Evaluate

Evaluate

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

• With SASE, security and networking tech come together

  SD-WAN, SASE or some combination of the two -- which approach will deliver the best and most secure network connectivity in your organization going forward? Continue Reading

• What are the differences between OpenShift and Kubernetes?

  Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes share a lot of similarities -- including the same underlying container orchestration technology. So how are they different, exactly? Continue Reading

• VMware NSX vs. Microsoft Hyper-V network virtualization

  When comparing VMware NSX to Microsoft Hyper-V network virtualization, it's important to examine the software-defined networking features these two hypervisor platforms offer. Continue Reading

• What's the role of narrowband IoT in 5G networks?

  The union of narrowband IoT and 5G technology can benefit manufacturers, organizations with large office buildings and outdoor campus settings. Here's what you need to know. Continue Reading

• New Celona 5G platform nets TechTarget innovation award

  Celona 5G technology uses Citizens Broadband Radio Service spectrum to bring private mobile networking to the enterprise, enabling mission-critical automation and IoT. Continue Reading

• What's new with VCF 4.0?

  The latest major release of VMware Cloud Foundation features more integration with Kubernetes, which means easier container orchestration for your vSphere environment.Continue Reading

• Test your knowledge of object storage usage in the enterprise

  Do you know when and where to use object storage? Take our quiz to see which workloads it's best for and insight into how object storage fits into the overall storage picture.Continue Reading

• Weigh the pros and cons of outsourcing software development

  Software testing is often outsourced, but it isn’t the only phase of the software development lifecycle that can be turned over to an outside organization. Consider your options.Continue Reading

• Software development outsourcing throughout the lifecycle

  Whether to accelerate a project or overcome a particular skills gap, it might make sense to engage an external specialist to bolster your software development efforts.Continue Reading

• Cypress vs. Selenium: Compare test automation frameworks

  Testing a complex application front end? What about a web app written in Ruby? Pick a test automation framework -- Selenium or Cypress -- that fits the project.Continue Reading

• Notable benefits of private cloud for IT ops staff

  Deploying a private cloud could provide more benefits than drawbacks -- although it certainly carries both. Know the specific implications of private cloud on IT ops staff.Continue Reading

• Big data vs. artificial intelligence: How they compare

  Artificial intelligence can help synthesize and analyze the large volumes of information provided by big data initiatives. The two are different, but they work well together.Continue Reading

• What is the difference between Amazon MSK and Kinesis?

  When it comes to data stream processing and analysis, AWS offers Amazon Kinesis or a managed version of Apache Kafka. Compare these two options to pick the best fit for your app.Continue Reading

• Is Cisco DevNet worth it? Experts say yes, it's the future

  Any IT professional who's heard the hype for Cisco's newest certification track may wonder, 'Is Cisco DevNet worth it?' Some experts say it's the future. Find out more in this Q&A.Continue Reading

• Cognito user pools vs. identity pools -- what AWS users should know

  Familiarize yourself with user pools and identity pools in Amazon Cognito and learn how to better protect your workloads in a cloud environment.Continue Reading

• Explore the benefits of containers on bare metal vs. on VMs

  Advances in container and cloud technologies have morphed the debate over container deployment on bare-metal servers vs. VMs, with strong pros and cons for each.Continue Reading

• How Amazon and COVID-19 influence 2020 seasonal hiring trends

  Retail and logistics companies must adapt their hiring strategies to compete with Amazon and respond to the pandemic's effect on shopping habits.Continue Reading

• Navigating the evolving BPA tools market

  The BPA market tool landscape is still maturing, but organizations should prepare themselves to adopt it. Review the basics of BPA and learn how to start building your automation strategy.Continue Reading

• All-flash object storage makes its way into the enterprise

  Object storage isn't just for backups and archives anymore. All-flash offerings are being used for AI, machine learning and analytics. See what types of products are available.Continue Reading

• Extend your power lifecycle with Li-ion data center batteries

  Backup system batteries are critical in any infrastructure. Developments in Li-ion technology can bring more power, lower TCO and a longer component lifespan.Continue Reading

