Increasing energy efficiency in data centres through the use of software-defined networking, renewable energies and energy management.
In recent years, web and cloud services have become more established, especially due to the increasing spread of mobile devices (smart phones, tablets). Powerful data centres are required in the background to provide the mass of users globally with fast and error-free access to the services. In view of the costs for electricity and air conditioning in data centres, this means an ever greater challenge.
In order to provide the above-mentioned web and cloud services through the data centres, high-performance computer networks are required here, as these are used via the internet. New methods for energy-efficient computer networks (LAN, as well as campus/company networks as MAN) can help to address this challenge.
In the present research project, procedures are being developed to combine innovative theoretical approaches for optimising computer networks with established procedures for energy management in data centres. A focus is placed here on the integration of renewable energies in order to achieve ecological and economic advantages in addition to technical innovation. In this context, the adaptive connection and disconnection or relocation of IT resources (virtual machines, containers as well as their dependencies, cf. network components, storage, servers) is also considered based on the current demand determined within the computer networks.
The determination of the current demand for bandwidth and latency and thus communication facilities is supported by new technologies and trends in the environment of programmable computer networks (software-defined networking) and associated solutions for network management and monitoring.
