Get started

Get started

Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content.

• What is cloud networking?

  Cloud networking is a type of IT infrastructure in which the cloud hosts some or all of an organization's networking resources. Continue Reading

• How to create an EC2 instance using PowerShell

  PowerShell has practical integrations that provide users with cross-platform capabilities. Get to know prerequisites and resources to create an EC2 instance using PowerShell. Continue Reading

• Basic network management interview questions and answers

  Job interviews should be a two-way conversation. Hiring managers and job applicants should review common network management interview questions before an interview. Continue Reading

• A guide to network lifecycle management

  Network pros should use a network lifecycle management process to monitor, manage and implement changes in their network, regardless of if they use PPIDOO or another framework. Continue Reading

• What is Agile software development?

  Agile is a type of software development methodology that anticipates the need for flexibility and applies a level of pragmatism to the delivery of the finished product. Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • What is an API (application programming interface)?
  • What is a SAN? Ultimate storage area network guide
  • What is a data retention policy?
  • What is multi-access edge computing? Benefits and use cases

  • What is 5G?
  • What is 6G? Overview of 6G networks & technology
  • phase-locked loop (PLL)
  • What is millimeter wave (mmWave)?

  View All Definitions

• What is change failure rate (CFR)?

  Change failure rate is a software development performance metric that measures the percentage of software deliveries that required remediation after release to production.Continue Reading

• CI/CD pipeline security: Know the risks and best practices

  Rapid release cycles need not compromise the security of an application and supporting infrastructure. Follow these guidelines to ensure security throughout the CI/CD pipeline.Continue Reading

• What is happy path testing?

  Happy path testing is a type of software testing that uses known input and produces an expected output.Continue Reading

• What is a functional specification document?

  A functional specification is a formal document used to describe a product's intended capabilities, appearance and interactions with users in detail for software developers.Continue Reading

• Understand AWS Regions vs. Availability Zones

  It's easy to forget about data centers when you run workloads in the cloud. Learn how AWS Regions and Availability Zones differ, and how they affect cloud costs and configurations.Continue Reading

• Use the AWS CLI to create an EC2 instance

  IT admins can use the AWS CLI to launch and manage EC2 instances. Follow these steps to learn how.Continue Reading

• Managed vs. unmanaged switches: What are the differences?

  Managed and unmanaged network switches differ in various ways, including control and cost. Managed switches support more granular control, while unmanaged switches are easier to set up.Continue Reading

• Cloud licensing explained: What businesses need to know

  Businesses vacating the premises and setting up their data and applications in a distributed environment must consider cloud licensing's options, advantages and disadvantages.Continue Reading

• RAID 5 vs. RAID 10

  RAID is a staple for backup and storage administrators who want to create redundancy and protect data. RAID 5 and RAID 10 offer similar benefits, but is one better than the other?Continue Reading

• What is black box testing?

  Black box testing assesses a system solely from the outside, without the operator or tester knowing what's happening within the system to generate responses to test actions.Continue Reading

• What is MVS (Multiple Virtual Storage)?

  MVS (Multiple Virtual Storage) is an OS from IBM that continues to run on many of IBM's mainframe and large servers.Continue Reading

• What AI capabilities do network tools need?

  AI networking tools have many beneficial capabilities. When evaluating AI tools, engineers should prioritize the specific capabilities their networks need for successful AI use.Continue Reading

• Rust vs. C++: Differences and use cases explained

  C++ was mature before Rust even existed. Does that mean developers should switch from C++ to Rust? Not always.Continue Reading

• How to plan a cloud strategy: Complete guide and template

  A cloud strategy document is a mission statement, not a design document. It should capture the what and why of a company's cloud strategy, without delving into the minutiae of how.Continue Reading

• What is IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)?

  Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a set of specifications from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that is responsible for identifying network devices and routing traffic across the internet.Continue Reading

• An introduction to TypeSpec, a new API definition language

  Standardizing API descriptions and converting API definitions into different formats can be challenging. TypeSpec, a new API definition language, aims to solve that.Continue Reading

• What is cloud infrastructure?

  Cloud infrastructure refers to the hardware and software components -- such as servers, storage, networking, virtualization software, services and management tools -- that support the computing requirements of a cloud computing model.Continue Reading

• What is a real-time operating system (RTOS)?

  A real-time operating system (RTOS) is an OS that guarantees real-time applications a certain capability within a specified deadline.Continue Reading

• What is cloud consulting? Everything you should know

  Cloud consulting assists organizations with the complexity of cloud computing including building, deploying, managing and securing applications and infrastructure in the cloud.Continue Reading

• What are ModelOps (model operations) analytics models?

