IT Operations

Docker-supported OS list expands with Enterprise Edition update

Docker Enterprise Edition fired back at Kubernetes with new support for mixed clusters and applications, as well as advanced security features that target large enterprises. Continue Reading

By

• Beth Pariseau, Senior News Writer

Do ops skills fall into an IT engineering job description?

What are some ways to level up from an IT operations or administration role into an IT engineering one? Will my experience in IT operations translate into engineering tasks? Continue Reading

By

• Adam Fowler

Chef Habitat offers a different take on configuration management

Chef Habitat's strategy focuses on the dynamic application environment instead of static servers, approaching configuration management with a new focus. Continue Reading

By

• Sander van Vugt

IT automation software: Top five common mistakes

IT automation software projects can involve a great deal of risk, but avoid these common mistakes and it will increase the chances for automation success. Continue Reading

By

• Mark Brunelli

Construct a chain of commands with the PowerShell pipeline

The pipeline in PowerShell connects multiple cmdlets to assemble complex commands to give administrators advanced management control over their systems. Continue Reading

By

• Adam Bertram

Automate Active Directory jobs with PowerShell scripts

Much of what admins do in Active Directory is not exactly cutting-edge, and they don't want to waste time on mundane tasks. A dash of PowerShell can speed things along. Continue Reading

By

• Adam Bertram

Microsoft Office 365 Admin Center

The Microsoft Office 365 Admin Center is the web-based portal administrators use to manage user accounts and configuration settings for the Office 365 subscription services, including Exchange Online and SharePoint Online. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

Are meetings part of your DevOps strategy? They shouldn't be

Your time is precious. An effective DevOps strategy makes use of all the tools and tricks to make sure you're not stuck in meetings instead of getting things done. Continue Reading

By

• Chris Tozzi

Simple steps to improve the IT incident management process

No one notices when there's a solid IT incident management response process in place, but everyone notices when there's not. Improve how you handle issues in three steps. Continue Reading

By

• Adam Fowler

Lost and found: Use an Exchange recovery database to restore data

PowerShell can come to the rescue to restore messages and other items from an Exchange 2016 recovery database when trouble strikes -- or when lawyers make requests. Continue Reading

By

• Jonathan Hassell

How to use Azure Active Directory differently than classic AD

Windows administrators can't just whip up an Azure Active Directory deployment and expect it to mimic the classic AD, but Azure AD has several meaningful uses. Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Burns

Agentless Ansible structure opens up configuration management potential

Ansible is easy to use for IT ops pros, and it supports multicloud functionality within its automation structure. This simple walkthrough gets sys admins started with the tool. Continue Reading

By

• Sander van Vugt

Should you run MySQL on VMs or physical machines?

Take stock of your current environment, including instance types, orchestration systems and storage devices, before deciding whether to deploy MySQL to VMs or physical machines. Continue Reading

By

• Walker Rowe

Configure NIC teaming with different modes in Hyper-V

The switch independent mode uses different switches and can support both active/active and active/standby operation, while the dependent mode only uses one switch. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

Office 365 admin roles give users the power of permissions

No matter your organization's size, it's helpful to have users handle some functions typically reserved for IT. But limit access to elevated access to reduce security risks. Continue Reading

By

• Neil Hobson

Debug an Active Directory domain join failure on Windows Server

The domain join process typically works without issue. But when a device can't connect to Active Directory, the administrator must seek the culprit from the usual suspects. Continue Reading

By

• Brien Posey

Step up from ops on your IT career path

IT operations professionals with accumulated skills in application management, cloud migration or security enforcement could make a forward move to one of these specialist roles. Continue Reading

Server OS patching doesn't have to be as painful as you fear

OS patching is like a mechanic's job -- you need different tools for different makes and models. SCCM, Satellite and Landscape provide upkeep for IT's sports cars and SUVs. Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Burns

The art of managing IT risk is never quite mastered

Risks abound, and no amount of preparation or caution will eliminate them entirely from our lives. This is as true now as it was in the past, and it likely will remain true in the future.

While technology enables us all to work more effectively and productively, the necessity of managing IT risk remains. Risk follows wherever we go -- from the data center to the cloud, from virtualized workloads to containers. Smart IT organizations are continuously assessing threats and then devising ways to minimize them. That's the goal, at least.

This issue of Modern Infrastructure examines some of the current approaches to managing IT risk, from maintaining security to handling costs.

