Tips

Tips

• Compare cloud container registries from AWS, Azure and Google

  Many developers use the Docker Hub container registry, but there are other options from AWS, Azure and Google. Explore these provider-native registries, and their key differences.  Continue Reading

• 8 steps to effective multi-cloud cost management

  Strategic thinking and careful planning can help you squeeze the maximum value out of your multi-cloud environment. Here are eight tips to help you get started.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-convergence forms core of Windows Server 2019 features

  The latest server OS release from Microsoft upgrades many of its software-defined features to make it easier to use a hybrid cloud model.  Continue Reading

• Understanding what Azure AD federation really means

  A company that adopts SaaS apps to get work done can ease the transition by implementing a single sign-on method. Learn how to set up this arrangement in a secure manner.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate 3 cloud-native CI/CD pipeline tools

  When it comes to continuous integration and delivery tools, there is no shortage of comparable options -- including those from public cloud providers, such as AWS, Azure and Google.  Continue Reading

• Manage host, VM access with a Hyper-V administrators security group

  Use Hyper-V roles to limit users to predefined levels of access. By creating security groups and managing them with PowerShell, you can implement role-based security at scale.  Continue Reading

• What to look for in an API development SaaS platform

  Not all SaaS API development platforms are made the same. Learn about the fundamental capabilities that API SaaS tools should provide and discover some popular options.  Continue Reading

• How CloudFormation Macros stack up against other IaC tools

  Developers can use an updated CloudFormation feature to manage and deploy IaC templates with Lambda. However, other native and third-party tools may be better choices depending on users' needs.  Continue Reading

• Generate a Hyper-V report to track clusters, nodes with PowerShell

  It's difficult to navigate all the information related to Hyper-V nodes and clusters, so use PowerShell commands and scripts to generate reports and automate information retrieval.  Continue Reading

• AWS security tools embrace AI, but miss on multi-cloud

  AWS has added AI-backed services, such as Amazon GuardDuty and Amazon Macie, to expand its security capabilities, but still hasn't addressed users' needs outside of its own platform.  Continue Reading

• Big picture QA testing skills foster better app usability

  As companies wrestle to fit QA into budgets, keep in mind the skills that human testers provide -- from customer satisfaction to disaster prevention.  Continue Reading

• How NFV and SDN could shape the future of telecom

  Looking to the future of telecom, NFV and SDN can help generate new services revenue and lower operating costs using cloud principles, rather a traditional network standards approach.  Continue Reading

• Snowball Edge enhances data migration to AWS

  Enterprises use Snowball to speed data migrations, but the portable appliance has its limitations. With its newer Edge devices, AWS added compute capabilities to address that.  Continue Reading

• Use Active Directory for testing environments in DevOps shops

  AD enables admins to create testing environments almost identical to production environments through duplicated trees, interconnected forests and authentication best practices.  Continue Reading

• How 3 benefits of SDN can help small businesses

  As SDN matures and evolves from its original definition, it's getting harder for small businesses to ignore the benefits of SDN, like better visibility, security and efficiency.  Continue Reading

• Combat algorithm bias with these software test pointers

  As AI penetrates all kinds of software, it's imperative that testers devise a plan to verify predictive results. Put QA professionals on task to root out AI bias.  Continue Reading

• NetOps, SecOps, DevOps concepts merge to automate security testing

  By adopting DevOps concepts, network teams can automate security testing. But, as development, network and security tasks mingle, some staffing challenges can arise.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate Linux server distros for your data center

  Linux is known for its reliability and flexibility in the data center. To select the proper distribution for your servers, you'll need to evaluate your application and support needs  Continue Reading

• 4 NVMe storage array options to consider

  Here's what you need to know to pick the NVMe array that provides your organization with the performance improvement it needs and also fits its budget.  Continue Reading

• Break down the main features of Azure DevOps Services

  DevOps continues to influence how vendors shape their cloud offerings, and this was the case behind Microsoft's recent rebranding of Visual Studio Team Services.  Continue Reading

