Tips

Tips

• Be aware of these CloudWatch Logs limits and quotas

  CloudWatch Logs imposes certain limits and service quotas related to log data ingestion and other areas. Fortunately, in many cases, there are workarounds.  Continue Reading

• Craft a secure and reliable backup redundancy strategy

  Backup and redundancy are not interchangeable. By using both, backup admins can avoid critical data loss and help ensure recovery. However, watch out for some common missteps.  Continue Reading

• Understanding the FTP PORT command

  FTP uses control and data channels, each using a separate TCP port. Port 21 is for the control channel, and port 20 is for the data channel. Learn how these two channels are used.  Continue Reading

• Private 5G in a box simplifies deployment, mobility

  Vendors are offering private 5G in a box -- a condensed and streamlined form of standalone 5G -- to simplify the complexity of typical private 5G deployments.  Continue Reading

• DevOps vs. AgileOps: What's the difference?

  While AgileOps may seem like a sign that the IT industry has reached 'peak Ops,' the approach could enable DevOps teams to further refine their operations.  Continue Reading

• How to create and manage a rock-solid DevSecOps framework

  Going from DevOps to DevSecOps requires a serious adjustment -- but it's a change that improves both the IT ecosystem and the IT department's collaboration prowess.  Continue Reading

• Docker's rootless mode a welcome security update

  Docker containers have root privileges by default -- a known security issue for several years. Now Docker's rootless mode separates containers from underlying infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• Wi-Fi sensing has the potential to be disruptive

  With help from AI and machine learning, Wi-Fi sensing detects movement in the Wi-Fi environment. While it sounds promising, the technology still has a long way to go.  Continue Reading

• What an AI-driven network looks like

  Log analysis and wireless management are common AI use cases in networking. Future applications could include chatbot alerts, digital experience monitoring and traffic engineering.  Continue Reading

• Gain insights from Azure Advisor recommendations

  Microsoft's Azure Advisor service offers recommendations based on five categories. Learn these categories and the roles they play in a cloud management strategy.  Continue Reading

• Explore print server alternatives to avoid IT headaches

  Increased difficulties related to printing have many organizations exploring their options. See what these third-party print management alternatives have to offer.  Continue Reading

• 7 essential GitHub features for dev, project management

  When teams use GitHub, they want features that simplify project management and enable more control. Here are seven features to tinker with during application development.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshoot name resolution on Windows, Linux and macOS

  Network administrators can troubleshoot name resolution using a variety of methods, including ping, nslookup and PowerShell cmdlets. Here are some troubleshooting best practices.  Continue Reading

• An introduction to SRE documentation best practices

  SRE documentation stands distinct from other types of IT documentation, not least because it's a core responsibility for site reliability engineers. What else makes it distinct?  Continue Reading

• The implications of blockchain in the chip shortage

  Blockchain has been a significant contributor to the global chip shortage. Explore the role this rising technology has played.  Continue Reading

• Get to know Amazon DevOps Guru for system monitoring

  Amazon DevOps Guru gives IT admins machine learning-driven insights into applications to respond to problems quickly and efficiently. Discover how it works and its benefits.  Continue Reading

• Explore top AWS storage types for file, block, object

  There are several AWS storage types, but these four offerings cover file, block and object storage needs. Explore how the cloud storage choices compare with each other.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for DIY network automation

  Many network pros write their own automation scripts. These best practices help teams implement coding and tool set standardization, proper change management and immutability.  Continue Reading

• Putting up DevOps guardrails -- what does that mean?

  IT projects without proper communication and collaboration can be risky for organizations to take on -- that's where DevOps guardrails come in. Learn more below.  Continue Reading

• A primer on disaggregated storage

  Disaggregated storage enables organizations to scale compute and storage separately for high-performance, low-latency workloads. Some benefits are cost savings and flexibility.  Continue Reading

• Observability as code is key to the cloud operating model

  Why is everything becoming 'as code'? Believe it or not, it's easier to manage and can save the headache of adopting a new, specialized tool. Use the tools you have for OaC.  Continue Reading

• Patching best practices IT ops and security can agree on

  Patches are necessary for maintenance, but can often cause a rift between IT ops and security teams. Follow these best practices to unify expectations and keep tension at bay.  Continue Reading

• Here's why you still need exploratory testing documentation

  While documentation is an important part of exploratory testing, it doesn't have to be extensive -- and it shouldn't get in the way of learning about the software.  Continue Reading

• Top 12 application performance monitoring tools

  Discover the basic capabilities to evaluate when choosing an APM tool, and then review a list of APM vendors to help you get started with your selection process.  Continue Reading

• When and how to search with Amazon CloudWatch Logs

  Logs can reveal important information about your systems, such as patterns and errors. Learn how to search logs with CloudWatch Logs, key concepts and other options.  Continue Reading

