To address this challenge, researchers from Microsoft, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Washington have developed

Microsoft joins scientists in finding a way to reuse decommissioned servers

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2024-12-28 04:00:04

To address this challenge, researchers from Microsoft, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Washington have developed "GreenSKUs," a sustainable approach to server design.

Unlike standard practices where components are discarded after 3–5 years of use, the GreenSKUs framework focuses on reusing parts like random-access memory (RAM) modules and solid-state drives (SSDs) from decommissioned servers.

The foundation of GreenSKUs lies in leveraging backward compatibility. Advances in technology, such as Compute Express Link (CXL) controllers, allow compatibility between different generations of memory modules, like DDR4 and DDR5, making it feasible to reuse older components without significant performance loss.

To ensure reliability, the researchers created a framework that evaluates components for reuse, which identifies parts that won’t cause unacceptable performance declines or excessive energy consumption.

The team’s efforts extend beyond hardware, introducing a software layer to further refine performance that determines which compute tasks are best suited for GreenSKUs compared to standard Azure servers.

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