Evaluate

Evaluate

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

• 4 common software maintenance models and when to use them

  Should you use a quick-fix or closed-loop maintenance model for the software project on your development team's plate? What about iterative? Learn the benefits, use cases and limits of four common models. Continue Reading

• Why Linux containers on Windows is a big deal

  Microsoft introduced support for Docker Linux containers in its latest versions of the Windows client and server operating systems, so why should it matter to you? Continue Reading

• 6 storage resource management tools offer insights, optimization

  Software for managing storage resources provides in-depth information on capacity and performance to help enterprises proactively manage their storage infrastructure. Continue Reading

• Why network configuration templates are useful in automation

  If a network team automates network configuration templates, it can save time and eliminate redundant activities in order to focus more on data collection and analysis. Continue Reading

• An automation-first approach enables network predictability

  For an organization to prioritize network automation, it needs an automation-first approach. This strategy involves understanding automation workflows and enabling proper training. Continue Reading

• CPU vs. microprocessor: What are the differences?

  CPUs and microprocessors can execute many of the same tasks, such as arithmetic and I/O processing. However, there are some tasks CPUs can't execute effectively.Continue Reading

• Is SCCM in Azure right for your organization?

  System Center Configuration Manager still has a long life, which was further underscored by Microsoft supporting deployments of the endpoint management tool to Azure.Continue Reading

• Understanding VMware Cloud Foundation components, features

  VMware Cloud Foundation enables users to implement an integrated software-defined data center. Version 4 represents a major architectural upgrade integrating Kubernetes in vSphere.Continue Reading

• Test your cloud knowledge: VMs vs. containers vs. serverless

  Take this quiz to help guide your choice between virtual machines, containers and serverless functions. Identify the uses, features and services associated with each computing approach.Continue Reading

• 4 FAQs to better understand a paravirtualization interface

  Admins are using paravirtualization because of its ability to improve system performance and reduce virtualization overhead, but its challenges can cause issues for some.Continue Reading

• Evaluate 3 IT ops use cases for the Aternity monitoring tool

  Operations teams can use data from an IT environment to detect, prevent and remediate issues. With Aternity, they can specifically track metrics and manage tasks related to user experience.Continue Reading

• Gain SD-branch benefits through automation, orchestration

  SD-branch technology is evolving, but don't put off learning about what this tool can do now and the advantages it will deliver in the near future.Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of composable architecture vs. traditional storage

  If traditional storage isn't meeting your organization's needs, composable infrastructure may be the answer. Get to know the pros and cons of both approaches.Continue Reading

• Computational storage fundamentals explained

  Computational storage is an emerging technology, but it isn't too soon to develop an understanding of how it can be used to address storage latency and performance issues.Continue Reading

• SNIA's NVM Programming Model and how it works

  The Storage Networking Industry Association spec provides a standardized approach to building a non-volatile memory-based storage system architecture. We take an in-depth look.Continue Reading

• Illustrated guide to converged infrastructure and vendors

  Prequalified, turnkey systems from converged infrastructure vendors deliver the flexibility of traditional IT approaches with some of the support and management aspects of HCI.Continue Reading

• PowerShell book captures the tool's intense early days

  Getting PowerShell off the drawing board and into Windows required an iron will, as well as technical chops. A new book unveils the story behind its development process.Continue Reading

• AWS Savings Plans vs. Reserved Instances, explained

  AWS Savings Plans offer discounted EC2 rates to help reduce your AWS bill and compute costs. Learn why Savings Plans are a good alternative to Reserved Instances.Continue Reading

• Vendors investigate chiplets as CPU expansion option

  As chipmakers expand the amount of processing power in CPUs, some are considering the use of chiplets. These modular silicon pieces offer a possible option for scalable designs.Continue Reading

• HCI vs. traditional IT vs. dHCI vs. composable infrastructure

  Compare outcomes of hyper-converged, traditional/converged, disaggregated HCI and composable infrastructures, plus hybrid cloud, to decide which approach best fits your IT needs.Continue Reading

• What is the difference between memory and storage?

