IT Operations
Top Stories
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Tip
14 Aug 2026
Prompts vs. loops: Why prompt engineering won't build your AI workforce
Execution loops move enterprise AI beyond prompt engineering, enabling agents to plan, act, verify results, recover from failures and deliver outcomes. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Aug 2026
5 reasons hardened images are seeing a resurgence
Hardened container images reduce software supply chain risk by minimizing vulnerabilities, improving compliance, reducing toil and boosting performance. Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2018
Kubernetes security issues raise concerns for enterprise shops
As Kubernetes enters the enterprise mainstream, it has early adopters abuzz about security issues in the platform and the containers it orchestrates. Continue Reading
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Opinion
10 Dec 2018
Key IT skills to make you current and capable in an ops role
With the rapid pace of IT, it's easy to lose your edge -- even for technologically curious ops professionals. Master a balance of the best IT and people skills to get ahead in modern operations. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Dec 2018
Ways administrators can avoid IT burnout
The last thing an overextended admin needs is additional work, but there are certain practices that, once introduced, can curb tech burnout in the long run. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Dec 2018
AIOps use cases address complexity in virtual data centers
The ever-growing complexity of virtual infrastructures is making management a struggle, but an AIOps platform can enable admins to transform raw data into useful information. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Dec 2018
Put your IT disaster recovery plan to the test
Operations teams need to make DR planning and preparation a priority every day of the year -- not just at test time. Here's how to keep apps and systems out of harm's way. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Dec 2018
Align KPIs for IT with corresponding business goals
It's easy for IT KPIs to take a back seat to those of the business or vice versa. Instead, explore these ways to maintain a working balance. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Dec 2018
Create an IT support process to take on any outage
Every IT incident must be met with a streamlined resolution procedure, all the way from critical to trivial. Ensure those plans are in place before it's do or die. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Dec 2018
Prepare for VM-to-cloud workload migration
Migrating VMs to the cloud can be relatively straightforward if you lay the groundwork to meet workload and vendor requirements. Follow these steps to prepare for the migration. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Dec 2018
Meet Hyper-V cluster requirements to maintain high availability
Hyper-V high availability is important for failover, so check that Hyper-V clusters meet the proper requirements, which range from hardware management to network configuration. Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2018
Microsoft and Docker CNAB takes aim at distributed computing
Microsoft and Docker want to push container-like abstraction up the stack with the CNAB open source spec, which has piqued enterprise interest in its early stages. Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2018
Kubernetes security vulnerability reveals fractured market
Enterprises that pay for Kubernetes support will respond differently to this week's critical security vulnerability than lean DevOps teams that use upstream distributions. Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Nov 2018
Exchange Online
Exchange Online is the hosted version of Microsoft's Exchange Server messaging platform that organizations can obtain as a stand-alone service or via an Office 365 subscription. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Nov 2018
Improve microservices management in operations with 5 tips
Distributed applications are the future of IT, thanks to their scalability and flexibility, but growth means growing pains. Tackle microservices issues with this expert advice. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Nov 2018
Stay in control with these Active Directory basics
Administrators have an ever-increasing number of resources to handle and permissions to track, but they can cut this seemingly impossible task down to size with Active Directory. Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2018
Istio service mesh vies for lead in microservices market
Istio's integration into Google Cloud will give it momentum, but service mesh competition remains fierce, as HashiCorp Consul makes strong inroads with early adopters. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Nov 2018
Meet data center compliance standards in hybrid deployments
Data center compliance is a moving target that shifts with standards and technologies. Don't get sidetracked by the complexity -- prioritize performance while maintaining compliance. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Nov 2018
Simple-to-automate IT tasks: Stop doing these 3 things
There are certain tasks that no IT ops administrator should still do manually. No more excuses -- take these easy operations processes off your plate, and let scripts or tools take over. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Nov 2018
Unlock storage savings with Windows Server deduplication
Windows Server comes with a data deduplication feature to reduce the organization's storage crunch, but it's important to plan around some potential drawbacks. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Nov 2018
What's the best way to achieve Hyper-V security for hosts?
