Evaluate

Evaluate

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

• NetOps by design: How data center pods enable network agility

  To bring a DevOps approach to the network, one expert suggests enterprises take a page from the cloud-provider playbook. Here's how data center pods can support a NetOps evolution. Continue Reading

• Determine the cost of app customization in the cloud

  Cloud applications are like icebergs: There's a lot users don't see below the surface. One apparently small change could have a massive ripple effect on operations. Continue Reading

• What you need to know about intent-based networks

  This compilation explores five pertinent questions about intent-based networking, including those about its benefits, why organizations move to it and where it stands in 2019. Continue Reading

• Automation drives next wave of multi-cloud management tools

  The current cloud landscape indicates a clear need for management tools that can span multiple platforms -- and they'll likely place an emphasis on automation, abstraction and orchestration. Continue Reading

• SD-WAN cost savings hinge on underlying WAN technologies

  SD-WAN marketing almost always mentions the benefit of cost savings. Cut through the hype and discover how SD-WAN works with MPLS and internet connectivity to drive savings. Continue Reading

• Automate tests with attention to UI, rapid feedback and more

  If your app-dev group just can't seem to get automated tests right, you're not alone. Here's how to implement an effective test automation strategy, one piece at a time.Continue Reading

• Use AWS Firecracker to build micro VMs for containerized apps

  Firecracker has many of the benefits of containers and VMs, without some of their limitations. Here are a few things to know if you plan to use this technology at your organization.Continue Reading

• Compare tools for multi-cloud Kubernetes management

  For IT teams that need to manage Kubernetes deployments that span multiple cloud platforms, here are seven tools intended to simplify that process.Continue Reading

• Concourse vs. Drone: Pick a CI/CD tool that fits your team

  For CI/CD, a software team should weigh how well a tool fits into its existing practices. Drone and Concourse each highlight ease of use and pipeline features.Continue Reading

• Non-IT software vendors stir up IT tool selection process

  Many non-IT vendors now offer homegrown software -- a model that carries benefits and risks. Weigh the pros and cons around support, availability and other factors before making a decision.Continue Reading

• Latest SD-WAN features offer better management, security

  Enterprises looking to buy software-defined WAN products should evaluate the SD-WAN features that vendors offer. But the market still has room for vendor differentiation.Continue Reading

• AWS Lambda functions become more flexible, but use caution

  AWS Lambda added custom runtimes and longer timeouts. Review the benefits, such as flexibility and easier migration, along with the drawbacks, which include potentially higher costs.Continue Reading

• How to assess an SD-WAN product and determine which you need

  Two main differentiators have emerged in SD-WAN products. Learn how they work and how an IT manager can use them to assess network performance and diagnose problems.Continue Reading

• AWS' blockchain approach takes divergent paths

  AWS was slow to embrace blockchain but now offers two approaches to the concept. Review the specs of Quantum Ledger Database and Amazon Managed Blockchain.Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of network slicing in 5G

  Although network slicing is useful for certain applications, like IoT and mobile networks, it might not be necessary at this point, especially when considering its cost.Continue Reading

• SD-WAN vendor lock-in is unavoidable, but not necessarily bad

  It's practically impossible to avoid SD-WAN vendor lock-in. But, instead of being deterred by lock-in, companies should focus on wisely locking in the vendor with which they want to partner.Continue Reading

• Major I/O virtualization vendors and technologies explained

  Technologies that virtualize I/O components offer a number of additional capabilities, such as direct memory access remapping and network queuing for each VM.Continue Reading

• GPU virtualization evolves with new chip types on the horizon

  GPU-makers Intel, AMD and Nvidia all provide virtualization support; the next step is to merge CPU and GPU functionality to handle both application and math/graphics-related tasks.Continue Reading

• Which GPU specs are most important?

