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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Opinion
16 Jun 2020
HCI vs. traditional IT vs. dHCI vs. composable infrastructure
Compare outcomes of hyper-converged, traditional/converged, disaggregated HCI and composable infrastructures, plus hybrid cloud, to decide which approach best fits your IT needs. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jun 2020
Tool helps mainframe developers create cloud-native apps
Reassuring mainframe developers of its commitment to the venerable platform, IBM will introduce a tool that helps them build cloud-native applications for z/OS. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jun 2020
Get the right SLA for enterprise liquid cooling services
If you're interested in data center liquid cooling, investigate the technology types, available service providers and outline an effective agreement for successful system use. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Jun 2020
Take control of Hyper-V power management for cost efficiency
Organizations can better manage Hyper-V power consumption through various means, such as using Hyper-V power plans, server cores and SCVMM capabilities. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Jun 2020
5 common server issues and their effects on operations
Server problems can spring from inside and outside hardware. Delve into these common issues and learn about the policies to have in place for regular maintenance and prevention. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jun 2020
Organizations tackle data center operations during COVID-19
With an increased remote workforce, organizations must address infrastructure bandwidth, data center access and business continuity. The right software and staffing policies can help. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Jun 2020
Controlling IBM licensing agreement narrative key to success
Take control of the information narrative and unify your messaging strategy through a cross-functional negotiation team for best-in-class enterprise license agreement renewals. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jun 2020
An in-depth look at calculating server hardware costs for SMBs
Servers can be expensive, but there's more to the purchase than just the price of the hardware. Learn what additional items an SMB must factor into the overall cost. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 Jun 2020
How should I choose a new server hardware configuration?
It's important to consider current and future business needs when choosing a server to ensure you'll have adequate CPU, memory, storage and network resources. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jun 2020
How to prevent and recover from server failure
Hardware, software and facility issues can lead to server failure. With the right protocol and preventive maintenance, you can reduce failure amount and troubleshoot time. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 May 2020
Pick a data center layout: Raised floors vs. overhead cabling
There's no definitive design when it comes to data center infrastructure. Cost, manageability and cooling effectiveness are all factors during the selection process. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 May 2020
6 converged infrastructure vendors' product options compared
Converged infrastructure systems help reduce hardware deployment risks by providing a preconfigured software stack, which greatly reduces the risk of configuration errors. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 May 2020
Assess risk, forecast for IBM software licensing agreement success
When it's license renewal time, ClearEdge Partners recommends taking stock of the licenses you already have and determining how to allocate spending across your IBM ELA. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
28 May 2020
How to configure a VM override in DRS and HA
VM overrides to prevent unnecessary VM movement and availability issues. Review the configuration options that come with this feature in this tutorial. Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2020
Healthcare IT teams pivot around HCI during pandemic
When COVID-19 put stress on healthcare organizations, IT teams needed to respond quickly to enable telehealth remote access. Learn how HCI helped two organizations cope. Continue Reading
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Opinion
27 May 2020
Traditional vs. converged vs. hyper-converged infrastructure setups
HCI clusters, converged infrastructure and rack servers all offer benefits for a data center. Still, figuring out which is easier to set up requires evaluation and planning. Continue Reading
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Video
26 May 2020
Easily spin up a Docker Ubuntu container
Docker and Ubuntu make it possible for admins to use containers for Windows applications in the data center. Watch what's involved to get started with containerization. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 May 2020
Insight into Big Blue key to better IBM ELA renewals
Before negotiating a renewal of your IBM enterprise license agreement, get to know Big Blue's sales strategy and which factors influence its deal-making process. Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2020
IBM layoffs target services, marketing employees
IBM layoffs under newly appointed CEO Arvind Krishna largely affect its Global Technology Services and marketing groups. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 May 2020
Successful IBM ELA renewal negotiations require preparation
Start planning early, follow a realistic timeline and know your enterprise license agreement options inside and out as you gear up for ELA negotiations with IBM. Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Microsoft supercomputer looks to create AI models in Azure
Microsoft has expanded its AI initiative up to the supercomputer market, unveiling a system focused on helping users build large AI models that work with its Azure cloud platform. Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Scale HCI systems add NVMe; Pivot3 spins to speed up compute
