IT Operations
Top Stories
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Tip
25 Aug 2026
IT/OT convergence training and certification: A practical guide
IT/OT convergence training involves rethinking existing processes and acquiring new skills to bridge the knowledge gap in areas like business process engineering and project management. Continue Reading
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News
24 Aug 2026
Salesforce broadens headless offering for agentic AI access
Headless 360 kicks into high gear with MCP servers for Salesforce features, data repositories. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Feb 2025
What is a domain controller?
A domain controller is a server that processes requests for authentication from users and computers within a computer domain. Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2025
New Relic takes partnership tack for agentic AI
New Relic users say its collaborative approach to agentic AI, revamped AIOps tools and pricing model will make it easier to explore fresh forms of automation. Continue Reading
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Definition
25 Feb 2025
What is Active Directory Domain (AD Domain)?
An Active Directory domain (AD domain) is a collection of objects within a Microsoft Active Directory network. An object can be a single user or a group, or it can be a hardware component, such as a computer or printer. Each domain holds a database containing object identity information. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Feb 2025
IT process automation: 6 examples to boost efficiency
A variety of software offerings, increasingly infused with AI, can help an IT shop become more productive, from handling service requests to conducting user satisfaction surveys. Continue Reading
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Definition
24 Feb 2025
What is Microsoft?
Microsoft is the world's largest vendor of computer software and a leading provider of cloud computing services, video games, computer and gaming hardware, search and other online services. Continue Reading
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Definition
21 Feb 2025
What is continuous deployment (CD)?
Continuous deployment (CD) is a strategy for software development and releases in which every code change is automatically run through a pipeline of tests and inspections before being pushed into production. Continue Reading
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Definition
21 Feb 2025
What is a batch file?
A batch file is a script file that stores commands to be executed in a serial order. Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2025
Zero-CVE Chainguard Images gain customization option
Chainguard opens its container image builder factory to let users mix and match hardened container components while preserving a zero-vulnerability SLA. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Feb 2025
What is function as a service (FaaS)?
Function as a service (FaaS) is a cloud computing model that enables cloud customers to develop applications and deploy functionalities and only be charged when the functionality executes. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
18 Feb 2025
Deploy a read-only domain controller for security, speed
A read-only domain controller requires a fair amount of work for a proper deployment, but it can be a great option for quicker logins for users in branch offices. Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2025
IT orgs expand business observability beyond their own walls
Business observability could soon become a part of your IT environment, even if you're not the one who originally thought of it. Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2025
Microsoft plugs two zero-days for February Patch Tuesday
The company corrects active exploits in vulnerable Windows systems, one of which could give the attacker complete control if successful. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
07 Feb 2025
Learn to automate with PowerShell and Task Scheduler
Using automation in tandem with scheduled tasks helps a busy admin stay on top of responsibilities big and small to free up time for more involved work. Continue Reading
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Definition
06 Feb 2025
What is serverless computing?
Serverless computing is a cloud computing execution model that lets software developers build and run applications and servers without having to provision or manage the back-end infrastructure. Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2025
Dynatrace ups AIOps ante with log analytics refresh
Updates to Dynatrace CoPilot and log analytics for AIOps prompt users to dump other tools, but migrations can be a challenge. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Feb 2025
How to properly implement Exchange Extended Protection
This security feature can better protect Exchange Server deployments to prevent a wide range of attacks and safeguard sensitive data transmitted over the network. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2025
CISO enlists agentic AI reinforcements for SecOps
AI agents are already in the hands of adversaries. One aerospace CISO has begun to use them to augment his SecOps staff and even the score. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Jan 2025
What is cloud orchestration (cloud orchestrator)?
