Evaluate

Evaluate

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

• Self-service automation gives WLA maximum power

  Users don't want to wait for an admin to run a report. Admins don't want to drop their work to do it. Set parameters on self-service options and let workers help themselves. Continue Reading

• Amazon Virtual Private Cloud 101: Features, pricing and more

  Evaluate the key features of Amazon Virtual Private Cloud, learn about its advantages and disadvantages, and consider pricing and best practices before implementing the platform. Continue Reading

• When is serverless technology best for app modernization?

  Serverless has emerged as a viable option for app modernization, but it's not always a perfect fit. Rich Sharples, Red Hat senior director, explains the considerations to take. Continue Reading

• Block, file and object storage interfaces enable integration

  Explore the capabilities, as well as the strengths and weaknesses, of some storage vendors' products that support and integrate block, file and object interfaces. Continue Reading

• Certain solid-state storage characteristics benefit HCI most

  Depending on the workload demands, there are features of solid-state storage that can greatly enhance the performance of your hyper-converged infrastructure system. Continue Reading

• Assess five ways to deploy AWS containers to production

  Enterprises can choose from a range of AWS container deployment options. To make the right choice, they should first consider how much control they want over the infrastructure.Continue Reading

• Managing storage for IoT data at the enterprise edge

  Edge computing, the cloud and internet of things data are changing the way businesses store, analyze and manage all the information generated at the perimeter of the enterprise.Continue Reading

• Find a way forward in the cloud vs. virtualization debate

  IT admins weighing the options available for cloud and virtualization services against use cases and economics must navigate a complex market with an uncertain future.Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of serverless architecture

  The serverless trend may hold advantages for developers, but consider the trade-offs. There are many aspects of serverless computing that developers should understand.Continue Reading

• Azure IaaS vs. PaaS: Find the right service to reduce costs

  Ready to migrate on-premises workloads to the cloud? Administrators should question their assumptions before diving in with Azure IaaS and consider the benefits of PaaS.Continue Reading

• Does SSD overprovisioning have storage benefits?

  While overprovisioned SSDs have less usable capacity available, that space is put to good use. The majority of SSD manufacturers overprovision their drives, and for good reason.Continue Reading

• 10 important automated testing best practices to implement

  QA and test pros give advice on how to craft software test automation strategies that can speed app deployment. They also share their criteria for choosing automated test tools.Continue Reading

• Compare dedicated cloud connections from AWS, Azure and GCP

  Leading public cloud providers offer dedicated, albeit different, options to help enterprises securely connect to off-premises resources. Here's a breakdown of your options.Continue Reading

• Cloud-based applications pose tough integration challenges

  Even though SaaS applications are now indispensible to many enterprises, their lack of flexibility still presents a challenge around integration and management.Continue Reading

• Navigate the AWS Lambda lifecycle to give functions a tuneup

  Concurrency limits and cold starts affect the performance of Lambda functions. Gain a deeper understanding of how the service really works to cut down on unnecessary delays.Continue Reading

• Which Windows Server deployment features work best with HCI?

  There are features in Windows Server 2016 that are specific to hyper-converged infrastructure, but many of the more basic functions also can be used to customize and improve HCI.Continue Reading

• CDN providers comparison: Highlighting vendors' focus

  Get to know the top content delivery networks with the help of this CDN providers comparison infographic, breaking down vendors' network capacity, services offered and more.Continue Reading

• Decide which application monitor software is right for you

  Organizations that want to implement application monitoring tools should consider how the tool gathers and reports information, as well as the purchase and licensing costsContinue Reading

• Growing CDN services market changes to meet cloud needs

  Enterprises looking for greater network performance and scalability turn to traditional CDN services providers for nontraditional help to improve security and offer access to APIs.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged software: Eight things you need to know

  What are some commonly asked questions about the choice to build a DIY software-only HCI platform? Below are FAQs about the benefits, drawbacks and option of buying HCI software.Continue Reading

• SD-WAN technology eases network operational challenges

  Services from SD-WAN vendors provide numerous benefits to organizations worldwide that rely on communications to their branch or remote offices.Continue Reading

• How do the benefits of SDN improve network automation?

