Tips

Tips

• Intrusion detection in a cloud computing environment

  Make sure that your cloud computing environment is equipped to detect and respond to attacks with the appropriate intrusion detection systems.  Continue Reading

• Data storage capacity planning: How to estimate your storage requirements

  SMBs should ask themselves these five questions to help them get started with their data storage capacity planning.  Continue Reading

• Using common Linux mail clients with an Exchange Server

  Begin your migration away from Microsoft Exchange by learning how to set up Linux mail clients, Evolution and Thunderbird, to talk to Exchange.  Continue Reading

• Why is Microsoft Outlook blocking attachments?

  Microsoft Outlook blocks email attachments to protect the Exchange Server organization from malware and viruses. This can be frustrating if it blocks safe attachments. Here are two workarounds you can use to make sure users can open safe attachments...  Continue Reading

• A software expert's heuristic for regression testing

  Often, regression testing is what stands between a product in a test lab versus a product in the hands of our users – so we don't want to take longer than we need – but we don't want to haphazardly release a product before its ready.  Continue Reading

• Standalone versus domain-based namespaces in Windows DFS

  When setting up namespaces in Windows DFS, be aware that the popular choice may not be the best fit for your environment.  Continue Reading

• Active Directory Web Services brings new power to R2

  Admins running Windows 2008 R2 might be interested in Active Directory Web Services, a new interface for accessing Active Directory and AD Lightweight Directory Services.  Continue Reading

• Data storage management strategies: Managing logical unit numbers (LUNs)

  This tip explores the background of LUNs in an SMB data storage environment, the different LUN features vendors have to offer and how to determine what type of LUN is best for you.  Continue Reading

• Using Fist of Five, Planning Poker to reach Agile team consensus

  In these tips, consensus-building tools such as Fist of Five and Planning Poker are introduced. Even when these tools are used, the team must decide how they are going to handle a stale-mate condition and move forward on decisions.  Continue Reading

• Linux cloning over the network using netcat

  Use netcat to clone Linux images over the network onto multiple servers with a series of simple Linux commands including tar, tee, and dd. This alternative to tools like Clonezilla does not require setting up a separate server.  Continue Reading

• Why use POST vs. GET to keep applications secure

  Although POST and GET HTTP requests essentially perform the same command on a Web server, a security expert says there are inherent dangers in using one over the other. Learn why one type of processing request provides more security for your Web ...  Continue Reading

• Nine ways to evaluate automated software testing tools

  Evaluate automated software testing tools more thoroughly with these tips for analyzing cost, support, total cost of ownership, usability and more. This tip suggests questions to ask about each attribute of a tool and a vendor's support for it.  Continue Reading

• Director switch comparison: Brocade DCX Backbone versus Cisco Systems MDS 9500

  Are you looking for director switch for your SAN? We compare the Brocade DCX Backbone and Cisco Systems MDS 9500 offerings in terms of latency, throughput and FCoE support.  Continue Reading

• Dealing with CICS/MQ trigger interface quirks

  Despite its simplicity, the CICS/MQ trigger interface has its share of quirks, such as messages left in queues and uneven workload distribution. An expert shares fixes for common CICS/MQ message triggering problems in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Understanding cloud compliance issues

  Concerns about compliance have made companies wary of storing their data in public cloud environments.  Continue Reading

• Upgrading to VMware vSphere: Five pros and five cons

  Increased performance, scalability and new features top the list as to why you should upgrade to vSphere, but proven product stability, third-party product and hardware compatibility are reasons you may want to stay with VMware Infrastructure 3 for ...  Continue Reading

• What is the free VMware OVFTOOL and how can it help you?

  VMware's OVFTOOL is a conversion program that eases distribution of virtual machines, converting them from the OVF format to .VMX, .OVA, .VMX files and others.  Continue Reading

• Fixing lingering object problems in complex Active Directory forests

  Lingering objects can provide an inconsistent view of the Active Directory and confuse administrators. Learn how to find and remove them in complex forests.  Continue Reading

• Top threats in a PaaS cloud service and how to avoid them

  Platform as a Service offerings suffer from vulnerabilities, such as lax default application configurations and holes in Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocols, which should be monitored and mitigated.  Continue Reading

• An introduction to data backup tape rotation schemes

  Learn about the different types of data backup tape rotation schemes to determine which one is best for your environment.  Continue Reading