• Explore the benefits of Azure AD vs. on-prem AD

  A move to Office 365 doesn't require cutting the cord from on-premises Active Directory, but it is an option. Here's what you need to know when comparing Azure AD vs. on-prem AD.Continue Reading

• A look back at re:Invent 2019 and the year since

  Catch up on some of the biggest services and feature updates AWS added to its cloud platform since re:Invent 2019 as you prepare to attend this year's virtual conference.Continue Reading

• How to set up a VMware home lab on a budget

  Set up a small, energy-efficient, at-home VMware virtualization lab for under $1,000 by evaluating your PC, software subscription and storage options.Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud infrastructure design for AWS, Azure, Google Anthos

  Learn about infrastructure for tightly coupled hybrid clouds and delivering AWS Outposts, Microsoft Azure Stack and Google Anthos from an on-premises data center.Continue Reading

• Microsegmentation networking: Nutanix Flow vs. VMware NSX HCI

  Explore how microsegmentation improves network security and the differences in how Nutanix and VMware bring the technology to their software-defined hyper-converged infrastructures.Continue Reading

• What are the cost considerations when buying AIOps tools?

  AIOps tools can reduce overhead for IT staff, but first, enterprises must decide how they will use the tool to know which features to budget for.Continue Reading

• Transform your infrastructure to support parallel processing

  Quick, real-time data analysis is a boost to any organization's operations. With the right hardware and software, you can support parallelization in your data center.Continue Reading

• How service mesh enables microservices networking

  As microservices applications grow more popular, IT teams need to enable reliable networking between them for proper communication. That's where service mesh comes in.Continue Reading

• RAID vs. backup: Learn the differences and benefits of both

  In a battle of RAID vs. backup, both could win. While RAID offers disk failure protection, it falls short in other areas where backup comes in handy.Continue Reading

• 9 tried-and-true open source frameworks for development

  No matter which type of application you are developing or what your priorities are, there is likely an open source framework that caters to your needs.Continue Reading

• Post-acquisition strategy and why storage mergers go bad

  NetApp-SolidFire and HPE-SimpliVity cuts illustrate some of the pitfalls awaiting large vendors when they spend hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars on acquisitions.Continue Reading

• Lines blur between structured and unstructured data storage

  Open source tools like Presto persist low-cost unstructured object data stores while still making information accessible through structured data access tools such as SQL.Continue Reading

• The state of data center convergence: Past, present and future

  Discover if CI, HCI, dHCI or composable technology is right for your environment and workloads, and how the converged data center continues to evolve.Continue Reading

• Infrastructure as code benefits and DevOps use cases

  Code flexibility, automation and security top the list of reasons to use IaC for DevOps use cases. But without careful management, they can quickly present problems.Continue Reading

• Optimal architectures for intelligent storage systems

  Explore the best, most optimal architectures for intelligent storage and how these systems improve storage performance/utilization to help get more bang out of your data set buck.Continue Reading

• Reevaluate your cloud computing pandemic strategy

  If you jumped to the cloud at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, without much long-term planning, take some time now to evaluate your current cloud strategy.Continue Reading

• VMware-Avi acquisition leads to spot in ADC market

  VMware acquired Avi in hopes of becoming a player in the application delivery controller market. Avi has also helped VMware transform vSphere into a comprehensive management stack.Continue Reading

• Why networks should apply security by design principles

  Security by design incorporates security and risk management directly into network architecture, using segmentation and Agile infrastructure design.Continue Reading

• Software-defined power offers benefits, but lacks popular interest

  Virtualized power systems promise to ease deployment and maintenance, but the market is still in its nascency.Continue Reading

• Django vs. Node.js: Pick the right web development framework

  Understanding the differences between Django and Node.js comes down to understanding their data capabilities and the programming languages that make up each one's history.Continue Reading

• SmartNIC market capitalizes on advances in programmability

  Traditional NICs are getting an upgrade, thanks to smartNICs and function accelerator cards that add programmability. But this doesn't really change things for enterprises -- yet.Continue Reading

• Growth of enterprise Wi-Fi at home spotlights digital divide

  Remote enterprise workers need a reliable internet connection. Learn how the digital divide can touch workers and how companies can help bridge this gap.Continue Reading

• Edge computing strategies will determine the next cloud frontier

  The public cloud providers closed the 2010s as one of the dominant forces in IT, but they'll face competition in the 2020s from networking and telco vendors at the edge.Continue Reading

• Do you know how HPE GreenLake services work?