• Hunt down zombie VMs to trim Windows Server licensing costs

  Temporary workloads can cause organizations to buy more Windows Server licenses than they need, but admins can track down zombie servers to consolidate workloads and keep costs down.  Continue Reading

• Prioritize UX in a serverless mobile app framework

  There's no universal approach to incorporate serverless functionality into mobile app development. Cloud tools and serverless elements can complicate a deployment.  Continue Reading

• How to realize server virtualization energy savings

  Virtualizing servers is one of the most effective steps to reduce energy consumption, especially when the hypervisor and VM placement are taken into account.  Continue Reading

• Using AI, machine learning in networking to improve analytics

  The barrage of alerts modern network analytics tools create is problematic, but the capabilities advanced tech like AI provides can help ease the burden to network operations.  Continue Reading

• Compliance automation prevents regulation audit snafus

  Many IT organizations address compliance issues manually, even though Puppet, Fugue and other tools can enforce configurations that comply with regulations and even provide an audit trail.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V VM template creation made easy

  Creating Hyper-V VM templates is a straightforward process, but there are a few things you should consider, such as template creation source and administrative password assignment.  Continue Reading

• 5 fundamental steps of managing APIs

  API management is undeniably essential, but it requires a comprehensive plan. Here are the five steps of an API management strategy and advice on how to complete each one.  Continue Reading

• Azure Reserved Instances boost flexibility around VM size

  A recent Azure update for Reserved Instances offers enterprises increased flexibility in terms of VM size, but it also comes with some additional management tasks.  Continue Reading

• Here's what it takes to become a cloud automation engineer

  A cloud automation engineer is a challenging role for any IT professional because of the varied requirements. Find out what education, experience and skill sets you need to get the job.  Continue Reading

• AWS container services set for next steps

  AWS' container line-up doesn't differ much from the competition today, but expect the cloud provider to expand its offerings and integrate with serverless platforms such as Lambda.  Continue Reading

• Avoid these app design mistakes to save a cloud budget

  Certain oversights during app design can increase cloud costs. Dive into the details of four often-overlooked mistakes, and learn how to avoid them to keep your budget in check.  Continue Reading

• Support for SaaS applications demands a hands-on approach

  While they reduce some management burdens for enterprise IT teams, SaaS apps don't exactly run on autopilot, either. Be sure to put a proper support model in place.  Continue Reading

• Properly configure resources to reduce cloud security threats

  Misconfigured cloud resources can quickly open the door to IT risks. Be mindful of access controls, and don't brush off your cloud provider's recommended security practices.  Continue Reading

• Use this Microsoft deployment tool for easier setups

  It's not new, but the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit tends to be overlooked when administrators need a way to set up Windows in an automated fashion. See why MDT is worth using.  Continue Reading

• Enable and disable Hyper-V secure boot with PowerShell

  The manual process of enabling secure boot is time-consuming, so use PowerShell cmdlets and scripts to make it efficient to use secure boot in Hyper-V.  Continue Reading

• A quick primer on microservices load balancing

  Work distribution in microservices is tricky; without the right strategy, you risk that workloads won't scale effectively. Here's how to nail down load balancing for microservices.  Continue Reading

• Construct a better build-deploy pipeline with these 6 measures

  Developers can launch code to production faster than ever, and still do it safely, with careful attention to the build-deploy pipeline, tests and monitoring metrics.  Continue Reading

• Understand the ins and outs of private cloud architecture

  Private clouds are based on server virtualization, but they aren't the same. Organizations must consider private cloud's specific use cases in comparison to server virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Use Microsoft SCVMM to clone a VM

  There are some requirements you must meet to clone VMs with SCVMM, but the steps to clone an existing VM -- whether it's running, paused or shutdown -- are fairly simple.  Continue Reading

