Evaluate

Evaluate

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

• Top data center skills admins can use in 2020

  The 2019 tech job sector saw consistent growth and job availability. In 2020, admins should develop expertise on cloud architectures, edge computing deployments and automation. Continue Reading

• Use multi-cloud software-defined storage to prevent storage silos

  Looking for a way to keep data moving freely and efficiently among cloud platforms? Check out how software-defined storage in a multi-cloud environment works. Continue Reading

• How well do you know PowerCLI cmdlets?

  Take this eight-question quiz to determine how much you know about PowerCLI and its cmdlets -- the short scripts that enable you to automate nearly anything. Continue Reading

• Explore native and third-party VM automation tools' features

  VMware and Microsoft offer native tools that provide VM automation capabilities, but admins should also look at third-party vendors, such as Chef, Puppet and SolarWinds. Continue Reading

• Weigh these RPA benefits and challenges against APIs

  APIs are a safe, reliable way for applications to execute a workflow. But they're not always available. Here's how to craft an integration strategy around APIs, RPA and even people. Continue Reading

• When to consider managed SD-WAN services for your business

  SD-WAN offers promising benefits, like the ability to use multiple ISP links, but managing those links can prove challenging. Managed SD-WAN services can help.Continue Reading

• Multi-cloud storage, blockchain, NVMe garner reader attention

  The multi-cloud vs. hybrid cloud storage debate, blockchain storage struggles and NVMe misconceptions were our most-read tips in 2019. See where storage admins are focused for the year ahead.Continue Reading

• The importance of vCloud Connector server, interface and nodes

  The three crucial components of vCC are the interface, the server and the nodes. The interface enables admins to modify the environment, while the server acts as the go-between.Continue Reading

• Advantages of monolithic architecture that prove it isn't dead

  Don't rush to break up a monolith too quickly without considering what you might lose in the process. We examine why a monolithic architecture is sometimes the smarter choice.Continue Reading

• Gartner WAN edge Magic Quadrant offers buying advice

  How should businesses buy WAN edge technology? You probably shouldn't rely on vendor name recognition alone. Instead, consider some niche players in the SD-WAN market.Continue Reading

• Future of networking technology relies on 5G, edge computing

  In this roundup of networking blogs, experts discuss the key trends they look forward to in 2020 and how these advancements could benefit networking's future.Continue Reading

• What is vCloud Connector and what does it do?

  VMware vCC enables organizations to move workloads, such as VMs, templates and vApps, between clouds by extending the data center, synchronizing content and managing content.Continue Reading

• What to expect from VMware in 2020

  VMware experts Brian Kirsch, Alastair Cooke and Rob Bastiaansen take a look at what's ahead for the virtualization vendor in 2020 as it builds Kubernetes into its suite.Continue Reading

• Are attitudes toward edge computing architecture changing?

  Edge computing has many advantages over the centralized running of applications and processing of data on premises and in the cloud. Are IT leaders getting the message, though?Continue Reading

• Organizations try to predict the effect of 5G infrastructure

  With more 5G and IoT devices emerging, admins must prepare their data centers to support low-latency apps and edge computing with the right network and processing hardware.Continue Reading

• Why hyper-converged edge computing is coming into vogue

  Hyper-convergence helps enterprises better provision applications at the network edge and more efficiently process enormous amounts of data generated by IoT devices and smart sensors.Continue Reading

• An introduction to VMware vRealize Operations Cloud

  VMware is set to release a cloud-based management software as a service in 2020, which uses predictive analytics and AI features to optimize, plan and scale VMware-based hybrid clouds.Continue Reading

• 5 software testing books QA professionals should dig into

  There's no cookie-cutter crash course on software testing. However, these five books can get beginners on the right path to better quality software.Continue Reading

• Enterprise data storage 2019 Products of the Year finalists

  The field of entrants in our 18th annual Products of the Year contest has been winnowed to 50 contenders vying for gold, silver and bronze glory in five data storage categories.Continue Reading

• Understanding object storage vs. block storage for the cloud

  The use of block storage in the cloud is becoming more common. See how block and object storage differ, and when to use one versus the other when it comes to cloud storage.Continue Reading

