備份和災難還原（DR）解決方案通常與可持續發展無關。然而，隨著數據保護格局的轉變，將「綠色技能」與技術知識相結合的能力將變得愈加重要。

至今，決定備份工具選擇的常見因素包括價格、功能、效率（由 RTO 和 RPO 指標衡量），以及與供應商的合作關係。能源效率在目前仍不是主要考慮，但隨著能源價格上升和《企業可持續發展報告指令》（CSRD）等新規範的引入，企業可能會越來越關注這一因素。

根據 Moor Insights & Strategy 的研究，到 2025 年，數據中心的電力消耗將超過全球總用電量的3%。其中，儲存系統將佔數據中心總能耗的 30%。隨著數據量的持續增長，系統啟動、資源遷移、備份和複製等過程也需要更多的能源消耗。

IT 部門面臨來自管理層、員工和客戶的壓力，要求他們提升系統性能、保障安全並降低成本。此外，隨著 CSRD 的推行，約 5 萬家歐洲企業將被要求報告可持續發展進展，這將對 IT 部門的運作產生直接或間接的影響。IT 領域的可持續發展不僅僅意味著減少能源使用，還涉及更加精細的基礎設施設計和合理的數據管理。

減少數據，節省能源

在個人和企業設備上，都充斥著大量無用的數據。對於企業來說，這些無用數據不僅浪費儲存資 源，還增加了成本。為了實現更可持續的數據儲存，企業需要明確認識到其過渡成本，但通過精 心規劃，可以有效克服挑戰。

能耗大的任務如儲存和備份會顯著增加能源消耗，特別是針對老舊或「暗數據」（ Dark Data）。這些數據往往對業務的實際價值甚微，並且對環境也有負面影響。比如影片文件，它們 被認為佔數據中心二氧化碳排放量的 70%。企業可以採用數據刪除和壓縮技術來降低儲存需求， 提升系統性能，同時減少備份時間和能耗。未來，這些技術可能會在可持續數據儲存實踐中發揮 更加重要的作用。

為了更有效管理數據，企業需要加強對儲存環境的可視性，並對不必要的數據進行有針對性的刪 除或存檔。例如，Pure Storage 兩年前推出了一項可持續性評估功能，能夠監控磁盤陣列的能耗 和二氧化碳排放量，並提供減少耗能的建議。

根據 IDC 的數據，90% 的數據中心仍在使用硬盤（HDD），而這些設備在能源效率方面也有進 展。Western Digital 的專家指出，應從整個生命周期的角度來評估硬盤的能源消耗。雖然 SSD 比 HDD 更具能源效率，但 SSD 的生產能耗更高。愛沙尼亞創新公司 Leila Storage 則提出了一 種創新解決方案，可以減少 HDD 的能耗。

Storware 與 Leil Storage 的合作

愛沙尼亞初創公司 Leil Storage 提供了專屬的備份和存檔儲存系統，包括標準版（最大容量 1.5 PB）、進階版（9 PB）、和企業綠色版（最高 15 PB），它們使用 Western Digital 製造的 28TB UltraSMR 磁盤。這些 SMR 磁盤比傳統磁盤具備更高的儲存效率和能源效益。

Leil Storage 計劃推出一個名為 ICE（Infinite Cold Engine）的模組，該模組可在磁盤閒置時自動 斷電，預計可節省多達 43% 的能源消耗。隨著技術的進步，到 2026 年這一數字有望提升至 70%。

Leil Storage 的設備目前已與 Cohesity 和 Rubrik 等公司兼容，並且正在與 Storware 的軟件進行 進一步整合。這一合作將為企業提供更可持續的備份和儲存解決方案。

關於 Storware

Storware 是一家專注於備份軟件的企業，擁有超過十年的行業經驗。Storware 的備份與還原解 決方案適用於各種數據環境，無論是虛擬機、容器、儲存提供商、Microsoft 365 還是運行在本地 或雲端的應用程式，均能提供支援。其小巧的設計使其能夠無縫整合進現有的 IT 基礎設施或企業 級備份方案中，提供極為便捷的備份保護。

Backup and DR solutions are generally not associated with sustainable development. However, in the changing landscape of data protection, “green skills” that combine technological awareness with technical knowledge will become increasingly important.

The price of the solution, functionality, efficiency (measured by RTO and RPO indicators), functionality or relations with suppliers are the most common factors that determine the choice of a backup tool. So far, a small group of customers attach importance to energy efficiency, although creating backups and disaster recovery processes can have an impact on electricity bills. It is not excluded that with rising energy prices, as well as new directives such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), entrepreneurs will start to pay more attention to this factor.