• Five requirements for deploying an application in a public cloud

  Thinking about deploying an application in a public cloud? Investigate these five requirements to ensure success.  Continue Reading

• Perfmon made easy with PAL utility

  Performance Monitor in Windows is a great troubleshooting tool, but analyzing logs can be tedious. Learn to use the free PAL utility to take the time out of troubleshooting.  Continue Reading

• Developing a successful mainframe migration strategy

  A successful mainframe migration strategy requires careful planning to avoid disruption to end users. This tip discusses best practices for migrating, regenerating or replacing mainframe applications.  Continue Reading

• Sizing computer room air conditioners for data center energy efficiency

  Choosing a right-sized computer room air conditioner (CRAC) is crucial to data center energy efficiency, but there are many variables to consider. Learn more about data center air conditioning design, maintaining humidity levels and temperature, and...  Continue Reading

• Host and guest virtual machine: Definitions

  We explain the two components of a virtual machine -- the host and the guest -- in this installment of virtualization explained series.  Continue Reading

• Access and repair an ext3 file system with the superblock

  A damaged ext3 file system is accessible and repairable, thanks to the data within either the superblock or the superblock's backup.  Continue Reading

• Check server specs before upgrading your operating system

  Operating system upgrades can be tricky with the number of variables involved. Users need to research server hardware specifications and OS requirements before upgrading.  Continue Reading

• Calculating mean time to failure in performance testing

  Calculating MTTF (mean time to failure) can be a difficult for testers in order to develop a performance test pass as there are multiple steps. This expert tip will guide you through process,  Continue Reading

• Defining report requirements with use cases

  This tip offers a new and interesting way to go about defining and reporting requirements for use cases. There are a number of details that need to be attended to in defining requirements such as taking a look at users and then constructing use ...  Continue Reading

• How requirements use cases facilitate the SDLC

  Learn software use case processes and techniques that result in better application requirements in this tip. Takeaways include use case diagrams and user acceptance test case examples.  Continue Reading

• PowersHell: Factory Reset of ESXi

  During the course of my travels in powersHell with VMware – I’ve begun to put together my own JACS (Just-Another-Configuration-Script). The idea is to take a clean-factory set ESXi build, and use purely powersHell to configure it.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Logical Volume Manager boot problems

  If Logical Volume Manager (LVM) boots incorrectly, logical volumes are inaccessible and you can't manage server disk space. In this LVM how-to, we offer some simple steps to troubleshoot boot issues with LVM.  Continue Reading

• Top five keys to success for a new CMDB project

  Configuration management database (CMDB) projects require a steady hand and a lot of help from IT staff. Here are some tips to help you ensure CMDB success.  Continue Reading

• How to choose the right uninterruptible power supply for your data center

  This tip discusses how to choose the right-sized uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for your data center. It also explains common mistakes in UPS sizing and why UPS power ratings can be so confusing.  Continue Reading

• Avoid common pitfalls when calculating data center power load

  For data center pros trying to size an air conditioning system or UPS, accurately estimating data center power load is critical. But there are many common pitfalls to avoid.  Continue Reading

• How SQL Server recovery models impact your SharePoint databases

  SharePoint administrators can minimize data loss by selecting the appropriate SQL Server recovery model. But which model is right for your enterprise?  Continue Reading

• Installing VMware ESXi on a physical server

  In this two-part series, we show you how to convert an existing physical server into a virtual machine, then how to install VMware ESXi on the server hardware and load the virtual machine back onto it.  Continue Reading

• Expert shows seven ways to improve your project management abilities

  Project management offices can benefit when the team has a diverse portfolio of skills. Learn how to become a better project manager by reading these seven suggestions, which range from developing talents and group leaders to better assessing ...  Continue Reading

• Running a Web service on Google App Engine

  Google's App Engine for building Web applications in the cloud is beginning to support Java servlet-based Web services. It's still under development, but you can experiment using Eclipse support or command-line utilities in the SDK.  Continue Reading

• Debugging Windows client logon delays: Narrowing the scope

  There are several potential causes of slow client logons. The question is, once you find the source, how do you fix it?  Continue Reading

• Comparing Unix versions: AIX, HP-UX and Solaris

  In this comparison of the top Unix versions, learn what distinguishes the file systems, management tools and virtualization products in Sun Solaris, Hewlett-Packard HP-UX and IBM AIX file systems.  Continue Reading