  When selecting GPUs, look at processing power, memory and OS support. These factors ensure hardware compatibility and effective performance in the data center.Continue Reading

• Adjust IT team dynamics for a cloud-native approach

  As enterprises set their cloud-native strategy, they'll need to navigate major changes -- both from a technical standpoint and in terms of IT team structure and management style.Continue Reading

• Top 5 enterprise storage trends of 2018

  Dave Raffo won't pretend to know what 2019 will bring to the world of enterprise data storage, but he does know what he learned while following the data storage industry in 2018.Continue Reading

• How SD-WAN architectures improve network flexibility and efficiency

  The key benefits of SD-WAN architectures include better network redundancy, efficient MPLS connections and added flexibility to deploy new services remotely.Continue Reading

• The top enterprise data storage products of 2018

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• What are the pros and cons of machine learning in network security?

  The predictive nature of machine learning can benefit network security strategies. But it can also benefit those looking to break through secure network barriers.Continue Reading

• Cloud repatriation and the trend away from all things cloud

  Companies are starting to backtrack when it comes to their enthusiasm for public clouds. More and more are bringing workloads and storage resources back in-house.Continue Reading

• Hot data storage technology trends for 2019

  Hot storage tech trends for 2019 include cheaper, denser flash and multi-cloud data management that can benefit the consumer and create better performance and data protection.Continue Reading

• A secondary storage management answer to mass fragmentation

  A study finds mass secondary data fragmentation across storage silos is negatively affecting IT staff morale and the ability of enterprises to comply with regulations.Continue Reading

• The best enterprise storage products of 2018

  Get to know the 15 top enterprise storage products selected from a field of more than 100 in the 'Storage' magazine and SearchStorage annual Products of the Year competition.Continue Reading

• Dell EMC PowerMax

  Formerly VMAX, PowerMax flash from Dell EMC is rated to deliver 10 million IOPS. All-flash PowerMax maintains the VMAX multicontroller, but replaces SAS SSDs with NVMe.Continue Reading

• Best data storage products 2018: Products of the Year

  For the 17th straight year, 'Storage' magazine and SearchStorage award gold, silver and bronze to the best storage hardware and software products and services of the year.Continue Reading

• Cloudian HyperStore 7

  New multi-cloud capabilities vault object storage specialist Cloudian to first place with its HyperStore product. Judges were particularly impressed with its functionality.Continue Reading

• Unitrends Recovery Series Gen 8 backup appliances

  Unitrends has updated its Recovery Series backup appliance to Gen 8, with added features like machine learning-based ransomware protection and automatic recovery testing.Continue Reading

• Broadcom Brocade SAN automation

  Broadcom automates SAN management using a command-line interface and open source tools connecting to Brocade fabric and switches in a storage area network.Continue Reading

• HPE Nimble Storage arrays

  Our Products of the Year judges give HPE's all-flash arrays high marks for built-in analytics, automation, ease of use and price-to-performance balance for midmarket enterprises.Continue Reading

• Virtual Instruments VirtualWisdom 5.6

  With the latest version of VirtualWisdom, Virtual Instruments adds greater automation to both the discovery and resolution of storage system and network management issues.Continue Reading

• Pure Storage AIRI

  AIRI is a preconfigured hardware stack for data-intensive analytics. It combines Pure Storage's all-flash FlashBlade and Nvidia Tesla-based DGX supercomputers.Continue Reading

• Portworx PX-Enterprise

  PX-Enterprise, which helps users deploy persistent storage with containerized applications, stood out among other competitors for its innovation and value.Continue Reading

• Quobyte Data Center File System 2.0

  Startup Quobyte's 'up-and-comer' distributed parallel file system caught judges' attention as being easier to deploy, operate and manage in high-performance environments.Continue Reading

• Monitor APIs with these metrics for smooth app integrations

  What user information do you pull in from APIs? Do you even know how well they perform? Dev teams should track these metrics to create and maintain smooth API communication.Continue Reading

• Evaluate the Mesos architecture for massive container deployments

  In addition to supporting large-scale IT deployments, Mesos takes a unique approach to data center and cloud resource pools that can benefit both containerized and noncontainerized apps.Continue Reading

• What 4 questions can help prepare your network for IoT?

