Tips

Tips

• Public cloud networking basics: How to navigate to AWS, Azure

  Moving workloads to AWS and Azure doesn't have to be difficult as long as you follow a few cloud networking basics. What do you need to know to make the shift?  Continue Reading

• Evaluate key service mesh benefits and architecture limitations

  Service mesh technologies can provide request routing, authentication and even health checks. IT organizations that handle container and microservices deployments should plan to maximize the benefits of service mesh, and address implementation ...  Continue Reading

• How to enable Hyper-V Storage QoS and VMware SIOC

  Storage QoS prevents a VM from consuming excessive storage IOPS, but the methods for enabling the feature vary from Microsoft to VMware environments.  Continue Reading

• How to create an efficient container-based architecture

  Containers can introduce as many problems as they solve. In case you missed it, these four articles offer practical advice for consistent and structured container implementations.  Continue Reading

• Analyze Amazon S3 storage classes, from Standard to Glacier

  Select the proper S3 class to improve your storage strategy. Learn the differences in cost and fit, such as which tiers offer frequent access and which are better for archiving.  Continue Reading

• Predictive analytics for storage: Benefits and product options

  The advantages of using predictive analytics in storage include less downtime and better resource utilization. It's no wonder more storage vendors are making it an option.  Continue Reading

• Examine the requirements for 5G core networks

  The 5G core network will support millions of devices that need high-speed communication and data processing. Learn what other capabilities are required for 5G deployment.  Continue Reading

• How low-code governance helps IT protect data, limit sprawl

  Low-code app developers must adhere to policies that govern data and resource usage. Lacking governance puts budgets, security and compliance at risk.  Continue Reading

• AWS Firecracker microVMs provide isolation and agility

  Firecracker aims to bridge the gap between VMs and containers with microVMs, which are secure, lightweight instance types for stateless workloads.  Continue Reading

• How to upgrade Windows Server 2008 before support ends

  With the end of Windows Server 2008 support drawing closer, administrators must navigate multiple obstacles, from locating old software to ensuring hardware compatibility.  Continue Reading

• Build up a DevSecOps pipeline for fast and safe code delivery

  It's all well and good to automate the software build process, but without proper security practices in place, the DevOps pipeline can lead developers to deploy compromised code.  Continue Reading

• Let app architecture dictate cloud integration tool selection

  Does your application rely on a homogeneous or heterogeneous stack? Will the architecture evolve? Learn the types of cloud integration and which app and dev team setups they match.  Continue Reading

• Craft your data stores with VM storage performance in mind

  Proper storage performance requires a systems approach. Discover the different elements at play, such as the queues, SCSI disks and ESXi hosts, and how to optimize your data stores.  Continue Reading

• A guide to hyper-converged data resiliency options and requirements

  What you need to find out from HCI vendors to architect a resilient hyper-converged environment that will protect data against failure, error and attack.  Continue Reading

• 4 considerations for choosing a private cloud provider

  Key features to look for from a private cloud provider include interoperability, scalability and how familiar admins are with the provider's technology.  Continue Reading

• 2 storage tiering strategies for modern media

  Storage tiering makes a comeback as businesses aim to get the most out of their storage systems. Discover the rules for optimizing both intrasystem and intersystem tiering.  Continue Reading

• Implement these 5 ALM best practices from dev to deployment

  Enterprise applications are anything but simple. To wrangle the software, resources and code of these critical apps, be smart with IT tooling, management and other aspects of support.  Continue Reading

• Take a shift-left approach, but avoid developer burnout

  Shift left is often a net positive for software quality. Yet, the change moves more tasks to earlier in the app dev process. Take care not to bury developers.  Continue Reading

• Xen vs. KVM in 2019 is a no brainer

  Xen might have lost the hypervisor war against KVM, but that doesn't mean it's dead. Niche use cases such as the automotive industry are keeping the open source project alive.  Continue Reading

• Select between distributed version control systems and tools

  Before you branch out with a new version control tool, assess the pros and cons of these different options, and make sure to ask for developers' opinions.  Continue Reading

