Data Center
Top Stories
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Tip
17 Aug 2026
Building trust: Engaging communities in data center development
Effective communication is essential in data center development. Engaging the community early addresses concerns and prepares IT leaders for stakeholder interactions. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Aug 2026
Understanding AI's resource needs and sustainability challenges
Discover how AI's demands are affecting data centers' power and water resources, cooling challenges and the approaches being implemented to address these concerns. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jun 2010
Bus track and busway power distribution: Power anywhere?
Bus track and busway power distribution in the data center is a growing trend that allows for greater flexibility and accommodation of rising power densities. This in-depth exploration of bus-type power systems will help you decide whether this is a good option for your data center power infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jun 2010
VMware vSphere's built-in performance monitoring tools
VMware vSphere features several free performance monitoring tools that can help assess the health of your virtual machines and fix resource bottlenecks. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jun 2010
Virtual appliances and the OVF format: The new software packaging
Thanks to the Open Virtualization Format, virtual appliances are the new way to deliver software -- say goodbye to boxes and CDs. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 May 2010
Troubleshooting VMware snapshots
Virtual machine (VM) snapshots are a great tool to identify problems with VMs. An expert explains troubleshooting common problems that arise with snapshots in VMware ESX Server. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
17 May 2010
Virtualized data centers: A resource library
Data center managers use virtualization for basic data center needs, such as server consolidation and disaster recovery, and much more. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 May 2010
How to approach IT staffing in today's data center
Virtualization and tight budgets have changed IT staffing in modern data centers. Find out how to blend skills and technology for the best mix. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Apr 2010
Troubleshooting PGMIDERR/AEI0 ABEND in CICS Transaction Gateway
This tip delves into resolving PGMIDERR/AEI0 ABEND errors within the CICS Transaction Gateway. The solution to these errors isn't always an intuitive one, and may require several additional and lengthy steps along the way. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Mar 2010
Common security flaws to check for on your Linux-based Web systems
Your Linux server may have Web application-related security vulnerabilities that should be checked out and repaired. These can include passwords, PHP code injection, weak file and directory permissions and outdated Apache and PHP versions. Learn what to look for and how to fix it. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Mar 2010
Fixing Linux I/O write performance problems
Learn how to optimize your Linux server for I/O writes by adjusting I/O scheduler settings and journaling settings along with some advice about partition set-up. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Mar 2010
Using common Linux mail clients with an Exchange Server
Begin your migration away from Microsoft Exchange by learning how to set up Linux mail clients, Evolution and Thunderbird, to talk to Exchange. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Feb 2010
Linux cloning over the network using netcat
Use netcat to clone Linux images over the network onto multiple servers with a series of simple Linux commands including tar, tee, and dd. This alternative to tools like Clonezilla does not require setting up a separate server. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jan 2010
Dealing with CICS/MQ trigger interface quirks
Despite its simplicity, the CICS/MQ trigger interface has its share of quirks, such as messages left in queues and uneven workload distribution. An expert shares fixes for common CICS/MQ message triggering problems in this tip. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Jan 2010
Upgrading to VMware vSphere: Five pros and five cons
Increased performance, scalability and new features top the list as to why you should upgrade to vSphere, but proven product stability, third-party product and hardware compatibility are reasons you may want to stay with VMware Infrastructure 3 for now. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Dec 2009
What is the free VMware OVFTOOL and how can it help you?