• Emphasize culture in your Agile implementation approach

  Team structure and culture should be a primary focus during any shift to Agile principles and methodologies.  Continue Reading

• Compare Docker vs. Podman for container management

  Docker and Podman offer similar capabilities to manage containers, but Docker's security vulnerabilities might make Podman more appealing for some admins.  Continue Reading

• A quick glance at the history of C programming languages

  Since C hit the scene in 1972, the language has continuously evolved to stay relevant in modern development. We examine C's history and why it's still relevant.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for legal hold storage

  Storing data for legal holds could be a mission-critical task. Storage admins should understand how to prepare for legal holds and deal with them when they occur.  Continue Reading

• Learn the basics of SaaS licensing and pricing models

  SaaS licensing can be tricky to navigate, and a wrong choice could cost you. To get it right, examine the different types of licenses and the main pricing models.  Continue Reading

• Explore common types of Agile teams

  Agile methodologies can take many forms, and one Agile team can look and perform very differently from the next. Communication, however, is always key.  Continue Reading

• Adopt a zero-trust framework for a safer IT ecosystem

  Zero trust sounds like opposition to DevOps' all-for-one culture model, but it's a safety model organizations should evaluate. Safeguard everything with identity authentication.  Continue Reading

• BGP vs. EIGRP: What's the difference?

  BGP is an exterior gateway protocol optimized for routing between large networks. EIGRP is an interior gateway protocol that is well suited for routing within smaller networks.  Continue Reading

• 6 technical debt examples and how to solve them

  Technical debt can be critical to an organization's success or failure -- and many don't even know it exists. Discover six examples of where it collects and how to eliminate it.  Continue Reading

• Create file server screens and quotas in FSRM

  File Server Resource Manager can help data center admins keep track of what files get stored on their servers and how much space users take up. Learn to use key FSRM features.  Continue Reading

• These Azure Logic Apps examples assist with your admin needs

  Admins can get some automated assistance with provisioning and monitoring by learning how to work with triggers in Microsoft's integration platform as a service.  Continue Reading

• A guide to distributed network architectures

  Distributed network architectures have become popular because of their adaptability, reliability and scalability. But every new technology also has its challenges.  Continue Reading

• Secure your infrastructure against VM ransomware

  More hackers are using VMs as an access point to install and deploy encrypted ransomware. Make sure your security strategy includes prevention, response and analysis.  Continue Reading

• The role of name resolution in networking

  Name resolution is essential in converting hostnames and IP addresses for network communications. Here's how the process resolves hostnames, queries servers and finds IP addresses.  Continue Reading

• A 7-point language comparison of Ballerina vs. Golang

  This comparison takes a look at both Ballerina and Golang, including their support for high-level programming, libraries, built-in management features and community support.  Continue Reading

• What's driving the resurgence in tape storage use?

  Tape storage use has had a recent revival as a result of its air-gapped protection from ransomware. But that's not the only reason why businesses use the legacy technology.  Continue Reading

• CircleCI vs. GitHub Actions: CI/CD platform comparison

  Learn the differing features, commands and perks that make CircleCI and GitHub Actions distinct CI/CD platforms. Then, decide which offering meets your team's needs.  Continue Reading

• Do you meet all the modern authentication requirements?

  Microsoft's push to a more secure method for user authentication and authorization could catch some enterprises flat-footed if IT hasn't done its homework.  Continue Reading

• An introduction to neutral host networks using private 5G

  Enterprises often use signal boosters and distributed antenna systems to improve carrier signal strength. Neutral host networks over private 5G could disrupt those methods.  Continue Reading

• How to convert binary to decimal

  It's helpful for network admins to know how to convert binary to decimal, and vice versa, for IPv4 addressing, subnet masks, default gateways and network IDs.  Continue Reading

• How viable is it to create microservices in Python?

  Python offers microservices developers access to advanced scripting, embedded testing and plugin tooling. But is it a good fit for you? And what are the alternatives if it isn't?  Continue Reading

• Understand the rise in leaf-spine architecture

  Leaf-spine networks can help cut costs, reduce carbon footprints and optimize network traffic for data centers. Learn why this network architecture is on the rise.  Continue Reading

• Why and how to export data from CloudWatch Logs to S3

  There are several reasons to export data out of CloudWatch Logs and into S3. Use this step-by-step tutorial to automate the process.  Continue Reading

• Send automated messages with this Azure Logic Apps tutorial

  Learn to use the Microsoft cloud-based product to automatically send an email or a message from Microsoft Teams when you need to know if a task completed properly.  Continue Reading

• Key things to consider when choosing regression testing tools

  Making a decision about regression testing tooling purchases means taking stock of plans for CI/CD implementations, existing automation capabilities, staff expertise and more.  Continue Reading

• An introduction to VMware KVM mode

  VM management often requires multiple monitors. KVM mode lets you set hot keys to navigate between VMs and the OS, so no task -- or workflow -- is lost among application windows.  Continue Reading

• Scrum vs. DevOps: Are they intertwined or redundant?