According to Moor Insights & Strategy, by 2025 data centers will consume over 3% of electricity. On the other hand, storage accounts for 30% of the total energy consumption of data centers. This coefficient is likely to increase. Managing and storing constantly growing data and the associated processes of starting storage systems, migrating resources, creating backups, replicating or ensuring a safe and functional environment require more and more electricity.

IT departments are under constant pressure from management, employees, and consumers who are making increasing demands on system performance, their security, and cost reduction. As if that weren’t enough, in the coming years there will be another challenge. Under the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), around 50,000 European companies will be obliged to report on sustainable development. This will also indirectly affect the functioning of IT units. Sustainable development in the case of IT is not only about using less energy, especially when it comes to its use in server rooms, but also about designing a more thoughtful infrastructure and rational data management.

Less data, less energy

A lot of unnecessary data lies on the disks of computers or smartphones – old photos, paid bills, never used recipes or emails from a few years ago. The same is true for corporate resources. On NAS servers, there is a lot of completely useless data that is often replicated. While for consumers, the mess on disks does not have a major impact on the household budget, for business users it can lead to a significant increase in costs. Organizations that want more sustainable data storage must be aware that there are costs associated with this, and the transition to new systems and operations can be difficult. However, with careful planning, some of the obstacles can be avoided or at least mitigated.

Energy-intensive tasks such as storage and backup significantly increase energy consumption, but the value of this data – especially in the case of older or “dark” data – can be negligible. They also have a negative impact on the natural environment. A classic example is video files. It is estimated that they are responsible for 70% of CO2 emissions generated by data centers. It often happens that a large broadcaster stores over a hundred versions of the same episode of a series on its servers, although it would be enough to limit this number to a dozen or so. Meanwhile, long-available deduplication and compression techniques help to clean up the server room of unnecessary data. These methods eliminate redundant or duplicate data, reducing storage requirements and increasing overall system performance. Minimizing the data footprint saves costs, shortens backup and recovery times, and reduces energy consumption. Everything indicates that deduplication and compression technologies will likely play a significant role in sustainable digital information storage practices.

However, in order to see irregularities and then put things in order, you need to have insight into data and storage environments. With greater visibility, organizations can make informed decisions about deleting or archiving unnecessary data, archiving it to the cloud or to tape. Pure Storage introduced a sustainability assessment function to its offer less than two years ago, which controls the level of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by the disk array, and then recommends how to reduce both coefficients.

It is worth noting, however, that according to IDC, about 90% of carriers in data centers are hard drives. Their manufacturers also have their own arguments for energy efficiency and sustainable development. For example, specialists from Western Digital recommend that in the case of HDDs, the entire life cycle of the carrier should be assessed. Although from the point of view of I/O, flash memory is more energy-efficient than mechanical disks, although much more energy is needed to produce SSDs than in the case of HDDs. In addition, interesting solutions are appearing on the market that allow you to limit the energy consumption of mechanical disks. One such example is a product offered by the Estonian startup Leila Storage.

While some manufacturers, such as Pure Storage, are announcing the imminent end of mechanical disks. that even by 2026. However, this is an unlikely scenario. Leil Storage is trying to prove that HDD users can also save a lot of energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Collaboration Between Storware and Leil Storage

According to the Estonian startup, companies often make the mistake of assuming that erasure coding, media recycling, tape longevity, or 50% compression will achieve sustainable development goals. However, it is not that simple. Therefore, Leil Storage offers a shortcut, providing its own backup and archive storage systems, available in three versions: standard (maximum capacity 1.5 PB), advanced (9 PB), and enterprise green (up to 15 PB). Leil Storage uses 28TB UltraSMR disks manufactured by Western Digital.

This choice is not accidental. SMR disks are currently only used by hyperscalers. Unlike universal models with CMR recording technology, data is not written to magnetic tracks located next to each other on a single platter, but overlaps. This design allows you to fit 30% more data on the same area as with CMR media. Additionally, an SMR disk consumes the same amount of energy as a CMR disk, which translates to greater energy efficiency per 1TB of disk space (Leil Storage estimates it to be around 18%).

The startup will introduce a special ICE (Infinite Cold Engine) module this summer, which will cut power to unused disks. According to Leil Storage’s analysis, this will allow for a 43% reduction in energy consumption compared to a classic disk array. The startup predicts that as ICE evolves, savings will increase to 50% in 2025 and even 70% in 2026.

Leil Storage devices are currently compatible with products from companies like Acronis, Cohesity, and Rubrik. Recently, the Estonian startup began work on integrating its product with Storware software.