Cloud orchestration (cloud orchestrator) is the use of programming technology to manage the interconnections and interactions among workloads on public and private cloud infrastructure. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2025
EU, U.S. at odds on AI safety regulations
The U.S. under the new Trump administration changes course on AI safety, in contrast with the EU, as uncertainty lingers about other Biden-era federal cybersecurity efforts. Continue Reading
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Podcast
23 Jan 2025
Review and predictions for open source software in 2025
Sigstore creator, Chainguard CEO, OpenSSF TAC member and Season 1 guest Dan Lorenc returns to review 2024 and make predictions for 2025. Continue Reading
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Podcast
22 Jan 2025
Cybersecurity expertise gaps: More than meets the eye
An S&P Global analyst charts the past, present and future of SecOps, where demand continues to outpace the supply of advanced skills. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2025
Biden order gives CISA software supply chain 'teeth'
The outgoing administration makes a Hail Mary attempt to salvage work it began in 2021 to require specific software supply chain security information from software suppliers. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2025
Cisco AI cybersecurity launch touts shadow AI defense
Cisco wields the power of incumbency to weave AI security into existing cloud access management tools, including algorithmic validation testing on AI models. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2025
January Patch Tuesday resolves 3 Hyper-V zero-days
The number of vulnerabilities corrected for January Patch Tuesday is one of the highest in recent memory and includes three Hyper-V vulnerabilities exploited in the wild. Continue Reading
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Podcast
14 Jan 2025
Rethinking business continuity before the next big IT outage
For one industry analyst, the most significant gap exposed by the CrowdStrike outage is between IT and business -- not Sec and Ops. Continue Reading
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Opinion
10 Jan 2025
5 ways enterprise AI will transform IT infrastructure in 2025
Enterprise AI will take a massive step forward in 2025. Don't let the year slip by without a strategy to turn the AI hype into real value for your IT organization. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Dec 2024
Platform teams draw on DataOps, MLOps to support GenAI
GenAI calls for more rigorous data discipline than previous forms of analytics, but there are lessons platform teams can learn from existing approaches. Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2024
AWS, Red Hat hybrid cloud wares court VMware converts
Broadcom has softened some of its stances on VMware licensing and public cloud, but competitors stay poised to pounce on customers looking to defect. Continue Reading
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News
13 Dec 2024
Last-minute geek gift ideas for the holidays
Still searching for holiday gifts for geeks? Try these offbeat suggestions recommended by our panel of consultants, from the practical to the fantastic and everything in between. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Dec 2024
See what's new in Desired State Configuration v3
Avoid unexpected surprises, and learn how to bring consistency to your on-premises infrastructure and cloud resources with the overhauled configuration management tool. Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2024
December Patch Tuesday shuts down Windows zero-day
Microsoft addresses 72 vulnerabilities, including 17 rated critical. Administrators should focus on patching the Windows OS to stop a flaw that has been exploited in the wild. Continue Reading
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Video
09 Dec 2024
Watch an example of continuous integration
CI/CD pipelines keep mistakes out of production. Here's how continuous integration workflows work and why we need them. Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2024
Amazon Q, Bedrock updates make case for cloud in agentic AI
Amazon and its partners rev their engines in anticipation of agentic AI with updates that challenge the cost and quality claims of self-hosted infrastructure competitors. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
05 Dec 2024
How PowerShell can automate Hyper-V deployments
This tutorial explains the basics of how to build a proper template to stand up a Hyper-V VM with a script, then go further with advanced configurations for smoother deployments. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Nov 2024
Microsoft Teams monitoring tips for admins
Learn how to use PowerShell to set up an automated way to check for suspicious activity in the Microsoft chat service to avoid security and compliance issues. Continue Reading
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Definition
25 Nov 2024
What is a configuration file?
