Software Application Power Attribution for Carbon Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern businesses lack accurate means to measure carbon emissions of software applications at a granular level, often relying on guestimates based on referential data rather than real power draw, which hinders precise understanding and optimization of environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A system and method to measure real power usage and carbon emissions of software applications by attributing power consumption to individual CPUs, virtual machines, and containers within server clusters, using a power usage module to retrieve metrics, map applications, attribute power, and convert to carbon emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If guestimates based on referential data are used to measure carbon emissions, then measurement complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement system into multiple hierarchical levels: data center level, server level, virtual machine level, and application level. This segmentation allows precise attribution of power consumption to specific applications while maintaining manageable complexity through modular measurement components at each level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary components including power usage metrics as intermediaries between physical power consumption and carbon emissions calculations, and virtualization elements as intermediaries between physical servers and applications. These intermediaries enable precise tracking without requiring direct measurement of every component.
2Measurement precision
If real power draw measurement is implemented at granular application level, then carbon emissions measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal measurement components that can operate at multiple levels of the hierarchy. The power usage module and carbon emissions generation module serve universal functions across data centers, servers, virtual machines, and applications, reducing overall system complexity through reuse of standardized measurement mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested measurement structure where application-level measurements are contained within server-level measurements, which are contained within data center-level measurements. This nesting allows granular application measurement while leveraging the organizational structure of existing infrastructure to manage complexity.
3Ease of operation
If referential data is used for carbon emissions estimation, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the measurement system to automatically retrieve power usage metrics from infrastructure components and self-calculate carbon emissions without requiring manual intervention. This self-service approach maintains ease of operation while improving reliability through automated data collection from actual power consumption rather than external referential data.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for measuring the actual power draw and resulting carbon emissions of specific software applications are provided herein. A power usage module determines how much real power is being used by a cluster of servers on which there can be multiple CPUs and virtualization elements. The processor then determines how much power can be attributed to one or more software applications.