  ModelOps (model operations) is a holistic approach to building analytics models that can quickly progress from the lab to production.Continue Reading

• The role of network sandboxing and testing

  Network sandboxing provides network teams with a risk-free environment to test changes and run potential threat scenarios. This helps prevent outages and other unexpected issues.Continue Reading

• The basics, benefits and risks of cell-based architecture

  Cell-based architecture adds a new twist to enterprise infrastructure by speeding deploys, improving uptime and maybe even reducing the test effort.Continue Reading

• What is Jenkins and how does it work?

  Jenkins is an open source continuous integration/continuous delivery and deployment (CI/CD) automation software DevOps tool written in the Java programming language.Continue Reading

• Best practices for defining a cloud monitoring strategy

  Uptime. Downtime. Security protections. There are so many things to watch out for. An effective cloud monitoring strategy requires an organization to set some clear priorities.Continue Reading

• What is wear leveling?

  Wear leveling is a process that is designed to extend the life of solid-state storage devices.Continue Reading

• What is TCP/IP?

  TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and is a suite of communication protocols used to interconnect network devices on the internet.Continue Reading

• What is ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol)?

  ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is a network layer error-reporting protocol that's used to communicate data transmission problems.Continue Reading

• Network automation vs. orchestration: What's the difference?

  Automation and orchestration take different approaches to achieve network efficiency. However, network engineers can use them together to create an efficient, centralized network.Continue Reading

• What is infrastructure (IT infrastructure)?

  Infrastructure is the foundation or framework that supports a system or organization.Continue Reading

• Recursive vs. iterative DNS queries: What's the difference?

  Name resolution translates human-readable hostnames to IP addresses for device configuration. DNS uses recursive or iterative methods to translate names into IP addresses.Continue Reading

• Learn to use PowerShell Invoke-RestMethod for API calls

  Admins who work with the cloud, from Azure hybrid services to Microsoft 365, should understand how REST APIs work in conjunction with PowerShell for their automation needs.Continue Reading

• What is finite element analysis (FEA)?

  Finite element analysis (FEA) is the process of simulating the behavior of an object or assemblage of objects when it's exposed to specified physical conditions, which can be stable or varying.Continue Reading

• An intro to CAMM memory and how it compares with DIMMs

  Compression attached memory modules, or CAMMs, are making news as a potential replacement for DRAM DIMMs. How big of a future do they have?Continue Reading

• What is systems development life cycle?

  The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project -- from an initial feasibility study all the way through maintenance of the ...Continue Reading

• What is cloud economics?

  Cloud economics analyzes the total cost of ownership, benefits of cloud services and the overall computing costs in an enterprise environment, focusing on the economic principles driving these factors.Continue Reading

• What is dependency injection in object-oriented programming (OOP)?

  Dependency injection is a technique used in object-oriented programming (OOP) to reduce the hardcoded dependencies between objects.Continue Reading

• What is a PERT chart? And how to use it, with examples

  A PERT chart, sometimes called a PERT diagram, is a project management tool used to schedule, organize and coordinate tasks in a project.Continue Reading

• What is a data center administrator (DCA)?

  A data center administrator (DCA) is an experienced IT professional who is responsible for overseeing data center operations.Continue Reading

• Calculate UPS battery backup time to prepare for power failure

  Extreme heat and inadequate cooling systems can lead to power failures in data centers. Calculate the duration of your UPS battery supply to prepare for backup power needs.Continue Reading

• What is ITIL? A guide to the IT Infrastructure Library

  ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a framework designed to standardize the selection, planning, delivery, maintenance and overall lifecycle of IT services within a business.Continue Reading

• What is continuous modeling (data center continuous modeling)?

  Continuous modeling is an approach to data center management that supplements infrastructure management (DCIM) tools with engineering simulation tools.Continue Reading

• Dependency injection and inversion of control in Spring

  At the heart of every Spring project, be it Spring AI, Spring MVC or Spring Data, lies a powerful dependency injection and inversion of control container. Here's how it works.Continue Reading

• What is JCL (job control language)?

  JCL (job control language) is a language for describing jobs to the Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS), OS/390 and Virtual Storage Extended (VSE) operating systems (OSes), which run on IBM's S/390 mainframe computers.Continue Reading

• What is National Electrical Code (NEC)?

  National Electrical Code (NEC) is a set of regularly updated standards for the safe installation of electric wiring in the Americas.Continue Reading

• Getting started with Argo CD on Kubernetes

  Argo CD can make managing Kubernetes clusters simpler and more efficient. Learn how to install Argo CD and set up an application to get started.Continue Reading

• What is a software stack?