  IT infrastructure hardware and services delivered through HPE GreenLake takes the cloud Opex spending model and brings it on premises. Test your GreenLake acumen with this quiz.Continue Reading

• Mini PCs for business offer improved performance, reduced costs

  Mini PCs are a low-cost hardware alternative to servers that enable organizations to maintain maximum data center features and capabilities in remote office locations.Continue Reading

• How COVID-19 will reshape 2021 enterprise network spending

  COVID-19 has shifted enterprise network spending. Campus LAN traffic may never be the same, but companies are earmarking funds to better support the remote workforce.Continue Reading

• Top 10 new vSphere 7.0 features

  With vSphere 7.0, VMware introduced several new capabilities and tools. Explore the top 10 most innovative features in this latest vSphere release.Continue Reading

• The power and plights of female network engineers

  Impostor syndrome burdens female network engineers, due to discrimination, as well as a lack of representation and education. But many of these women are working to change that.Continue Reading

• Why is high availability important in cloud computing?

  How many "nines" does your own cloud app really need? High availability is still an important factor in a cloud SLA, but uptime needs vary for each service and company.Continue Reading

• Waterfall vs. Agile vs. iterative development explained

  Componentized software architectures gave way to new forms of software development. Learn when to implement simple iterative development versus wholesale changes with Agile.Continue Reading

• Composable, an IoT infrastructure paradigm with potential

  Composable infrastructure can stand up and down virtual servers depending on the varying needs of workloads. Learn why composability is a good for IoT.Continue Reading

• Compare Google Cloud Deployment Manager vs. Terraform on GCP

  Determine whether to opt for cloud native Deployment Manager or third-party Terraform for infrastructure as code on Google Cloud.Continue Reading

• Explore the tools for disaster recovery on AWS, Azure and GCP

  Utilize cloud infrastructure for your disaster recovery plan. Learn about the tools and services from AWS, Google and Microsoft to see if they fit in your DR plan.Continue Reading

• How 5G could change cloud computing

  The major cloud providers have embraced the push for 5G in the cloud with partnerships and offerings. Learn about the benefits and early limitations of 5G in the cloud.Continue Reading

• Compare low-power Wi-Fi protocols and their roles in IoT

  Wi-Fi means more than faster speeds. Low-power Wi-Fi will help companies improve the efficiency of their IoT deployments, thanks to longer signal range and power consumption features.Continue Reading

• Evaluate SaaS integration tools for IaaS-hosted apps

  SaaS tools can enhance applications hosted on AWS, Microsoft Azure and other public clouds, but they also present integration challenges. See which tools can ease those burdens.Continue Reading

• Amazon S3 vs. Google Cloud Storage vs. Azure pricing, features

  See how storage pricing and features stack up in this comprehensive look at the three major cloud service providers.Continue Reading

• Bare-metal container clusters: Infrastructure for next-gen apps

  Learn the requirements, designs and software stacks used to build bare-metal clusters for containers using dedicated 1-2U HCI hardware instead of existing virtual machine servers.Continue Reading

• The value of an IoT implementation in the data center

  IoT can help with data center management and optimization. Before you embark on an implementation, evaluate use cases, software options and security concerns.Continue Reading

• How to evaluate VDI hardware requirements

  VDI has specific hardware needs that servers hosting other virtualized workloads may not meet. Learn how to gauge VDI hardware requirements for servers, storage and more.Continue Reading

• Test your knowledge with this Microsoft Azure cloud quiz

  Fancy yourself a Microsoft Azure cloud expert? Put your knowledge to the test with this quiz on Azure services, tools and recent market news.Continue Reading

• Compare runbooks vs. playbooks for IT process documentation

  Despite some contextual differences, runbooks and playbooks serve a similar purpose in the enterprise: to document critical processes.Continue Reading

• What are some VPN alternatives for remote access?