  Increasingly, organizations are seeing a marriage of IoT and networking for more efficiency and enhanced services. Here's what you need to know to prepare your networks for IoT.Continue Reading

• Evaluate load testing tool features and vendors

  Application load testing products come in a variety of forms and their features vary. Read through these specs to find the tool that's right for you.Continue Reading

• New types of cloud services bring the cloud to you

  Would your hybrid experience be improved by placing technology from a cloud service provider directly into your data center? Here's how to evaluate that option.Continue Reading

• New cloud service models put providers in the data center

  All of the major cloud players now offer on-premises hardware or specific technologies to make a data center look and feel more like the public cloud. What's driving this trend?Continue Reading

• Intent-based networking reality check for 2019

  The transition to intent-based networking won't happen overnight. But organizations can study up on different IBN approaches now to plan for future intelligent deployments.Continue Reading

• How to use Jira as a test management tool

  While Atlassian Jira is a common tool to manage software projects, Amy Reichert's team uses it to manage tests. She details snags you might encounter with test cases and management.Continue Reading

• The VMware CloudHealth acquisition extends cloud management

  VMware's acquisition of CloudHealth aims to expand VMware's line of cloud management tools to help clients centrally manage many services.Continue Reading

• Data storage startups to watch in 2019

  Failure is a more likely outcome than success for a storage startup. Still, intrepid newcomers offer innovative technologies in cloud, backup, convergence and flash.Continue Reading

• Evaluate remote office/branch office technology trends

  Traditional data center technology, including SD-WANs, HCI, and virtual backup and disaster recovery devices, often supports remote and branch offices.Continue Reading

• Automate the IT service desk workflow for maximum success

  The automated help desk using ITSM software does for IT operations and support what the CI/CD toolchain has done for developers and DevOps engineers.Continue Reading

• Have newer security methods made NAC systems obsolete?

  While newer security methods, like microsegmentation and software-defined perimeter, diminish the role of network access control, NAC systems can still help secure the network edge.Continue Reading

• How the SaltStack architecture enables config management at scale

  SaltStack's one-to-many communication model enables it to manage configurations in massive IT deployments without network strain. To get the most out of SaltStack, understand ZeroMQ.Continue Reading

• What are the pros and cons of open source network monitoring tools?

  They're usually free and customizable, but can lack customer support. Take a look at the best and worst features of open source network monitoring tools.Continue Reading

• 6 ways to tighten Agile feedback loops

  Software bugs are inevitable, but quality improves when you find defects sooner rather than later. Adopt these measures to cut down lengthy and expensive software feedback loops.Continue Reading

• How Google Cloud Build helps microservices build automation

  Google Cloud Build has the potential to play a valuable and reliable role in CI/CD pipelines for microservices development. Learn how Cloud Build can help.Continue Reading

• 8 common questions about the new Wi-Fi 6 standard

  Industry excitement around the next-generation Wi-Fi standard continues to grow, with good reason -- many experts say Wi-Fi 6 is a game-changer. Here's what you need to know.Continue Reading

• Follow these 6 serverless security best practices

  Optimal security for serverless architectures requires developers and ops teams to embrace best practices around dependencies, testing, access and more.Continue Reading

• How ops teams stay relevant during a shift left in DevOps

  IT operations administrators should not perceive the shift left in DevOps as a threat to their relevance, but rather as a catalyst for a change in their priorities.Continue Reading

• 7 misconceptions about the NVMe protocol and NVMe technology

  See what you need to know to avoid some of the common misperceptions about NVMe technology and making possibly expensive mistakes with your organization's NVMe architecture.Continue Reading

• Advantages of object storage and how it differs from alternatives

  File and block storage might provide better performance, but granular metadata and near-infinite scalability make object storage equally beneficial.Continue Reading

• Get multi-cloud storage off on the right foot

  See the questions to ask and the various players to query as you get started with your multi-cloud strategy. Success is all about gathering the right information upfront.Continue Reading