• Features distinguish leading composable infrastructure systems

  Before selecting a composable architecture, compare the different platforms' processing power, latency rates, supported IOPS, size and type of memory.Continue Reading

• AWS Outposts vs. Azure Stack vs. HCI

  See how AWS Outposts vs. Microsoft Azure Stack hybrid cloud offerings work and where they can and cannot take the place of traditional hyper-converged infrastructures.Continue Reading

• Evaluate if serverless cost benefits are worth the upfront price

  Before an IT shop adopts serverless, it must fully grasp how the technology operates, and prepare for the upfront -- and potentially costly -- app refactoring efforts it requires.Continue Reading

• 3 event sourcing patterns that ease app processing

  Examine the pros and cons of three event sourcing patterns that solve certain problems but can introduce new ones in an event-driven architecture.Continue Reading

• 7 key SD-branch trends to expect in 2020

  New year, new developments. See what's new with SD-branch in 2020, including security advancements and how technologies such as Wi-Fi 6 and 5G will affect branch offices.Continue Reading

• AIOps meaning to expand throughout DevOps chain

  AIOps means artificial intelligence to aid in IT operations. But it could mean much more than that, bringing in development, business, security and other application stakeholders.Continue Reading

• On-premises server monitoring tools meet business needs, budget

  Compare these eight on-premises network, server and application monitoring tools to determine which best fits your organization's specific use cases, business needs and budget.Continue Reading

• Red Hat Virtualization 4.3 updates to Cockpit are minor, but beneficial

  Cockpit hasn't seen many changes with the latest RHV 4.3 update, but it still provides beneficial capabilities, such as the ability create a VM from a template or migrate a VM to a different host.Continue Reading

• 5 predictions for 2020 software architecture trends

  The past decade brought big changes to app development and management. Now, our contributors predict what the biggest software architecture trends of 2020 will be.Continue Reading

• Are PMEM and storage class memory worth the price?

  Look beyond price/performance to find out if SCM and persistent memory modules are right for your business. Faster response time and earlier time to market are important, too.Continue Reading

• Food manufacturer finds success with SD-WAN vendor CloudGenix

  Disappointed in a managed service from Verizon, food manufacturer Diamond Crystal Brands went looking for an SD-WAN vendor that could deliver. It found it in CloudGenix.Continue Reading

• Virtualization automation challenges underscore AI usefulness

  Automation helps reduce the complexity of virtual systems, but admins might find that adoption challenges and temporary resolutions underscore its usefulness.Continue Reading

• SD-WAN drives managed network services trends for 2020

  As network operators offer more SD-WAN managed services in 2020, the managed services market will see some major changes regarding price, feature sets and management.Continue Reading

• Review these 3 key cloud computing trends from 2019

  What cloud trends played a large role in the IT industry in 2019? They might not be the first ones that come to mind.Continue Reading

• NVMe/TCP and edge storage benefits and drawbacks

  NVMe/TCP is finally entering the storage mainstream and can be particularly useful for data storage at the edge. Find out the pros and cons of this approach.Continue Reading

• Aaron's deploys CloudGenix SD-WAN after issues with Meraki

  Before Aaron's could improve its real-time network visibility and VoIP performance with CloudGenix SD-WAN, the retailer had to transition from Cisco Meraki.Continue Reading

• The rise of the high-capacity vs. the high-performance SSD

  Learn about the latest trends in enterprise drives, how high-performance devices figure in and the effect of advances in the underlying NAND flash technology.Continue Reading

• Vendors make a splash in 2019 service mesh implementation rush

  There was a surge of service mesh options that hit the market in 2019, and two significant events helped shape its outcome. Expect to see Envoy and Istio steal the stage in 2020.Continue Reading

• What's in store for software development trends in 2020?