A configuration file, often shortened to config file, defines the parameters, options, settings and preferences applied to operating systems (OSes), infrastructure devices and applications in an IT context. Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2024
WasmCloud makes strides with Wasm component model
After a stall in 2023, this year's WASI Preview 2 pushed server-side WebAssembly forward, turning heads at companies such as American Express -- but it's far from mainstream use. Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Nov 2024
Rethinking 'secure by design' amid slippery SecOps shifts
An expert discusses the fallout from a CISA report that raised doubts about the last decade's DevSecOps trend, and where the industry goes from here. Continue Reading
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News
21 Nov 2024
IT pros revise pipelines for software supply chain security
Software supply chain security has reached an awkward stage for enterprise IT, as platform and security pros grapple with adding upstream tools to existing workflows. Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2024
AI gateways, Kubernetes multi-tenancy loop in LLMOps
There are many areas of IT infrastructure affected by the emergence of LLMOps; for each, there were products and projects rolled out this week at KubeCon. Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2024
Intel, Nvidia vie for dominance with agentic AI blueprints
Rival sets of tools meant to better support AI apps on developer platforms have hit the market as an even bigger wave of change looms in agentic AI. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Nov 2024
Guide to the advantages of using the Windows Terminal app
Admins who manage a wide range of resources will want to try this Microsoft app that integrates with Windows machines, cloud services and Linux systems from a single interface. Continue Reading
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News
14 Nov 2024
Platform engineers call for cloud-native GenAI updates
GenAI apps put unprecedented pressure on IT infrastructure management, which has IT pros in the field looking to the open source community for reinforcements. Continue Reading
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Podcast
14 Nov 2024
CEO: GenAI changes multi-cloud security, network equation
Aviatrix CEO Doug Merritt sees generative AI apps forcing a more distributed approach to cloud infrastructure, but he believes it will also help SecOps catch up with threats. Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2024
Microsoft halts 2 zero-days on November Patch Tuesday
The company addressed 88 vulnerabilities, including an Exchange Server spoofing flaw and a significant number of SQL Server bugs, this month. Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2024
OpenShift AI boosts LLMOps chops with Neural Magic deal
The acquisition of a top contributor to an open source library already linked to OpenShift AI comes as LLMOps fundamentally alters the platform engineering scene. Continue Reading
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Podcast
12 Nov 2024
Lines blur between enterprise SecOps and cyberdefense
One expert predicts AI will ultimately benefit attackers more than defenders and, instead, urges businesses to take a page out of military and government cyberdefense handbooks. Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2024
Google DORA issues platform engineering caveats
As with generative AI, the same techniques that can boost enterprise developer productivity can also slow and destabilize overall software delivery. Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2024
IBM Apptio preps FinOps link with Terraform via GitHub
IBM drops another hint about its plans for HashiCorp with a shift-left FinOps integration in private beta, while tie-ins with Red Hat remain an open question. Continue Reading
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Podcast
01 Nov 2024
Could SBOMs save lives? SecOps in critical infrastructure
'We live in glass houses,' said a seasoned cybersecurity expert of the U.S. water supply, healthcare and other lifeline services. 'And people are about to start throwing rocks.' Continue Reading
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Tutorial
30 Oct 2024
How to optimize Azure VMs for performance and cost savings
Learn how to reduce the monthly cloud bill from Microsoft while, in some cases, also improving Azure workloads performance by using a storage pooling technique. Continue Reading
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Definition
28 Oct 2024
What is AIOps (artificial intelligence for IT operations)?
Artificial intelligence for IT operations (AIOps) is an umbrella term for the use of big data analytics, machine learning (ML) and other AI technologies to automate and enhance IT operations. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
25 Oct 2024
How to use Ansible with Windows for server management
Initially made for Linux, Ansible also manages Windows systems through playbooks that use declarative syntax. Learn how to set up a control node and add roles to Windows Server. Continue Reading
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Podcast
25 Oct 2024
Relearning past lessons in assessing cloud risk
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it -- even when that history is only about a decade or two old, according to one security analyst in this podcast episode. Continue Reading
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News
24 Oct 2024
Linkerd stable release paywall worked, Buoyant CEO says
Buoyant's CEO urged other CNCF projects to follow Linkerd's lead in holding back stable releases for paying customers, but analysts don't echo that recommendation. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Oct 2024
Continuous delivery vs. continuous deployment: Which to choose?
Continuous delivery and continuous deployment both compress and de-risk the final stages of production rollout. Learn how to choose the proper path for your organization. Continue Reading
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Opinion
23 Oct 2024
Blueprint for hybrid observability: AI and its 4 key enablers
There are four elements that create a foundation for AI-driven observability. The ability to automatically detect new or updated components is just one of them. Continue Reading
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Answer
22 Oct 2024
How to deploy an Exchange Server cumulative update
Cumulative updates give the Exchange Server platform stability and security. This guide explains how to perform this maintenance properly to avoid a major service disruption. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Oct 2024
What is C (programming language)?