  Storage and memory, while connected, fulfill separate roles in a computer. Memory meets temporary data access needs and storage retains data and other files over the long term.Continue Reading

• ServiceNow vs. Jira Service Desk for ITSM workflow management

  ServiceNow and Jira Service Desk are both big names in ITSM, but which one is better for your workflow management needs? Compare the two tools in terms of flexibility, integration support and more.Continue Reading

• Network traffic pattern shifts reflect COVID-19 changes

  The novel coronavirus pandemic spurred initial changes in network traffic patterns, but other trends are playing important roles in perpetuating permanent traffic shifts.Continue Reading

• 5 major reasons to adopt an API management platform

  Why adopt an API management platform? Examine when it makes sense to adopt a platform, and five major ways they can actually assist your DevOps teams.Continue Reading

• Get the right SLA for enterprise liquid cooling services

  If you're interested in data center liquid cooling, investigate the technology types, available service providers and outline an effective agreement for successful system use.Continue Reading

• Organizations tackle data center operations during COVID-19

  With an increased remote workforce, organizations must address infrastructure bandwidth, data center access and business continuity. The right software and staffing policies can help.Continue Reading

• Third-party cloud services for images, search and authentication

  Don't limit your cloud services to just what your provider offers. Consider these third-party alternatives to handle images, search and authentication.Continue Reading

• An in-depth look at calculating server hardware costs for SMBs

  Servers can be expensive, but there's more to the purchase than just the price of the hardware. Learn what additional items an SMB must factor into the overall cost.Continue Reading

• AWS, Microsoft and Google should retire these cloud services

  Nothing lasts forever. Whether they've been supplanted by newer offerings or simply outlived their usefulness, these cloud services on AWS, Azure and GCP are ready to be retired.Continue Reading

• What's new in vCloud Director 10

  Version 10 of vCloud Director, aims to make cloud configuration easier for tenants and providers. Read about its HTML5 UI, sizing policies and NSX-T integration.Continue Reading

• What matters most in an Agile organizational structure

  Forcing an Agile approach onto team members causes more problems than it solves. 'Doing Agile Right' distills real-world experience into advice -- including when to delay change.Continue Reading

• Pick a data center layout: Raised floors vs. overhead cabling

  There's no definitive design when it comes to data center infrastructure. Cost, manageability and cooling effectiveness are all factors during the selection process.Continue Reading

• Q&A: Recounting the rough-and-tumble history of PowerShell

  Today, PowerShell is a key tool for many Windows administrators, but its developers had to battle to get it launched. Don Jones talks about PowerShell's tumultuous start.Continue Reading

• 6 converged infrastructure vendors' product options compared

  Converged infrastructure systems help reduce hardware deployment risks by providing a preconfigured software stack, which greatly reduces the risk of configuration errors.Continue Reading

• VMs vs. containers: What Windows admins need to know

  VMs have high resource overhead, but they're dependable. Containers can scale dramatically, but they require a different mode of management. Which is right for your workloads?Continue Reading

• Computational storage may ease edge storage efforts

  Before diving into storage at the edge, ensure your organization can meet the technology's lofty space and resource requirements. Computational storage can help.Continue Reading

• HCI vs. SAN: How to choose between them

  There are many factors to consider when deciding between a SAN and hyper-converged system. Learn how they differ, which might be best for your organization and more.Continue Reading

• Proxmox VE 6 and later offers container features, better security

  Proxmox VE, an open source virtualization management product, provides admins with several features, such as VM live migration, backup abilities and high availability.Continue Reading

• Traditional vs. converged vs. hyper-converged infrastructure setups

  HCI clusters, converged infrastructure and rack servers all offer benefits for a data center. Still, figuring out which is easier to set up requires evaluation and planning.Continue Reading

• How 6 new midrange storage arrays from top vendors stack up

  Leading storage vendors have recently released midrange all-flash arrays that provide the scalability, high performance and high reliability of enterprise-class offerings.Continue Reading