  A software stack is a collection of independent components that work together to support the execution of an application.Continue Reading

• HTTP vs. HTTPS: What's the difference?

  HTTP and HTTPS are web communication protocols. HTTP lacks security, while HTTPS encrypts data to adhere to the security standards of confidentiality, integrity and authenticity.Continue Reading

• How to implement CI/CD in network automation

  CI/CD processes help deploy code changes to networks. Integrating a CI/CD pipeline into automation makes networks more reliable, reducing configuration errors and downtime.Continue Reading

• What is cloud repatriation and what are the leading causes?

  Cloud repatriation refers to the practice of relocating public cloud applications to different locations, most often on premises and for financial, performance and regulatory reasons.Continue Reading

• What is asynchronous?

  In general, asynchronous -- from Greek asyn- ('not with/together') and chronos ('time') -- describes objects or events not coordinated in time.Continue Reading

• What is a sprint (software development)?

  In Agile product development and software project management, a sprint is a set period of time during which specific work has to be completed and made ready for review.Continue Reading

• What is AWS? Ultimate guide to Amazon Web Services

  AWS (Amazon Web Services) is a comprehensive, evolving cloud computing platform provided by Amazon. It includes a mixture of infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-a-service and packaged software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings.Continue Reading

• What is shared responsibility model?

  A shared responsibility model is a cloud security framework that dictates the security obligations of a cloud computing provider and its users to ensure accountability.Continue Reading

• A beginner's guide to cloud-native application development

  Cloud-native applications have become ubiquitous in IT environments. Review key principles, patterns and developmental factors to keep in mind before creating a cloud-native app.Continue Reading

• What is a cloud architect and how do you become one?

  A cloud architect is an IT professional who is responsible for overseeing a company's cloud computing strategy.Continue Reading

• What is a cloud engineer? Key skills and how to become one

  A cloud engineer is an IT professional responsible for any technological duties associated with cloud computing, including design, planning, management, maintenance and support.Continue Reading

• What is cloud application performance management (cloud APM)?

  Cloud application performance management (cloud APM) is the process of monitoring resources that support software application performance in public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud environments. It takes actions to resolve issues and maintain ...Continue Reading

• Backup strategy for small businesses 101

  Small businesses must review data protection needs and choose a backup strategy accordingly. This ensures that they meet requirements without going over budget.Continue Reading

• What is AWS Outposts?

  AWS Outposts is a fully managed service from Amazon Web Services (AWS) that enables users to set up a hybrid cloud by extending AWS infrastructure, services, application programming interfaces (APIs) and tools to any datacenter, colocation space or ...Continue Reading

• What is NetApp?

  NetApp, formerly Network Appliance, Inc., is a multinational corporation in the computer technologies industry specializing in data storage hardware, software and cloud services.Continue Reading

• Best practices for Cisco pyATS test scripts

  Test scripts are the heart of any job in pyATS. Best practices for test scripts include proper structure, API integration and the use of Python libraries to enhance testing.Continue Reading

• QAOps vs. DevOps: Important differences

  QAOps represents an extension of DevOps that can help enterprises mature their software QA practices. Learn how QAOps can help DevOps-driven organizations zero in on quality.Continue Reading

• What is cloud elasticity?

  Cloud elasticity is the ability, in real time, to increase or decrease cloud computing resources, such as central processing unit (CPU) power, memory and storage capacity, as well as input and output bandwidth, to meet unexpected changes in online ...Continue Reading

• Prepare for the CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-004 certification exam

  Don't be caught unprepared for the exam. Take advantage of these study tips from the author of 'The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Certification Self-Paced Study Guide.'Continue Reading

• An overview of storage firmware and the importance of updates

  While challenges exist, IT teams that fail to update their storage firmware in a timely manner could put their data and organizations at significant risk.Continue Reading

• How to subnet in cloud network environments

  Cloud and on-premises subnets use IP ranges, subnet masks or prefixes, and security policies. But cloud subnets are simpler to set up, while on-prem configuration is still manual.Continue Reading

• Decipher the true meaning of cloud native

  The term 'cloud native' is a popular buzzword among IT pros, but what does it mean? Discover the meaning of cloud native, and learn why this concept is so difficult to define.Continue Reading

• Building an infrastructure-as-code pipeline in the cloud

  There are key stages to manage infrastructure as code, from source control to deployment. Here's how these functions can be accomplished through cloud services.Continue Reading

