Utility computing : green opportunities and risks

A visionary idea of computing since the early 60s has been that of utility. Cloud computing finally looks to be the implementation of such an idea. While this paradigm is providing many opportunities for the development of the software sector, concerns about its environmental impact are also being raised. This paper focuses on the green potential of clouds and how they have to be deployed for different users levels, highlighting the related environmental risks. The trend shows clearly as cloud computing is turning computing in a pay-per-use model, one in which quality of service requirements will need to be expanded to include green requirements. Green computing has to take into consideration new opportunities and new issues for the environment, not only focusing on the energy use phase but also on all phases of the life cycle for any service provided in the cloud. The awareness of users and developers is the first step to realizing the green potential of the cloud.