Data Centers Power a Big Change in Computing

Data Centers Power a Big Change in Computing
But their energy use is the subject of growing concern and criticism. Transcript of radio broadcast:
11 July 2008
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
The Internet is sometimes described as a cloud -- a big, borderless area of computing power. But this power has to come from somewhere.

Data centers are buildings full of servers. These powerful computers store, process and move information. They make the Web work.

"Server farms" contain thousands of machines -- millions in all at data centers worldwide. And there is strong demand for more as a major change takes place in computing.

Tasks traditionally done with software stored on a personal computer are now increasingly offered as services on the Internet.

Google Apps, for example, combines e-mail, word processing and other applications. Groups can work together online without the need for special software.

Other companies, including Salesforce.com and Microsoft, also offer software as a service.

Rich Miller is editor of Data Center Knowledge. He says the number of data centers has jumped in the last three or four years. But all that computing power takes another kind of power which also has to come from somewhere.

Data centers need energy not only to operate their servers but to cool and protect their systems.

The Environmental Protection Agency says the United States has about ten thousand data centers. The E.P.A. estimates that they use almost two percent of the country's electricity. In two thousand six, the most recent year reported, power costs reached four and a half billion dollars.

The amount and cost of energy use by data centers is the subject of growing concern and criticism. Some data centers use only about twenty to thirty percent of their computing power.

Using wind power or other renewable energy for data centers could help the situation. Another answer is to make servers more energy-efficient. The E.P.A. has recently set rules for measuring and rating the energy use of servers.

Still another solution may come from virtualization. This lets one server work like several. Usually, a server runs a single operating system, like Linux or Windows. Virtualization lets both run at the same time.

Rich Miller at datacenterknowledge.com says the need for data centers will only increase as the Internet becomes more central to everyday life.

As applications are becoming more complex, so are data centers. Many companies are having trouble finding enough skilled people to manage them.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.


----------------------------Google Translate

数据中心的电力大的变化，在计算
但他们的能源使用是受到日益关注和批评。全文电台广播：
2008年7月11日
这是美国之音特别英语经济学报告。
互联网是有时被称为云-一个大，边界地区的运算能力。但这项权力必须来自某处。

数据中心的建筑物全部的服务器。这些强大的计算机存储，处理和动议的信息。他们使网络的工作。

“服务器农场”包含数以千计的机器-以百万计在所有在世界各地的数据中心。并有强烈的需求，更作为一项重大的改变发生在计算。

传统上所做的任务与软件存储在一台个人电脑现在越来越作为互联网上的服务。

Google应用服务，例如结合了电子邮件，文字处理和其他应用领域。团体可以携手合作，网上，而不需要特殊的软件。

其他公司，包括salesforce.com和Microsoft ，还提供软件作为一种服务。

丰富的米勒是编辑数据中心的知识。他说，许多数据中心已跃升，在过去3年或4年。但所有的计算能力，另需种权力，也有来自某处。

数据中心需要的能源，不仅经营自己的服务器，但要冷静和保护他们的系统。

环境保护局说，美国大约有10000个数据中心。该e.p.a.估计，他们使用了差不多两年％ ，该国的电力。在2000 6 ，最近期的报道，今年，电力成本，达到四年半亿美元。

的数量和成本，能源的使用由数据中心是主题的日益关注和批评。一些数据中心的使用，只有约二十至三十％的计算能力。

利用风能或其他可再生能源的数据中心可以帮助的情况。另一个答案是，使服务器更省电。该e.p.a.最近成立的规则来衡量和评价能源使用的服务器。

还有另一种解决办法可能来自虚拟化。这可让一台服务器的工作，像几个。通常，服务器运行一个单一的操作系统，如Linux或Windows 。虚拟化可让双方来说，在同一时间内。

丰富的米勒在datacenterknowledge.com说，需要的数据中心，只会增加随着互联网越来越中央到日常生活中。

作为申请变得更加复杂，所以数据中心。很多公司都遇到困难找到足够的人才来管理他们。

这是该美国之音特别英语经济学的报告，书面，由马里奥里特尔。我史蒂夫ember 。