  New year, new IT priorities. While not all initiatives stick, these development and testing trends will shape how teams create, evaluate and deploy software. Get ahead of the curve.Continue Reading

• Volta Networks wins NIA for cloud-based routing

  Better together? Not when it comes to routing software and hardware. Networking startup Volta Networks' disaggregated routing platform promises to increase flexibility and lowers costs.Continue Reading

• Get the lowdown on these 4 Google Cloud management services

  Google Cloud Platform offers numerous tools to manage and deploy resources -- each with its own specific focus. Learn about these four services before you get started on Google Cloud.Continue Reading

• Compare AWS CDK vs. CloudFormation, and the state of IaC on AWS

  Infrastructure as code has become an essential part of the cloud development process. Learn how the AWS CDK addresses the weaknesses of CloudFormation and improves automation on AWS.Continue Reading

• Containers, automation and AI shape 2020 IT trends

  In 2019, Kubernetes took Docker's crown and DevOps matured. As IT operations teams ring in the New Year, they should keep an eye on these 2020 IT predictions.Continue Reading

• AWS monitoring best practices extend beyond CloudWatch

  AWS users can choose from a range of native tools to monitor their environments -- but, ultimately, a combination of these services will produce the best results.Continue Reading

• Slowdown, cloud, as-a-service products top 2019 storage news

  Find out what storage industry news resonated with readers this year, including signs of a slowdown, cloud and consumption-based products, new storage arrays and technologies.Continue Reading

• Experts' cloud predictions for 2020

  This was a big year for cloud computing progress, so what's in store for 2020? See what contributors predict for security updates, container tech and more in the new year.Continue Reading

• The top network security trends, threats and strategies in 2020

  Ransomware and attacks against cloud providers reflect key network security trends in 2020. To combat these threats preemptively, assess your specific network needs.Continue Reading

• Intelligent storage systems optimize performance, proactivity

  Intelligent data storage use is on the rise, employing AI, machine learning and predictive analytics to automate storage and prevent problems before they start.Continue Reading

• AWS security groups vs. network ACLs and other AWS firewalls

  Protect your AWS cloud environment with these Amazon firewall services. Learn how security groups and network ACLs work, along with other key AWS firewall options.Continue Reading

• Top networking trends in 2019 to resurface in 2020

  Recapping the top networking news stories of 2019 could provide a glimpse into the future and reveal some of the top networking technology trends of 2020.Continue Reading

• Are containers on Windows the right choice for you?

  Containers have grown in popularity, but there are some considerations to weigh before you decide to migrate Server 2008 workloads to this technology.Continue Reading

• Use EventBridge to unlock AWS event-driven architecture

  Amazon EventBridge improves serverless capabilities on AWS. Learn the differences between EventBridge and CloudWatch Events and how to get the most out of event-driven applications.Continue Reading

• How vSAN hyper-converged infrastructure software works

  Delve into important aspects of VMware vSAN to help clarify its features and how it works to see if the hyper-converged infrastructure software is right for your organization.Continue Reading

• Why should I consider an AIOps platform for my network?

  AIOps can take various tasks -- such as data collection and analysis -- off the plates of network teams. This can provide organizations with better insight into network visibility.Continue Reading

• Gartner analyst lists application migration strategy essentials

  Application prioritization, risk assessment and cost evaluation are key migration strategy components for organizations looking to move workloads from on prem to the cloud or a colo facility.Continue Reading

• VMware NSX Intelligence boosts data center visibility, security

  The new NSX Intelligence distributed analytics engine is part of VMware NSX-T 2.5. Learn how it gives networking teams deep visibility into virtualized and containerized workloads.Continue Reading

• Compare Red Hat OpenShift vs. Cloud Foundry in a Kubernetes faceoff

  Looking for a container ecosystem platform? OpenShift and Cloud Foundry have similar roots as PaaS platforms, but this comparison identifies a clear winner for most organizations.Continue Reading

• Apigee vs. Mulesoft: An API management platform face-off

  Mulesoft and Apigee are two of the most widely used API management platforms around. This article places them side by side to compare their pros and cons.Continue Reading

• How is HCI market fragmentation affecting buyers, vendors?

