rationale
Beyond thin-client: green ICT at QMU
Fraser Muir, Director, Information andLearning Services
fmuir@qmu.ac.uk
challenges andoutcomes
technology
SusteIT project
ICT contribution
•university of 5000 students and 450 staff
•applied health sciences, drama andbusiness
•originally the Edinburgh School ofCookery and Domestic Science; 1875
•Queen Margaret College in 1970s
•Queen Margaret University College in1990s
•full university title in 2007
the university
cookery class, late 1880s
Re:Locate
•first New Campus development in Scotland for 40 years
•first Campus development of 21st Century
•complete University Relocation
•benchmark in UK HE for Space Efficiency
•benchmark in UK for Sustainability
•BREEAM – highest scoring HE in UK
•case Study for IT influence in work methods
•case Study for Modern learning spaces
space efficiency
significant reduction intotal net internal area…
..except Library & IT
print, copyand scan
smartcards
wireless& TClaptops
VoIP
halls
AV & VC
RFID self-issue
thin-client
technology
estate and information strategy
•unify the campus and theinformation provision
•formally ratify the dependencies oneach other
•enshrine spending dependencies
•key: enable ease of access toinformation to drive the business
technology strategy
•centralise
•simplify; for the user
•efficient; space, energyand financially
•location independent
thin-client
what is thin-client?
A thin-client is a client computer in a client-server architecturenetwork which depends primarily on the central server forprocessing activities, and mainly focuses on conveying input andoutput between the user and the remote server. In contrast, athick or fat client does as much processing as possible andpasses only data for communications and storage to the server.
Definition courtesy of Wikipedia
not new technology
power consumption figures
Description
PC
thin-client
power
100W
15W
server component
0
7W
total
100W
22W
yearlyconsumption
438kWh
96kWh
yearly cost
£52.56
£11.52
CO2 for year
235.206kg
51.552kg
*actual measured values
beyond thin-client
•greatly improved theflexibility of work practice
•support distance learning
•travel to campus
•up to 300 simultaneousconnections
•over 80 countries
•facilitates internationalcollaborations
remote access
•20:1 virtualisation ratio
•average 60% reduction inhardware costs
•£35k savings on hardware
•39000 kWh/year, ~£5ksavings on energy perfully loaded host
•server embodied energy
servervirtualisation
•PCs and terminals
•saving of nearly100000kWh per year,£12k
•Ergo Powerman for PCs
•bespoke app for WYSEterminals
•ROI < 3 months
•PCs now powered only9% of the day
power-down
•commissioned at 18Cin 2007
•increased gradually to25C in 2010
•will increase further asequipment allows
•27C? 30C?
•4% energy savings perdegree
the data room
•efficient, centralisedscheduling
•no local ownership
•room utilisation of over 40%
•in turn allows the buildingsize and accommodation tobe minimised
timetable software
•echo360 & Smartboardrecordings
•all rooms on campuscovered
•flexibility and efficiencyin space usage asacademic events can berecorded once anddelivered many times
•web, VLE and iTunesU
lecture capture
•remove the need toprint room bookings ortimetable info
•allows for the greatestflexibility in dynamicupdating of roominformation
•data available over webtoo
room info screens
•250+ mixed, unmanageddevices
•Replaced by 45 MFDs in2007
•only 13000 kWh/yearenergy savings
•~£100k savings in printcosts
•??? in other efficiencieslike toner managementand support
printing/imaging
•centrally managed
•PCs power managed
•equipment centrallycontrolled
•2011 replacement of allprojectors with LED
•20% more efficient
•never need replacementlamps
•pay for themselves!
audio-visual
SusteIT ICTFootprintingTool
2004 – the olden days
Breakdown of ICT Energy Use by Category
Category
TotalEnergyKwh/y
%
TotalCO2kg/y
HPC
0
0%
0
Servers
226,665
23%
121724
PCs
579,224
58%
311055
Networks
80,154
8%
43044
Telephony
59,480
6%
31942
Imaging
43,239
4%
23220
AV
7,682
1%
4125
TOTAL ICTENERGY &CARBON
996,443
100%
535,110
2007 – after thin-client
Breakdown of ICT Energy Use by Category
Category
TotalEnergyKwh/y
%
TotalCO2kg/y
HPC
0
0%
0
Servers
336,824
40%
180881
PCs
292,353
35%
157000
Networks
80,154
10%
43044
Telephony
59,480
7%
31942
Imaging
30,029
4%
16126
AV
41,324
5%
22192
TOTAL ICTENERGY &CARBON
840,165
100%
451,185
where we are now
Breakdown of ICT Energy Use by Category
Category
TotalEnergyKwh/y
%
Total CO2kg/y
HPC
7,529
1%
4043
Servers
261,269
41%
140307
PCs
161,412
25%
86682
Networks
80,154
13%
43044
Telephony
59,480
9%
31942
Imaging
30,029
5%
16126
AV
41,324
6%
22192
TOTAL ICTENERGY &CARBON
641,198
100%
344,336
challenges and barriers
•technology, easy – people,hard
•perceptions andmisconceptions
•NIMBY
•communication
•change management
•…but the technology is seenas enabling
outcomes
•to support the universitysustainability goals andambitions
•to provide a better service
•to support UCCCfS
•to save money!