• SD-WAN and SLAs: Why crafting internal SLAs is a smart move

  IT teams can use SD-WAN to keep track of network performance, upping the possibility to create and enforce internal SLAs that better reflect business requirements.  Continue Reading

• Choose the right workloads for serverless platforms in cloud

  Serverless might be the next big thing in cloud, but that doesn't mean it's a fit for all enterprise workloads. See if your requirements align with these common use cases.  Continue Reading

• How blockchain data storage may revolutionize the enterprise

  Blockchain for data storage promises to bring added trust, reliability and security to storage, but is it ready to become a mainstream technology? Experts offer their views.  Continue Reading

• Recommended QA conferences for software testers of all stripes

  Testing, QA and development conferences host a breadth of experts and helpful peers. From one-day vendor events to weeklong national shows, there's an option to fit your needs.  Continue Reading

• Compare AWS data lakes with S3 against HDFS

  An S3 data lake streamlines the analysis of data that lives exclusively on AWS infrastructure but presents limitations for those who want to move beyond the Amazon ecosystem.  Continue Reading

• Explore Aurora Serverless capabilities for enterprise use

  Users should explore the potential benefits and disadvantages of AWS' serverless database option before they jump in and focus on which environments the service fits best.  Continue Reading

• Research advances data center liquid cooling tech

  You might want to investigate alternatives to water and fans to keep your data center cool. Still, there are costs and environmental concerns facing researchers and IT administrators.  Continue Reading

• Mitigate data center storage capacity miscalculations

  You can use cloud storage and deduplication to expand storage capacity, prevent application failure and maintain data center performance.  Continue Reading

• PowerShell Core 6.1 offers many small improvements

  New PowerShell Core functionality includes the addition of Windows PowerShell 5.1 modules, making this version worth a closer look for administrators.  Continue Reading

• How to choose between serverless and containerized microservices

  Explore the intricacies of serverless microservices and container microservices to discover which development requirements are crucial to your ultimate decision.  Continue Reading

• Some tricks to help manage load balancing in microservices

  Load balancing is a critical, and potentially thorny, part of cloud-native microservices management. Consider these methods and tools that can help address these challenges.  Continue Reading

• Don't dwell on the nuances of low-code vs. no-code

  As more and more business users acquire basic programming skills, enterprises shouldn't get too caught up in the nuances between low-code and no-code platforms.  Continue Reading

• Bring AI to the edge with AWS Greengrass ML Inference

  Learn the basics of machine learning inference with AWS Greengrass and how it can help train models and increase data value with real-time insights.  Continue Reading

• Secondary storage structure is based on workload needs

  Using secondary storage can improve the performance of mission-critical applications, but deciding what data is secondary in importance isn't as easy as it seems.  Continue Reading

• Keep IT project planning on track with 5 principles

  Whether you're a seasoned IT vet about to take on the biggest project yet or a new team member spearheading an important build, follow a project planning approach that limits scope and hits goals.  Continue Reading

• SD-WAN connectivity options hinge on latency, app performance

  Users debating MPLS vs. internet for SD-WAN connectivity should take the time to extensively research latency and quality-of-service requirements in terms of application performance.  Continue Reading

• Container hosting requires in-depth service network plans

  Microservices and containers complement each other with scalability and flexibility. But they can also compound network addressing problems in production without proper precautions.  Continue Reading

• Pick up stateless software precepts for modern app design

  Change and state are complex interrelated concepts that shape how an application performs its tasks. Learn the meaning of state, mutability and change as they relate to app design.  Continue Reading

• Direct NVMe performance with virtualization and storage tiers

  Non-volatile memory express technologies have a host of benefits, but admins must use virtualization and storage tiers to best target NVMe performance boosts.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V vs. vSphere high availability features

  Compare VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V HA approaches to see how they keep VMs and other workloads online when a host server crashes.  Continue Reading

• How to make automation part of your microservices security

  It's not ideal to manually test and secure a microservices environment. Consider automation tools when you need to fortify your microservices security plan.  Continue Reading