  An increasingly crowded market and the technological limitations of standard HCI have led to innovative new takes on hyper-convergence to the benefit of vendors and buyers alike.Continue Reading

• How software prototyping beats requirements gathering

  How do you know which features to code into the software you're developing? Application teams share tips on how to deliver ROI with prototyping, UX research and a design week.Continue Reading

• Evaluate general and niche cloud service use cases

  Can't decide between a niche cloud provider or a hyperscaler? Review some real-world examples to help weigh the options and find the best fit for your workloads.Continue Reading

• Compare niche cloud services to the hyperscale offerings

  Consider your enterprise's specific needs when choosing between niche clouds and hyperscale clouds. Here's an overview of what you should know about both options.Continue Reading

• Emphasize app modernization in 2020 IT budget plans

  IT budgeting can be stressful and complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Communicate with business leaders and users to identify -- and capitalize on -- the right opportunities.Continue Reading

• How do I choose the right network automation tools or platform?

  In your organization's search for the best network automation platform for business operations, compare the pros and cons of proprietary and open source tools.Continue Reading

• Comparing Linux distributions: Red Hat vs. Ubuntu

  Before selecting a Linux distribution, compare Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu when it comes to features, ease of use, licensing and documentation.Continue Reading

• What does HCI 2.0 mean for hyper-convergence?

  Like composable infrastructure, next-gen hyper-convergence promises to ease procurement and management by, among other things, enabling users to add disparate IT resources independently.Continue Reading

• The benefits of Python are plenty, but it's not for everyone

  Python boasts plenty of features that make it a go-to object-oriented language. But is it always the right choice? We take a look at what you should know about coding with Python.Continue Reading

• Get to know the Kaspersky Light Agent app for virtual systems

  Kaspersky's Security for Virtualization Light Agent application provides multilayered protection for virtual servers and VDIs as well as their VMs and OSes across multiple hosts.Continue Reading

• Assess the Wi-Fi 6 features available in Wave 1 and Wave 2

  Catch up on the different features available with the first wave of Wi-Fi 6, including OFDMA and Target Wake Time, and find out which capabilities Wave 2 will bring.Continue Reading

• Samsung V-NAND SSDs designed for high capacity, speed, efficiency

  Samsung's V-NAND chip breaks through existing 3D NAND cell stacking limits with the industry's first 100+ layers in a move designed to enhance speed, capacity and power efficiency.Continue Reading

• Top 4 open source automation tools for admins

  Open source offerings are an easy way to bring automation into your organization. When selecting software, evaluate the user experience, main features offered and Linux support.Continue Reading

• How to evaluate CASB tools for multi-cloud deployments

  When it comes to evaluating CASB tools, it's essential to be an informed customer. Identify your organization's usage and security goals to get the context you need before you buy.Continue Reading

• The key VMware acquisitions and announcements in 2019

  In 2019, VMware acquired Intrinsic, Carbon Black and others as it branched into new markets. It also improved its well-established virtualization line and introduced new products.Continue Reading

• How much cloud does an IT disaster recovery plan need?

  It's not easy to get the right mix of traditional and cloud-based DR resources. Here's how to strike a balance between what's effective and what's affordable.Continue Reading

• What to look for in code review tools

  Code review gums up the Agile, iterative works. Assisted and automated code review tools improve quality, and there's a mix of products out there for different workflows and needs.Continue Reading

• Gauge some of the top SD-WAN pros and cons

  This video explains some of the major SD-WAN pros and cons, including improved application performance, security and troubleshooting.Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of cloud disaster recovery

  Cloud DR is a great option, but it's not as easy as it might look. For starters, you'll need to carefully prepare data and have servers prebuilt as VMs in the cloud.Continue Reading

• 5 reasons why hyper-converged infrastructure could be right for you

  The reasons for going hyper-converged vary. Often, however, organizations deploy HCI technology to effectively address one or more of the five issues outlined in this article.Continue Reading

• Assess low-code platform pros and cons

  Some see low-code platforms as intuitive and time-saving, but security and compliance concerns could negate those benefits. See where low-code tools stand with these pros and cons.Continue Reading

• NAS, SAN, or DAS? Quiz yourself on these 3 types of storage

  It's not easy to choose and deploy a data storage infrastructure system. Take this test to find out if you're ready to assess whether DAS, NAS or SAN is right for your business.Continue Reading