VMware's OVFTOOL is a conversion program that eases distribution of virtual machines, converting them from the OVF format to .VMX, .OVA, .VMX files and others. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Oct 2009
Developing a successful mainframe migration strategy
A successful mainframe migration strategy requires careful planning to avoid disruption to end users. This tip discusses best practices for migrating, regenerating or replacing mainframe applications. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Oct 2009
Sizing computer room air conditioners for data center energy efficiency
Choosing a right-sized computer room air conditioner (CRAC) is crucial to data center energy efficiency, but there are many variables to consider. Learn more about data center air conditioning design, maintaining humidity levels and temperature, and managing air flow to determine the best CRAC for your facility. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Oct 2009
Access and repair an ext3 file system with the superblock
A damaged ext3 file system is accessible and repairable, thanks to the data within either the superblock or the superblock's backup. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Aug 2009
PowersHell: Factory Reset of ESXi
During the course of my travels in powersHell with VMware – I’ve begun to put together my own JACS (Just-Another-Configuration-Script). The idea is to take a clean-factory set ESXi build, and use purely powersHell to configure it. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Aug 2009
Troubleshooting Logical Volume Manager boot problems
If Logical Volume Manager (LVM) boots incorrectly, logical volumes are inaccessible and you can't manage server disk space. In this LVM how-to, we offer some simple steps to troubleshoot boot issues with LVM. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Aug 2009
How to choose the right uninterruptible power supply for your data center
This tip discusses how to choose the right-sized uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for your data center. It also explains common mistakes in UPS sizing and why UPS power ratings can be so confusing. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Aug 2009
Avoid common pitfalls when calculating data center power load
For data center pros trying to size an air conditioning system or UPS, accurately estimating data center power load is critical. But there are many common pitfalls to avoid. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Jul 2009
Installing VMware ESXi on a physical server
In this two-part series, we show you how to convert an existing physical server into a virtual machine, then how to install VMware ESXi on the server hardware and load the virtual machine back onto it. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Jul 2009
Comparing Unix versions: AIX, HP-UX and Solaris
In this comparison of the top Unix versions, learn what distinguishes the file systems, management tools and virtualization products in Sun Solaris, Hewlett-Packard HP-UX and IBM AIX file systems. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Jun 2009
How to install and use RRDTool to speed up MRTG monitoring
When monitoring a large number of hosts or devices with the MRTG graphing tool, the system experience frequent CPU spikes. In this RRDTool tutorial, learn how to install RRDTool and convert MRTG to use RRD storage to avoid system overload. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Jun 2009
Troubleshooting Linux boot problems
If your Linux server fails to show the login screen at startup, you have a boot problem. Learn some tricks on how to diagnose and fix a Linux server boot problem from Grub failure to init and runlevels. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Jun 2009
How to install and configure MRTG, an essential sys admin tool
Multi Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG) is an essential tool that allows systems administrators to monitor and graph network traffic and more. In this tutorial, an expert explains how to install and configure MRTG on Solaris 10. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 May 2009
Capacity planning tools tutorial for Linux and Unix
Effective capacity planning is a proactive way of ensuring that your data center servers will not prematurely run out of space or horsepower. Learn the tools available to help you, both native to Linux and Unix platforms including Solaris, Red Hat, HP-UX, and the free-form products that will work with any Linux or Unix distribution. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Mar 2009
Air flow management strategies for efficient data center cooling
To achieve efficient data center cooling, you must reduce your facility's air flow waste. In this tip, an expert outlines air flow management strategies and best practices that can improve data center air flow, including the installation of blanking panels, raised-floor tiles and hot-aisle/cold-aisle design. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Feb 2009
Recovering RDM data with VMware ESX troubleshooting
Accidentally deleting important VMware ESX partitions cost our expert raw device mapping data. But a last attempt with an unlikely solution finally saved the day – and the data. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Feb 2009
Why you should delete outdated vCenter Server data
With SQL commands, you can delete superfluous vCenter Server database information and save disk space and boost system performance. But you need to monitor database table size. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Feb 2009
Optimizing server energy efficiency
Reducing data center energy consumption is a hot topic in the IT industry, but server energy efficiency has only recently become a focus of discussion. Improving server efficiency means optimizing the main components that impact a server's overall power consumption: power supply, fans, CPU, memory, hard drives, I/O cards and ports, and supporting chipsets. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jan 2009
Manipulating VMware log file space via log file rotation settings
VMware ESX and vCenter log files are crucial for troubleshooting and need to be readily available, but log files can be space hogs. You can tweak log rotation settings to prevent log files from taking up too much space and designate additional space to more important logs such as hostd, vpxa and vpxd. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Jan 2009
Manage CICS workloads with transaction classes
Using transaction classes is a great way to manage CICS workloads that come in varying or unpredictable increments. Learn how to define transaction classes, calculate a maximum active number and get examples on how to use transaction classes in this tip. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Jan 2009
Creating virtual machine clones and templates without vCenter Server
Even if you don't have vCenter Server's virtual machine (VM) cloning feature, you can create VM templates with tools such as vConverter, vmkfstools and VMware Infrastructure Client – and a little technological prowess. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Dec 2008
Understanding VMware ESX virtual machine physical and virtual hardware
You can better manage virtual machines by understanding the virtual hardware that makes up a VM. This tip explores VM physical and virtual hardware issues, including configuring virtual hardware and assigning virtual memory. Continue Reading
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Answer
10 Nov 2008
Solve the startup error 00161 and 00163 with IBM TP600?