Scale Computing expands HCI systems with HC3000 line equipped with NVMe flash. Pivot3 Surveillance Series gets power from new Lenovo servers and AMD Epyc CPUs. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 May 2020
Data center liquid cooling market heats up
As organizations increase server rack density, more C-level execs investigate liquid cooling technology. Industry experts see these systems as an operational and cost necessity. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 May 2020
Considerations for SIEM logging software and storage
SIEM systems aggregate a lot of data across all types of infrastructure. For regular audits, admins should address notification settings, analysis protocols and storage locations. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 May 2020
Dell EMC vs. NetApp: Comparing converged infrastructure systems
The Dell EMC VxBlock and NetApp FlexPod converged infrastructure platforms can help IT reduce the complexities of implementing and maintaining data center systems. Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
Nutanix DR gets automated, adds orchestration, replication
Nutanix builds in disaster recovery capabilities to its HCI operating system to complement its Xi Leap DRaas and coming Nutanix Clusters running in public clouds. Continue Reading
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Infographic
13 May 2020
The coronavirus effect on enterprise technology practices
Effects of COVID-19 on enterprise IT go well beyond enabling remote workforces. Coronavirus is also changing approaches to IT staffing, projects/initiatives and budgets/spending. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 May 2020
What is the self-driving data center and how does it work?
Self-driven data centers require little intervention to handle daily operations. Explore their inner workings, benefits, and what HPE and VMware are doing to make them a reality. Continue Reading
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News
08 May 2020
HPE HCI platform takes AMD road to Rome
HPE HCI product upgrades incorporate high-performance AMD Epyc Rome microprocessors to help companies provide dense, scalable virtual desktop infrastructure for work-at-home staff. Continue Reading
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Infographic
07 May 2020
Top infrastructure modernization strategy challenges
Increase the odds of IT modernization success by learning about the challenges and obstacles others have faced when attempting to modernize their infrastructure for their business. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 May 2020
How to mold HCI appliances to workload requirements
Ensure the hyper-converged infrastructure appliance you choose matches your workload requirements -- and not the other way around -- to maximize the benefits of hyper-convergence. Continue Reading
- 07 May 2020
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Tip
06 May 2020
Tools and tips to track server power consumption
Server power requirements differ for each organization, but it's still essential to monitor peak loads and track how much power your servers consume to avoid outages. Continue Reading
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Quiz
05 May 2020
How sharp is your hyper-converged edge computing acumen?
It isn't uncommon for hyper-convergence and the edge to intersect nowadays. How much do you know about why hyper-converged deployment at the network periphery is growing? Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2020
Red Hat Enterprise Linux still central to Red Hat's strategy
While it may be overshadowed by OpenShift and Kubernetes, Red Hat Summit attendees were reminded that Red Hat Enterprise Linux still has a strategic role to play. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Apr 2020
7 top open source network monitoring tools
Network is an essential part of infrastructure health and requires constant monitoring. To meet specific OS and hardware requirements, open source tools can be the best fit. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Apr 2020
Amazon and VMware unveil RDS on VMware
Amazon and VMware teamed up to create RDS on VMware. It should appeal to VMware users and has some compelling features, but it still faces several barriers to widespread use. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Apr 2020
3 tips to prevent VDI IP address exhaustion before it happens
For those turning to VDI to support remote workers due to the COVID-19 influx, it's best to get ahead of IP address problems before people return to the office. Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2020
IBM's new CEO makes commitment to IT, reports cloud gains
IBM cloud revenues saw incremental first quarter growth, despite the March slump due to COVID-19, and the new CEO promised to pursue a more aggressive cloud and AI strategy. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Apr 2020
Quickly repurpose HCI hardware for hosting virtual desktops
Virtual desktops are tailored for remote work situations, and hyper-convergence makes a great VDI host that stands up quickly in a pinch. Consider these factors, though. Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2020
Lower-cost IBM z15 mainframes add security for multi-clouds
Two new low-end IBM z15 mainframes and security software aim to help users better prevent internal attacks, as well as monitor workloads across on-premises and multi-cloud environments. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Apr 2020
HCI bolsters COVID-19 work-from-home infrastructure
Redirecting hyper-converged systems or reusing older hardware can help organizations support a sudden influx of many more remote workers. Discover the challenges you might face. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Apr 2020
Avoid resource contention with the help of VMware HA
Use VMware HA VM-to-VM rules and host groups and avoid resource contention. This can help balance resources between your production and testing and development VMs. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Apr 2020
Two-pronged approach to scaling remote work infrastructure
Hastily supporting large numbers of workers who all of a sudden find themselves at home requires quick thinking on the part of IT. Just as important is what you do afterward. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Apr 2020