• Break down CloudFormation vs. Terraform for AWS deployments

  CloudFormation is AWS' native infrastructure-as-code tool but many devs -- especially those working in multi-cloud environments -- prefer Terraform. Learn the differences between the two.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct simplifies converged, HCI storage

  Storage Spaces Direct in Windows Server packages several different Microsoft technologies to lower TCO and simplify storage in converged and hyper-converged deployments.Continue Reading

• Evaluate your machine learning and AI data storage requirements

  Learn how your business can use high-performance and long-term data storage to address data storage requirements for its AI and machine learning workloads.Continue Reading

• How to start your cloud career

  As the IT field evolves, more professionals are pursuing cloud careers. To stand out in the crowd, you need proper training, skills and certifications.Continue Reading

• Unstructured data storage showdown: Object storage vs. scale-out NAS

  Object storage and scale-out NAS are both highly scalable and built to handle large amounts of unstructured data. Which one is best suited for your environment?Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2008 end of life: Is Azure the right path?

  Time is almost up for support for your Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 workloads. Microsoft would like you to migrate those VMs to Azure, but is that the best choice?Continue Reading

• Effectively implement Azure Ultra Disk Storage

  Ultra Disk Storage delivers consistent performance and low latency for I/O-intensive workloads. Learn why it's solving latency problems and where you can use Azure Ultra Disk.Continue Reading

• Decide between SAN vs. hyper-converged for your virtual storage

  Shared storage provides admins with virtual storage benefits such as storage migration, high availability and redundancy. But the right storage option depends on cost and performance.Continue Reading

• Why Secure Access Service Edge is the future of SD-WAN

  Secure Access Service Edge -- or SASE -- architecture transitions from network designs that revolve around the data center to a model based on identity and user context.Continue Reading

• AI-driven development trends shake up the cloud market

  Enterprises are increasingly interested in AI, and cloud vendors are in a race to adapt their platforms to meet those needs. See what initiatives are underway to meet the next wave of app development.Continue Reading

• Why it's time to rethink the DevOps vs. ITIL debate

  As organizations look to more closely align their business and IT goals, they should combine DevOps and ITIL practices, rather than commit exclusively to one methodology over the other.Continue Reading

• NSX Intelligence evolves network security and load balancing

  NSX Intelligence can bolster your zero-trust network security, provide microsegmentation analytics and balance loads in your network. Learn more about this new VMware product.Continue Reading

• Azure Bastion brings convenience, security to VM management

  This cloud service gets around the problem associated with jump servers and cloaks the identity of your VMs to avoid potential security issues.Continue Reading

• Get to know popular cloud monitoring tools

  With so many cloud monitoring services on the market, it can be difficult to choose. Review some of the popular tools available from AWS, Google and Azure -- as well as non-native options.Continue Reading

• Explore compelling benefits of hyper-converged infrastructure

  Better support remote office/branch office environments and address budgetary, efficiency, scaling and operational challenges with hyper-converged infrastructure.Continue Reading

• Is Zadara storage as a service right for your company?

  Zadara Cloud Platform offers a storage-as-a-service approach that limits customers' upfront investment and risk, while providing flexible, NVMe-based storage.Continue Reading

• Get to know Nutanix hyper-converged infrastructure products in-depth

  Nutanix products are major players in the hyper-convergence market. As a pioneer, Nutanix introduced one of the first HCIs and has modified and expanded its offerings ever since.Continue Reading

• Predictive storage analytics and AI make storage smarter

  Intelligent storage is all the rage. Discover how predictive analytics for storage, AI and machine learning makes storage infrastructure more flexible and cost effective.Continue Reading

• Compliance analytics helps data storage meet PII standards

  Organizations are using predictive analytics and AI to sift through large data sets to ensure that any data stored is compliant with all personally identifiable information rules.Continue Reading

• AWS data lake and data warehouse options for the cloud

  Get ready for data analytics in the cloud. Learn the best ways to handle your data on AWS. Distinguish between data lakes and data warehouse services on AWS and how they work.Continue Reading