• DBmaestro vs. Liquibase: Database DevOps tools square off

  DevOps has reached databases, which means yet another option to consider in your toolchain. Learn what matters in a database DevOps tool, and what sets apart Liquibase and DBmaestro.Continue Reading

• Identify the Google Cloud developer tools you need

  Developers want more from their cloud than APIs and services; they want tools to accelerate and improve the app dev lifecycle. Use this rundown to assess Google Cloud's developer tool set.Continue Reading

• Insight into Big Blue key to better IBM ELA renewals

  Before negotiating a renewal of your IBM enterprise license agreement, get to know Big Blue's sales strategy and which factors influence its deal-making process.Continue Reading

• What is the difference between AKS and Azure Service Fabric?

  Azure users have a few ways to manage containers on Microsoft's cloud. Learn when and why to pick between two of them -- AKS and Service Fabric.Continue Reading

• Use a Windows Server 2019 domain controller or go to Azure?

  Administrators must dig into the details to see if a swap from on-premises Active Directory to the Azure equivalent makes sense for their organization.Continue Reading

• How AI is changing the storage consumption landscape

  Deep learning, machine learning and neural networks are drastically changing how storage is consumed. Find out why this is happening and what products are helping meet this need.Continue Reading

• Data center liquid cooling market heats up

  As organizations increase server rack density, more C-level execs investigate liquid cooling technology. Industry experts see these systems as an operational and cost necessity.Continue Reading

• Considerations for SIEM logging software and storage

  SIEM systems aggregate a lot of data across all types of infrastructure. For regular audits, admins should address notification settings, analysis protocols and storage locations.Continue Reading

• 3 options to use Kubernetes and containers for edge computing

  While every deployment is unique, these general guidelines can help IT teams determine whether -- and how -- to incorporate Kubernetes and containers into an edge computing strategy.Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2019 RDS updates a boon for remote work needs

  Enhanced security, improved end-user experience and cloud integration are just a few of the perks for organizations that move to Windows Server 2019 RDS.Continue Reading

• Dell EMC vs. NetApp: Comparing converged infrastructure systems

  The Dell EMC VxBlock and NetApp FlexPod converged infrastructure platforms can help IT reduce the complexities of implementing and maintaining data center systems.Continue Reading

• Which Agile contract type fits your project and budget?

  A contracts expert shares common agreement types for Agile software development project outsourcing, and where companies tend to go wrong.Continue Reading

• The coronavirus effect on enterprise technology practices

  Effects of COVID-19 on enterprise IT go well beyond enabling remote workforces. Coronavirus is also changing approaches to IT staffing, projects/initiatives and budgets/spending.Continue Reading

• Understand the differences in VM vs. container vs. serverless

  VMs, containers and serverless computing provide organizations with application development flexibility, but they add management complexity.Continue Reading

• COVID-19 speeds SD-WAN evolution to elastic infrastructure

  The next phase of SD-WAN requires elastic infrastructure and distributed edge access to better support remote workers. The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating that evolution.Continue Reading

• What is the self-driving data center and how does it work?

  Self-driven data centers require little intervention to handle daily operations. Explore their inner workings, benefits, and what HPE and VMware are doing to make them a reality.Continue Reading

• Pair programming pros and cons for network automation

  Pair programming is an Agile software development technique that reduces bugs and produces better software. Can pair programming work between networking experts and programmers?Continue Reading

• Flash vendors tap admin experience features to stand out

  Customers evaluating storage platforms are looking for a little something extra from vendors -- and it isn't necessarily the latest flash development.Continue Reading

• A comprehensive guide to Open vSwitch and its capabilities

  Distributed multilayer switches are essential to managing several network connections between VMs. Open vSwitch offers admins automated and dynamic network control for virtual systems.Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud ecosystem enables digital transformation

  The digital economy has led to a dramatic increase in not just cloud adoption but on-premises data and workloads. Hybrid clouds seamlessly move applications and data between them.Continue Reading

