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As discussed during weekly syncs, I suggest adding a basic output for the GitHub action as a Github comment for a start.

Next, a dashboard with data of previous runs can be linked instead, described in detail in ISSUE

As mentioned in #18 , a more detailed visualisation is necessary with data from previous runs stored and available for comparison. Required steps:

• Storing data from previous runs:
  • JSON/CSV file saved in repo
  • Outside database service (e.g. cloud) centrally hosted for all users
• Displaying past and current data on a graph, E.g. Python for plotting and generating image of the graph. Possible option for displaying:
  • As a GitHub comment with an embedded image (can be based off of this)
  • As a github pages with a static generated image
  • As a dynamic webapp with user interaction

The Carbon aware SDK project provides a standardised API + CLI for getting carbon intensity data for different electricity grids around the world, so can be integrated into this project, instead of replicating its efforts.

Suggested implementation approaches:

1. (Preferred) - using CLI:

• Add Carbon Aware SDK CLI as a step in the github action, use its output for estimating the carbon footprint of infrastructure

2. Using web API - will need a separate application deployment to be used, so can only be displayed as a demo here

• Utilise carbon Aware SDK's client for golang to implement SDK polling directly in the goLang script
• Deploy a Web API accessible by the pipeline to be polled

I have been looking on carbon_measure.go for a while. I see there are "GitHub output" actions used. Inside of these functions there are printing on console. Does it mean it is supporting only GitHub pipelines (GitHub Actions) at the moment ?
We would like to run carbon task (execute carbon_measure.go) on Azure Pipelines. Are you going to support integration in Azure Pipelines also ?

Currently when the application is passed a path to an ARM template, it will only parse the main file referenced, even if other templates (files) are linked in the original file.

Possible solutions:

1. adding a preprocessor of ARM files to expand all variables and linked templates, to dump into a single file

2. Check how VsCode recognises linked templates: uses .parameters.json file as well to identify linked templates, so maybe that is something to look into

3. Find an open source tool that does the pre-processing

Program crashes if incorrect WattTime credentials

Currently the program crashes with a runtime error invalid memory address or nil pointer dereference if the WattTime credentials are incorrect or missing.

Program continues without notifying the user when Electricitymap credentials missing/incorrect

If the credentials are missing, it will return a 0 as if that was the actual value.

Alternate handling for both cases

Gracefully handle the error (e.g. using defer, panic and recover mechanism) for WattTime credentials. Raise an error in GitHub Action (using core.setFailed()), to notify that the credentials are missing/incorrect.

Add identifying of missing credentials for Electricitymap, and handle them likewise.

These 2 points contradict each other.
1st states that you must have authored 100% and 2nd explain that it's not necessary to author 100%.
I suggest this case is raised as a good first-time issue for some friendly technical writer to fix.

Agree that you have authored 100% of the content
...
Agree that, if you did not author 100% of the content, the appropriate licenses and copyrights have been added along with any other necessary attribution.

File: https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/Carbon_CI_Pipeline_Tooling/blob/Dev/CONTRIBUTING.md

Screenshot:

The Pipeline needs a more detailed visible output, with estimated carbon emission values from previous runs. @lydia-rc was originally working on this here. (Waiting for a Draft PR to be opened, will be linked here when it does)

My suggestion (based on discussions from the project group) for the dashboard is:

• Image embedded in a PR comment
• Alternatively (/additionally): GitHub pages deployment of the dashboard?
• Storing data from previous runs in the repository under .github/data folder, as a .csv/.json/.yaml file (discussion on the format tracked here)
• Displaying the data as a barchart comparing previous infrastructures/runs of the pipeline against current
• Display the current deployment as a piechart of different Resources (and/or resource groups?) and their contribution to the carbon footprint

I have been debugging carbon_measure.go script on my local machine and i detected there is iteration of resources across ARM template. Inside this iteration there is "template" parameter for resource required. We are using "templateLink" parameter (url of template) instead of direct definition by using "template" parameter. Are you going to support "templateLink" also ?

• GitHub Actions
• GitLab CI
• Travis CI
• Circle CI
• SourceHut Builds

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We are currently connected to Electricity Map. Not Watt Time yet.
We need to configure / integrate with Watt Time

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cloudProvider := os.Getenv("CloudProvider")
CarbonRateProvider := os.Getenv("CARBON_RATE_PROVIDER") // electricitymap or watttime
wattTimeUser := os.Getenv("WATT_TIME_USER")
wattTimePass := os.Getenv("WATT_TIME_PASS")

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• Please make sure your calendar times are added to the OSS WG website in a PR: https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/opensource-wg/blob/main/docs/calendar.mdx
• Please add your update to the issue in the WG Green-Software-Foundation/opensource-wg#49

currently goLang app displays values as grams of carbon emission per kwh, and the actual value from WattTime is lbs per MWh (https://www.watttime.org/api-documentation/#introduction)