Energy resource management in the virtual data center

The virtual data center (VDC) is a truly evolutionary computing model, presenting the data center as a service view to a single computer, which virtualizes all hardware and software behind it. Recent variations of the VDC model include grid, autonomic, modular, fabric, and utility center, each with a focus on total cost of ownership benefits. A VDC, which satisfies quality of service (QoS) at guaranteed resource costs, can be extended to manage energy as a first class resource and guarantees energy at predictable costs. This article describes how virtual data centers differ from traditional data centers for energy management and surveys the ecological benefits of this emerging model. Emphasis is on dynamic extensions to VDC virtualization that leverage real-time migration of live, stateful applications.