The C programming language is a procedural and general-purpose language that provides low-level access to system memory. Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Oct 2024
Security observability, AI require data hygiene in DevSecOps
Sound data management is the heart of observability for security, which guides DevSecOps practices and determines the usefulness of AI apps, New Relic CISO says. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Oct 2024
What is change failure rate (CFR)?
Change failure rate is a software development performance metric that measures the percentage of software deliveries that required remediation after release to production. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Oct 2024
CI/CD pipeline security: Know the risks and best practices
Rapid release cycles need not compromise the security of an application and supporting infrastructure. Follow these guidelines to ensure security throughout the CI/CD pipeline. Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2024
HashiCorp Vault scalability updates target big enterprises
HashiCorp Vault 1.18 updates make it more suited to large companies, which the vendor is courting with a lighter cloud migration push than with Terraform. Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2024
HashiCorp CTO talks AI strategy, Ansible tie-ins, FedRAMP
In a Q&A to wrap up HashiConf, the company's co-founder and CTO gave his outlook on HashiCorp's approach to AI, configuration management and cloud compliance. Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2024
Terraform Stacks, HCP Waypoint prompt migration questions
HashiCorp fends off challengers that sell ease of use with fresh infrastructure-as-code abstraction, while Terraform users grapple with a potential move to cloud-first services. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Oct 2024
How to evaluate AI for Windows Server environments
Organizations tasked with assessing AI workloads on Windows Server must weigh all the variables to determine the best approach to adopt this budding technology. Continue Reading
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Podcast
11 Oct 2024
SecOps from the IT infrastructure operations perspective
The CrowdStrike outage capped a decade of deepening divide between SecOps and the rest of IT ops -- and should bring about its end, according to one industry veteran. Continue Reading
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News
09 Oct 2024
Atlassian 'cloud-first' becomes 'enterprise-first'
Atlassian's tune has changed in the past few months, as the company builds bridges to Data Center products and works on FedRAMP cloud compliance. Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2024
Microsoft repairs 2 zero-days on October Patch Tuesday
Administrators will have to tackle 117 new vulnerabilities, including three rated critical, in this month's batch of security updates. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Oct 2024
What's new in System Center 2025?
The key management tool for enterprises with a heavy investment in on-premises infrastructure is set for its next major release to coincide with the arrival of Windows Server 2025. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Oct 2024
Top 8 configuration management tools in DevOps
Configuration management tools ease the IT burden. Explore the top configuration management tools in DevOps, evaluate their features and consider key aspects that set them apart. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Oct 2024
Configuration management vs. asset management simplified
Configuration management and asset management are sometimes used interchangeably. While similar in certain ways, they are not the same thing. Discover where the two diverge and where they overlap. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Oct 2024
Ansible vs. Chef vs. Puppet: A comparison
For teams that oversee ecosystems and software packages, configuration management tools have the power to boost operational consistency. But which products deserve attention? Continue Reading
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Podcast
03 Oct 2024
Microsoft security overhaul offers blueprint for SecOps
Better late than never: Microsoft lags major cloud competitors in making security a top priority. But other enterprises might learn from how the company is catching up. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 Oct 2024
What is configuration management? A comprehensive guide
Configuration management, or CM, is a governance and systems engineering process used to track and control IT resources, services and applications across an enterprise. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 Oct 2024
What are ModelOps (model operations) analytics models?
ModelOps (model operations) is a holistic approach to building analytics models that can quickly progress from the lab to production. Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2024
Fresh crop of startups takes on infrastructure-as-code toil
Emerging vendors, including a new venture from the founder of Chef, set out to put a fresh face on IT infrastructure automation for the platform engineering era. Continue Reading
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Podcast
26 Sep 2024
The double-edged swords of cloud security and AI
DevSecOps expert Kyler Middleton examines the ways modern technologies such as cloud computing and AI both enable and complicate the future of SecOps. Continue Reading
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News
25 Sep 2024
Harness DevOps tools add database, QA automation, AI agents
With a series of updates this week, Harness claims unique support for database DevOps, as well as pipeline generation and UI test automation using AI agents. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Sep 2024
Will Windows Server 2025 spark VMware migrations?