Error 00161 on an IBM TP600 may be due to a faulty CMOS battery, and 00163 may relate to your version of utility PS2 EXE. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Nov 2008
How to solve abend code 4038
A user faces the abnormal ending abend code 4038 in the process of migrating from VS COBOL runtimes to LE. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Nov 2008
COBOL, VS-COBOL-II and MFCOBOL: What's the difference?
The original COBOL compiler grew into greater addressability with VS- COBOL-II MFCOBOL and increased functionality in MFCOBOL. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Nov 2008
Override a SYSIN DD DSN in the proc from the JCL?
Override the SYSIN DD Domain Name Source (DNS) in proc using the Job Control Language (JCL) this code syntax. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Nov 2008
Improving data center cooling capacity with chilled water plants
With a chilled-water plant, you can improve your data center cooling capacity and possibly prevent more drastic measures, such as having to build a new facility. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Oct 2008
Ensuring server time synchronization with NTP on SLES
Synchronize your SUSE Linux Enterprise Server times using NTP time server. Two servers are recommended for enterprise situations, as redundancy will save the day in case of a disaster. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Oct 2008
Repairing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server using a Rescue CD
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server offers a Rescue CD for repairing the system if your hardware causes a crash at reboot. This tip shows you how to use it. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Oct 2008
Use DFHLS2WS to expose CICS applications as a Web service
DFHLS2WS is one of the Web services assistants that allows traditional CICS applications to provide or consume Web services without significant changes and without getting into the details of SOAP or XML coding. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Sep 2008
How to troubleshoot RHEL performance bottlenecks
This tip provides a step-by-step approach to application-tuning, troubleshooting bottlenecks and enhancing performance on RHEL 5 systems. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Aug 2008
Using OpenSSL to create and manage certificates
Establishing an independent certificate authority with OpenSSL enables you to create public key certificates and to verify that these public keys are authentic and that email messages are secure. Continue Reading
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Definition
04 Aug 2008
gzip (GNU zip)
Gzip (GNU zip) is a free and open source algorithm for file compression. The software is overseen by the GNU project.... (Continued) Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Jul 2008
DRBD (Distributed Replicated Block Device)
DRBD (Distributed Replicated Block Device) is a Linux-based software component that facilitates the replacement of shared storage systems by networked mirroring. DRBD makes it possible to maintain consistency of data among multiple systems in a network. DRBD also ensures high availability (HA) for Linux applications... (Continued) Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jul 2008
VMware VI Client plug-ins and how to manage them
VMware VI Client plug-ins can provide a VirtualCenter implementation with a functionality boost. Discover more on plug-in management tactics and plug-in options, including the Juxtaposition RDP plug-in, in this tip. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jun 2008
Obtaining server health status in VMware ESX and VMware ESXi
VMware ESXi can easily provide you with information about a server's CPU, memory, storage and more, but getting this info from ESX Server requires some additional steps. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Jun 2008
Storage options for virtual machines: Raw device mappings, VMFS
Virtual Machine File System is VMware's preferred storage option for virtual machines, but raw device mapping provides similar performance and can be a better choice depending on the specific storage configuration. Continue Reading
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Definition
16 Jun 2008
embedded hypervisor
An embedded hypervisor is a hypervisor that is programmed (embedded) directly into a processor, personal computer (PC) or server. This architecture offers convenience at the cost of some flexibility compared with conventional hypervisors ... (Continued) Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Jun 2008
Uninterruptible power supply load bus synchronization: Yes or no?