In our cover story, TechTarget's Beth Pariseau writes about the particular challenges of container security. IT shops have been reluctant to put containers in production in large part because of the uncertainty about how secure they might be. Updates from Docker and more disciplined app development practices are making containers less risky, Pariseau writes. And there's reason to think that containers could be even more secure than VMs.

Getting comfortable with containers is a process not unlike how technology professionals learned how to safely use cloud services. It takes some time and effort, but managing IT risk can bring exciting and powerful new tools safely into the fold.

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Machine learning algorithms make life easier -- until they don't

Algorithms govern many facets of our lives. But imperfect logic and data sets can make results worse instead of better, so it behooves all of us to think like data scientists. Continue Reading

By

• Mike Matchett, Small World Big Data

Securing containers keeps IT jumping through hoops

Container isolation doesn't cut it in production. Instead, beef up security from the infrastructure to the application code, and be prepared to use some new tools to do it. Continue Reading

By

• Beth Pariseau, Senior News Writer

Machine learning algorithms make life easier -- until they don't

 Continue Reading

Three DevOps toolchain options refine IT automation

DevOps tools that don't interconnect form a bottleneck that teams can easily avoid -- or retroactively remedy -- if the CI/CD workflow merits the time commitment. Continue Reading

By

• Kurt Marko, MarkoInsights

Why HR has a key role supporting DevOps skills

If HR isn’t hiring team members fluent in proper skills and familiar with the duties across the delivery chain, then successful DevOps will remain just an ideal. Continue Reading

By

• Grant Hatchimonji

When to use Docker alternatives rkt and LXD

Docker can't meet the needs of every IT scenario. LXD and CoreOS rkt are additional container formats to try out when Docker doesn't make sense. Continue Reading

By

• Tom Nolle, Andover Intel

Welcome to DevOps Agenda

It’s not hyperbole to claim the DevOps movement affects every level of the IT organizational chart, and exploring it requires a new way of looking at enterprise IT. Continue Reading

By

• Jamison Cush, Senior Executive Editor

IT asset tracking informs better capacity, management decisions

Detailed IT asset inventories are a result of granular asset tracking and lead to better server and storage management -- among other benefits. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

Manage Linux servers with a Windows admin's toolkit

Even Microsoft recognizes it's no longer just a Windows world. Here's what Windows administrators can do to pick up Linux management and monitoring. Continue Reading

By

• Tim Warner

ServiceNow roadmap extends ITSM technology with AI, machine learning

A leader in the IT systems management market, ServiceNow looks to expand into new applications markets. Farrell Hough, in charge of ServiceNow's product operations, lays out the roadmap. Continue Reading

By

• Ed Scannell, Freelancer

Lessons fall from the cloud, changing data center strategies

The transformative power of cloud computing is long past the point of being news. The cloud model, after all, has irrevocably changed how IT functions. What's interesting to consider is how cloud technologies and methodologies are changing even how on-premises data centers operate. Lessons learned in the cloud are now being applied on site, adjusting data center strategies in surprising ways.

When it comes to resource efficiency, the things that hyperscale cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform accomplish might seem like heroic feats. For sure, server utilization rates in an on-premises environment won't reach the 50%, or better, marks that hyperscale providers hit. Still, rates can be improved by emulating those cloud operators.

So how has cloud computing altered data center strategies?

New classes of products, most notably hyper-converged infrastructure and software-defined networking, now exist primarily because large cloud providers built environments that showed the value of these technologies.

Redundancy architectures, too, are not nearly as rigid as they were. The traditional 2N scheme, in which an organization maintains double the number of infrastructure components needed to run critical operations, is no longer considered the mandatory standard.

Further efficiency is found in rethinking high availability expectations. With more resilient applications, experts argue, a hardware failure shouldn't be the disruptive event it was in an earlier age.

These are lessons brought down from the cloud, ones that noticeably alter data center strategies. They show again how the quest for efficient and effective data centers is never quite complete.