  The ability to automate networks isn't new, and while the benefits of SDN reach out to encompass aspects of automation, SDN and network automation don't mean the same thing.Continue Reading

• What's the big deal with application integration architecture?

  Learn how enterprise architecture, componentization, evolving development processes and the cloud have changed application integration architecture in today's modern enterprise.Continue Reading

• Cloud billing APIs enable greater cost transparency

  No enterprise wants to be surprised by its cloud computing bill. And, even as providers offer more visibility into users' costs through APIs and other tools, obstacles remain.Continue Reading

• Why new feature testing should be at the heart of DevOps

  Continuous testing is a good idea, but if used as a Band-Aid, it will miss things. Expert Matt Heusser explains why the focus should be on new feature testing.Continue Reading

• Windows Server upgrade plan can influence hardware decisions

  A move to a new Windows Server operating system includes an extensive planning process, which has gotten more complicated by the influx of software-defined features.Continue Reading

• Windows Server pricing muddies purchasing decision process

  As the cost of Windows Server continues to rise with each new version, enterprises must evaluate whether the price of admission for the latest enhancements is too much to bear.Continue Reading

• Modernizing legacy applications with minimal strain

  Many different challenges can occur as a result of modernizing legacy applications. Luckily, there are a multitude of options at your disposal to overcome these obstacles.Continue Reading

• Kubernetes distributions vs. the open source option

  There are always benefits to going it alone on open source software, such as Kubernetes, but with containers, there's equal benefit to hitching the cart to a vendor distribution.Continue Reading

• Test your hyper-converged infrastructure use cases knowledge

  Our quiz is all about how different workloads and applications require choosing different hardware and software options in a hyper-converged infrastructure platform.Continue Reading

• Inline deduplication fits well with hyper-converged IT

  Of the two main types of deduplication, most HCI vendors choose inline over post-process because of the performance benefits and lower levels of total storage required.Continue Reading

• How do I choose between open source and commercial SDN?

  Commercial SDN offers vendor-backed support, while open source platforms can be upgraded more quickly. Whether an enterprise chooses one over the other depends on its preferences.Continue Reading

• Know what to look for in a cloud management platform

  Like so many decisions in IT, choosing a cloud management tool takes time. Be sure to outline your key goals for resource deployment, cost monitoring and more.Continue Reading

• What do you know about continuous software development?

  What's the difference between continuous development and deployment? Take the quiz to see if you can distinguish among all the continuous software processes.Continue Reading

• The AFA market faces unprecedented and rapid commoditization

  Prices of all-flash arrays have nosedived. Massive discounts due to fierce competition are contributing to rapid and unprecedented commoditization of all-flash arrays and changes in the AFA market. Meantime, the demand for AFAs is shrinking because ...Continue Reading

• IT spending priorities for 2018 include cloud and flash storage

  More than half of respondents to our survey have larger IT budgets this year, and their storage spending is focused on ways to manage massive data growth.Continue Reading

• Navigating the network ADC buying process

  Learn how to assess your organization's needs for an ADC device and to evaluate the different application delivery controllers in the market to find the right fit.Continue Reading

• IoT initiatives and other emerging workloads force data center change

  Internet of things projects and other new technology, such as analytics and machine learning, are tied to software-defined storage and public cloud use, changing the face of IT.Continue Reading

• Cohesity's hyper-converged secondary storage takes on data growth

  An out-of-the-box secondary storage strategy to deal with the coming deluge of file and object data promises to overcome scalability, management and capacity limits of NAS.Continue Reading

• Many enterprises aren't prepared for a cloud service outage

  Some businesses have no idea what a cloud outage will cost them and who takes responsibility for restoring data and workloads, the customer or the cloud service provider.Continue Reading

