Problem solve

Problem solve

Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.

• Is Amazon CloudSearch superior to do-it-yourself search tools?

  Big data can be incredibly valuable for enterprise business intelligence. But to extract that value, you must choose the most appropriate search tool. Continue Reading

• How DRAM or NVRAM cache can reduce flash SSD write amplification

  DRAM/NVRAM caching provides SSD systems with better performance while reducing flash SSD write amplification. Continue Reading

• Set up an ADFS server to manage Office 365 identities

  As long as you know how to set it up and install it, ADFS can be a good identity management option for Office 365. Continue Reading

• Basic Linux commands for new Linux server administrators

  To manage Linux servers, administrators need a set of basic commands to view and start processes, as well as utilities that make life a little easier. Continue Reading

• How to create a successful data archiving strategy

  A good archiving process provides the automation needed to deliver the necessary application granularity while minimizing the impact to IT operations. Continue Reading

• RISC vs. CISC explained for data center systems

  The role of RISC processors in data center equipment is hotly debated, but new RISC designs are proving that it isn't just a CISC game.Continue Reading

• Using the RESTful API as an onramp to object storage

  RESTful APIs are essential in moving data on and off of object storage systems. Expert Marc Staimer describes the three options currently available.Continue Reading

• Creating a quorum disk and fencing for Linux high availability nodes

  The quorum disk and fencing on a Linux high availability cluster let its nodes know when they are operational and shut them off if they are not.Continue Reading

• Creating a reliable and fast SAN network design with iSCSI

  There are three tenets of designing an iSCSI network correctly. Proper iSCSI deployment yields affordable and reliable network access for the SAN.Continue Reading

• Data archiving technology to keep on the radar

  Archival storage options are expanding, getting more resilient and less costly. Find out which technologies are making an impression.Continue Reading

• Five questions to ask when choosing a data archiving technology

  Many factors need to be considered when determining what the right archiving platform is for you. Jon Toigo highlights the most important in this tip.Continue Reading

• TCP offload's promises and limitations for enterprise networks

  TCP offload products free up limited CPU resources in network-intensive data centers. But TCP offload is no panacea and can introduce more problems.Continue Reading

• How a shared virtual disk can benefit a Windows Server data center

  With the introduction of Windows Server 2012 R2, shared virtual disks have capabilities to improve failover clusters in a few ways.Continue Reading

• A closer look at virtual hard disks in Windows Server 2012 R2

  The VHDX format includes performance-enhancing features and capabilities that let virtual servers recover VMs with little to no data loss.Continue Reading

• Major changes in data center fire suppression standards NFPA 75 and 76

  Fire standard changes can add a lot of work and expense to a data center operator's job, but the updates to NFPA 75 and 76 address real safety risks.Continue Reading

• What to do when a mainframe IPL stalls out without error messages

  When initial program load stalls out on a mainframe logical partition, the culprit is often consoles. Connectivity is one of many potential causes.Continue Reading

• No faults here: Advanced techniques to attain more reliable servers

  A new generation of reliability features can keep busy servers running in the face of serious fault conditions.Continue Reading

• Running PowerShell scripts can ease Windows virtualization tasks

  Put PowerShell cmdlets to work with Windows virtualization by automating setup, maintenance and configuration tasks in your organization.Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2012 R2 makes VM migration faster, smoother

  The Windows Server 2012 R2 release continues to push the trend of faster and less disruptive VM migrations in the data center.Continue Reading

• Compression eases Live Migration process in Windows Server 2012 R2

  By using Live Migration compression, smaller VM files are transferred more quickly between systems and have fewer resent or dropped packets.Continue Reading

• How Remote DMA improves Live Migration in Windows Server 2012 R2

  The RDMA feature can use high-throughput, low-latency data exchanges to improve Live Migration's performance in Windows Server 2012 R2.Continue Reading

• Five tips for selecting system management tools

  Too much granularity? Not enough? Need alerts? Maybe not. There are five considerations for systems management tools -- and cost isn't one of them.Continue Reading

• One way to rev up critical VM performance? Make a priority list

  All virtual machines are equal, but some are more equal than others. Here's how to make sure critical virtual machines get the attention they crave.Continue Reading

• Hyper-V storage best practices to optimize your virtual environment

  Microsoft expert Brien Posey walks through the best storage tips and features to make the most out of a Hyper-V environment.Continue Reading