• How to install and use RRDTool to speed up MRTG monitoring

  When monitoring a large number of hosts or devices with the MRTG graphing tool, the system experience frequent CPU spikes. In this RRDTool tutorial, learn how to install RRDTool and convert MRTG to use RRD storage to avoid system overload.  Continue Reading

• Green storage best practices control costs, increase energy efficiency

  Green storage best practices control power and cooling costs, and increase energy efficiency in your data center. Tiered storage, consolidating storage arrays, solid-state drives (SSDs) and MAID can help.  Continue Reading

• Symantec Backup Exec troubleshooting performance tips

  If you're using Backup Exec and your performance isn't what it should be, some troubleshooting may be in order. Here's a list of potential things to look out for.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Linux boot problems

  If your Linux server fails to show the login screen at startup, you have a boot problem. Learn some tricks on how to diagnose and fix a Linux server boot problem from Grub failure to init and runlevels.  Continue Reading

• How to install and configure MRTG, an essential sys admin tool

  Multi Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG) is an essential tool that allows systems administrators to monitor and graph network traffic and more. In this tutorial, an expert explains how to install and configure MRTG on Solaris 10.  Continue Reading

• Identifying applications for public and private clouds

  Before leaping head first into cloud services, figure which applications are best suited to a public versus private cloud. This article will help you define target apps for the cloud.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting data backup error log messages

  Knowing what how to read your data backup error log messages can help you save time fixing common backup problems. Learn about the most common backup error messages in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Capacity planning tools tutorial for Linux and Unix

  Effective capacity planning is a proactive way of ensuring that your data center servers will not prematurely run out of space or horsepower. Learn the tools available to help you, both native to Linux and Unix platforms including Solaris, Red Hat, ...  Continue Reading

• SaaS shopping list for SMBs

  Storage-as-a-service (SaaS) companies have changed how they operate. Learn what to look for when shopping for an online data backup provider with this product features checklist.  Continue Reading

• Air flow management strategies for efficient data center cooling

  To achieve efficient data center cooling, you must reduce your facility's air flow waste. In this tip, an expert outlines air flow management strategies and best practices that can improve data center air flow, including the installation of blanking...  Continue Reading

• Defining requirements during software project feasibility analysis

  There are at least two key points in a software project when requirements should be defined. One point people often miss is during feasibility analysis, and failure to define requirements at this stage can doom a project.  Continue Reading

• Optimizing server energy efficiency

  Reducing data center energy consumption is a hot topic in the IT industry, but server energy efficiency has only recently become a focus of discussion. Improving server efficiency means optimizing the main components that impact a server's overall ...  Continue Reading

• Recovering RDM data with VMware ESX troubleshooting

  Accidentally deleting important VMware ESX partitions cost our expert raw device mapping data. But a last attempt with an unlikely solution finally saved the day – and the data.  Continue Reading

• Why you should delete outdated vCenter Server data

  With SQL commands, you can delete superfluous vCenter Server database information and save disk space and boost system performance. But you need to monitor database table size.  Continue Reading

• Group Policy Object modeling simplifies network security

  Group Policy modeling is a great security tool for troubleshooting Group Policy settings and testing GPOs before they are applied with Windows Server 2008.  Continue Reading

• How to revoke and delete Active Directory user certificates

  In this Ask the Expert Q&A, our identity and access management expert examines how to set up Active Directory autoenrollment feature to revoke and delete user certificates on the Certificate Authority (CA) automatically.  Continue Reading

• Using HP Systems Insight Manager (SIM) 5.2 for systems management and monitoring

  Hewlett-Packard (HP) Co.'s Systems Insight Manager (SIM) 5.2 offers systems management and monitoring for HP servers or WMI-, SNMP- or WBEM-enabled systems. SIM works with HP's Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) management modules to detect hardware ...  Continue Reading

• Web application security testing checklist

  Testing your Web application security is something that needs be taken seriously. The best way to be successful is to prepare in advance and know what to look for. Here's an essential elements checklist to help you get the most out of your Web ...  Continue Reading

• How to optimize your backup tape rotation strategy

  Backup tape rotation is an essential part of any good data backup plan. Here's a look at some of the more common tape rotation strategies and the pros and cons of each.  Continue Reading