  To keep up with a complex CI/CD environment, IT ops teams can choose between Scrum or DevOps -- or use them together. Discover the roles and benefits of each approach.  Continue Reading

• An overview of hardware support for virtualization

  Intel, AMD and Arm processors optimize virtualization in multiple ways. Read up on the features for Intel VT, AMD-V, Armv9, Intel APICv, and AMD AVIC tech, as well as how they support VMs.  Continue Reading

• Develop a DevOps branching strategy to promote efficiency

  Projects in DevOps environments can move quickly, which often creates chaos. To curb the confusion, use a branching strategy to track changes as teams work simultaneously.  Continue Reading

• 7 principles of observability in modern applications

  Organizations must keep these seven principles top of mind when monitoring and organizing data to institute observability practices that resolve problems quickly.  Continue Reading

• Fielding IT management challenges: Supply chain edition

  As IT operations teams grapple with global supply chain disruptions and a skills shortage, they must work with IT leadership to make some tough decisions.  Continue Reading

• How to learn Golang: A DevOps engineer's experience

  While some languages don't provide much proprietary support for new learners, Go makes it simple for anyone interested in the language to pick up the basics in a couple hours.  Continue Reading

• A SaaS evaluation checklist to choose the right provider

  Replacing a legacy app with a SaaS alternative can be tedious. Create a checklist related to reliability, support and uptime to pick the right SaaS app and provider.  Continue Reading

• How to set up automated log collection with PowerShell

  Gathering logs from on-premises Windows Server systems or Office 365 cloud services is a necessary but tedious job. Try a PowerShell script to ease the pain.  Continue Reading

• Address Hyper-V VM network issues for peak performance

  Microsoft Hyper-V can sometimes experience poor network performance or connectivity problems. When that happens, there are several things you can do to resolve the problem.  Continue Reading

• 4 low-code best practices to streamline adoption

  To be successful with low-code adoption, organizations must clearly define project goals, ensure the right mix of staffing and tools, and regularly asses business value.  Continue Reading

• Common use cases for observability

  These use cases for observability enable an organization to dig deeper into its systems monitoring and analysis to get ahead of potential issues and alert IT staff.  Continue Reading

• How test summary reports yield business value and benefits

  The data a test summary report compiles can provide great benefits to a development team -- and, in turn, business value to the larger IT organization.  Continue Reading

• AWS Control Tower aims to simplify multi-account management

  Many organizations struggle to manage their vast collection of AWS accounts, but Control Tower can help. The service automates the creation and governance of user accounts.  Continue Reading

• Frameworks for an observability maturity model

  Observability helps developers and IT operations teams identify and fix system issues. And with the right setup, it can improve on itself over time to catch potential problems.  Continue Reading

• Can you really use a shared database for microservices?

  Since its emergence as a mainstream development style, experts have debated the wisdom of using a shared database for microservices versus providing a database per service.  Continue Reading

• The 3 pillars of observability: Logs, metrics and traces

  Logs, metrics and traces offer their individual perspectives on system performance. When analyzed together, they provide a complete picture of your infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• What is the resource hierarchy structure in AWS?

  Review the resource hierarchy to gain a better understanding of what's happening at each step when you deploy a new service, give it permissions and have an admin manage it.  Continue Reading

• Ubuntu snap vs. apt: Which package manager to use and when

  Choosing an appropriate package manager depends primarily on your organization's specific IT ecosystem. Determine when snap or apt is the better call.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate proprietary vs. open source testing tools

  Cost, complexity and support levels are key items when teams consider proprietary or open source functional testing tools for their development environments.  Continue Reading

• 6 key phases of the software testing lifecycle

  For QA teams, a successful software testing process starts long before the actual test occurs.  Continue Reading

• Break down the Amazon EKS pricing model

  There are several important variables within the Amazon EKS pricing model. Dig into the numbers to ensure you deploy the service in the most cost-effective way.  Continue Reading

• DevOps goals and objectives for a smooth adoption roadmap

  Start your organization's DevOps adoption journey with the right set of metrics -- and drill down from there. And while no two orgs are the same, they share some key goals.  Continue Reading

• 5 network virtualization challenges and how to solve them

  The challenges of network virtualization include an overhaul of network architecture, thorough staff training and breaking down knowledge silos among IT departments.  Continue Reading

• Compare EKS vs. self-managed Kubernetes on AWS

  AWS users face a choice when deploying Kubernetes: run it themselves on EC2 or let Amazon do the heavy lifting with EKS. See which approach best fits your organization's needs.  Continue Reading

• How zero trust unifies network virtualization

  The combination of zero trust and network virtualization creates opportunities to strengthen security policies, increase cross-domain collaboration and improve overall visibility.  Continue Reading

• Identify and fix broken builds with CI/CD pipelines

  Experiencing broken builds in your CI/CD pipeline? These best practices related to credentials, flaky tests and alerts can boost productivity and confidence.  Continue Reading

• DevOps architect vs. engineer: What's the difference?