• Storage and database innovation evolve in tandem

  Faster storage means faster database operations. Discover how developments and innovation in storage improves the performance and flexibility of database technology.Continue Reading

• Optimize your VM monitoring strategy with these tools

  Keeping track of hundreds of VMs and applications can be difficult. However, monitoring tools such as OpManager and vSphere can help admins ensure successful system performance.Continue Reading

• Remote access best practices emphasize security, ease of use

  COVID-19 has forced companies to determine the best way to keep remote employees supported. Not sure which way to proceed? Consider these remote access best practices.Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of SD-WAN and remote access

  SD-WAN could be a compelling option for enterprises that require remote access for mission-critical jobs. But IT teams should be aware of cost, training and implementation barriers.Continue Reading

• Kotlin vs. Swift: An open source programming language face-off

  Take a look into what Kotlin and Swift have to offer in terms of cross-platform capabilities, library support and ease of use. Also, review their major strengths and limitations.Continue Reading

• Reduce IT burdens, costs with on-premises storage as a service

  Most organizations automatically associate storage as a service with the cloud -- but emerging, on-premises STaaS offerings can benefit IT ops and the business just as much, if not more.Continue Reading

• VSphere Standard Switch vs. Distributed Switch: The differences

  Explore the differences between vSphere's two virtual switches: vSS and vDS. One works best on a small scale, while the other can help manage networking across a large business.Continue Reading

• Open Systems' SASE tech wins TechTarget innovation award

  Open Systems' SASE platform helped tens of thousands of workers gain secure remote access during the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more about our new Network Innovation Award winner.Continue Reading

• Consider Office 365 MFA to thwart attacks

  More remote users are working on their own equipment, which opens an organization to a hack attempt. Office 365 customers can use multifactor authentication to lower this risk.Continue Reading

• Sonatype Nexus vs. JFrog: Pick an open source security scanner

  Chances are your organization relies on open source code. But how do you manage code vulnerabilities? Find a product best suited for your needs in this Sonatype Nexus vs. JFrog comparison.Continue Reading

• AWS ARM-based chips could shift microprocessor market

  Amazon confronts cloud rivals with microprocessor designs. AWS ARM-based A1 instances offer high processing for lower costs and improved utilization.Continue Reading

• Network automation book shares recipes for success

  In this network automation book excerpt, discover how automation frameworks NAPALM and Ansible can provide network teams with vendor-agnostic network management capabilities.Continue Reading

• Network pros need NAPALM, Ansible network automation skills

  Network pros need network automation skills in NAPALM and Ansible because the two modules together can enhance multivendor environments and streamline network management tasks.Continue Reading

• 5 free virtual appliances for data analysis, app creation

  Virtual appliances can execute specific IT tasks, such as data analysis and application creation. There are several free offerings available, but admins must be wary of risks.Continue Reading

• Remote access is just one of many COVID-19 IT challenges

  The coronavirus outbreak stretched many in IT to the limit of their abilities to find ways to accommodate the surge in remote workers.Continue Reading

• Review hybrid cloud offerings that bring the cloud on premises

  Check out this roundup of hybrid cloud tools and services from AWS, Microsoft and Google that extend public cloud platforms into on-premises environments.Continue Reading

• 5 container security tools to safeguard apps, environments

  Learn how five container security vendors monitor and protect container delivery and implementation, regardless of where the container sits in the application lifecycle.Continue Reading

• PowerShell ForEach-Object cmdlet picks up speed

  Administrators get extra incentive to switch to PowerShell 7 after an existing cmdlet acquires a performance enhancement to run multiple iterations in parallel.Continue Reading

• Git version control helps remote teams with integrated builds

  Organizations with remote development teams should use Git repositories and Git version control while developing integrated software builds.Continue Reading

• Amazon and VMware unveil RDS on VMware

  Amazon and VMware teamed up to create RDS on VMware. It should appeal to VMware users and has some compelling features, but it still faces several barriers to widespread use.Continue Reading