• Three trends causing the rapid commoditization of AFA storage

  Advancing technology and changing market forces have shifted the dynamics in the all-flash array market, opening it up to new challengers and benefiting customers.Continue Reading

• NVMe technology is but a first step toward bigger things

  NVMe is an inevitable move forward for flash technology that begins the transition to storage-class memory and will lead to even more significant storage advances.Continue Reading

• Assess and select the right application monitoring tools

  Select the most effective APM platform for your application environment by examining what leading vendors offer for monitoring, reporting and analysis features.Continue Reading

• Software-based networking: The engine for a dynamic network

  Vendors are responding to demand for more interoperable networking products, which lets software-based tools enhance networking flexibility and responsiveness.Continue Reading

• The role of SDN in 5G technology and the WAN: Can it scale?

  Network operators have a narrow window to figure out if SDN in 5G technology can scale well enough to move it beyond the data center and into the WAN.Continue Reading

• Composable architecture keeps hardware flexibility

  With composable systems, an IT admin can get more choice from the devices on the back end and more choice on the devices it delivers the virtualized resources to.Continue Reading

• AFA storage tackles big data analytics challenges

  The latest generation of all-flash array storage is delivering the high performance and low latency required to support petabyte-scale big data analytics workloads.Continue Reading

• Use Windows Server deployment for feature-filled HCI

  Windows Server 2016 not only supports a hyper-converged infrastructure implementation, but brings with it a rich set of features for both performance and security.Continue Reading

• The best multi-cloud strategy is to just ignore the hype

  Vague vendor and analyst definitions for multi-cloud only confuse business leaders and put IT professionals in a precarious position.Continue Reading

• Compare virtual private cloud server providers

  Cost is an important factor to consider when evaluating different VPC providers, but the kind of hardware and data lines the providers offer plays a role, too.Continue Reading

• DevOps and security can coexist with a little planning

  If you want to bring the complicated-sounding DevSecOps into your organization, start with these three easy steps from Akamai's Ari Weil. Start where you are and ask a lot of questions.Continue Reading

• Cloud-native low-code platforms rival third-party options

  To choose between native and third-party low-code tools, application development teams need to weigh the benefits of consolidation against the risk of lock-in.Continue Reading

• How can I prevent a DDoS attack program?

  DDoS programs overwhelm networks with a torrent of requests. How can you prevent a DDoS attack, and what are the steps you can take to keep your networking environment secure?Continue Reading

• How open source Ceph compares to Linux Ceph products

  Ceph software-defined storage is available for free, thanks to its open source nature. However, in some situations, a commercial Linux Ceph product could be the way to go.Continue Reading

• Top application delivery controllers offer range of options

  The leading vendors in the application delivery controller market offer a broad range of physical and virtual appliances, with varying throughput levels and diverse function sets. Which product is right for you?Continue Reading

• Virtual private cloud vs. private cloud differences explained

  Virtual private clouds and private clouds differ in terms of architecture, the provider and tenants, and resource delivery. Decide between the two models based on these distinctions.Continue Reading

• Why take the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam?

  Even if you're not an IT pro, you can ace the AWS certification exam. Break down the communication walls between nontechnical staff and cloud experts by obtaining this AWS certification.Continue Reading

• New CDN services give providers an edge in WAN marketplace

  With enterprises moving workloads to public cloud, the CDN services market could see growth in security and performance services, as providers exploit their network-edge locations.Continue Reading

• Users demand more from containers in cloud

  Technology is always advancing, but it needs to march in the direction that users want. Containers are maturing, but plenty of IT pros still want more from the technology.Continue Reading

• IaaS and PaaS blurred lines increase lock-in risks

  There are three distinct cloud service categories: IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. However, IaaS and PaaS are getting a little too close, and you need to be aware of vendor lock-in risks.Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud advantages and disadvantages explained

  Hybrid cloud is touted as providing the best of both private and public clouds, but this type of infrastructure comes with its own pros and cons, such as flexibility and complexity.Continue Reading

• Who put the AI in software?