• How to avoid requirements creep

  Despite all the attention placed on defining requirements, creep continues to plague software projects. Learn how a different approach to requirements can curtail that creep.  Continue Reading

• Making requirements walkthroughs more effective (and fun)

  Do you have to twist arms to get people to attend your requirements review sessions? It doesn't have to be this way. Learn how to use a simulation model to get everyone engaged in the walkthrough.  Continue Reading

• Manipulating VMware log file space via log file rotation settings

  VMware ESX and vCenter log files are crucial for troubleshooting and need to be readily available, but log files can be space hogs. You can tweak log rotation settings to prevent log files from taking up too much space and designate additional space...  Continue Reading

• Manage CICS workloads with transaction classes

  Using transaction classes is a great way to manage CICS workloads that come in varying or unpredictable increments. Learn how to define transaction classes, calculate a maximum active number and get examples on how to use transaction classes in this...  Continue Reading

• Creating virtual machine clones and templates without vCenter Server

  Even if you don't have vCenter Server's virtual machine (VM) cloning feature, you can create VM templates with tools such as vConverter, vmkfstools and VMware Infrastructure Client – and a little technological prowess.  Continue Reading

• A quick guide to Server Manager for Windows Server 2008

  New to Windows Server 2008, the Server Manager feature can be a huge benefit to admins – once they figure out where to find everything. This article gives you a crash course on everything Server Manager has to offer.  Continue Reading

• Avoid high-risk data commingling with VMware virtual networks to prevent security vulnerabilities

  Avoid security vulnerabilities caused by placing VMware ESX and ESXi data of varying security and classification levels on a converged network by understanding how storage and virtual machine data interoperates over various networks.  Continue Reading

• Understanding VMware ESX virtual machine physical and virtual hardware

  You can better manage virtual machines by understanding the virtual hardware that makes up a VM. This tip explores VM physical and virtual hardware issues, including configuring virtual hardware and assigning virtual memory.  Continue Reading

• Creating a SharePoint site map using out-of-the-box features

  Giving SharePoint site owners the power to manage their own part of the SharePoint site map frees up administrators to manage more critical areas of the SharePoint environment.  Continue Reading

• Improving data center cooling capacity with chilled water plants

  With a chilled-water plant, you can improve your data center cooling capacity and possibly prevent more drastic measures, such as having to build a new facility.  Continue Reading

• Ensuring server time synchronization with NTP on SLES

  Synchronize your SUSE Linux Enterprise Server times using NTP time server. Two servers are recommended for enterprise situations, as redundancy will save the day in case of a disaster.  Continue Reading

• Repairing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server using a Rescue CD

  SUSE Linux Enterprise Server offers a Rescue CD for repairing the system if your hardware causes a crash at reboot. This tip shows you how to use it.  Continue Reading

• Use DFHLS2WS to expose CICS applications as a Web service

  DFHLS2WS is one of the Web services assistants that allows traditional CICS applications to provide or consume Web services without significant changes and without getting into the details of SOAP or XML coding.  Continue Reading

• How to troubleshoot RHEL performance bottlenecks

  This tip provides a step-by-step approach to application-tuning, troubleshooting bottlenecks and enhancing performance on RHEL 5 systems.  Continue Reading

• Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship, Chapter 1 -- What Is Clean Code?

  Agile software development calls on developers to write clean code, according to Robert "Uncle Bob" Martin. This free chapter introduces the concepts and methods programmers can adopt to write truly clean code.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Active Directory database errors

  While database errors in Active Directory can crop up occasionally, they are usually simple to fix. Check out these troubleshooting tips for when you think your AD database might be corrupted.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting slow Outlook Web Access (OWA) performance

  Do your Exchange mobile users struggle with slow Outlook Web Access (OWA) server performance? The initial cause may not be your OWA server, but instead a firewall or infrastructure issue. To pinpoint the root cause of slow OWA server performance, ...  Continue Reading

• Using OpenSSL to create and manage certificates

  Establishing an independent certificate authority with OpenSSL enables you to create public key certificates and to verify that these public keys are authentic and that email messages are secure.  Continue Reading

• Branch office security: Pros and cons of read-only domain controllers

  Windows administrators have long wondered whether or not to use domain controllers for authentication in remote branch offices. In this tip, learn about the pros and cons of domain controllers in Windows environments and how read-only domain ...  Continue Reading