• Network monitoring systems best practices include centralized data

  With the help of a centralized data store and modeling language, network monitoring systems can both separate and unify data collection and analysis functions.  Continue Reading

• 4 switch ASIC interfaces to drive SDN and machine learning growth

  Learn how four interfaces that are designed to control switch ASICs and packet forwarding can help accelerate developments in SDN and machine learning.  Continue Reading

• Top server sizing strategies for VMs

  How many VMs can you put on a server? That depends on whether your hardware and virtual environment are well-matched. This tip offers four criteria to select the right servers.  Continue Reading

• Estimate cloud computing costs prior to app migration

  Enterprises should enlist a number of resources, including cost calculators and third-party tools, to assess what they'll pay for cloud computing -- before they start migration.  Continue Reading

• 5 basic SOA principles that still apply to microservices

  Microservices often replace SOA, but these two architecture styles are still similar. Here are five basic SOA principles that never went away.  Continue Reading

• A look at fundamental Linux sed commands

  The Linux stream editor is a useful way to run scripts in the data center. With these command examples, you can start to build your familiarity with sed.  Continue Reading

• 3 ways to prep microservices applications for big data

  It's easy for the expansion of big data to spin out of control in a distributed architecture. Think carefully about database management to avoid performance-killing bottlenecks.  Continue Reading

• Continuous testing in Agile means less work, more coverage

  Rather than ride the turbulent roller coaster of testing bottlenecks and uncontrolled code updates, go on the steadily paced continuous testing Ferris wheel.  Continue Reading

• 5 critical components of a microservices security plan

  Microservices have introduced a wave of security complexity. Before you run containerized microservices in production, carefully review these five critical security practices.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging change presents dilemma

  The arrival of Exchange 2019 also means the end of unified messaging in the on-premises offering. Admins who use voicemail in Outlook should explore their options.  Continue Reading

• Strive for real-world technical debt management in DevOps orgs

  Technical debt is a bit like the kitchen junk drawer: It's cobbled-together, useful stuff that just needed to go somewhere. But the longer you wait to sort it out, the worse it gets.  Continue Reading

• Machine learning tools ease cloud security, log management

  Machine learning has increasingly found a home in enterprise cloud management teams, but the technology is still far from being a magic fix for complex tasks, such as multi-cloud cost optimization.  Continue Reading

• How to approach mobile optimization with less risk

  Microservices and containers can help boost mobile optimization, but it's not automatic. Development teams must think carefully about tooling choices, API creation and more.  Continue Reading

• Implement security for DevOps across the board

  Security for DevOps isn't about the devices or the data center facility anymore. Learn how to protect valuable data as it moves beyond the corporate network into hybrid cloud and among various applications composed of microservices.  Continue Reading

• Minimize downtime during a data center upgrade

  End users don't want their productivity interrupted by IT maintenance. With the right technology, testing and planning, you can reduce or eliminate downtime in the data center.  Continue Reading

• Map out a smooth migration to Azure Resource Manager

  As the classic Azure portal becomes outmoded, enterprises need to migrate to ARM -- but the change doesn't always come easy. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth move.  Continue Reading

• Bevy of Microsoft containers range from cloud to captive workloads

  Windows wasn't always an ideal environment for containers, but recent changes offer a wealth of options, including those for Windows Server and the Azure public cloud.  Continue Reading

• Tap the Chocolatey package manager to usher in Windows DevOps

  Create a Chocolatey package with this tutorial on DevOps for Windows. Simplify package management and installation, and swap the GUI for a CLI client.  Continue Reading

• Third-party tools ease multi-cloud network snags

  Aviatrix is one of a host of third-party networking services that IT teams can use to simplify complex multi-cloud deployments and supplement AWS-native tools.  Continue Reading

• Make IT infrastructure documentation a regular task

  Even though documenting IT processes might not be at the top of an admin's to-do list, they should not let it fall by the wayside. Learn documentation best practices here.  Continue Reading

