Data center capacity planning

Assessing colocation vs. cloud for hybrid IT infrastructure

When transforming operations to a hybrid IT environment, there's one other option to consider beyond the premises, public cloud and hybrid. Learn the many advantages of colocation. Continue Reading

Data center backup generators for mission-critical loads

To select the correct backup generator for your mission-critical data, learn the fuel, cost and efficiency considerations you should take into account. Continue Reading

On premises vs. cloud: The major similarities and differences

An organization deciding whether to run a workload on premises or in the cloud must carefully evaluate security, reliability, costs and other factors -- and ask four key questions. Continue Reading

TB vs. GB: Is a terabyte bigger than a gigabyte?

A terabyte comprises more than 1 trillion bytes. Discover how the storage measurement scale was created and where a terabyte stands among other units of measurement today. Continue Reading

Understand the 5 main benefits of hybrid cloud for businesses

Why choose between public cloud and private systems when you can have both? With hybrid cloud, enterprises can address workload requirements, business demands and budgetary needs. Continue Reading

Does your data center need a smart PDU?

A smart PDU can help you monitor and manage power flow more efficiently than a traditional PDU. Here's what you should consider before deciding whether to adopt. Continue Reading

4 key ways to prevent server sprawl

Take steps to cut back on costly and hard-to-manage server sprawl: consolidate your hardware, virtualize your servers, consider software-defined infrastructure and stay organized. Continue Reading

Get a template to estimate server power consumption per rack

Admins can struggle with power consumption estimation as infrastructure gets more complex. The kW-per-rack metric can help provide an accurate calculation of server power use. Continue Reading

Top enterprise hybrid cloud management tools to review

Here's an overview of the types of hybrid cloud management tools available, along with tips on what to look for in each tool category. Continue Reading

Data center market M&A deals hit new high in 2020

This year proved to be a banner year for data center mergers and acquisitions with 113 deals valued at over $30 billion, a pace that is unlikely to slow in 2021. Continue Reading

2 ways to craft a server consolidation project plan

Server consolidation enables admins to boost server utilization and decrease power consumption, which can also reduce costs and improve performance. Continue Reading

Edge computing challenges and ways to address them

Edge computing can reduce processing times and improve application performance, but the architecture has its issues. Here are eight challenges edge computing creates for the network. Continue Reading

6 steps for effective real-time monitoring across hybrid IT

Infrastructure monitoring can span multiple stakeholders, data center sites and metrics. Use the five W's to establish a comprehensive monitoring strategy. Continue Reading

Data center backup power systems, standards to address downtime

Backup power is essential to reduce -- or eliminate -- downtime. Admins can refer to industry standards, UPSes and generators to build out systems that support critical components. Continue Reading

The case against data center consolidation

Having one centralized data center can bring IT benefits. Use cases such as IoT, edge computing and cloud don't necessarily work with consolidated infrastructure. Continue Reading

New IBM Power systems offer pay-as-you-go pricing

IBM rolled out a low-end Power system with pay-as-you-go pricing to make it easier for users to deploy hybrid clouds for mission-critical applications. Continue Reading

SAP's McDermott joins ServiceNow to push enterprise growth

SAP's Bill McDermott will take over as ServiceNow CEO, replacing John Donahoe, in a move that analysts say could take the fast-growing ITSM vendor in new product directions. Continue Reading

Edge computing use cases and drivers to watch

Edge computing use cases span across multiple industry sectors, including manufacturing, retail and medical. The motives for adoption filter down to three main drivers. Continue Reading

5G, edge computing and IoT poised to retool networking

The combination of 5G and edge computing could introduce several changes for network operations. Find out why the network infrastructure -- along with fog computing -- is so important. Continue Reading

Edge computing and IoT combine to reshape the network

Enterprises are examining edge computing and IoT in a new light to determine the best way to process and transmit the mountain of data generated by IoT devices. Continue Reading

3 ways to approach cloud bursting

With different cloud bursting techniques and tools from Amazon, Zerto, VMware and Oracle, admins can bolster cloud connections and efficiently move data in and out of on-prem facilities. 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

Test your knowledge of cloud computing types

Not all cloud architectures are created equal. Complete this quiz to learn about which cloud models, management tools and features are helpful to data center admins. Continue Reading

Data center interconnects rife with application challenges

Avoid pushing complexity into your network. This is especially true with data center interconnect design, Layer 2 mobility and application requirements. Continue Reading

Azure outage spotlights cloud infrastructure choices

One difference in Microsoft's cloud infrastructure design may have contributed to the extended outage this week in an Azure region that hit a large number of customers. Continue Reading

