IT Operations
Top Stories
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Tip
15 Jul 2026
14 steps to implement IT automation at enterprise scale
IT organizations can't implement automation all at once. But by following proven steps, they can safely scale workflows while improving governance, efficiency and control. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jul 2026
6 trends shaping IT automation in 2026 and beyond
Enterprises are expanding their use of automation in IT, where AI is changing the landscape with trends such as agentic workflows, automated decision-making and AI-driven pipelines. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Feb 2018
Meet these SCVMM 2016 requirements before upgrading
Before upgrading to SCVMM 2016, ensure that you meet its hardware requirements, including SCVMM 2012 R2 and Update Rollup 9 or later, and have a supported version of SQL Server. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Feb 2018
Cloud ops doesn't solve your problems, it creates new ones
There are many reasons to consider a cloud migration, but if you expect to cut costs or dramatically ease management, you'll be disappointed. Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2018
CPU bugs add to IT stress as February Patch Tuesday drops
Administrators who rushed out fixes in January for the Meltdown and Spectre flaws then had to unwind some of those corrections after additional problems occurred. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Feb 2018
Container adoption stats reveal a ramp up in production
There's a 50/50 chance your IT organization will provision and support container-based applications by 2020. See how organizations approach container deployment, including how much they need to spend. Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Feb 2018
Salary snapshot: It's a very good time to be a DevOps pro
In 2017, the number of job postings for DevOps jumped 15% over the previous year, and salaries increased, too. Do you have today's most in-demand skills? Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Feb 2018
Automation and orchestration elevate scripts from helpful to essential
Did you automate a server update, only to realize another script for configuration compliance has to run first? Orchestration tidies up the messy piles of automation that grow out of IT scripting. Continue Reading
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Answer
09 Feb 2018
How do I build data protection policies in SCDPM 2016?
One size does not fit all when administrators develop a protection policy for specific applications. Learn about the configuration options in System Center DPM 2016. Continue Reading
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Answer
08 Feb 2018
Follow these VM network configuration best practices
Set up and operate a VM network using proven strategies to ensure security and performance. With a little planning, virtualization admins can avoid potential issues down the road. Continue Reading
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Guide
07 Feb 2018
Explore Ansible for DevOps configuration management
The configuration management tool is adept at managing workloads across different infrastructure environments. This Ansible overview preps admins to automate apps and infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Answer
07 Feb 2018
Network security features available in a virtual switch
Virtual switch security is achieved through a number of features. Virtualization admins can create and enforce policies, lock down MAC addresses and block forged traffic from VMs. Continue Reading
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Answer
06 Feb 2018
NIC teaming software enables load balancing and failover
Load balancing and failover capabilities help optimize performance and achieve resiliency in your virtual infrastructure. Learn how NIC teaming provides both functionalities. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Feb 2018
Three ChatOps examples demonstrate DevOps efficiency
IT collaboration tools are taking center stage in DevOps shops, where they create an environment of connection -- to applications, to peer knowledge and to automation tools. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Feb 2018
Navigate different network ports, from physical to virtual
Physical network ports, virtual network ports, uplink ports and group ports all have different functions in virtual infrastructures. Learn more with this in-depth breakdown. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 Feb 2018
VM networking: Physical and virtual switches explained
In order for VMs to communicate, they must utilize VM networking technologies that enable them to emulate and access the existing physical network and provide additional features. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jan 2018
Sharpen IT effectiveness to go from cost center to business nexus
IT departments must work to keep user experience positive to avoid a perception as a resource vacuum. If users can't manipulate the app effectively, what does uptime matter? Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2018
OpenShift on OpenStack aims to ease VM, container management
In this Q&A, Red Hat's Brian Gracely discusses managing a virtual environment that has both VMs and containers and how OpenShift on OpenStack can help. Continue Reading
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Video
25 Jan 2018
Office 365 labels help keep content under control
Labels in Office 365 take data governance tasks out of the users' hands through the automatic designation of policies to meet regulations or internal procedures. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Jan 2018
Container orchestration tools ease distributed system complexity
Containers simplify some aspects of enterprise apps, but the deployment process is no walk in the park. Orchestration tools bring standardization and automation to complex hosting scenarios. Continue Reading
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Guide
24 Jan 2018
How to choose the best hardware for virtualization
Selecting the best hardware for virtualization is the foundation of maintaining or designing a robust, reliable and scalable data center. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Jan 2018
Are DevOps responsibilities in production unfair to developers?