• Difference between the Spring Framework and Spring Boot

  You can use the Spring Framework to build microservices without using Spring Boot, but should you? To answer that, you must know the difference between Spring and Spring Boot.Continue Reading

• What's new in the updated CompTIA Cloud+ certification exam

  Wondering what to study to prepare for the CompTIA Cloud+ exam? Read about the new exam content from the author of 'The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Certification Self-Paced Study Guide.'Continue Reading

• How to create Azure Blob Storage accounts

  Follow these steps and best practices for how to create Azure Blob Storage. Keep security in mind as you move through the important, detailed process.Continue Reading

• Get to know the archive bit and its role in data backup

  Good data management is key to protecting critical files. A tool like the archive bit can help ensure backup administrators know what data needs to be backed up at a glance.Continue Reading

• What is a URL (Uniform Resource Locator)?

  A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a unique identifier used to locate a resource on the internet.Continue Reading

• What is AWS Serverless Application Model?

  AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM) is an open source framework that helps developers create and deploy serverless applications for the AWS cloud.Continue Reading

• How to create subnets in IPv4 and IPv6 networks

  Network administrators subnet networks into segments for improved control and efficiency. IPv4 uses subnet masks, while IPv6 uses prefixes, and each has its own unique steps.Continue Reading

• What is an AWS landing zone?

  An AWS landing zone is a scalable, secure Amazon Web Services environment that enables AWS users and organizations to launch and deploy workloads and applications in the AWS cloud.Continue Reading

• Different types of cloud load balancing and algorithms

  Learn how load balancing in the cloud differs from a traditional network traffic distribution, and explore services from AWS, Google and Microsoft.Continue Reading

• What is AWS Lambda?

  AWS Lambda is an event-driven cloud computing service from Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allows developers to run code without having to provision, administer, or manage compute resources.Continue Reading

• What is continuous data protection (CDP)?

  Continuous data protection (CDP), also known as 'continuous backup,' is a backup and recovery storage system in which all the data in an enterprise is backed up whenever any change is made.Continue Reading

• Speed vs. quality in software testing: Can you have both?

  Testing can slow development and quick releases can come at the price of quality. Teams should not have to choose. Learn to efficiently pursue quality in development and testing.Continue Reading

• What is AWS Glue?

  AWS Glue is a cloud-based and serverless data integration service that helps users to prepare data for analysis through automated extract, transform and load (ETL) processes.Continue Reading

• What is AWS Migration Hub?

  AWS Migration Hub is a service from Amazon Web Services that enables AWS users to simplify migration to the AWS public cloud.Continue Reading

• What is cloud scalability?

  Scalability in cloud computing refers to the ability of a cloud environment to adapt to increasing workloads over time without a noticeable change in performance or reliability.Continue Reading

• What is cloud automation?

  Cloud automation is a broad term that refers to processes and tools that reduce or eliminate manual efforts used to provision and manage cloud computing workloads and services.Continue Reading

• What is LXD (Linux container hypervisor)?

  LXD, pronounced 'lex-dee,' is a unified platform for managing system containers and virtual machines (VMs).Continue Reading

• User mode vs. kernel mode: OSes explained

  Kernel mode exists to keep user applications from disrupting critical system functions. Learn how each state works and what can happen when an error occurs in kernel mode.Continue Reading

• What is FTP?

  File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a network protocol for transmitting files between computers over TCP/IP connections.Continue Reading

• What is Microsoft Azure File Service?

  Microsoft Azure Files -- sometimes known as Microsoft Azure File Service -- is a simple, secure, serverless, fully managed and cloud-based file sharing service for enterprise users.Continue Reading

• What is a VPN (Virtual Private Network)? Definition, Benefits & How It Works

  A virtual private network (VPN) is a service that creates a safe, encrypted online connection.Continue Reading

• What is a build server?

  A build server, also called a continuous integration server (CI server), is a centralized, stable and reliable environment for building distributed development projects.Continue Reading

• What is parallel processing?

  Parallel processing is a method in computing of running two or more processors, or CPUs, to handle separate parts of an overall task.Continue Reading

• What is the software development lifecycle (SDLC)?

  The software development lifecycle (SDLC) is a project management framework that describes the stages and tasks involved in each step of software development.Continue Reading

• What is software resilience testing?

  Software resilience testing is a method of software testing that focuses on ensuring that applications perform well in real-life or chaotic conditions.Continue Reading

• What is shift-right testing?

  Shift-right testing is a method of continuously testing software while it is in a post-production environment.Continue Reading

• What is static application security testing (SAST)?

  Static application security testing (SAST) is the process of analyzing and testing application source code for security vulnerabilities.Continue Reading