• SD-WAN, 5G remote work technologies enable future networks

  In this roundup of networking blogs, learn how SD-WAN and 5G can benefit business continuity plans for network infrastructure and whether split tunneling is necessary -- or safe.Continue Reading

• Kubernetes vs. VMware: Drive the choice with IT architecture

  It isn't easy to classify Kubernetes as the superior product for managing VMs and containers compared to vSphere 7. The decision depends on how widely admins use containers.Continue Reading

• Outsourced DevOps brings benefits, and risks, to IT shops

  Lack certain DevOps skills? Consider outsourcing as a way to fill the gaps, but be sure to understand the potential risks, which vary with each DevOps pipeline stage.Continue Reading

• How zero-touch IT operations can be a burden, not a benefit

  In their pursuits of end-to-end automation, IT operations teams should be careful not to downplay the importance of human staff.Continue Reading

• Quickly repurpose HCI hardware for hosting virtual desktops

  Virtual desktops are tailored for remote work situations, and hyper-convergence makes a great VDI host that stands up quickly in a pinch. Consider these factors, though.Continue Reading

• The future of quantum computing in the cloud

  Quantum computing is the latest technology to catch the eyes of developers and cloud providers like AWS and Microsoft, but analysts predict it could still be years away from practical use.Continue Reading

• A comprehensive test automation guide for IT teams

  This one-stop test automation guide walks through the benefits and challenges, how to craft an automated testing strategy and how to compare tools.Continue Reading

• National Instruments SD-WAN case study: Bandwidth up 1,500%

  In this SD-WAN case study, learn how Cisco Viptela technology transformed one enterprise WAN for the better -- from decreased costs to increased performance.Continue Reading

• Find the right software testing methods for your dev process

  Many organizations want to do more automated testing, but which tests solve specific problems? Here's a breakdown of the key test types and how they might fit your test strategy.Continue Reading

• What VMware Project Pacific means for the next vSphere release

  Project Pacific introduces many new capabilities to vSphere, including centralized application management, API management and a new type of workflow called Pods.Continue Reading

• Expand your knowledge of Hyper-V virtual switch types

  Admins can create three Hyper-V virtual switch types: external, internal and private. The need for internet access and a secure network can help admins decide which one to use.Continue Reading

• Evaluate 3 ways to run Kubernetes locally

  A local Kubernetes deployment -- enabled by Minikube, MicroK8s or K3s -- is a great option to test code or simply learn the container orchestration technology.Continue Reading

• Find the right automation test cases

  One piece of software might be well-suited for test automation while another won't. Here are the factors to look for when you need to settle on your test strategy.Continue Reading

• 7 questions to ask before you select software testing tools

  Before you select software testing tools, you need to know how to evaluate them. Explore trial versions, research the vendors and assess your organization's needs and capabilities.Continue Reading

• VMware licensing changes set to have long-term cost effects

  VMware assured admins they would see little to no effect on costs in the short term with its switch to per-core licensing, but these changes could have long-term cost effects.Continue Reading

• What to include in an SD-WAN security checklist

  SD-WAN security encompasses more than integrated security functionality. Find out which capabilities enterprises should look for when evaluating SD-WAN and security.Continue Reading

• Container data storage's emerging role now and in the future

  See how application workload and cloud portability requirements are driving container storage preferences in the latest research from the Taneja Group.Continue Reading

• Can a SASE architecture deliver better network performance?

  Learn how the emerging technology called Secure Access Service Edge, or SASE, outperforms traditional architectures to deliver a more secure, better performing network.Continue Reading

• Find value in real-time application monitoring

  What started as a way for administrators to know if a system went offline has morphed into a broad combination of monitoring that involves admins, engineers and operations staff.Continue Reading

• Compare the top automated functional testing tools

  This roundup of top automated functional testing tools, including Selenium, Micro Focus UFT and TestComplete, will guide you to pick the best choice for software testing needs.Continue Reading