• Fiber expansion paves way for V2X technology in Colorado

  Colorado wants to enable highway automation by building smart, connected infrastructure it says can save lives. But to get roadside devices online throughout the state, it's going to need a bigger fiber optic network.Continue Reading

• Mist's smart WLAN gets rave reviews from Ohio schools

  A school district's dissatisfaction with its legacy Wi-Fi system led to a rip and replace of its entire network. This case study explores the deployment of Mist's smart WLAN.Continue Reading

• Use shift-right testing to cut skepticism, deployment delays

  Production environments are the final frontier for bug hunters. So, embrace -- don't eschew -- shift-right testing. It has the potential to enhance software quality for users.Continue Reading

• Keep an eye on these third-party cloud management tools

  Examine what third-party vendors can bring to the table before you choose your cloud provider's native management tools as a default option.Continue Reading

• What tools help with microservices Salesforce development?

  It's not always easy to develop Salesforce apps with microservices. Developers and admins should evaluate CI/CD tools that support microservices development in the Salesforce world.Continue Reading

• Enterprises iffy on telecom services beyond network connectivity

  Enterprises look to telecom carriers for network connectivity services, but providers need to win them over to sell cloud and productivity options, according to network pros.Continue Reading

• Acquisition talk mounts as Kurian plots Google's cloud plans

  It may not be a question of if, but when Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian makes acquisitions to round out the company's cloud platform portfolio.Continue Reading

• SD-branch begins to prove itself with growing deployments

  Enterprises are beginning to deploy SD-branch and are seeing positive results, pointing to the possibility that the software-defined branch will become the norm for branch networking.Continue Reading

• How Dartmouth College improved its campus-wide Wi-Fi

  Dartmouth College brought 21st-century wireless infrastructure from Mist Systems to its 18th-century architecture in a highly anticipated update to its campus Wi-Fi.Continue Reading

• NetInsight enables proactive network performance monitoring

  With NetInsight, network performance monitoring and analytics get smart. The cloud-based subscription service tells customers how their Wi-Fi stacks up and exactly how to improve.Continue Reading

• Get started with natural language processing APIs in cloud

  As the cloud makes AI technology increasingly accessible to enterprises, more developers look to incorporate natural language processing into their apps.Continue Reading

• Pop quiz: Can you identify these top IT trends of 2019?

  From serverless and AIOps to a widening tech skills gap, numerous IT trends bring momentum into 2019. See how ready you are for new opportunities and hurdles in IT with this quiz.Continue Reading

• Network management and monitoring top of mind for IT teams

  Network management and monitoring will take center stage in 2019, as IT professionals feel the pressure to monitor network devices, traffic and performance.Continue Reading

• Private cloud platforms step out of the shadows

  Enterprises often confront a choice: public or private cloud. Public cloud may be the easy option, but it isn't the right one for everyone.Continue Reading

• Intent-based networking vs. SDN: How do they differ?

  When it comes to the primary differentiators between intent-based networking and SDN, abstraction and administrator commands are at the top of the list.Continue Reading

• The fundamentals of Micronaut and microservices development

  The Micronaut framework offers developers an efficient way to build distributed applications, particularly thanks to quick startup capabilities, a multipurpose CLI and more.Continue Reading

• 4 development tools that bridge the architect-developer gap

  There can be a frustrating divide between the role of software developer and architect in any organization. There are ways to bridge that chasm, and one of these four tools just might help.Continue Reading

• What to look for in application load testing tools

  Load testing tools help ensure an app is ready for prime time. But, with so many tools on the market, buyers must closely examine the products' features and their own environments.Continue Reading

• Follow these steps for an Oracle-to-AWS migration

  AWS represents the first viable alternative to Oracle for many organizations. Review your options, and follow these steps for a successful database move to the cloud.Continue Reading