Hyper-V security is complicated, but you can set the foundation of your security strategies by following a few best practices, such as simplification and encryption. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Nov 2018
Hyper-V 2016 security comes down to VM considerations
Secure guest VMs and OSes to ensure Hyper-V security Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Nov 2018
As-a-service at your service: Cloud tools simplify DevOps automation
AWS offers the widest range of cloud-integrated DevOps tools. But Google Cloud has a strategy with more focus on integration, and Azure closely ties in with other Microsoft products. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Nov 2018
Is read-only mode a viable approach to container hardening?
Can containers work in read-only mode, and how does this setup make a difference in security hardening? Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Nov 2018
Use shielded VMs, guarded fabric to enable Hyper-V encryption
Enable Hyper-V encryption using guarded fabric, the Host Guardian Service and shielded VM technologies. Host systems must be proven trustworthy before operating protected VMs. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Nov 2018
Resolve an Outlook outage when using Office 365
When administrators get reports about an Outlook outage, they must work quickly to identify the affected accounts, research the causes and know where to turn for support. Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Nov 2018
How does Linux Secure Boot affect Hyper-V 2016 VMs?
Linux Secure Boot can help ensure you're booting trusted OSes, but navigating different distributions and digital signatures can be challenging without these considerations. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
21 Nov 2018
What does an IT person do? Answers from around the globe
The holiday season is fast approaching, when IT and DevOps professionals around the world answer a perennial question at the family dinner table: What does an IT person do? While you might only ... Continue Reading
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Opinion
21 Nov 2018
What's next for VMs vs. containers as isolation, performance evolve?
With advances from Docker, Kubernetes and other container technologies, an ecosystem is emerging that threatens the existence -- or at least importance -- of VMs in enterprise IT orgs. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
21 Nov 2018
Try this Chocolatey tutorial to pick up Vagrant provisioning for Windows
To install a Linux-based tool on a non-Linux machine, at least one intermediary tool is necessary. On Windows, use the Chocolatey package manager for a smooth process. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
20 Nov 2018
Gifts for geeks in 2018: analog edition
Gifts for geeks don't have to be digital. This year's suggestions feature a decidedly analog theme. Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2018
Kibana monitoring apps zoom in on Kubernetes infrastructure
A new set of time-series Kubernetes infrastructure monitoring and APM tools in version 6.5 of Elastic Stack take their place among many choices for IT pros. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Nov 2018
Why teams create DevOps platforms to match projects
Prebuilt platforms offer a wealth of capabilities without the hassle to integrate everything. But cherry-picking for exact needs yields tighter resource management. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Nov 2018
Hyper-convergence forms core of Windows Server 2019 features
The latest server OS release from Microsoft upgrades many of its software-defined features to make it easier to use a hybrid cloud model. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Nov 2018
Understanding what Azure AD federation really means
A company that adopts SaaS apps to get work done can ease the transition by implementing a single sign-on method. Learn how to set up this arrangement in a secure manner. Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2018
AWS Lambda monitoring goes mainstream with New Relic beta
New Relic users and prospects will investigate AWS Lambda monitoring features released in private beta, as serverless usage filters in to enterprise IT shops. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Nov 2018
Manage host, VM access with a Hyper-V administrators security group
Use Hyper-V roles to limit users to predefined levels of access. By creating security groups and managing them with PowerShell, you can implement role-based security at scale. Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2018
Container security tools push multi-cloud closer to reality
Container security tools, such as StackRox and Aqua Security, offer DevOps shops that want multi-cloud portability a centralized way to reduce the risk of complex infrastructures. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Nov 2018