  VPN security has its imperfections, especially when tracking user data and online activity. Some VPN alternatives may provide different security elements for users.Continue Reading

• How static and dynamic code analysis boost app security

  Catch security vulnerabilities before they catch up to you. Here's how static and dynamic source code analysis help address application concerns, and the difference between the approaches.Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud vs. hyper-converged: Hybrid wins hands down

  When everything goes to cloud, why do you even need HCI? Who cares where server, storage, virtualization and networking are when IT adopts a 'run any app from anyplace' strategy?Continue Reading

• QEMU 5.0 continues a legacy of emulation

  Admins looking for an alternative tool for emulating hardware should consider QEMU, which supports x86, PowerPC, ARM and SPARC architectures.Continue Reading

• High-performance data storage goes from NVMe to SCM

  Storage class memory and NVMe are bringing speed and lower latency to high-performance storage. See how the two technologies are shaking up enterprise data storage.Continue Reading

• NVMe and SCM: Implications for the future of storage

  Explore the various ways NVMe technology vendors are preparing the way for organizations to transition to storage class memory in their computing environments.Continue Reading

• US-China 5G competition hinges on enterprise apps, services

  In the U.S.-China competition over 5G, the infrastructure deployment race sets the stage for a larger struggle over the application layer. Here's why enterprise IT teams should care.Continue Reading

• Microsoft 365 E3 vs. Office 365 E3: What admins need to know

  The rumors of Office 365's death have been greatly exaggerated. Microsoft still offers an Office 365 E3 plan, but how does it stack up to the Microsoft 365 E3 plan?Continue Reading

• Global company weighs 5G for manufacturing, IoT analytics

  Global manufacturer Sanmina is studying the benefits of deploying 5G on its manufacturing floor to improve the speed of IoT and analytics data exchanges to the cloud.Continue Reading

• A look at the main differences of Bourne shell vs. Bash

  Shells help admins run commands from the keyboard to the OS. Though Bourne shell and Bash are similar, there are differences in layout and code compatibility.Continue Reading

• Teleworkers need enhanced home internet access in the US

  The COVID-19 pandemic has increased reliance on home networks and highlighted the need in marginalized communities for dedicated resources to enable reliable internet access.Continue Reading

• Clearing up the Nano Server vs. Server Core confusion

  The debut of Windows Server 2016 contained a lighter server OS deployment to replace Server Core, but then Microsoft made a drastic change that still has some admins puzzled.Continue Reading

• An overview of Xen Cloud Platform components, features

  Xen's open source product, XCP, enables admins to perform various virtualization operations, such as live migrations and VM lifecycle management.Continue Reading

• Network monitoring market converges with security analytics

  As cyber attacks increase and enterprise networks require threat detection and protection, network monitoring and security analytics are converging for more comprehensive visibility.Continue Reading

• VM performance monitoring tools boost infrastructure insights

  Learn how virtualization management and monitoring tools from ManageEngine, SolarWinds and Veeam compare when it comes to features that address system health and performance.Continue Reading

• Apache, Spring and Mule: Explore 3 top integration frameworks

  A good integration framework should underpin every application strategy. Apache Camel, Spring Integration and Mule ESB can simplify integration at scale. We deconstruct them here.Continue Reading

• VMware product overview: Virtualization and end-user computing

  Confused by VMware's extensive product line? This guide examines VMware products and features to help admins identify whether VMware suits their workloads.Continue Reading

• 3 key ways DevOps benefits a business

  DevOps adoption can strain an organization. Is it worth the effort? Here's what a business should expect to gain when implementing DevOps and continuous delivery.Continue Reading