When Nike.com gave developers live production support responsibilities, the shakeup unearthed fundamental questions about app design and support processes. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jan 2018
Curb stress from Exchange Server updates with these pointers
Some administrators let the memories of a bad patch linger and put off Exchange updates. Here are some tips to make this necessary chore less of a traumatic experience. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Jan 2018
Ensure container monitoring and control via smart tooling
Don't try to stick with traditional monitoring tools when your organization matures to containers; they won't do enough. Seek out monitoring and management tools with targeted capabilities. Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Jan 2018
It's tough to explain DevOps, that nebulous IT concept
DevOps is more about goals and aspirations than any set of practices or tools. Right? Or is it just about collaboration and culture? Either way, it's tough to define DevOps. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Jan 2018
Compliance Manager tool aims to ease security audit process
Administrators who wrestle with compliance tasks in Office 365 and Azure workloads might find some relief with Microsoft's dashboard platform, which automates part of the process. Continue Reading
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Answer
08 Jan 2018
How does Data Protection Manager 2016 save and restore data?
Data Protection Manager 2016 works with a wide range of enterprise applications, but administrators need to be aware that some backup types do not work with every program. Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 Jan 2018
The future of DevOps in 2018? More people, more integration
From DataOps to function as a service, DevOps adoption is going to mean acquiring some new skills in 2018. Contributor George Lawton asks the experts. Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Jan 2018
Be wary of DevOps evangelists preaching a culture change
There are many reasons to adopt DevOps, and there are many challenges involved in getting it right. But don't buy into the culture myth that many DevOps evangelists are selling. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jan 2018
Evaluate ChatOps tools and bots for the right fit
ChatOps is still a niche in IT operations and DevOps shops, but organizations that have set it up love it. That means you should join the fun and give it a try. Here's what you need to know about ChatOps tools. Continue Reading
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Definition
28 Dec 2017
Microsoft Windows Server OS (operating system)
Microsoft Windows Server OS (operating system) is a series of enterprise-class server operating systems designed to share services with multiple users and provide extensive administrative control of data storage, applications and corporate networks. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Dec 2017
Set Office 365 group limits to avoid administrative hassles
With help from PowerShell, administrators can tailor Office 365 Groups to develop common-sense restrictions on the tools and other components in the collaboration service. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Dec 2017
Use virsh commands to manage KVM networking
Virsh commands enable you to manage network properties and can be used alongside brctl commands to help you create additional virtual bridges in your KVM environment. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Dec 2017
Two Ansible playbook examples illustrate config management
Configuration management enables automation for many operations tasks. Ansible uses a simple structure and a dynamic language to enable admins to easily complete jobs, once they get the hang of a playbook. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Nov 2017
Enterprise shops look to AIOps for IT root cause analysis
IT ops pros look to AIOps tools to help find the smoking gun in failing IT stacks, but some call automated root cause analysis more dream than reality. Continue Reading
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Opinion
05 Nov 2017
Systems thinking principles: Building a DevOps support model
It's time to embrace a DevOps support model. Everything we do has consequences, good or bad. We're interdependent. That's why no team should work in isolation. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Oct 2017
To build or to buy? That is the DevOps toolchain question
An organization should assess its strengths and weaknesses before choosing a DevOps toolchain. A pre-made pipeline is simpler than individually collected tools, but it sacrifices flexibility. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Oct 2017
Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Replication Service (MRS)
The Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Replication Service (MRS) is a feature that handles mailbox import, export, migration and restoration requests on Exchange Server. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Oct 2017
Windows Server containers and Hyper-V containers explained
It's important to not only understand the differences between these two container types but also the specific requirements, deployment considerations and management practices. Continue Reading
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Guide
28 Sep 2017
Learn DevOps techniques in a home lab
Not allowed to put work projects on GitHub? Want to run containers even though your company is still virtualizing servers? Get ahead with techniques and tools in a DevOps home lab. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Sep 2017
Microsoft Nano Server
Microsoft Nano Server is a lightweight version of the Windows Server operating system that was introduced with Windows Server 2016 for use as an OS layer for virtualized container instances. Continue Reading
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Definition
21 Sep 2017
Microsoft Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection
Microsoft Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) is Microsoft's optional cloud-based service that scans and filters email to protect subscribers from malware in attachments and hyperlinks to malicious websites. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Sep 2017
Ansible variables give structure to playbook execution
Ansible playbooks tell the IT automation system how to complete a task. Use variables in a playbook to tell Ansible how to interact with the available resources. Continue Reading
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Quiz
29 Aug 2017
Know how container host machine resources get used?