• Key considerations for refactoring applications for the cloud

  Lift and shift has been a popular migration technique, but sometimes, IT teams have to refactor applications after the fact. Review these options to optimize legacy apps on the cloud.  Continue Reading

• How DevOps teams use a CMS for documentation, collaboration

  DevOps teams should choose a CMS that enables continuous, integrated content management, and select tools for internal document sharing that build an easily searched and categorized knowledge base.  Continue Reading

• The 3 pillars of SD-WAN QoS and questions to ask your providers

  Traffic shaping, path control and forward error correction are three core components of SD-WAN QoS. Here are some crucial questions to ask your vendors regarding those areas.  Continue Reading

• 3 NVMe-oF questions to consider when deploying the technology

  Deploying NVMe over fabrics is a relatively simple process. However, make sure to check out three important areas before launching this technology.  Continue Reading

• 3 steps for a successful data center consolidation plan

  A data center consolidation plan is usually riddled with questions. But careful forethought is key for the successful centralization of software and servers.  Continue Reading

• Use S3 bucket security best practices to cut off public access

  AWS users need the benefits of S3 but not the security concerns that come along with it. Follow these guidelines to prevent the threat of public access to S3 buckets.  Continue Reading

• Get started with Google Cloud Deployment Manager

  Deployment Manager is Google's infrastructure-as-code tool. Learn about its features and how to automate use of resources such as Compute Engine, GKE and BigQuery.  Continue Reading

• Why a VMware certification is still a valuable asset

  In the cloud era, renewing or upgrading a VMware certification might feel like a waste of time, effort and money. But for some admins, it might still be a good idea.  Continue Reading

• Apply automated security scanning during app development

  For developers, security is not often a high priority -- but it should be. Automated security scanning tools can help detect and address weaknesses before evildoers discover them.  Continue Reading

• Compare AWS Lambda to Azure, GCP serverless platforms

  AWS Lambda, Azure Functions and Google Cloud Functions are all key offerings in the FaaS market. Review the variations in language support, integration options and costs that set them apart.  Continue Reading

• Set the foundation for a solid cloud backup strategy

  Behind any effective cloud DR strategy is a solid backup plan. Follow these tips around common backup methods, tools and replication to get started.  Continue Reading

• Prepare for Industry 4.0 challenges on storage, networks

  With Industry 4.0 poised to grow across industries, enterprise IT organizations must ask what it will take to support this revolution. Learn how to manage the data-led transformation.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate when to use added AWS Step Functions actions

  Additional functionality for AWS Step Functions simplifies workflow implementation and calls for less custom code. Consider the features and uses of the various integrations.  Continue Reading

• 4 essential composable infrastructure questions answered

  Learn how composable IT works, and find out when this highly flexible, programmable infrastructure model makes sense for your servers, network, and storage and when it doesn't.  Continue Reading

• Don't count out IBM virtualization on the Z platform

  A mainframe can house hundreds of thousands of VMs and a wide range of workloads. Also, IBM Z provides virtualization management via Dynamic Partition Manager and Wave for z/VM.  Continue Reading

• Make application usability a priority -- wherever testing occurs

  Testers don't have time to fully evaluate apps before deployment. But poor-quality code simply isn't an option. Enter shift right and APM, two tasks testers must be ready to accept.  Continue Reading

• Manage a multitude of VMware datastores using PowerCLI

  Discover how you can use PowerCLI to boost your storage by monitoring and managing VMware datastores across multiple hosts. This tool has many advantages over the typical GUI.  Continue Reading

• A beginner's guide to cloud-native application management

  After users develop cloud-native apps, they need to learn the basics of cloud monitoring and logging. These cloud-native management strategies can help maintain a successful application.  Continue Reading

• Top 5 Linux performance commands for system administrators

  Figuring out Linux host performance issues is time-consuming without the right tools. The top, vmstat, iostat, free and sar commands can help get CPU, device and memory data.  Continue Reading