 Continue Reading

Deploy patches safely and sanely in a CI/CD workflow

Enterprises engaged in a CI/CD workflow must patch systems and apps strategically. There are multiple technologies to consider, including immutable infrastructure and automation. Continue Reading

By

• Kurt Marko, MarkoInsights

Deploy patches safely and sanely in a CI/CD workflow

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Log management systems benefit greatly from AI

Organizations with massive volumes of IT operational data need log management tools that can quickly and adeptly process it. AI embedded into tools might be the answer. Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Burns

Justify CMDB ROI with these strategies

IT pros can easily list off CMDB benefits. But when it comes to convincing the business to pay for a CMDB implementation, you'll need to discuss ROI. Continue Reading

By

• Megan Santosus, TechTarget

Learn shell scripts: A sys admin's guide to automation

Shell scripts and sys admins should be best friends. A day rarely goes by without using some form of shell script or another. Learn how those scripts work and start writing them. Continue Reading

By

• Dana French

Note these ops issues before you deploy with Docker containers

Docker regularly updates its containerization offering, but it's not click-to-deploy ready for production. Ops professionals should acknowledge these points before deploying Docker containers. Continue Reading

By

• Tom Nolle, Andover Intel

DevOps lab: Build Vagrant VMs to learn immutable infrastructure

This article is part of a series to help IT ops professionals learn DevOps by building a home lab. In this first step, a cluster of Vagrant VMs represents immutable infrastructure. Continue Reading

By

• Alastair Cooke

Learn DevOps techniques and tools in this home lab setup

This DevOps lab uses Linux VMs and Docker containers to teach administrators the basics of immutable infrastructure, configuration automation and other modern IT concepts. Continue Reading

By

• Alastair Cooke

Deep dive into Hyper-V files and folders

Understanding all aspects of a Hyper-V installation now makes it easier to troubleshoot problems later. Look under the hood of Hyper-V files and folders to prep for the worst. Continue Reading

By

• Rob McShinsky

When the big cloud infrastructure providers aren't the right fit

When a business chooses one of the major providers for its cloud services, there shouldn't be a lot of surprises. You do your homework, consider the available services, select instance types, compare costs and then make a decision. At that point, you should know what you are getting. But what if you don't want what you're getting?

There are scenarios where a business seeks out the services of one of the specialty cloud infrastructure providers. These niche providers compete against behemoths such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform, but not by trying to match them service for service. Nor can they keep pace on price. Instead, these smaller providers focus on particular niches, trying to offer specialized services, customer care and flexibility that the hyperscale providers may struggle to furnish.

The cover story for this issue of Modern Infrastructure delves into the reasons a business might choose a niche player instead of one of the major cloud infrastructure providers. TechTarget's Kristin Knapp reports on how these situations arise and how businesses respond. The right fit, she finds, might not always be found in one of the expected places.

 Continue Reading

Let's talk about IT infrastructure and emerging technologies

Work closely with hardware specialists and engineers in the data center, as emerging compute, network and storage technologies have ramifications beyond the racks. Continue Reading

By

• Brian Kirsch, Milwaukee Area Technical College

An early adopter, Facebook is still leading DevOps best-practices

Facebook has become a marquee organization by embracing a DevOps-style philosophy. It’s a model worth following, and one companies should follow to compete. Continue Reading

By

• DevOps Agenda Contributor

Set Salt configuration management free without a master

Salt configurations usually involve at least one minion controlled by a master, but that's not always necessary. See how to use Salt to run a single machine in masterless mode. Continue Reading

By

• Sander van Vugt

Advanced shell scripting for IT ops professionals: Free chapter

Shell scripts can improve speed and automation for sys admins beyond what's possible with graphical user interfaces. Dana French's books cover advanced shell scripting for experienced users. Continue Reading

By

• Meredith Courtemanche, Director of Editorial Training

Tap PowerShell DSC resources to automate web server construction

Administrators will create numerous IIS web servers during their IT careers. With Desired State Configuration, admins can automate this task with cleaner results. Continue Reading

By

• Adam Bertram

Staring down the security issues in cloud computing

Adoption of cloud computing has no doubt been slowed by worries about the security of those out-of-sight servers and resources. While reasonable, those worries have given way over time to acceptance and even optimism.

In this month's Modern Infrastructure cover story, TechTarget’s Trevor Jones writes about why security issues in cloud computing are not the impediment to adoption that they once were. In fact, some organizations are coming to the conclusion that their workloads run more securely in a public cloud than in an on-premises environment. Cloud service providers possess security expertise and experience at levels that aren’t as readily available on a typical IT staff, and certifications give confidence that providers can actually do all they claim to do.

The public cloud is not a risky place to do business, though its safeguards are different from those you've put in place to protect your own data center. These differences are most clearly seen when looking at the shared-responsibility model, which addresses many of the security issues in cloud computing. Users and providers must each do their part. Otherwise, the risks will become apparent, and cloud computing won't be what you need it to be.