  DevOps engineers and architects work in the same environment, but their roles, skills and experience differ. Learn what each entails and how to prepare for one over the other.  Continue Reading

• A beginner's guide to Hyper-V checkpoints

  Hyper-V checkpoints help mitigate problems with upgrade rollouts. They can pile up, so they require some storage space and management.  Continue Reading

• How to track -- and measure -- technical debt

  Technical debt can grow without an organization's knowledge or control -- unless they address it at the start. Here are different methods and tools to track and manage it.  Continue Reading

• What software-defined LAN means for campus virtualization

  LAN virtualization has long encompassed VLANs to segment network traffic. But software-defined LAN is emerging with zero-trust strategies to provide more comprehensive security.  Continue Reading

• Implement reliability testing methods, tools for better dev

  Reliability testing can play an integral role in software development. Here are some methods and tools to incorporate into your app development lifecycle.  Continue Reading

• Choose the best Azure Blob Storage tier

  Hot, Cool or Archive -- where should Azure Blob Storage go? Each tier has its challenges, but don't panic if data is in the wrong one, with step-by-step directions for moving tiers.  Continue Reading

• Where the future of AIOps use cases will take IT ops

  AIOps is poised for rapid growth and maturity as it becomes accepted in the market. Organizations should draw plans to integrate it into DevOps and systems management.  Continue Reading

• Implement these 4 AWS Organizations best practices

  To successfully use AWS Organizations, admins must grasp key concepts related to organizational units, service control policies, and management and member accounts.  Continue Reading

• 5 best practices for VM patch management

  'Patching is my favorite!' said no IT admin, ever. Reduce the headache by patching everything -- even the hard-to-reach components -- and testing patches before rollout.  Continue Reading

• How enterprise networks use WAN virtualization

  SD-WAN is the most common form of WAN virtualization. But virtual WAN strategies are evolving to include software-defined perimeter and cloud concepts.  Continue Reading

• Learn to work with the Office 365 unified audit log

  Administrators who need to check on suspicious activities in the Office 365 platform can perform a unified audit log search to help with their investigation.  Continue Reading

• The ins and outs of low-code application testing

  When teams use low-code for application development, it can save time and money. But don't neglect testing for potential issues just to deploy the app sooner.  Continue Reading

• How to run Docker on an Azure VM

  Microsoft Azure offers a lot of container management services for enterprises to choose from. One of those options is Azure Container Instances. Here's how to get started.  Continue Reading

• Reduce cloud waste with careful DevOps cost management

  To keep up with swift business demands and managing the costs of the cloud, organizations can turn to DevOps. Follow these four principles to reduce waste.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate key Azure Data Factory benefits and limitations

  Organizations have plenty of options for data integration tools, some on premises and others in the cloud. Find out which type is the better fit and whether Azure is a good choice.  Continue Reading

• What is multi-cloud visibility, and how do I achieve it?

  It's not always clear how visibility relates to monitoring or observability or how these terms fit together in a multi-cloud environment. Let's sort it out.  Continue Reading

• Proactive backup measures simplify virtual server recovery

  Backups and CDP are two ways to prevent VM data loss. Backups can quickly restore data despite file recovery limits. CDP stores every piece of data in use but may lag in production.  Continue Reading

• Demonstrate ROI in IT with these metrics

  When IT ops teams must validate a project's worth to the business to receive funding, they have to look beyond general benefits. Here are several metrics that help prove ROI.  Continue Reading

• Network virtualization benefits in the LAN, WAN and data center

  Better traffic performance, scalability and security are some of the network virtualization benefits that enterprises can realize across their network infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate 5G networks vs. 4G for data centers

  5G networking requires organizations and data centers to support IoT, while 4G requires increased machinery. Learn more about the differences between 5G and 4G for data centers.  Continue Reading

• Smoke testing vs. sanity testing explainer on key differences

  While smoke and sanity testing are both techniques QA professionals use to quickly identify feature defects, they differ when it comes to scope, automation requirements and timing.  Continue Reading

• The role of network virtualization and SDN in data centers

  SDN, zero trust and infrastructure as code are popular forms of network virtualization within the data center, moving away from manual VLANs toward policy-driven virtualization.  Continue Reading

• How to scale Scrum with Scrum of Scrums meetings

  Enterprise-scale software development can be difficult to coordinate across multiple teams. For Agile-adhering IT organizations, Scrum of Scrums is one way to stay organized.  Continue Reading