• Get to know VMware's vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager

  With vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager, you can easily set up test and development environments and push any changes to your production environment.  Continue Reading

• Updated Microsoft Azure certifications emphasize IT roles

  Microsoft revamped its public cloud certifications in a move away from holistic skill sets. Review the newly tailored exams you'll need to take to get the Azure seal of approval.  Continue Reading

• Amazon FSx vs. EFS: Compare the AWS file services

  The overlap between Amazon FSx and EFS makes it difficult to determine which will be a better fit for your organization. Learn the major differences between the two managed file services, from usage and storage volumes to pricing and more.  Continue Reading

• Secure open source components to bypass breaches

  As enterprises increasingly turn to open source code to cut dev efforts and costs, IT industry vendors recommend that they secure dependencies and deploy patches to safeguard apps.  Continue Reading

• Understand limitations when monitoring cloud performance

  When monitoring cloud performance, organizations need to recognize the limitations that come with SaaS, PaaS and IaaS models, as well as public and private cloud architectures.  Continue Reading

• Undertake software dependency management to reduce conflicts

  Apps can bind to dependencies with various levels of interconnectedness -- sometimes to deleterious effect. Here's how to approach software dependency management and reduction.  Continue Reading

• Build Terraform modules to make IT components into code

  Modules enable reusability of infrastructure-as-code deployments with Terraform. Follow this example, which also features AWS for the hosting environment, to learn module structure.  Continue Reading

• Start using Terraform variables for IT resource deployment flexibility

  Infrastructure-as-code adopters should try Terraform input and output variables as a more flexible way to define and save values for deployment configurations.  Continue Reading

• Understand VMware virtual machine files

  Effectively navigate each of the VMware VM file types, such as the flat.vmdk file and the VSWP file, to simplify VM management tasks.  Continue Reading

• What's new in Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct?

  Microsoft has increased the capacity, resiliency and other advantages of the software-defined storage that comes with Windows Server 2019. Find out about all the benefits.  Continue Reading

• How 5G can start a brand new era for the virtual RAN

  5G is forging the way for operators to delve into virtualized RANs. Yet, despite its benefits, vRAN lacks standards and is still in the early developmental stages.  Continue Reading

• How does Ballerina stack up as a cloud-native programming language?

  While WSO2 has high hopes for its microservices-centric and cloud-native programming language, what do developers think of the current version of Ballerina?  Continue Reading

• 5 Windows network drivers supported by containers

  NAT is the default network for container applications, but there are four other available drivers. Each container network driver poses some limitations and must be used carefully.  Continue Reading

• Pick the right colocation site for your organization

  Colocation is more than signing a contract and installing hardware. Evaluate redundancy, rack space real estate and distance to ensure a successful colo partnership.  Continue Reading

• How API gateways work -- and why you need them

  Learn the essentials of both API gateways and API design. Then, grasp how to use them to modernize monolithic apps and facilitate cloud-native microservices.  Continue Reading

• Multi-hypervisor environments provide cost savings, flexibility

  Adopting multiple hypervisors might make more sense than going with a single vendor, depending on cost, the types of workloads you run, and your performance and reliability needs.  Continue Reading

• Data migration checklist: 6 steps to ease migration stress

  Following a detailed data migration strategy with extensive upfront planning can simplify complicated and labor-intensive SAN data migration projects.  Continue Reading

• Strike a cost-performance balance in microservices deployment

  To successfully deploy microservices in the cloud, IT teams should beware of these four common mistakes around resource locations, service selection and more.  Continue Reading

• 3 types of configuration tools for network change management

  From openly available scripting tools to vendor-supplied services, network change management and configuration tools generally fit into three main categories.  Continue Reading

• How to monitor CPU usage in SDN environments

  Monitoring CPU usage in a software-defined network is necessary to determine adequate network capacity and compute capacity, especially if workloads are competing for resources.  Continue Reading