Should you consider paying the additional cost of a Load Bus Synchronization system for your uninterruptible power supply? Data center experts Syska Hennessy weigh in. Continue Reading
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Definition
11 Jun 2008
data center chiller
A data center chiller is a cooling system used in a data center to remove heat from one element and deposit it into another element. Chillers are used by industrial facilities to cool the water used in their heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) units. (Continued...) Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jun 2008
VMware Site Recovery Manager: How it can help you
VMware's Site Recovery Manager (SRM) application enhances the disaster recovery capabilities of your virtual environment. An expert discusses SRM implementation and use in this tip. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Jun 2008
Selecting a general contractor: Data center construction runbook, Chapter 3
When you're building a new data center, it pays to bring the general contractor onboard early, rather than bidding out the process and ending up with unqualified subcontractors on your project. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jun 2008
Troubleshooting common VMware ESX host server problems
Get a grip on potential VMware ESX host server problems including the purple screen of death, a frozen service console, and rebuilding your network configurations after they've been lost. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 May 2008
Are you prepared for the Unix 2038 problem?
All 32-bit Unix/Linux-based systems store the system clock time internally as the number of seconds since the "Epoch." The latest time and date that can be represented as seconds-since-the-Epoch in that 32-bit signed integer is 3:14:07 UTC on Tuesday, January 19, 2038. Current applications will interpret the negative number that is subsequently produced as an older year (1901), or will freeze the system clock at 03:14:07 on 1/19/2038, causing applications and operating systems to fail. Bill Bradford explains some options for preventing this eventuality. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Apr 2008
Data center cooling optimization in the virtualized-server world
How many hamburgers can you cook on a blade server? If your servers are literally cooking there are a variety of systems to consider to keep your equipment cool. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Mar 2008
Troubleshooting failed VMware Converter P2V migrations
A failed VMware Converter physical-to-virtual migration has numerous sources of potential failure, and even your best-laid plans may not prevent a problem. But this tip offers detailed troubleshooting to identify the problem. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Feb 2008
VMware DRS and VMotion: Improve workload balance, prevent problems
Learn how both VMware DRS and VMotion work individually, how they work together, and get configuration tips for optimal virtual machine performance in an environment that takes advantage of both technologies. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Jan 2008
Do dual-power supply servers increase redundancy?
Implementing servers with dual power supplies is a common practice in mission-critical environments. But improper implementation can result in a false sense of power redundancy. This tip explains what can go wrong in your data center. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Jan 2008
Oracle on RHEL 5: Installation and configuration
Install and configure Oracle 10 on RHEL 5. This tip shows how to set up a database with Oracle's Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) and Oracle Enterprise Manager. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Nov 2007
SUSE Linux Enterprise troubleshooting: Fixing boot problems by repairing a broken initrd
Having a problem booting SUSE Linux Enterprise on your server? It may be that you have a problem with your initial RAM disk. Expert Sander van Vugt troubleshoots the problem with this step-by-step guide to fixing a broken initrd. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Oct 2007
Using SETools to manage SELinux policies
SETools can help SELinux administrators with the daunting task of writing, managing and reporting on policies with the help of tools such as apol, sediff, seaudit and sechecker. Our expert shows you how to setup SETools on your system and introduces you to its graphical and command-line utilities. Continue Reading
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Answer
08 Oct 2007
Data center cooling and humidity control: CRAC or AHU?
