What action should system administrators take to reduce power and cooling consumption in a datacenter with many servers?

Virtualization of servers is a highly effective strategy for reducing power and cooling consumption in a datacenter. When servers are virtualized, multiple virtual machines can operate on a single physical server, which decreases the total number of physical servers required. This reduction leads not only to a decrease in power consumption due to fewer active machines but also minimizes the physical space needed, which in turn lowers the cooling requirements for the datacenter.

By consolidating workloads onto fewer servers, the energy used for powering and cooling the remaining servers is optimized, creating a more environmentally friendly operation. Additionally, virtualization allows for better resource management, leading to less wasted energy during periods of low demand.

Other methods, such as implementing 208V 3-phase servers, adjusting airflow with hot aisle/cold aisle configurations, or transitioning to blade servers can also contribute to power efficiency and cooling improvements, but they do not inherently provide the same level of operational consolidation and energy savings that virtualization offers. Blade servers, for instance, can save space and energy but might still result in more physical units in operation compared to a well-virtualized environment.