• VMware VI Client plug-ins and how to manage them

  VMware VI Client plug-ins can provide a VirtualCenter implementation with a functionality boost. Discover more on plug-in management tactics and plug-in options, including the Juxtaposition RDP plug-in, in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Obtaining server health status in VMware ESX and VMware ESXi

  VMware ESXi can easily provide you with information about a server's CPU, memory, storage and more, but getting this info from ESX Server requires some additional steps.  Continue Reading

• Storage options for virtual machines: Raw device mappings, VMFS

  Virtual Machine File System is VMware's preferred storage option for virtual machines, but raw device mapping provides similar performance and can be a better choice depending on the specific storage configuration.  Continue Reading

• How to access SharePoint sites through Microsoft Outlook

  If you have both Microsoft Exchange Server and SharePoint, you can easily access SharePoint sites directly from Microsoft Outlook. Here's how.  Continue Reading

• Uninterruptible power supply load bus synchronization: Yes or no?

  Should you consider paying the additional cost of a Load Bus Synchronization system for your uninterruptible power supply? Data center experts Syska Hennessy weigh in.  Continue Reading

• VMware Site Recovery Manager: How it can help you

  VMware's Site Recovery Manager (SRM) application enhances the disaster recovery capabilities of your virtual environment. An expert discusses SRM implementation and use in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Selecting a general contractor: Data center construction runbook, Chapter 3

  When you're building a new data center, it pays to bring the general contractor onboard early, rather than bidding out the process and ending up with unqualified subcontractors on your project.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting common VMware ESX host server problems

  Get a grip on potential VMware ESX host server problems including the purple screen of death, a frozen service console, and rebuilding your network configurations after they've been lost.  Continue Reading

• Use the Exchange Management Shell Set command to block senders

  Want to create a list of blocked mail senders and recipients in Exchange Server 2007? Use the Exchange Management Shell's Set verb to write this script.  Continue Reading

• Determining the number of drives in a RAID group

  How many drives in a RAID group will it take to give you the performance you need for a database or email or file server, or for that new VMware implementation?  Continue Reading

• Are you prepared for the Unix 2038 problem?

  All 32-bit Unix/Linux-based systems store the system clock time internally as the number of seconds since the "Epoch." The latest time and date that can be represented as seconds-since-the-Epoch in that 32-bit signed integer is 3:14:07 UTC on ...  Continue Reading

• Determining the cause of Windows server hang

  Using the Windows Kernel Debugger (Windbg), learn to fix Windows server hang by analyzing a forced crash dump to determine the cause of the hung server.  Continue Reading

• Tracking a deleted Active Directory object's replication status

  Learn how to track a deleted Active Directory object's replication status and how to determine if the object has been replicated throughout the DC forest.  Continue Reading

• Teaming NICs achieves load balance and failover on VMware ESX

  By grouping, or teaming, network interface cards (NICs), you can achieve better load balancing and failover capabilities for VMware ESX guest virtual machines.  Continue Reading

• Data center cooling optimization in the virtualized-server world

  How many hamburgers can you cook on a blade server? If your servers are literally cooking there are a variety of systems to consider to keep your equipment cool.  Continue Reading

• How to size a SAN

  If your DAS storage infrastructure has reached its limits, or your existing SAN is out of date or just plain end-of-life, your first step will be to know what your storage requirements are.  Continue Reading

• The cost of tape vs. disk data backup

  Here's how to determine the cost of disk vs. tape in your data backup environment.  Continue Reading

• How to build redundancy in Active Directory replication

  Building redundancy in Active Directory replication is one way an administrator can ensure AD replication continues even if critical domain controllers fail.  Continue Reading

• Why do Windows servers hang?

  Troubleshooting a hung server begins by understanding why the problem occurs in the first place. Windows expert Bruce Mackenzie-Low takes a look at the big picture to explain some common causes of Windows server hang.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting failed VMware Converter P2V migrations

  A failed VMware Converter physical-to-virtual migration has numerous sources of potential failure, and even your best-laid plans may not prevent a problem. But this tip offers detailed troubleshooting to identify the problem.  Continue Reading

• How to create a cross-forest trust in Active Directory

  Building a cross-forest trust in Active Directory allows a trust to be created between the root domain of two forests.  Continue Reading