 TWh for 2018 [1]. This represents around 1% of the global demand of electricity (23.031 TWh in 2018 [2]) and is comparable to the total demand of a medium-sized country like Spain (249 TWh in 2020 [3])
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