• Archive as a service: What you need to know

  Archive-as-a-service offerings could help simplify what can be a complicated process. Make sure you do the proper research and vetting before undertaking the cloud-based platform.Continue Reading

• Windows file systems showdown: FAT16, FAT32, NTFS and ReFS

  Some older file formats continue to find life in the enterprise decades after they were developed for their versatility -- in certain situations.Continue Reading

• When -- and when not -- to use cloud native security tools

  Security tools from cloud vendors are convenient, but that doesn't mean they are always the right choice. Learn how to decide when you should opt to use third-party security tools.Continue Reading

• Discover the main differences between COTS vs. GOTS

  When admins compare government versus commercial software options, they must consider cost, use cases and available support as part of the selection process.Continue Reading

• Home SD-WAN will redefine next-generation WAN

  The need for home-office SD-WAN won't end when the pandemic does. Learn how best to provide this essential tech to your organization's at-home employees.Continue Reading

• Application performance monitoring tools and metrics quiz

  Sharpen your pencil; it's APM quiz time. Test your knowledge of application performance monitoring and management, including tools, systems, concepts and best practices.Continue Reading

• Explore cloud computing's effect on application development

  AWS and cloud computing changed the way organizations build and run applications. Explore why that happened and see what to expect in the future as more businesses jump on board.Continue Reading

• MVC vs. MVVM: 2 architecture patterns for modularity

  Both the MVC and MVVM design patterns separate front-end and back-end application components, but each one has unique methods of interface manipulation and abstraction.Continue Reading

• Learn the benefits of microservices orchestration

  Orchestration plays a vital role in a microservices architecture, especially when it comes to communication, workload management and architecture readability.Continue Reading

• Telecommunications book highlights spectrum, fiber cabling

  5G touts faster download speeds and new application types, but other major 5G changes will be in spectrum and fixed wireless. Learn more in this telecommunications book excerpt.Continue Reading

• Multimedia data and 5G drive network transformation

  Emerging networking trends and touted innovations always showcase faster speeds and new use cases. Yet, new challenges keep pace, too, such as security and privacy issues.Continue Reading

• VMware vSAN vs. SAN: What are the differences?

  VMware vSAN differs from a traditional SAN in a few crucial ways, including pooled vs. isolated storage, access management and optimization for different types of environments.Continue Reading

• Tips to get colocation contract renewal right

  During your team's colocation contract renewal process, be sure to reevaluate power requirements, spending flexibility and one-time cross-connect fees to gain better services.Continue Reading

• DynamoDB on-demand vs. provisioned capacity: Which is better?

  There are two primary ways to handle capacity in DynamoDB: on-demand or provisioned. Learn the advantages, concerns and use cases for each option.Continue Reading

• How can AWS, Azure and GCP increase cloud market share?

  The Big Three dominate the cloud market, but they all have room for improvement. See what each vendor needs to do to increase its market share and attract more enterprises.Continue Reading

• Examine the cloud industry's response to GDPR and CCPA compliance

  Explore the cloud industry's response to the GDPR and CCPA requirements and learn what types of organizations these governance policies have affected so far.Continue Reading

• Is third-party threat a viable server maintenance contract tactic?

  When negotiating server hardware and maintenance agreements with vendors, server customers can threaten to go elsewhere. But how effective is that tactic?Continue Reading

• LoRa vs. 5G: Can they coexist for IoT network connectivity?

  LoRa vs. 5G technologies differ in terms of cost, use cases and technology types. However, LoRa and 5G may complement each other well for IoT connectivity.Continue Reading

• High-performance interconnects and storage performance

  Should you use InfiniBand or RDMA over Converged Ethernet as an interconnect? We discuss each technology's effect on performance features such as latency, IOPS and throughput.Continue Reading

• See if Azure Arc fits in your hybrid and multi-cloud strategy

  Azure Arc is central to Microsoft's hybrid cloud strategy. Discover how it compares to competing services from AWS and Google and see where it might be headed next.Continue Reading