How SQL Server could help save the environment..
Millions of database backups are performed every day & night around the world, consuming mountains of disk space & generating massive levels of power consumption as enormous numbers of bytes are copied to disk, then to tape or other removable media.
Assuming something like ~25% > 50% of the data contained within an average database relates to indexes (the ratio is often mugh higher), an option to exclude indexes from database backups would make it possible to reduce the amount of data required to perform backups, in turn reducing backup time & energy consumed by backup operations. I don't know how to go about estimating how much time & power could be saved from such a feature, but surely it would have to be huge.
Because indexes are only re-sorted copies of table columns, no loss in data integrity results from eliminating index data from backups, so I decided to register a feedback item on Microsoft's "Connect" website here:
https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=331220
The benefits from Microsoft including an option to eliminate index data from full database backups include:
(a) Significantly faster backups
(b) Reduced disk space
(c) Reduced energy consumption (less data copied to millions of daily backups around the world translates to less disk head movement & therefore less energy spent on backups)
Of course, any such feature should be optional as some will prefer to continue backing up index data.
If you agree with this feature request & would like to see Microsoft add it to a future version of SQL Server, please record a vote on the connect item link above!