Data center physical environment expert Robert McFarlane discusses the best temperature and humidity control choices for a reader's data center. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Sep 2007
Data center facility control systems
Data centers are mission-critical environments with serious consequences for failure, but many employ the same commercial-style control systems as office buildings. Contributor Steve Blaine discusses why data centers can benefit from industrial PLC/SCADA control systems. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Jul 2007
CICSPlex System Manager basics
In this brief overview of CPSM, CICS expert Robert Crawford describes the risks and rewards of using it for system management, automation and workload management. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Jul 2007
Setting up SSH2 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Find out how to set up SSH2 (Secure Shell) on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), using encryption keys instead of passwords in this tutorial. You can use this with either RHEL 4 or RHEL 5. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jul 2007
Dual booting vs. virtualization: Using Windows and Linux on the same server
Interoperability between Linux and Windows can be achieved in two ways: one, by installing each operating system separately via dual booting -- which allows both operating systems to run on the same hardware -- and two, by running one system inside another with virtualization. In this tip, Serdar Yegulalp explains when to use each option. Continue Reading
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Answer
22 Jun 2007
Alert vs. log in the Snort /var/log/snort directory
A Linux security expert explains that the difference between the Snort alert and log logs in the Snort /var/log/snort directory is based on how rules are written. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Jun 2007
HP UNIX performance monitoring fundamentals
UNIX system performance monitoring involves more than just keeping an eye on the amount of free space or the number of users who are logged in. With the right system performance monitoring know-how, you can look into various files to find out anything about the system. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Jun 2007
OpenOffice 2.0 tutorial: Using SQL View, Query Design and more with Report Writer
Learn how to use the Query Design and SQL View tools, handle report-specific fields, print fast reports and more in this tutorial on OpenOffice's Report Writer. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Apr 2007
Linux clusters vs. grids
Can Linux clusters outperform grid computing? Expert Ken Milberg compares them -- covering Beowulf, HPC, Linux Virtual Server and the Globus Toolkit for grids -- and chooses a winner. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Mar 2007
CICS program list tables: PLTPI and PLTSD programs
CICS expert Robert Crawford describes the two types of program list tables (PLT) Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Mar 2007
MySQL full outer join workaround
A MySQL expert offers a workaround for the lack of syntax support for full outer joins. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Feb 2007
Do dual-corded servers connected to separate uninterruptible power supplies draw power from both?
Dual-corded servers are intended to share the load from UPS systems for overload protection. But do they really work? Expert Robert Macfarlane discusses dual-corded equipment and why data center managers need to be careful when shopping for them. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Jan 2007
What is the minimum ceiling height in a data center?
Assessing appropriate ceiling height in the data center can be tricky. It depends on, obviously, how much space you have to work with and factors such as your fire suppression system and cabling. Expert Robert Macfarlane offers some advice. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jan 2007
CICS trace: Getting started, formatting and externalizing
CICS expert Robert Crawford describes the handy CICS trace tool and gives code for externalizing its output. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Jan 2007
Running Windows as a VM on Linux with VMware Server
If you don't want to spend money on an expensive Citrix setup for running Windows and Linux, then try running Windows as a virtual machine (VM) on Linux with VMware Server. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jan 2007
Migrating Microsoft Internet Information Server to Apache on Red Hat Linux
If you're moving to Apache server from Microsoft Internet Information Server, be aware that this migration involves more than just copying files. In this tip, users will learn how to move a site from IIS to Apache on Red Hat, although this is applicable to other Linux distributions. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jan 2007
Calculating costs of data center cabling infrastructure
In part two of our series on data center cabling decisions, data center infrastructure expert Carrie Higbie offers a cost calculator for determining TCO on a cabling project. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Jun 2006
NFPA 75: Raised floor fire protection
Utilizing separate suppression 'zones' for both above floor and sub-floor spaces is a common practice in areas where the subfloor contains a significant hazard/fuel load. Continue Reading
- Answer 28 Oct 2005
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Answer
18 Jul 2005
Data center raised floors and ceiling height
In this question, Bob McFarlane explains the benefits and drawbacks to different data center designs pertaining to cooling and airflow. Continue Reading