VMware licensing changes set to have long-term cost effects
VMware assured admins they would see little to no effect on costs in the short term with its switch to per-core licensing, but these changes could have long-term cost effects. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Apr 2020
Improvements in CPU features help shape selection
CPUs have evolved to meet ever-increasing technology demands. We look at the way performance and power characteristics have shifted in recent years. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Apr 2020
Dive into the quantum computing qubit with IBM's Bob Sutor
The quantum computing industry is entering a new era. IBM's Bob Sutor discusses the technology's importance and how his latest book can help readers better understand the qubit. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Apr 2020
HPE Primera storage makes Synergy, Composable Rack more intelligent
See how intelligent all-flash Primera storage with InfoSight predictive analytics brings a more cloud-like resilient, agile, scalable experience to HPE composable infrastructures. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Apr 2020
Open Compute Project influence, open source hardware gain momentum
With open source hardware more feasible than ever, catch up on how Open Compute Project consortium uses open source to develop more efficient server and infrastructure designs. Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2020
Lenovo flash storage, Microsoft Azure eye mad rush to edge
New Lenovo ThinkAgile MX and Lenovo storage arrays target Microsoft cloud customers. Azure Stack HCI configuration mirrors qualified designs for VMware, Nutanix. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Apr 2020
What is Pivot3 Acuity Intelligence Engine for AI and automation?
The Acuity Intelligence Engine delivers advanced data and performance management to simplify data protection and system administration for Pivot3 hyper-convergence. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Apr 2020
Build a migration plan for enterprise edge infrastructure
Micro data centers are essential to edge computing use cases. Build an effective migration plan through site selection, application inventory and post-move monitoring tools. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Mar 2020
Hyper-converged use cases beyond VM stacks: A hardware guide
Explore best hyper-converged appliance and cluster configurations for containers, machine/deep learning, streaming analytics and specific products supporting each of these workloads. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Mar 2020
The recent key vSphere vMotion innovations
VMware vMotion is a function of vSphere that enables live migrations of VMs to ease load balancing and maintenance. Explore the innovations in the most recent update of vMotion. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Mar 2020
What is AI-defined infrastructure, and does it work?
Software-driven hyper-converged, composable infrastructures and incorporation of AI technologies into compute and storage has brought more intelligence to enterprise IT than ever. Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2020
Tech giants aim supercomputers, clouds at finding a COVID-19 cure
The new COVID-19 HPC consortium comprised of tech giants, national labs and academia are using supercomputers and clouds to speed research to identify a cure. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Mar 2020
Top vendor SDDC certification programs for admins
If you decide to grow your knowledge of software-defined data center technologies, VMware, Nuage Networks and Microsoft offer courses and certifications to get you up to speed. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Mar 2020
Top hyper-converged infrastructure TCO factors to consider
A lot of factors for estimating hyper-converged total cost of ownership are fairly straightforward, others less so. Follow these guidelines to get started on this complex process. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Mar 2020
Build up your knowledge of leaf-spine network technology
As organizations deal with challenges of single tree path networks, many admins are considering leaf-spine architectures. Learn the ways its topology helps latency and data flow. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Mar 2020
Disaggregated hyper-converged infrastructure vs. traditional HCI
A technical examination of what the pending demise of hyper-converged infrastructure 1.0 and rise of hyper-convergence 2.0 means for planning, buying, deployment and management. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Mar 2020
Want an HPC data center? Colocation could be the answer
Colocation can offer the space, HVAC and security an organization needs to implement high-performance computing and delve deeper into its data. But not every provider is a match. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Mar 2020
Plan a successful migration to HPC colocation
If your organization decides to host its HPC hardware in a colocated data center, ensure a smooth migration with proper location selection, security measures and application testing. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Mar 2020
Fix VMware DNS troubles with proper setup
To troubleshoot DNS issues in your VMware environment, ensure all components are installed completely, including reverse lookup zones and fully qualified names. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Mar 2020
Data center power infrastructure essentials prevent downtime
Power infrastructure upkeep is essential to reduce damage in an unplanned outage. UPS and generator maintenance, plus disaster planning, should be a part of regular operations. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Mar 2020
How HPE SimpliVity InfoSight hyper-converged analytics works
SimpliVity with InfoSight can predict and prevent hyper-convergence issues, take the guesswork out of capacity management, reduce support calls and lower operations expenses. Continue Reading
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Infographic
09 Mar 2020
What's behind today's IT infrastructure modernization strategies?