• Comparing DIMM-connected flash vs. PCIe flash benefits

  Leah Schoeb of Evaluator Group discusses DIMM-connected flash as compared with PCIe flash benefits in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• The variety of enterprise SSD options available today

  Leah Schoeb of Evaluator Group discusses the variety of enterprise SSD options available today in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• How and when to enable hardware-based TPM security on servers

  Most servers include a Trusted Platform Module, but you only want to turn it on and manage TPM when the server handles high-value encrypted workloads.Continue Reading

• API design: How to properly build an application program interface

  Don't let your entire API project go awry. Knowing the applications well is just one way to nail the design and foster developer loyalty.Continue Reading

• How to write your IT automation wish list

  IT automation is great, unless complicated, underperforming products that hog resources, time and money overwhelm IT staff.Continue Reading

• Essential Windows Server 2012 R2 system requirements

  Before upgrading to Windows Server 2012 R2, read up on hardware requirements to ensure there are enough resources to preserve performance.Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2012 R2 Storage Spaces boosts performance

  Three new features in Windows Storage Spaces -- storage tiering, write-back caching and dual parity -- boost storage performance.Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2012 R2 Storage Spaces addresses storage growth demands

  Windows Server 2012 R2 Storage Spaces offers an alternative to traditional SAN storage and includes updates for virtualizing shared storage.Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2012 R2 Storage Spaces suits SSD deployments

  With the new storage tiering feature, Storage Spaces in Windows Server 2012 R2 works best with solid-state-drive devices.Continue Reading

• What's the best number of virtual machines for a data store?

  The best number of virtual machines on each data store depends on, among other things, the performance needs of each virtual machine.Continue Reading

• Wikibon CTO: Erasure coding can help reduce data backup costs

  Erasure coding can help reduce the data needed for backups and lower the cost of backup and recovery over the traditional approach, Wikibon CTO says.Continue Reading

• Troubleshoot Exchange Admin Center access issues in Exchange 2013

  It's common for users to have trouble accessing the Exchange Admin Center in Exchange 2013. Keep these fixes handy in case this happens to you.Continue Reading

• How to prepare a server cluster for Linux high availability

  With a Linux distribution supporting mission-critical business applications, it's time to set up Linux high-availability software.Continue Reading

• The risks of Agile software development: Overcoming feature creep

  Ellen Gottesdiener, founder of EBG Consulting offers insights on managing feature creep, the biggest pitfall of Agile software development.Continue Reading

• Guiding principles for an automated software test

  An expert in automated software testing offers guiding principles for succeeding at this most challenging of QA projects.Continue Reading

• SaaS applications integration: Strategies and best practices for success

  Looking to learn more about SaaS integration? Check out this guide for a collection of articles, podcasts and other resources.Continue Reading

• Frequently asked questions about server automation tools

  Server automation tools save time and reduce errors. But what should tools offer, and are point systems or suites the way to go? Find out in this FAQ.Continue Reading

• Physical building properties to evaluate during server room design

  Does your server room have space to grow? What's the best mechanical system for it? Start with these questions to develop a good server room design.Continue Reading

• Are there alternatives to the OpenFlow protocol?

  Jason Edelman explains OpenFlow protocol alternatives and what's important in determining which southbound protocol will work for you.Continue Reading

• A new troubleshooting and management process with GRUB2 bootloader

  Nearly everything changed from the GRUB bootloader to GRUB2. With major enterprise Linux distributions moving to GRUB2, it's time to get acquainted.Continue Reading

• Desired State Configuration helps admins avoid configuration drift

  The new feature Desired State Configuration feature in Windows Server 2012 R2 gives admins yet another reason to learn PowerShell.Continue Reading

• Programming thread-safe mainframe applications with the CICS ENQ command

  Thread safety in mainframe applications means better vertical integration. Take full advantage with the CICS ENQ command.Continue Reading

• The requisite and advanced features of performance monitoring software

  All performance monitoring tools must include certain core features, and advanced features can boost application performance and return on investment.Continue Reading

• Fact or fiction? Flash SSD storage is faster than HDD storage

  The general perception of SSD storage is that it's always faster than HDD storage. Marc Staimer examines whether that's actually true.Continue Reading

• PowerShell 4.0 further facilitates task automation for Windows admins

  Has PowerShell finally grown up? A mature PowerShell 4.0 in Windows Server 2012 R2 brings with it new parameters, simpler implementation and more.Continue Reading