This issue also looks at how a new wave of products in development brings memory and storage technologies closer together. Nonvolatile dual-inline memory modules, for example, combine the speed of memory with the persistent qualities of storage in some interesting ways. Also included is an article on how some IT shops that have adopted flash storage are simultaneously impressed and disappointed with the results. Costly flash products invariably improve performance, but they won't solve every problem or clear every bottleneck.

 Continue Reading

Shipyard floats a Docker GUI for easier container management

Deploying new Docker images is the easy part; managing and reporting on those instances is tricky. IT teams can use the Shipyard GUI to stop, start, orchestrate and manage Docker. Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Burns

Application support and maintenance add up to operational ALM

An application isn't fully grown when it moves from development to production -- it still needs nurturing to meet its full potential. Continue Reading

By

• Tom Nolle, Andover Intel

Microsoft Network Device Enrollment Service (NDES)

Microsoft Network Device Enrollment Service (NDES) is a security feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 and later Windows Server operating versions. NDES provides and manages certificates used to authenticate traffic and implement secure network communication with devices that might not otherwise possess valid domain credentials. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

Are there IT jobs in cloud capacity management?

If a company moves only 30% of workloads from its data center to the public cloud, that will reduce IT ops demand. Is there still a role for the ops engineer? Continue Reading

By

• Meredith Courtemanche, Director of Editorial Training

How the Puppet architecture manipulates configurations

Puppet is intrinsically scalable, enabling IT teams to manage one machine or hundreds. Its architecture makes the configuration management tool compatible with a range of IT setups. Continue Reading

By

• Sander van Vugt

Not playing games: The GPU vs. CPU question gets more interesting

Putting thousands of cores to work makes perfect sense when you're powering a video game. But graphics processing units, or GPUs, can't serve much practical purpose in a corporate data center, can they?

The GPU vs. CPU discussion isn't as odd as it sounds. In fact, a more broad application of GPUs in the data center can provide the processing punch that CPUs simply cannot. With tasks where data can be processed in parallel rather than in sequence, GPUs might be a particularly valuable tool. The cover story in this issue of Modern Infrastructure looks at scenarios where simultaneous processing can be just what's needed, such as with machine learning and artificial intelligence.

This month's Modern Infrastructure also looks at how data can be protected while in the data center. Full encryption is seemingly a perfect defense for data theft. But that's a difficult -- and, to some, an unrealistic-- road to travel. We look at how an IT team can better safeguard its data, factoring in costs, the tools available and the tradeoffs involved in hack-proofing an organization's data.

And what about the vulnerabilities that arise from within your business? We examine the risk of data loss posed by the shadow IT phenomenon, an ongoing and ever-changing challenge.

It's clear that data is an increasingly valuable resource. Processing it and keeping it safe -- whether that entails taking up the question of GPU vs. CPU for certain workloads or upgrading encryption -- need to be priorities for IT professionals in organizations of all sizes and types.

 Continue Reading

Set up Docker container networking for real production workloads

A technology as old as data centers -- networking -- threatens to derail the next new thing. Smart networking choices make Docker container deployments functional and organized. Continue Reading

By

• Tom Nolle, Andover Intel

Orchestration software: The functions and vendors to watch

Enterprises must keep their IT processes on track to stay ahead in the DevOps era. Solid orchestration software will pull automation tasks together and accelerate workflows. Continue Reading

Optimize PHP with finely tuned IT resources and settings

Application ops should address the elephant in the room -- poorly optimized PHP -- to speed load and processing times. Continue Reading

By

• Hayden James

The future of containerization goes more abstract

Containers have benefits over VMs in the data center, but the future of containerization is broader than that. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

Dig into the Exchange 2016 hardware requirements

A move to Exchange 2016 may mean increased costs to hardware that can support the latest Microsoft messaging platform. Continue Reading

By

• Trevor Pott, eGeek Consulting

Top cloud and data center technologies win Impact Awards

Plenty of data center technologies enter the market, aiming to solve this problem or that problem. (Or every problem, if the hype is to be believed.) But which products really hit the mark? Which ones stand out, coming along at just the right moment to address just the right need? Those are the kinds of products that garner attention in the annual Modern Infrastructure Impact Awards, and now is the time to name names. This issue unveils the 2017 Impact Award winners for the top cloud computing and data center technologies and services as selected by editors, independent experts and Modern Infrastructure readers. These participants assessed the tools they found worthy of recognition in categories ranging from best converged and hyper-converged product to best cloud migration and optimization offering to top systems management tool. To be eligible, a product needed to be either new to the market or substantially upgraded within the past year. And when the best of them distinguish themselves, that's when they warrant attention from the Modern Infrastructure awards. This issue of Modern Infrastructure also looks at artificial intelligence -- past the lofty speculation and into its possible real-world implications -- as well as the transformation going on in the server backup market. Continue Reading

