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WeAreDevelopers LIVE • Apr 18, 2023

An Architect’s guide to reducing the carbon footprint of your applications

Ricardo Sueiras Sueiras

Treat sustainability as a core architectural requirement, not an afterthought. Discover how right-sizing microservices, leveraging ARM processors, and scaling to zero will drastically shrink your application's carbon footprint.

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#1 about 2 min

Introduction to sustainable application architecture

Why tracking application carbon footprints is becoming a critical priority for long-term business compliance.

#2 about 4 min

Decomposing monoliths into optimized microservices

Breaking down large applications enables targeted rightsizing and more efficient runtime technology matching.

#3 about 5 min

Adopting purpose-built storage and compute instances

Matching databases to workloads and transitioning towards Arm-based processors drastically improves execution efficiency.

#4 about 2 min

Evaluating programming language energy efficiency

Reviewing baseline overheads helps teams select leaner backend technologies like Rust for demanding workloads.

#5 about 3 min

Designing for sustainable scheduling and utilization

Distributing cron jobs and employing asynchronous message queues prevents artificially high infrastructure usage peaks.

#6 about 2 min

Extending device lifecycles utilizing open source

Deploying lightweight Linux distributions maximizes the operational lifespan of otherwise obsolete client hardware.

#7 about 3 min

Prioritizing sustainability as a non-functional requirement

Introducing environmental metrics early forces deliberate architectural choices between maximum performance and clean execution.

#8 about 5 min

Leveraging managed hardware and operations natively

Shifting workloads to unified regional cloud data centers instantly provides distinct ecosystem power advantages.

#9 about 3 min

Scaling application nodes dynamically to zero

Eliminating idle system waste by utilizing execution-based compute endpoints that completely deactivate between calls.

#10 about 2 min

Customizing block storage tiers and formats

Selecting appropriate retrieval levels and compressing stored data significantly minimizes your overarching digital footprint.

#11 about 3 min

Rightsizing infrastructure allocations actively with automation

Discarding static over-provisioning setups in favor of tightly mapped autoscaling groups protects empty memory cycles.

#12 about 1 min

Maintaining lean container registries and build repositories

Routinely wiping redundant image versions and discarded build caches preserves physical drive requirements across CI models.

#13 about 5 min

Tracking efficiency utilizing balanced consumption metrics

Correlating gross load directly against active processing cycles reveals genuine progression versus hidden usage regressions.

#14 about 2 min

Applying the well-architected sustainability pillar

Navigating platform models correctly allows builders to bootstrap greener systems incorporating baseline infrastructural guidelines.

#15 about 6 min

Navigating entry paths into developer communities

Uncovering collaborative entry-points into broader technical spheres through dedicated open source contributions and passion-led networking.

#16 about 4 min

Negotiating operational standards with engineering leadership

Presenting environmental priorities natively aligned with corporate cost mitigation goals persuades hesitant decision-makers efficiently.

#17 about 3 min

Modernizing legacy execution and outdated mainframes

Calculating operational metrics correctly before isolating monoliths or porting archaic routines averts unplanned usage regressions.

#18 about 5 min

Acknowledging practical application service-level compromises

Communicating possible availability shifts or extended disaster revival timelines limits friction when lowering base utility inputs.

#19 about 5 min

Understanding the core developer advocate function

Acting as a customer proxy transforms real-world implementation queries into prioritized enhancements applied by central engineering teams.

Matching moments

4:09 min

Implementing architectural best practices for sustainable software systems

Hendrik Lösch Hendrik Lösch · World Congress 2025

1:49 min

Coding for environmental sustainability in software engineering

Ulrich Irnich Ulrich Irnich · World Congress 2023

1:57 min

Connecting web performance optimization to ecological sustainability

Andreas Taranetz Andreas Taranetz · World Congress 2024

3:29 min

Optimizing software architectures to minimize infrastructure resource drain

Hendrik Lösch Hendrik Lösch · World Congress 2024

3:08 min

Adopting the shared responsibility model for cloud computing sustainability

Sohan Maheshwar · LIVE

2:54 min

Specific sustainability roles across the software development team

Marjolein Pordon · LIVE

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