See how businesses have altered operating environments, applications and processes to meet IT infrastructure modernization goals, their budgets and how far along they've gotten. Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2020
Honeywell quantum computing system passes IBM out of the gate
Honeywell joined the quantum computing race this week with a system featuring a new quantum architecture with a Quantum Volume rating of 64 -- double that of existing systems. Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2020
HCI market grows as storage, servers shrink
Dell EMC and Hewlett Packard Enterprise say their storage and server revenues declined sharply last quarter, while hyper-converged infrastructure sales keep growing. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Mar 2020
VMware vRealize 7.5, 7.6 offer key admin, user enhancements
This hands-on look at VMware vRealize Automation examines the improvements made in versions 7.5 and 7.6 as well the disappearance of other features. Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2020
Mainframe software market shrinks with BMC-Compuware deal
The BMC acquisition of Compuware leaves BMC as the last major independent mainframe software company. But its new portfolio should help users transition to modern world of DevOps. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Feb 2020
Get to know VMware Pulse IoT
Use VMware's edge management platform, Pulse IoT, to manage IoT devices at scale. With it, you can stay on top of upgrades and patches, analyze collected data efficiently and more. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Feb 2020
A look at software-defined networking upgrade guidelines
SDN brings the benefit of a mostly software-based update process. However, admins still must consider which updates are necessary and if a hardware refresh is required. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Feb 2020
VRealize Automation 8 removes key features, adds new services
VRealize Automation 8 lacks approval policies and some XaaS functionality, but it introduced ABX scripts, Cloud Accounts and Cloud Assembly as part of its cloud optimization. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Feb 2020
VSphere High Availability explained: Monitor VMs and applications
VSphere HA monitors applications and VMs. Discover best practices, storage requirements and features you should know about this service and how it compares to Microsoft Hyper-V. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Feb 2020
Plan for a successful ITIL implementation
Corporate buy-in and training are essential for organizations that decide to adopt the ITIL framework. Admins should also help decide if the library is the right service option. Continue Reading
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Infographic
21 Feb 2020
A guide to how digital transformation IT infrastructure works
Explore requirements, goals and issues around digital transformation plans and modern IT infrastructures such as hyper-converged, disaggregated hyper-converged and composable. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Feb 2020
Learn the main Linux OS components
Linux is one operating choice to run on your infrastructure. Get started with these terms to discover how the OS works and how it differs from Microsoft and Apple offerings. Continue Reading
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News
19 Feb 2020
New Dell EMC PowerEdge servers are built for the rugged edge
New Dell Streaming Media Platform includes two small form factor PowerEdge servers and a Modular Data Center. Dell aims the products for use in harsh IT environments. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Feb 2020
Compare hyper-converged, converged infrastructure monitoring tools
Better monitor your hyper-converged infrastructure systems with tools from Zenoss, Uila, eG Innovations and ManageEngine than with the proprietary tools of hyper-converged vendors. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Feb 2020
How to create and deploy a VMware VM template
Learn how to create VM templates in your VMware environment to automate the process, simplify configuration tasks and standardize VMs across your ecosystem. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Feb 2020
The future implications of VMware Project Pacific
VMware's Project Pacific aims to add Kubernetes functionality to vSphere, a move that will create greater support for cloud-native applications and enable more cohesive management. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Feb 2020
Best hyper-converged systems win Products of the Year 2019
Datrium, Western Digital and HiveIO win praise for ground-breaking products that led the way in a year of hyper-converged and composable infrastructure evolution and change. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Feb 2020
What is Intel Rack Scale Design and how does it work?