When a NoOps implementation is -- and when it isn't -- the right choice
NoOps skills and tools are highly useful regardless of the IT environment, but site reliability engineering brings operations admins into development when an organization can't afford to lose them. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
14 Nov 2018
Boost DevOps cred with script management in Git version control
DevOps teams use configuration management to automate patches and provisioning. They use version control to increase collaboration and change control. Learn how to combine the two. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Nov 2018
Generate a Hyper-V report to track clusters, nodes with PowerShell
It's difficult to navigate all the information related to Hyper-V nodes and clusters, so use PowerShell commands and scripts to generate reports and automate information retrieval. Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2018
Windows zero-day fix highlights November Patch Tuesday
In addition to the November Patch Tuesday updates, Microsoft offered assistance to combat a new side-channel attack and rereleased a Windows 10 update and Windows Server 2019. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Nov 2018
Use Active Directory for testing environments in DevOps shops
AD enables admins to create testing environments almost identical to production environments through duplicated trees, interconnected forests and authentication best practices. Continue Reading
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Answer
12 Nov 2018
Setting up Hyper-V replication requires preplanning
Hyper-V replication is easy to use, but there are a number of steps you should take during Hyper-V replication setup to ensure you stay abreast of potential failures and data loss. Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Nov 2018
6 emerging technologies that belong in an IT operations plan
A penny saved is a penny earned. But when it comes to AI, specialized compute engines and these other key emerging IT operations areas, a penny saved today is a dollar wasted -- or worse -- in the future. Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2018
Docker on Windows Server helps legacy apps, with caveats
Windows-only Docker Enterprise Edition prospects struggle with Linux requirements and a shift to a container-first mindset as they plan to modernize legacy Microsoft applications. Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2018
Terraform orchestration matures as multi-cloud lingua franca
Terraform offers cloud-agnostic infrastructure as code to highly skilled DevOps pros, and its latest release looks to extend its appeal beyond early adopters. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Nov 2018
Hunt down zombie VMs to trim Windows Server licensing costs
Temporary workloads can cause organizations to buy more Windows Server licenses than they need, but admins can track down zombie servers to consolidate workloads and keep costs down. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
07 Nov 2018
Get started with your first Docker container build
Many admins have a purely theoretical understanding of containers -- despite the technology's seeming ubiquity. This tutorial offers container newbies the opportunity to get hands-on. Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2018
Kubernetes on VMware gains a lifeline with Heptio acquisition
VMware's Heptio buy brings it Kubernetes chops that will help it make a multi-cloud bid, but it will struggle to raise its profile in open source container management, industry watchers predict. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Nov 2018
Compliance automation prevents regulation audit snafus
Many IT organizations address compliance issues manually, even though Puppet, Fugue and other tools can enforce configurations that comply with regulations and even provide an audit trail. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Nov 2018
Hyper-V VM template creation made easy
Creating Hyper-V VM templates is a straightforward process, but there are a few things you should consider, such as template creation source and administrative password assignment. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
05 Nov 2018
How PowerShell Direct helps polish off those VMs
PowerShell Direct offers administrators a remoting option that does not rely on a network connection to manage Hyper-V VMs, but be sure you meet the requirements for its use. Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2018
HashiCorp Vault maturity prompts strategy speculation
HashiCorp is valued at $1.9 billion for its IT management software, such as Vault 1.0, and the IBM-Red Hat merger has set off speculation about the firm's future. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 Nov 2018
How do you find Hyper-V nodes with PowerShell?