What's a container's resource limit? How do they scale? What OS does a host machine need? Answer 10 questions to prove your container deployment knowledge. Continue Reading
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Conference Coverage
29 Aug 2017
Microsoft Ignite 2017 conference coverage
Check all the developments from the Microsoft Ignite 2017 conference in Orlando and track the company's strategic moves in its hardware, software and services businesses. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Aug 2017
A deployment pipeline keeps infrastructure ducks in their rows
IT infrastructure is difficult to get right. Whether to stand up a test/dev server or deploy a new app to production, infrastructure developers turn to a deployment pipeline to build IT. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Aug 2017
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
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Definition
20 Jul 2017
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
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Tip
18 Jul 2017
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
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Tip
05 Jul 2017
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
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Photo Story
22 Jun 2017
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
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Opinion
31 May 2017
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
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Tip
24 May 2017
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
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Tip
12 May 2017
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
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Feature
26 Apr 2017
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
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Tip
07 Apr 2017
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
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Tip
27 Mar 2017
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
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Feature
22 Mar 2017
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
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Answer
27 Feb 2017
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
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Tip
24 Feb 2017
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
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Tip
15 Feb 2017
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
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Buyer's Guide
10 Feb 2017
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
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Tip
25 Jan 2017
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
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E-Zine
19 Jan 2017
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
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Photo Story
19 Jan 2017
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
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Tip
11 Jan 2017
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
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Definition
10 Jan 2017
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
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Tip
06 Jan 2017
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
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Tip
16 Dec 2016
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
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Tip
07 Dec 2016
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
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Tip
02 Dec 2016
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
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Tip
21 Nov 2016
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
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Tip
15 Nov 2016
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
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Guide
27 Oct 2016
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
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Guide
26 Oct 2016
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
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Photo Story
20 Oct 2016
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
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Tip
11 Oct 2016
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
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Buyer's Guide
07 Oct 2016
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
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Tip
28 Sep 2016
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
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Feature
23 Sep 2016
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
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Feature
22 Sep 2016
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
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Feature
21 Sep 2016
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
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Tip
15 Sep 2016
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
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Feature
14 Sep 2016
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
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Tip
13 Sep 2016
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
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Feature
09 Sep 2016
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
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Feature
01 Sep 2016
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
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Conference Coverage
25 Aug 2016
Microsoft Ignite 2016 conference coverage
Find all the independent reporting and analysis from the Microsoft Ignite conference 2016 in one place. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Aug 2016
Patch servers the right way without wasting time
Apply these server patching best practices to save time, reduce complexity, and build an optimal schedule and toolkit. Continue Reading
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News
17 Aug 2016
Aviva’s annual Hackathon – the customer is key
One insurance company organizes an annual hackathon, where cross-discipline teams form to create features that employees dream up. In 24 hours, it's all over, but the lessons learned persist much longer. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
09 Aug 2016
Pick up infrastructure as code tools and techniques
Walk through an infrastructure as code template, using AWS CloudFormation as an example, to better understand defining and connecting resources. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Aug 2016
How is runtime as a service different from PaaS or IaaS?
What is runtime as a service and how does it differ from platform as a service and infrastructure as a service? Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jul 2016
Set Office 365 data loss prevention policies with PowerShell
Exchange administrators can use PowerShell to manage Office 365 compliance, e-discovery and data loss prevention. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
01 Jul 2016
Modern open source systems management
The open source sector abounds with configuration management, monitoring and analytics, CI/CD tools and more to arm IT teams against failure in complex apps and infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jun 2016
Create a cloud development environment for on-premises apps
With built-in tools from many of the mature public cloud services and a well-planned deployment strategy, IT teams can -- and should -- move test/dev to public cloud. Continue Reading
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Guide
31 May 2016
Primer on DevOps roles and responsibilities
DevOps planning in enterprises revolves around getting the right teams in place, the necessary skills spiffed up and the proper tools to make it all come together. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 May 2016
Crunching the costs of Microsoft Exchange on-premises vs. cloud services
Security concerns are less of an issue for most organizations, but do the costs of using Exchange on premises vs. the Office 365 mail service stack up? Continue Reading
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Tip
05 May 2016
Start using the PowerShell pipeline with this example
An administrator can create functions to support the PowerShell pipeline, which improves upon text-based shells by allowing the scripter to pass objects across the pipe. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Mar 2016
How to upgrade to PowerShell 5
PowerShell version 5 is the most recent iteration of the scripting language and offers new features from previous versions. Admins can upgrade to the new version in a few steps. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Mar 2016
PowerShell script examples and reference guide for admins
Microsoft unveiled PowerShell in 2006, but many Windows administrators are still unaware of the tremendous amount of resources available to help automate numerous tasks. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Mar 2016
Use the admin center for some Office 365 administration
Administrators can choose the admin center or PowerShell for Office 365 management -- the best option depends on the circumstances. Continue Reading
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Definition
29 Feb 2016
Microsoft Hyper-V Shielded VM
A Microsoft Hyper-V Shielded VM is a security feature of Windows Server 2016 that protects a Hyper-V second-generation virtual machine (VM) from access or tampering by using a combination of Secure Boot, BitLocker encryption, virtual Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and the Host Guardian Service. Continue Reading