• Correcting misconfigured ESXi shared storage settings

  IT shops that started small may find they need to update their ESXi shared storage settings to prevent significant issues when a host fails.Continue Reading

• Choosing among IaaS, PaaS and Database as a Service for a cloud database

  Regardless of which cloud database you choose, multiple factors must come into play, ranging from costs and availability to feature support.Continue Reading

• When to use Linux memory swap to solve server performance problems

  Adding physical memory may seem like the best way to solve a Linux server's memory shortage. But that's not the only way, so troubleshoot first.Continue Reading

• How does storage thin provisioning work with Hyper-V automatic trim?

  Learn how Windows Server 2012 R2's automatic trim feature frees up capacity from thinly provisioned virtual hard disks.Continue Reading

• Problems with using SSDs for write caching and how to avoid them

  Marc Staimer looks at using SSDs for write caching and explains why most storage SSD caching is write-through and not write-back.Continue Reading

• Virtual security tactics for Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors

  It's no surprise that Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors require different security considerations, but we asked an expert to clarify.Continue Reading

• Tailoring server BIOS settings for cool servers without wasting energy

  A few tweaks to server BIOS settings will keep fans quiet and workloads processing smoothly, allowing data centers to consume less energy.Continue Reading

• When IaaS won't cut it: Planning a transition to PaaS cloud

  Many IT pros find PaaS meets their needs more than IaaS does. How can you ensure success? Transitioning to PaaS isn't as easy as you think.Continue Reading

• Analyzing and optimizing Linux power consumption with PowerTop 2

  The PowerTOP tool tracks power consumption in Linux servers. You can tweak servers and applications to consume less power if you understand PowerTOP.Continue Reading

• Why is persistent cache important?

  Leah Schoeb, partner with Evaluator Group, discusses the importance of persistent cache in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• Use Windows Server 2012 R2's Storage QoS feature to boost performance

  Learn how the new Storage QoS feature in Windows Server 2012 R2 can boost storage performance and make the best use of capacity.Continue Reading

• Mobile development: The pros of HTML5, hybrid, native applications

  Whether to make use of a hybrid, HTML5 or a native application depends on each specific situation.Continue Reading

• How cloud providers are using NAND flash technology today

  Leah Schoeb, senior partner with Evaluator Group, discusses how cloud providers are using flash today in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• SaaS application testing: Keep performance tests in mind

  Performance testing must be a high priority for SaaS application testers. Learn why and pick up tips on how to test a SaaS system's performance.Continue Reading

• Recognizing and correcting common VM migration problems

  A careful and systematic approach can speed the recognition and correction of common VM migration problems.Continue Reading

• How Windows Server 2012 R2 will change storage management

  Microsoft MVP Brien Posey explains how new features in Windows Server 2012 R2, such as native tiering and deduplication, affect storage management.Continue Reading

• Hadoop clusters: Benefits and challenges for big data analytics

  Brien Posey explains how Hadoop clusters can be extremely beneficial to large amounts of unstructured data, but aren't ideal for all environments.Continue Reading

• How to synchronize SharePoint 2013 lists with Outlook 2013

  Give users access to various SharePoint 2013 lists through Outlook 2013 with just a few simple configuration steps.Continue Reading

• Do you have the skillset for these hot IT jobs?

  With technologies such as cloud computing in the limelight, data center pros need to upgrade their skillsets to catch the latest wave of innovation.Continue Reading

• Top tips for OpenStack Swift object storage use

  Senior cloud architect Beth Cohen offers tips on how to use OpenStack Swift object storage in the most efficient and economical ways.Continue Reading

• Windows Azure Media Services gives YouTube junkies a new outlet

  Enterprises need only look to YouTube's stats to see the value of video. Windows Azure Media Services has the benefits of video with more control.Continue Reading

• How to align laptop flash drive partitions in Windows

  Marc Staimer outlines how to ensure that your laptop flash drive partitions are aligned properly in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• What are some best practices for cloud configuration?

  Traditional configuration practices fall short in the cloud. Here, Chris Moyer shares some best practices for cloud configuration.Continue Reading

• RAID alternatives: Will erasure codes rule?

  Learn why the reliability of RAID technologies could be related to the increased use of erasure coding by both new and established storage vendors.Continue Reading

• Can object storage systems be used with file-based apps?