  With artificial intelligence, anything seems possible. And that leaves a whole lot of room for the imagination to wonder about how the use of AI in software tools can change how the work gets done -- and who does it.

  The anxiety is ...Continue Reading

• Serverless technology obfuscates workflows, performance data

  Serverless and microservices reshape the application stack into something that looks like a swath of stars in the sky. How do you find a slow, misconfigured component in this interconnected galaxy?Continue Reading

• SD-WAN benefits the changing network connectivity landscape

  In the latest networking advance, SD-WAN benefits the evolving network connectivity landscape by allowing customers to use less expensive internet links and keep MPLS for important traffic.Continue Reading

• Guide to buying server performance monitor software

  Integration, storage and vendor support all affect whether a performance monitoring tool is right for an organization. Mull over these ten factors to choose the right one.Continue Reading

• Single pane of glass for multi-cloud management still elusive

  Unified management for multi-cloud remains a work in progress. Vendors have yet to produce the perfect single-pane-of-glass tool -- and some IT teams can't afford to wait for one.Continue Reading

• DevOps is key to low-code BPM, digital process automation

  Low-code BPM and emerging digital process automation tools empower business-side app development. But without BPM developers and DevOps management, automation can lead to chaos.Continue Reading

• AI in software testing has arrived. Here's why robots rule.

  AI promises to make software testing faster and much more accurate. New tools are available, but it will take time for artificial intelligence to become ubiquitous in testing.Continue Reading

• Network-as-a-service market blossoms as demands grow

  The network-as-a-service market is attracting more attention, as enterprises look for ways to outsource some of their infrastructure needs to providers.Continue Reading

• Amazon FreeRTOS aims to simplify, secure IoT deployment

  Operational technology teams have been slow to update microcontroller software due to safety and logistics concerns, but Amazon FreeRTOS aims to ease that process for AWS users.Continue Reading

• Cisco advances Network Assurance Engine, network verification tech

  The Cisco Network Assurance Engine, a network verification tool, will add support for more third-party devices and platforms. Cisco's Sundar Iyer shares plans.Continue Reading

• An up-close and in-depth look at APM software vendors

  Read this in-depth roundup on some of the top APM tools in today's market and what they can provide for root cause analysis, infrastructure monitoring and AI.Continue Reading

• Take the converged vs. hyper-converged infrastructure quiz

  Before you start the decision-making process over which IT approach you should take, quiz yourself on your hyper-converged and converged platform knowledge.Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud providers offer different architecture types

  Hybrid cloud means different things to different vendors; some set aside part of the public cloud for private cloud purposes and others simply support an on-premises private cloud.Continue Reading

• Four situations where a multi-cloud strategy makes sense

  Many businesses can benefit from using multiple cloud services, especially if they need to ensure reliability, protect privacy, remain flexible and optimize the cloud experience.Continue Reading

• Three solid-state storage advantages that boost HCI performance

  There are many advantages to including solid-state storage in your hyper-converged infrastructure plans, such as better performance and lower power costs.Continue Reading

• Support for Node.js in AWS Lambda slowly, but surely, evolves

  Developers who need the latest version of Node.js for a serverless platform might turn to Lambda rivals to meet that need. But AWS' slow pace of support has quickened -- somewhat.Continue Reading

• Gordon: Trends driving network access control systems

  Pulse Secure executive Scott Gordon cites industry trends driving the vendor's new product launch and how endpoint security is driving shifts in network access control systems.Continue Reading

• Edge computing, cloud data centers drive decentralized IT

  This week, bloggers explore the growth of decentralized IT, thanks to edge computing; Infoblox DNS security updates; and how machine learning is becoming a feature, rather than a product.Continue Reading