• 5 key management practices for a hybrid cloud architecture

  Workload bottlenecks easily arise between legacy and modern apps in a hybrid cloud. Coordinate integration with these five steps to prep a microservices application for hybrid cloud.  Continue Reading

• Cloud optimization hinges on smart instance size selection

  App performance can suffer from poorly sized instances, the wrong instance type for the workload and other setbacks. Use these techniques and tools to optimize cloud operations.  Continue Reading

• Bare-metal vs. VM container deployment considerations

  Consider your performance requirements, portability needs and what level of isolation and security you want when deploying containers in your environment.  Continue Reading

• Sizing and scaling VMware datastores 101

  When deploying vSphere, you must know how to size and scale your datastores for optimal VM efficiency. Discover what options you have and how best to use them.  Continue Reading

• Examine 4 hybrid cloud options from bursts to SaaS to CI/CD

  Hybrid cloud can provide an enterprise with a happy medium of cloud and on-premises benefits. Unsure where to begin? Try setting up hybrid web services, software services or development tools, and other practical approaches.  Continue Reading

• How to deprecate software features without bothering users

  There's more to software deprecation than it seems. Organizations must consider the method of deprecation, how to inform users and what alternatives they should offer.  Continue Reading

• 4 branch office server management best practices

  Setting up a ROBO server involves specific hardware and software configuration considerations, such as ensuring redundancy and connectivity for remote management.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate on-premises vs. SaaS tools for IT systems management

  While there are a lot of factors for enterprises to consider when choosing an IT management tool, the on-premises vs. SaaS decision can be a particularly tricky one.  Continue Reading

• Maximize Amazon S3 reliability with shrewd choices

  IT organizations moving to AWS might have data protection concerns. However, with replication across regions and versioning available, savvy S3 users get increased data reliability.  Continue Reading

• Practical ways to automate microservices' CI/CD processes

  Development teams need to make applications extensible and agile. Microservices bring those goals in sight, but an automated CI/CD pipeline is the key to success.  Continue Reading

• Accelerate data migration with AWS DataSync

  Dig into the details of AWS DataSync, such as deployment options and availability. Compare it to similar AWS services and see how it can fit into an organization's cloud strategy.  Continue Reading

• Learn how to use Salt orchestration with an example

  Admins can use orchestration features in Salt to centrally control a group of minions and machines. Follow this example, which features Orchestrate Runner, to get started.  Continue Reading

• Use the Ballerina language to ease into cloud microservices

  With native integration features, Ballerina promises to take care of lower-level technological considerations, while developers focus on building features.  Continue Reading

• Use PowerShell Docker to manage Windows container components

  Take advantage of the PowerShell for Docker module to easily create and manage Windows containers in your environment with this step-by-step installation guide.  Continue Reading

• Assess the micro VM market with AWS Firecracker

  Consider the benefits of AWS Firecracker as it compares to other micro VMs and system containers, but be wary of its limitations before installing this virtualization technology.  Continue Reading

• What is service chaining and where does VNF onboarding fit in?

  Service chaining and VNF onboarding aren't easy. Companies interested in these processes need to understand the challenges involved, as well as various requirements for onboarding.  Continue Reading

• What are the two types of hybrid cloud infrastructure?

  Hybrid cloud designs are shifting as public cloud providers push on premises with alternatives to a two-vendor approach. Learn the pros and cons of heterogeneous and homogeneous models.  Continue Reading

• How to strategize for WAN and SD-WAN performance monitoring

  The importance of WAN performance monitoring hasn't decreased with the introduction of SD-WAN and other technologies. Enterprises still need to enforce proper monitoring strategies.  Continue Reading

• How to implement a winning interoperability testing strategy

  From security to data transfers, network complexity and testing environments, development teams have a lot to address to perform effective interoperability tests.  Continue Reading

• Lessons learned during a migration to Exchange Online

  There are a number of perks for administrators who move to Exchange Online, but there are spots of frustration that will require a few workarounds to ease the transition process.  Continue Reading