2017 Impact Awards honor the best IT products and services

The votes are in. From AWS partners to system management, Modern Infrastructure readers recognize the best IT products in the 2017 Impact Awards. Continue Reading

By

• Modern Infrastructure Staff

CMDB discovery tools alone aren't the answer

CMDB discovery tools have been around for quite a long time because their need is pretty obvious. Organizations are generally understaffed to do the daily work. Many just do not staff to ... Continue Reading

By

• Carlos Casanova, Casanova Advisory Services

Automated deployment tools mitigate the risk of human error in DevOps

There are dozens of application and infrastructure automation tools for IT shops. Choosing the right one requires project and feature evaluation. Continue Reading

By

• Kurt Marko, MarkoInsights

Real-life change management examples prove it's harder than it looks

Whether your IT shop rigorously follows a service management framework or takes a laissez-faire approach to changes, these examples help hone change management procedures. Continue Reading

By

• Adam Fowler

Microsoft Online Services Sign-In Assistant

The Microsoft Online Services Sign-In Assistant is a software application that provides common sign-on capabilities for a suite of Microsoft online services, such as Office 365. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

Ease migrations with Windows Server Migration Tools cmdlets

An in-place Windows Server upgrade is easier than a server migration. When an upgrade isn't possible, admins can ease the transition with a Microsoft snap-in. Continue Reading

By

• Brien Posey

Set up a virtual home lab to learn OpenStack and more on your own time

There are many reasons to set up a virtual home lab, not least of all for career advancement and learning. Occasionally, it can be fun too. Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Burns

Agent vs. agentless: Monitoring choices for diverse IT ops needs

All management tools must run on a device, but the standards for agent and agentless monitoring vary widely. The determination is easier once you understand monitoring data needs. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Korzeniowski

Idempotent configuration management sets things right -- no matter what

Idempotency ensures a system won't stray from its designated desired state, sending alerts to systems administrators if a requested change would cause a disruption. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

Release management best practices for every IT team

No one likes an app that implodes once it reaches production. IT operations teams can save themselves some headaches by implementing release management from the initial design on. Continue Reading

By

• Brian Kirsch, Milwaukee Area Technical College

Simplify your platform with IT systems management tools

So much effort goes into simply keeping an IT infrastructure up and running. Imagine what more could be accomplished once you automate some of those tasks with IT systems management tools. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

A SaltStack tutorial to start mastering data center minions

With a basic understanding of SaltStack minions, modules, grains and other concepts, IT administrators have the power to scale up configurations. Continue Reading

By

• Sander van Vugt

CMDB best practices remain out of reach for many IT shops: Free chapter

Most IT pros know what a CMDB is, but mastering the database and asset management is difficult -- though not impossible. Continue Reading

By

• Meredith Courtemanche, Director of Editorial Training

Microsoft Windows Features on Demand

Microsoft Windows Features on Demand is a feature that allows system administrators to add or remove roles and features in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, and later versions of the client and server operating system to alter the file size of those operating systems. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

Should I allow SSH tunneling connections through the firewall?

Allowing users to tunnel through a firewall to access any site creates a security risk. How big of a risk is it? It depends on how much you trust your users. Continue Reading

By

• Brad Casey

Microsoft SCORCH lights an automated path to more efficiency

System Center Orchestrator tackles tedious tasks and can even make autonomous decisions based on conditions set by the Windows administrator. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

Ways to make the application deployment process clear and flexible

The application deployment manual must be flexible, and short enough to actually follow. A process that can't change with the evolving IT system isn't of much use to anyone. Continue Reading

By

• Brian Kirsch, Milwaukee Area Technical College

Understanding Exchange Online's Role-Based Access Control model

The Role-Based Access Control model manages and evaluates permissions in Exchange Online. Admins can explore the model, create new permissions and customize roles. Continue Reading

By

• Adam Bertram

Why orchestration services are important in the DevOps age

Automation and orchestration services are critical for modern IT systems to function well. Learn more about how these functions facilitate IT processes and workflows. Continue Reading