Find out what Intel's Rack Scale Design architecture is and how its reference code and APIs enable Intel-partner products to compose on-demand virtual servers for specific workloads. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Feb 2020
Initiative aims to improve data center incident reporting
The Data Center Incident Reporting Network hopes to pull back the smoke screen on software and hardware issues to improve operations and reduce downtime risks -- with admins help. Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2020
Nutanix Karbon upgrade focuses on non-Kubernetes experts
Nutanix aims Karbon at 'mere mortals' who want to run Kubernetes in on-premises data centers, but it faces plenty of competitors preparing for containers that need persistent storage. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Feb 2020
Hyper-converged data center vendors innovate, evolve products
Review notable hyper-converged, HCI 2.0 and composable disaggregated product news to gain insight into data center convergence technology as you make infrastructure decisions. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Feb 2020
A guide to GPU implementation and activation
Data center GPU usage goes beyond hardware. Admins must work with vendors and developers to have the right software architecture and code to benefit from GPUs. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Feb 2020
Key components for negotiating an HPC colocation contract
When it comes to HPC colocation, there are specialized areas to cover in a service-level agreement. Review provider protocols for power, security and network connectivity. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Feb 2020
Hyper-converged and composable architectures transform IT
Hyper-convergence and up-and-coming HCI 2.0 and composable infrastructure can help you achieve your IT and business goals. See why, how and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Feb 2020
4 considerations for vSphere disk provisioning
To provision disk space in vSphere, consider the following: The size of data stores you require, thin vs. thick provisioning, storage acceleration and managing free disk space. Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 Feb 2020
Infrastructure modernization via hyper-convergence can equal success
How hyper-convergence can help modernize IT infrastructures to better meet challenges like the digital transformation of the business and the adoption of edge computing. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Feb 2020
A brief history of VMware, containers and its competitors
VMware has long been synonymous with virtualization. However, with the rise of containers, the vendor has pivoted strategies to compete with the likes of Red Hat and Docker. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jan 2020
Make the case for a technology refresh strategy
A good portion of IT budgets are spent maintaining aging hardware. Energy efficiency, failure rates and potential downtime costs are all ways to justify regular hardware updates. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Jan 2020
Use DRS for VMware load balancing and streamlined environments
VMware DRS uses vMotion to automatically migrate VMs and workloads to available hosts and avoid resource contention. Discover the basics of this essential VMware utility. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Jan 2020
Get to know Dell EMC hyper-converged infrastructure products
Gain insight into Dell EMC's hyper-converged portfolio, including VxRail and XC Series appliances, VxRack System Flex plus vSAN, VxFlex and Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct Ready Nodes. Continue Reading
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Infographic
28 Jan 2020
Illustrated guide to hyper-converged edge computing
Hyper-converged systems can help reduce network strain by making it possible to send only the most valuable and relevant data to centralized remote data centers or the cloud. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Jan 2020
A guide to data center maintenance outsourcing
Data centers have a lot of moving mechanical parts to maintain. It's beneficial to leave electrical and fire system upkeep to the professionals instead of doing it all in-house. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2020
StorMagic SvSAN helps Sheetz hyper-converge at the edge
Retail chain Sheetz simplified its technology on the edge with StorMagic hyper-converged infrastructure software, reducing seven devices at each site to two servers running SvSAN. Continue Reading
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Quiz
27 Jan 2020
Test your Nutanix hyper-converged infrastructure knowledge
Do you know what it takes to deploy, maintain and secure Nutanix hyper-converged hardware and software? Take our quiz to see how deep your Nutanix knowledge and expertise runs. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jan 2020
Top data center skills admins can use in 2020
The 2019 tech job sector saw consistent growth and job availability. In 2020, admins should develop expertise on cloud architectures, edge computing deployments and automation. Continue Reading