Manage Hyper-V clusters more easily with PowerShell cmdlets and scripts that automate the retrieval and display of node information, including node statuses. Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2018
Grow rapidly into a continuous delivery pipeline
IT organizations that undertake continuous delivery and deployment initiatives must find strategies to enable that nonstop rush into production without any space for massive or prolonged user-facing problems. Continue Reading
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Opinion
31 Oct 2018
It's time to automate the help desk ticketing system
The help desk is no admin's favorite job -- and no user's favorite place. But with a little automation and AI, the help desk can become a more palatable experience for both parties. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Oct 2018
Use this Microsoft deployment tool for easier setups
It's not new, but the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit tends to be overlooked when administrators need a way to set up Windows in an automated fashion. See why MDT is worth using. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Oct 2018
Enable and disable Hyper-V secure boot with PowerShell
The manual process of enabling secure boot is time-consuming, so use PowerShell cmdlets and scripts to make it efficient to use secure boot in Hyper-V. Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2018
IBM Red Hat acquisition roils open source container management
IBM agreed to buy Red Hat with Kubernetes in mind for its multi-cloud management strategy, and it'll have far-reaching implications for the open source container management community, especially Cloud Foundry. Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Oct 2018
Monad Manifesto
The Monad Manifesto is a document written by Jeffrey Snover in 2002 that outlined his idea for a new Windows systems administration tool named Monad, which was changed to Windows PowerShell. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Oct 2018
Use Microsoft SCVMM to clone a VM
There are some requirements you must meet to clone VMs with SCVMM, but the steps to clone an existing VM -- whether it's running, paused or shutdown -- are fairly simple. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Oct 2018
Handy PowerShell ISE add-ons for server administrators
PowerShell ISE might be on the way out, but these extensions continue to sustain the development of management scripts for many Windows administrators. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Oct 2018
3 virtualization infrastructure design rules to shape your deployment
Admins can improve virtual infrastructure design by focusing their deployments on transparency and flexibility and critically evaluating emerging technologies. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Oct 2018
Cloud and containers rewrite monitoring and management rulebooks
IT performance management is tricky when it stretches as big as the public cloud and scrunches as small as a microservice. IT ops techniques must change to keep up. Continue Reading
- 25 Oct 2018
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Opinion
25 Oct 2018
Invest in an IT infrastructure upgrade -- or keep fixing it
Because upgrades to infrastructure equipment can be expensive and difficult, the easier decision is to renew a support contract. But delay comes at a cost, too. Continue Reading
- 25 Oct 2018
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News
25 Oct 2018
Nomad vs. Kubernetes talk prompts HashiCorp managed service plan
HashiCorp's founders say Nomad and Kubernetes are not mutually exclusive, but the company will launch a Nomad managed service to match cloud providers' turnkey Kubernetes services. Continue Reading
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Opinion
25 Oct 2018
Quantum supremacy and the path to encryption chaos
Widespread use of quantum computing isn't as far into the future as some might think. When it arrives, this powerful computing technology could turn IT security upside down. Continue Reading
- 25 Oct 2018
- E-Zine 25 Oct 2018
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Tip
24 Oct 2018
PowerShell Core 6.1 offers many small improvements
New PowerShell Core functionality includes the addition of Windows PowerShell 5.1 modules, making this version worth a closer look for administrators. Continue Reading
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Guide
24 Oct 2018
An introduction to containers and orchestration for IT admins
Given containers' radical effect on provisioning, resource planning and portability, an IT team's container education should begin well before the first one spins up on a host OS. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Oct 2018
Keep IT project planning on track with 5 principles
Whether you're a seasoned IT vet about to take on the biggest project yet or a new team member spearheading an important build, follow a project planning approach that limits scope and hits goals. Continue Reading
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Answer
23 Oct 2018
Why do admins need both powershell.exe and pwsh.exe?
While the PowerShell development team wants IT to move on to the newer PowerShell version, the powershell.exe executable will remain to avoid breaking changes. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Oct 2018
Container hosting requires in-depth service network plans
Microservices and containers complement each other with scalability and flexibility. But they can also compound network addressing problems in production without proper precautions. Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2018
IT pros shore up Prometheus monitoring via third-party tools
Upstream Prometheus monitoring isn't ready for prime time in enterprise environments, but it gets by with a little help from its friends, such as Sysdig and Rancher Labs. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Oct 2018
Direct NVMe performance with virtualization and storage tiers
Non-volatile memory express technologies have a host of benefits, but admins must use virtualization and storage tiers to best target NVMe performance boosts. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Oct 2018
Hyper-V vs. vSphere high availability features
Compare VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V HA approaches to see how they keep VMs and other workloads online when a host server crashes. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
19 Oct 2018
How to use PowerShell JEA for task delegation
System administrators don't have to do every mundane task themselves anymore with help from Just Enough Administration. Get started with these instructions using PowerShell. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Oct 2018
Top server sizing strategies for VMs
How many VMs can you put on a server? That depends on whether your hardware and virtual environment are well-matched. This tip offers four criteria to select the right servers. Continue Reading
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News
18 Oct 2018
Netflix Spinnaker pipelines tighten bond with Kubernetes
The Netflix- and Google-led Spinnaker continuous deployment software project has added enterprise appeal with revamped Kubernetes integration. Continue Reading
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Quiz
17 Oct 2018
Can this Active Directory quiz stump you?