• Compare trunk-based development to feature-based approaches

  The repo-centric trunk-based development model can be a good fit for teams adept enough to maintain a codebase. But it means taking the road less traveled.  Continue Reading

• 7 NVMe storage gotchas to avoid

  Avoiding common deployment errors when implementing NVMe technology will save you time, money and professional embarrassment. Here's what to look out for.  Continue Reading

• Get familiar with these SLA maintenance tips

  The basics of SLA management come at the intersection of business goals and the reality of possibility. IT teams must learn how to strike a balance between specific and conditional promises.  Continue Reading

• Achieve application state management in microservices designs

  Discover the how-tos for managing state in microservices applications, and then evaluate prevalent front-end and back-end state management approaches.  Continue Reading

• Network visibility challenges in modern networks

  To tackle current visibility issues, you must first understand the nature and sources of the problems. Learn why visibility is essential but so tough to achieve.  Continue Reading

• GitOps provides an answer for complicated IT deployments

  Version control isn't a new concept in IT, but ops pros are applying it to distributed environments for declarative configuration management.  Continue Reading

• AWS Security Hub centralizes an organization's cloud security view

  AWS Security Hub consolidates an admin's sprawl of cloud assets into dashboards for better security insights. But its resource limitations may blunt its effectiveness, for now.  Continue Reading

• How to configure Windows container networking

  The default network setting for Windows containers is Network Address Translation, but you can also set up a transparent Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol or non-DHCP network.  Continue Reading

• Steps to safely build and manage a preproduction environment

  A well-run testing lab is a true asset to developers. An uncontrolled one, on the other hand, is a massive liability that can cost dearly. Plan lab builds along these guidelines.  Continue Reading

• Get started with PowerShell Core on Linux

  PowerShell Core lets you configure and manage Windows, Linux and Mac-based servers in the data center. Learn how to install and navigate the command-line shell in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Study up on the best certifications for testing professionals

  Before you invest time into a certification course, decide if you want to step into a new career or want recognition for hard-earned experience. Then, peruse the apt certification options.  Continue Reading

• How blockchain storage could benefit the enterprise

  Whether your organization is a potential buyer or seller of blockchain data storage, the technology could change how you look at storage. Discover where blockchain is headed.  Continue Reading

• Use the right performance monitoring strategy for automated networks

  Virtual and automated networks can often hide performance issues that lurk within the network. Learn performance monitoring strategies to get the most out of these environments.  Continue Reading

• Amazon Forecast melds time series data with machine learning

  Consider Amazon Forecast to help with data predictions, resource planning and more. Find out how the service works and ways it can be customized to meet enterprise needs.  Continue Reading

• How to improve network speed and get faster Wi-Fi in 3 steps

  Proper router placement and maintenance, along with tighter security controls, can help IT departments improve network speed and boost Wi-Fi performance.  Continue Reading

• Google tool signals move to greater cloud transparency

  Access Transparency users can review the work Google admins did on their cloud accounts. It's a step toward greater accountability, but large organizations will want even more.  Continue Reading

• AWS vs. Oracle cloud services: Compare costs and capabilities

  AWS has established leadership in the cloud market, but long-standing software vendor Oracle could chase it down as a viable alternative. See how these cloud services compare.  Continue Reading

• How to measure IT performance, step by step

  While IT performance measurement can be a tedious challenge, done correctly, this process provides essential analysis and assessments. Learn how to optimize these reviews.  Continue Reading

• Take steps now to ready your network for 802.11ax specification

  The 802.11ax specification promises higher speeds and lower latency. Preparing now will help you make the transition easier. Here's what you need to know.  Continue Reading

• What to do when you can't deploy an OVF template

  Invalid certificates can keep OVF-based VM deployments from working properly. Luckily, admins can work around this issue by logging into the host or using the OVF Tool application.  Continue Reading

• Hire testers with a mix of technical skills and hutzpah

  There's a lot at stake when you hire a software tester -- and a lot to consider about the applicants. Matt Heusser shares how to evaluate capabilities and personalities.  Continue Reading