  Learn how to use applications such as Microsoft Exchange or SQL Server with object storage systems on the back end.Continue Reading

• How can host-based and array-based data replication techniques be compared?

  Learn the benefits and drawbacks to host-based and array-based replication methods to determine which one better suits your environment.Continue Reading

• As a backup target, when is VTL better than NAS?

  Eric Slack of Storage Switzerland says that, as a backup target, a VTL might be a better choice than NAS.Continue Reading

• Storage thin provisioning: Comparing implementation types

  Analyst Erick Slack explains how to create a thin volume, migrate from thick to thin provisioning and determine when to use thin provisioning.Continue Reading

• VMware snapshot size and other causes for slow snapshots

  Snapshots offer multiple restore points for VMs, but add complication. Poor performance can stem from the VMware snapshot size and other root causes.Continue Reading

• Do you have the IT skillset for these five hot data center jobs?

  With technologies such as cloud computing in the limelight, data center pros need to upgrade their skillsets to catch the latest wave of innovation.Continue Reading

• Five data center upgrade strategies to modernize your facility

  These five data center upgrade strategies can revitalize older data centers and stave off expensive construction projects.Continue Reading

• The basics of selecting server memory

  Understanding modern memory helps IT professionals make the best choices for selecting a server memory configuration and upgrades.Continue Reading

• A deeper look at memory ranks, channels and types

  Looking for new server memory? Learning about memory ranks, channels and types is a good step to making the right choice.Continue Reading

• Manufacturing NAND flash chips

  NAND flash chips are made in fabrication plants known as fabs. Market oversupply or undersupply can cause manufacturers to alter production plans.Continue Reading

• Hyper-V 3.0’s virtual Fibre Channel feature explained

  Microsoft MVP Brien Posey walks users through the process of establishing virtual Fibre Channel connectivity from a virtual machine to SAN storage.Continue Reading

• PowerShell tutorial: Managing Windows Storage Spaces

  This PowerShell tutorial shows users how to fully interact with Windows Storage Spaces, which will help them script the storage provisioning process.Continue Reading

• Star Wars-themed ethics training

  Take a satirical look at the facts behind the destruction of the Death Star and learn about the need for ethics training in software QA management.Continue Reading

• Steps to read XML files with PowerShell

  Wondering how to get PowerShell to read XML files? Our expert explains a few methods you could use.Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of backup tape encryption

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey outlines what's good and what's bad about backup tape encryption in this tip.Continue Reading

• Five ways admins can embrace Windows Server 2012 Remote Management

  As Microsoft encourages Windows admins to deal with servers offsite, here are some easy steps they can use for Windows Server 2012 Remote Management.Continue Reading

• Five steps to take when the server is down

  Companies rely heavily on websites to transact business and stay in contact. Here's how to fix Web server issues and prevent future problems.Continue Reading

• Five LUN storage questions for pros

  Learn what expert Brien Posey has to say to storage administrators about five questions they have about LUN storage in their environments.Continue Reading

• Streaming large video files in today's big data environments

  Solid-state drives are a good choice for streaming large video files. Other factors to consider include cost and how often video will be accessed.Continue Reading

• Scrum project management: Estimating with story points

  Scrum project management expert Yvette Francino explains how teams use story points to estimate effort involved in developing a particular feature.Continue Reading

• How KVM over IP makes remote systems management easier

  Remote systems management using KVM over IP is helping businesses avoid the costs associated with travel while improving support response times.Continue Reading

• Issues with SELinux preventing virtual machine from accessing files

  Here's how to solve the problems when trying to access files via a virtual machine in SELinux.Continue Reading

• Are blade servers obsolete?

  Blade servers maximize compute density on racks, but are their days numbered?Continue Reading

• The basics of selecting server memory

  Understanding modern memory helps IT professionals make the best choices for selecting a server memory configuration and upgrades.Continue Reading

• A deeper look at memory ranks, channels and types

  Looking for new server memory? Learning about memory ranks, channels and types is a good step to making the right choice.Continue Reading

• Ways to mirror vSphere networking with VMware Virtual Network Editor

  Not every VMware vSphere networking option is available in Workstation, but it's a useful tool for users to mirror the ESXi network for tests.Continue Reading

• Solving SQL VSS writer problems during backup

  Backup expert Brien Posey explains how to solve common SQL VSS writer problems users can face during SQL database backups.Continue Reading