By

• Brian Kirsch, Milwaukee Area Technical College

Use Windows PowerShell DSC to construct file servers from scratch

Administrators can take control over the deployment of common resources, such as Windows-based file servers, using PowerShell Desired State Configuration. Continue Reading

By

• Adam Bertram

Salt minions and grains facilitate deployment at scale

A tiered management setup and finely grained monitoring capabilities make SaltStack's configuration management tool worth considering. Continue Reading

By

• Sander van Vugt

2017 Modern Infrastructure Impact Awards

The 2017 MI Impact Awards recognize the top products, technologies and services in seven categories. Here are the finalists that made the cut. Continue Reading

Use these DevOps examples to reimagine an IT organization

These before and after DevOps adoption stories from real IT organizations yield insights into processes and tools, metrics for success and mistakes made. Continue Reading

DevOps capabilities vary widely by industry vertical

DevOps isn't the same from one IT shop to another, let alone from healthcare to retail IT. Some verticals rise higher than others when it comes to agility and communication. Continue Reading

Know how to handle IT incident management to avoid chaos

When an important application goes down, you'd better have the right IT incident management processes and procedures in place to fix it. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

Log Parser Studio provides flexibility for Exchange troubleshooting

Administrators can use default queries in Log Parser Studio or modify existing queries to analyze logs and troubleshooting Exchange issues. Continue Reading

By

• Michel de Rooij

Mimic production with the right staging environment

With public or private cloud templates, it becomes easy to copy your production IT environment for staging new code as often as development needs it. Continue Reading

By

• Mike Pfeiffer, CloudSkills.io

The steps in selecting the right configuration management system

Configuration management helps enterprises standardize IT systems and eases updates. This guide assists buyers in selecting the right tools for their CM systems. Continue Reading

IT service delivery model uses BPM to translate ops to biz

A business process management structure for IT service delivery can bridge the gap between IT and the rest of the business, allowing IT leaders to sit at the table for important decisions. Continue Reading

By

• Kurt Marko, MarkoInsights

Setting up and controlling resources on a Proxmox cluster

You're learned how to create Proxmox hosts and group them into a cluster. Now it's time to add resources to your cluster and assign access rights to them. Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Burns

CFEngine configuration management tool up close and in-depth

CFEngine is a widely known and used configuration management tool. Learn about its primary features and functions and if and how your organization could benefit from it. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

Inside Docker configuration management functions

Docker may not be a standard configuration management tool, but it possesses a set of capabilities that have made it a growing player in the CM market. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

The Cobbler configuration management tool's ins and outs

Cobbler is a configuration management tool best suited for Linux-based IT environments. Learn more about this tool and if it can benefit your enterprise. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

These Windows configuration management tools can prevent mishaps

It's a challenge to limit downtime and speed up deployments in the data center. Configuration management tools can help IT maintain control. Continue Reading

By

• Tim Warner

Secure Docker on Linux or Windows platforms

With Docker appearing in businesses of all shapes and sizes, security is a concern for many IT admins. Here's how to secure Docker on the container or the host machine. Continue Reading

By

• Brad Casey

Google Project Aristotle - 5 Keys to Team Success

If I picked one word to collectively describe the five components from Project Aristotle, it would have to be value. Continue Reading

By

• Carlos Casanova, Casanova Advisory Services

SaltStack configuration management tools and their many functions

SaltStack is a relatively new tool in the configuration management market with powerful capabilities and an active user community. Read more about this emerging product here. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

Improve application rollout planning with advanced options

Enterprise IT teams have several advanced options for deploying application updates. The right one depends on what makes the most sense for the business, available IT infrastructure and your confidence in the update. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

What Chef configuration management can do for your IT systems

Chef configuration management tools possess a huge community of users. Learn more about product versions, capabilities, user resources and what Chef can offer an enterprise. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

Select the best configuration management tools for your company

What characterizes the best configuration management tools for your company? Read about the different tools available and which ones would address your company needs the best. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

Script management technology adds safety to scripting's power

Script management is a necessity to maintain an IT deployment. The canny organization will choose the right tools that give power to the sys admin, while protecting against accidents. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom

Decision criteria for choosing configuration management software

Selecting the right configuration management software is vital for your company to function well in this modern age. Learn what you need to know in order to select the best tool. Continue Reading

By

• Clive Longbottom