How much do you know about Active Directory? Find out with this Active Directory quiz on the service's basics, structure and capabilities. Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Oct 2018
Does DevOps for operations mean learning how to code?
What do operations folks need to know before they dive into DevOps? Automation is the key to a responsive environment, and users are your guiding light. Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2018
Chef InSpec 3.0 horns in on Terraform territory
Chef InSpec 3.0 can scan Terraform infrastructure-as-code files for security and compliance gaps, which knocked HashiCorp Sentinel off the evaluation list at Chef customer Pacific Life. Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2018
SRE model requires technical, organizational optimization skills
Practitioners categorize SRE job descriptions two ways -- by distributed systems architecture design that evolves rapidly, and also by the ability to optimize human workflows. Continue Reading
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Answer
16 Oct 2018
What VM automation tools are available?
There are many different VM automation tools available -- some of them part of much wider product and feature suites. Determine which features you need and find the tool that works. Continue Reading
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Answer
16 Oct 2018
What are the most common virtualization automation mistakes?
Avoid automation issues by coordinating with the wider organization to ensure employees know how to provision resources and remain aware of evolving business needs and policies. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Oct 2018
Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging change presents dilemma
The arrival of Exchange 2019 also means the end of unified messaging in the on-premises offering. Admins who use voicemail in Outlook should explore their options. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Oct 2018
Strive for real-world technical debt management in DevOps orgs
Technical debt is a bit like the kitchen junk drawer: It's cobbled-together, useful stuff that just needed to go somewhere. But the longer you wait to sort it out, the worse it gets. Continue Reading
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Answer
15 Oct 2018
What are the primary use cases for VM deployment automation?
Automate the deployment of VMs to meet the demand for resources while ensuring each VM remains properly configured and follows lifecycle and governance policies. Continue Reading
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Answer
12 Oct 2018
How do you optimize a virtual database server?
Avoid virtual database performance hiccups by incorporating monitoring and alerting tools. Stay abreast of any issues and head them off before users encounter them. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Oct 2018
Implement security for DevOps across the board
Security for DevOps isn't about the devices or the data center facility anymore. Learn how to protect valuable data as it moves beyond the corporate network into hybrid cloud and among various applications composed of microservices. Continue Reading
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Answer
12 Oct 2018
How do you virtualize database servers?
Virtualizing database servers has consolidation and efficiency benefits, but you must carefully choose which databases to virtualize and which tools to virtualize with. Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2018
New Relic acquisition of CoScale boosts Kubernetes prowess
Kubernetes monitoring is all the rage, and New Relic's CoScale buy gives it an edge in an increasingly noisy market for container monitoring tools. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
11 Oct 2018
Tips to track down and neutralize PowerShell malware
The benefit of PowerShell is its wide-ranging access to Windows systems, but industrious hackers can exploit its abilities to launch attacks from inside your data center. Continue Reading
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Opinion
11 Oct 2018
DevOps to DevSecOps adjustment banks on cross-group collaboration
It takes collaboration across several levels -- between the C-suite and in cross-functional teams -- to successfully move to DevSecOps and meet compliance requirements. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Oct 2018
Bevy of Microsoft containers range from cloud to captive workloads
Windows wasn't always an ideal environment for containers, but recent changes offer a wealth of options, including those for Windows Server and the Azure public cloud. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
10 Oct 2018
How to manage Active Directory groups with 7 PowerShell commands
Managing users, devices and other resources with Active Directory doesn't always require a GUI tool. Try PowerShell to streamline some of your administrative workload. Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2018
Puppet Enterprise updates give IT ops pros a leg up on DevOps
Puppet Enterprise 2019, Puppet Bolt 1.0 and Puppet Insights broaden enterprise IT ops pros' options for DevOps support and infrastructure automation tools. Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2018
Embrace DevOps innovation to modernize legacy applications
To bring legacy applications into the DevOps fold, IT teams must be creative and collaborate in ways that may differ sharply from approaches to greenfield projects. Continue Reading