• AWS' managed Kubernetes service faces tough competition in GKE

  Amazon's native integration of Kubernetes puts all the major cloud providers on the same playing field, but it's not an even match.Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged IT options should match your workload needs

  Moving to a hyper-converged infrastructure requires a great deal of study and planning. That starts with knowing what workloads you plan to run on the HCI system.Continue Reading

• Business needs define your hyper-convergence technology choices

  Base your HCI products of choice around the workloads you run, the architecture they run on and any present or future cloud plans you have for them.Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud deployment demands a change in security mindset

  To fully protect data in a hybrid cloud model, enterprises need to scrutinize integration points, network access controls and the policies they have in place.Continue Reading

• Despite WLAN speed growth, do we really need mGig?

  Networking vendors introduced mGig to support 802.11ac Wave 2 devices within enterprise networks. But do you really need to upgrade to accommodate the new WLAN speed?Continue Reading

• How software-defined networking layers work with HCI

  The network function of a hyper-converged infrastructure has been the most difficult to virtualize, but adopting an SDN approach can make it easier for your organization.Continue Reading

• Which app is apt: native app vs. hybrid app?

  Developers have to know what type of application best fits them. Learn about native applications and hybrid applications to decide what works for your enterprise.Continue Reading

• Brace your IT operations team for a cloud migration

  A cloud migration isn't as easy as some providers suggest. Use these five tips to prep your IT ops teams for the big management and support changes that lie ahead.Continue Reading

• Select the best container monitoring tools for your environment

  Organizations that run containers should monitor them, too. Choose container monitoring that integrates into other systems monitoring tools, or take a different route.Continue Reading

• DevOps, cross-platform, test are top mobile developer skills

  Learn about four mobile app dev skills and experience enterprises value: Agile, DevOps, cross-platform and test-driven development, and newer, native languages Swift and Kotlin.Continue Reading

• Leading hybrid storage arrays offer flexibility, scalability

  By examining how leading hybrid storage systems address scalability, system management and company size, your organization can select the array that will best meet its needs.Continue Reading

• Early adopters face AWS Lambda cost management challenges

  Serverless computing abstracts away infrastructure management responsibilities, but some customers find that this convenience comes with a price that's not easy to estimate or manage.Continue Reading

• Azure Machine Learning services ease data science struggles

  With Azure machine learning services, such as Workbench, Experimentation and Model Management, Microsoft hopes to address common data science challenges in the enterprise.Continue Reading

• Protect your serverless app with this mix of AWS tools

  As they move to serverless platforms, such as Lambda, development and operations teams need to acquire a new mindset -- and set of tools -- to keep their workloads safe.Continue Reading

• Seven ways to unlock the power of all types of unstructured data

  New storage services have emerged to help IT pros maintain and deliver access to ever-larger and more valuable data sets, particularly all types of unstructured data. These include data sets for big data analysis, DevOps, storage self-service and ...Continue Reading

• How to get the full benefits from NVMe flash storage

  Consolidate and increase the density of your organization's workloads in a flash storage system to take full advantage of NVMe's parallelism and reduced latency.Continue Reading

• Networking elements of a digital transformation framework

  Establishing a digital transformation framework includes adopting advanced technologies. Networking pros play a crucial role in managing this new wave of innovation.Continue Reading

• Enterprise network management in the wake of vendor consolidation

  Consolidation is a driving force among networking vendors, but network professionals have to actively consider how those changes affect enterprise network management.Continue Reading

• Latest data storage technology takes application-centric approach

  These data storage strategies support the use cases customers want without breaking the bank or forcing them to buy technology they don't really need.Continue Reading

• SAN purchase and deployment criteria by the numbers

  Capacity and application needs drive businesses to deploy new storage area network systems, while criteria such as number of LUNs and multipathing are key to purchasing decisions.Continue Reading

• Wireless networking technology helps craft IT modernization

  A long-term care business looks to wireless network technology and Active Directory to kick off its IT modernization plan and business growth.Continue Reading