• Navigate data center management software selection

  Software evaluation can be a lengthy process, especially with both open source and commercial options. Functionality and support can help you form a short list of possibilities.  Continue Reading

• Manage microservices in cloud with these native tools

  AWS, Microsoft and Google all offer native resources and tools to support microservices-based architectures, most of which rely heavily on containers and service mesh technology.  Continue Reading

• Get to know the Hyper-V processor compatibility mode feature

  Hyper-V processor compatibility is relatively easy to use, but it disables some advanced CPU features and is only intended for specific circumstances on a temporary basis.  Continue Reading

• Automated network testing tools actively identify network problems

  If your organization is serious about application reliability, you'll want to adopt network testing tools so you'll know what will happen when network components fail.  Continue Reading

• Incorporate NIST security and virtualization recommendations

  Review NIST virtualization security recommendations with this overview of hypervisor security guidelines, including tips on VM lifecycles and hypervisor platform management.  Continue Reading

• Time-sensitive networking standards could boost industrial control

  With the help of VLAN priority levels, time-sensitive networking can make packet flow more predictable. The technology could especially benefit the factory floor.  Continue Reading

• Understand how Docker works in the VM-based IT world

  With advantages for microservices architectures, disaster recovery and utilization density, among other areas, containers should step out from virtual machines' shadow.  Continue Reading

• Unlock distributed analytics with a microservices approach

  Mobility creates distributed computing environments, which lead to a scenario where some of the older analytics processes are no longer useful. Distributed analytics with microservices can help.  Continue Reading

• Google Stackdriver enhances alerts, adds Kubernetes support

  A recent round of updates to Google's monitoring tool gives IT and development teams more options to set up alerts, track usage and support Kubernetes, both in the cloud and on premises.  Continue Reading

• Navigate your options for Oracle cloud certifications

  Oracle certifications, including those for cloud, can build foundational knowledge or expand existing IT skills. The first challenge, though, is to find the right training path.  Continue Reading

• Top 7 system administrator interview questions and answers

  To land any IT job, you need to master the interview. Here are seven questions to expect in your next sysadmin interview and how to ace the answers.  Continue Reading

• The first 5 steps to build a private cloud infrastructure

  To implement a private cloud, IT teams must start at the beginning -- and define what a cloud strategy will mean, exactly, to their organization -- before they proceed.  Continue Reading

• Software-defined networking security involves 3 factors

  Software-defined networking security requires IT teams to ensure data confidentiality, the integrity of the network and the availability of network services, along with compliance.  Continue Reading

• Top five SCVMM 2016 features to look out for

  SCVMM 2016 provides new features, such as Nano Server management, and enhancements to existing networking and security features to better manage the entire virtualization stack.  Continue Reading

• Storage admin roles and responsibilities follow convergence and cloud

  With their jobs under constant assault, what must storage administrators do to stay relevant as data center technologies and the data storage world converge and change?  Continue Reading

• Use AWS DeepLens to develop AI skills

  The DeepLens service partners well with other AWS offerings and opens the door for numerous user- and customer-facing applications. Get started with the deep learning technology.  Continue Reading

• Single-tenant cloud services help alleviate security concerns

  What happens when an enterprise wants the benefits of cloud but without the multi-tenancy? Isolated services are available for those willing to pay.  Continue Reading

• Design a custom Hyper-V Integration Services component

  The steps for creating a new component of Hyper-V Integration Services include registering an app, creating and binding a Hyper-V socket, and compiling server and client apps.  Continue Reading

• Craft an integration testing plan with quality before quantity

  When it comes to integration testing, the end user is more important than the test volume. Increase test efficiency to please both application users and owners.  Continue Reading

• Software-defined access networks pose promise and pitfalls

  By implementing software-defined controls on the access layer, IT can centralize and unify network policies. However, any new technology is still rife with risk.  Continue Reading