• 5G, cloud embolden network outsourcing and ultimate virtualization

  Could the cloud, 5G, small cell technology, BYOD and carrier-provisioned networks completely virtualize network infrastructure? Well, maybe not today.Continue Reading

• Ansible vs. Puppet: Declarative DevOps tools square off

  Vendors in the declarative DevOps space cater to the increasing emphasis on software quality in the release cycle. See how Puppet and Ansible stack up in this face-off.Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud vs. multi-cloud storage: Choose wisely

  Stuck deciding between hybrid and multi-cloud? When it comes to cloud storage, it's important to choose the right approach for the task at hand, which will vary by business.Continue Reading

• 6 steps to how blockchain storage works

  See how blockchain technology has the potential to provide a secure and reliable enterprise data storage environment with our step-by-step guide to blockchain data storage.Continue Reading

• Cloud disaster recovery services evolve, but gaps remain

  A severe outage can cripple a business, which is why a disaster recovery plan is critical. While today's DRaaS offerings make it easier to recover, there's still room for growth.Continue Reading

• Consider these 5 factors of DCI technology

  This feature showcases five pieces of advice that detail what you need to know about data center interconnect, its pros and cons, and its relationship with other networking areas.Continue Reading

• Kata Containers, gVisor offer more secure container strategies

  Kata Containers and Google gVisor present different approaches to using VMs for container security. Evaluate their advantages to get insight into the future of container security.Continue Reading

• Implement cloud failover, replication for workload protection

  Businesses increasingly use public cloud services as workload protection targets. But cloud failover and replication are hardly hands-off processes for IT teams.Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud trends offer lessons for potential adopters

  Hybrid cloud use cases are growing more compelling as the need for workload flexibility increases. Potential adopters should plan ahead with these deployment and migration lessons.Continue Reading

• How AWS, Azure and Google approach service mesh technology

  While AWS, Azure and Google all offer service mesh technologies to streamline microservices management, they also have distinct differences users should understand.Continue Reading

• What's the difference between multi-cloud vs. hybrid cloud strategies?

  When comparing multi-cloud vs. hybrid cloud deployments, you'll want to pay particular attention to the management concepts and tools for each cloud strategy.Continue Reading

• GitOps, event handling will shape DevOps evolution

  DevOps is all about swift application deployment, and faster methods can arrive over time. Tom Nolle explains two concepts that will spark DevOps' continued evolution.Continue Reading

• AIOps tools supplement -- not supplant -- DevOps pipelines

  While the line between DevOps and AIOps often seems blurred, the two disciplines aren't synonymous. Instead, they present some key differences in terms of required skill sets and tools.Continue Reading

• 5 open source cloud monitoring tools to evaluate in 2019

  Open source monitoring tools can offer a number of advantages over cloud providers' native options. Review these five to find out which tool is best for your cloud strategy.Continue Reading

• RDS on VMware extends AWS' hybrid strategy

  RDS on premises expands the AWS and VMware relationship, but adoption will depend on the breadth of capabilities for the managed database service.Continue Reading

• Get into the nitty-gritty of SD-WAN technology

  Discover SD-WAN outside of the fundamentals. Learn how it plays with management tools, get steps on how to transition from MPLS and read best practices for SD-WAN issues.Continue Reading

• SD-WAN features lacking, but offer differentiation opportunity

  Most available SD-WAN products focus on a few main features, which risks making SD-WAN a commodity offering. But vendors are starting to combat that with feature differentiation.Continue Reading

• How to keep developers and testers happy -- and productive

  The stresses of software development can strain testers and developers' comradery. Foster a collaborative and communicative environment to keep the whole team productive.Continue Reading

• Buy server hardware with these key functions in mind

  Find the right server hardware for your data center by evaluating what leading vendors offer in terms of processors, memory, storage, connectivity, hot swapping and security features.Continue Reading

• Explore the new year's emerging IT trends

  Small data centers, intelligent IT management tools -- digital diversity? Catch up on the 10 trends driving IT operations forward in 2019, and how they'll shape your organization.Continue Reading