Can Microsoft capitalize on VMware customer concerns by touting enhancements to its next version of Windows Server along with its cloud and hyperconverged infrastructure options? Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Sep 2024
U.S. Army, Lockheed Martin detail SBOM progress
Despite muddied regulatory waters and industry angst over technical stumbling blocks, enterprises are forging ahead with SBOMs, according to presenters at a recent CISA event. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
23 Sep 2024
Learn to use PowerShell Invoke-RestMethod for API calls
Admins who work with the cloud, from Azure hybrid services to Microsoft 365, should understand how REST APIs work in conjunction with PowerShell for their automation needs. Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2024
Platform engineers embrace secrets management tool
Pulumi's ESC, now GA, filled an automation gap in multi-cloud identity and permissions management for platform engineers well-versed in general-purpose programming languages. Continue Reading
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Podcast
19 Sep 2024
SecOps' new frontier in the remote work era: HR
A CISO shares the story of how his SOC staff caught and contained a North Korean agent posing as a software engineer, saying he hopes to raise awareness of a growing threat. Continue Reading
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Answer
18 Sep 2024
What's the role of an application load balancer vs. API gateway?
Application load balancers and API gateways both manage network traffic. Learn the differences between them and how to use them together in a modern IT deployment. Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2024
IBM adds to FinOps arsenal as cloud competition winds change
IBM broadens its multi-cloud and hybrid cloud FinOps support with its acquisition of Kubecost, as its AI infrastructure strategy diverges from VMware's under Broadcom. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
13 Sep 2024
Getting started with Argo CD on Kubernetes
Argo CD can make managing Kubernetes clusters simpler and more efficient. Learn how to install Argo CD and set up an application to get started. Continue Reading
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Podcast
12 Sep 2024
CTO challenges software security status quo
A former U.S. Department of Homeland Security researcher argues that software is fundamentally broken from a security perspective. So, where does the industry go from here? Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2024
Four zero-days fixed for September Patch Tuesday
Most corrections this month focus on the Windows OS, but enterprises that rely on SQL Server or SharePoint should prioritize deploying the security updates for those platforms. Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2024
JFrog connects key software supply chain management dots
JFrog ties in with GitHub and Nvidia and ships Runtime Security to offer visibility into software supply chains from source code to production and back again, including AI apps. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2024
OpenTofu, OpenBao reach milestones post-HashiCorp BSL
OpenTofu capped a year since launch with a new registry UI and API, while OpenBao reached GA, but open source forks didn't keep HashiCorp from beating growth estimates. Continue Reading
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Podcast
09 Sep 2024
An expert's big-picture view of the state of SecOps
In this first episode of 'IT Ops Query' Season 2, a SANS institute instructor and 20-year cybersecurity veteran assesses the past, present and future of SecOps. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Sep 2024
Grafana vs. Datadog: What are the differences?
Grafana and Datadog are both powerful monitoring services with a wide variety of integrations, such as logging, visualization, alerts and APM. Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2024
IT vendors still search for open source license sweet spot
Elastic returns Elasticsearch and Kibana to open source licenses while Sentry floats Fair Source, as balancing business and community success remains a work in progress. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Sep 2024
Microsoft Purview Audit helps IT flush out bad behavior
The auditing tool gives enterprises a way to find problems by examining logs from Microsoft 365 cloud services, such as Exchange Online, to see what actions were taken and where. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Aug 2024
Stop phishing with help from updated DMARC policy handling
Exchange admins got a boost from Microsoft when it improved how it handles DMARC authentication failures to help organizations fight back from email-based attacks on their users. Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2024
VMware Tanzu hones integration, but faces Broadcom backlash
VMware Tanzu now offers a single UI for Cloud Foundry and Kubernetes, a feature years in the making, but the improvement could get lost in post-Broadcom drama. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Aug 2024
Building an infrastructure-as-code pipeline in the cloud
There are key stages to manage infrastructure as code, from source control to deployment. Here's how these functions can be accomplished through cloud services. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Aug 2024
Windows Server 2025 Hyper-V updates promise speed boost
Will the new and improved features in the upcoming Hyper-V release come at the perfect time for Microsoft to capitalize on a series of unpopular changes from VMware? Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Aug 2024
What is LXD (Linux container hypervisor)?
LXD, pronounced 'lex-dee,' is a unified platform for managing system containers and virtual machines (VMs). Continue Reading