Hadoop cluster capacity planning best practices

Trying to calculate Hadoop cluster capacities isn't always straightforward. It's important for organizations to include IOPS and compression rates in their predictions. Continue Reading

Data center operations best practices checklist

Independent experts guide you to better data center operations with tips and advice on best practices and the right management tools. Continue Reading

Ireland's data centers are strategic connection hubs for Interxion

Interxion's Dublin-based data center business continues to grow as an increasing number of American and European companies see Ireland as a strategic connection hub. Continue Reading

Agentless Ansible structure opens up configuration management potential

Ansible is easy to use for IT ops pros, and it supports multicloud functionality within its automation structure. This simple walkthrough gets sys admins started with the tool. Continue Reading

Understand the principles of data residency

IT administrators should assess data residency on a case by case basis. That means understanding how the concept has changed and how it works in the cloud. Continue Reading

Lessons fall from the cloud, changing data center strategies

The transformative power of cloud computing is long past the point of being news. The cloud model, after all, has irrevocably changed how IT functions. What's interesting to consider is how cloud technologies and methodologies are changing even how on-premises data centers operate. Lessons learned in the cloud are now being applied on site, adjusting data center strategies in surprising ways.

When it comes to resource efficiency, the things that hyperscale cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform accomplish might seem like heroic feats. For sure, server utilization rates in an on-premises environment won't reach the 50%, or better, marks that hyperscale providers hit. Still, rates can be improved by emulating those cloud operators.

So how has cloud computing altered data center strategies?

New classes of products, most notably hyper-converged infrastructure and software-defined networking, now exist primarily because large cloud providers built environments that showed the value of these technologies.

Redundancy architectures, too, are not nearly as rigid as they were. The traditional 2N scheme, in which an organization maintains double the number of infrastructure components needed to run critical operations, is no longer considered the mandatory standard.

Further efficiency is found in rethinking high availability expectations. With more resilient applications, experts argue, a hardware failure shouldn't be the disruptive event it was in an earlier age.

These are lessons brought down from the cloud, ones that noticeably alter data center strategies. They show again how the quest for efficient and effective data centers is never quite complete.

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Construct a winning data center project plan

Before embarking on new data center projects, such as an upgrade or move to the cloud, clearly define all goals and expectations -- and not just for IT. Continue Reading

How do I convert CPU hours to MIPS for mainframe capacity planning?

For better mainframe capacity planning, how do I convert CPU hours to MIPS? And is there a way to calculate the relationship between MIPS and MSUs? Continue Reading

Ten server deployment checklist considerations

Use this server deployment checklist to make sure you've covered all your bases. From power distribution outlets to available network connectivity, server deployment can be an arduous process. Continue Reading

Hardware vs. software load balancer: Which is better for an enterprise?

Can a software load balancer perform with the same capabilities as a hardware load balancer? Decide which aides enterprise the best in this hardware vs. software load balancer comparison. Continue Reading

Checklist of IT KPIs for responsive data center ops

The right metrics, aligned with business needs, strengthen data center monitoring and capacity planning. KPIs orient IT performance to specific goals. Continue Reading

Resolve a network bottleneck with these techniques

Data center network performance problems will disappear with fixes from a simple reorganization through a strategic overhaul. Continue Reading

Big data and analytics advice from an operations pro

You don't need to employ special IT personnel for big data analytics. One company uses big data for developers to modify ads and find and adjust pain-points in a game application. Continue Reading

Can you verify software compatibility on IT systems?

If you're thinking about deploying an application software package, how do you know if it is compatible with your particular systems and hardware? Continue Reading

Data center maps lead IT to server treasure

Can't find the server that needs repairs or the right reboot button when the host blue-screens? A data center map is vital when disaster hits. Continue Reading

Business application hosting on-premises vs. cloud options

Is it better to look for a SaaS version of an app, put it in your own data center on existing equipment, or host it at a cloud provider for a mix of flexible scaling and IT ownership? Continue Reading

Seven data center blogs you should be reading right now

Stay connected on trending IT topics on Twitter and Tumblr. Follow these seven experts who express news, opinions in data center blogs. Continue Reading

Denser is better: Increased storage and server density

For storage and servers, being dense is good. Careful planning can maximize the benefits of greater computing densities while minimizing potential risks. Continue Reading

Does data center size matter in virtualization, DCIM decisions?

Are you big enough to take advantage of DCIM or virtualization for the power and cost savings? When it comes to certain moves, size is an advantage. Continue Reading

Photo tour sheds light on underground data center build

An underground data center build requires a lot of work. This data center tour shows the Lightedge hosting facility in a former limestone mine. Continue Reading

The past, present and future of top data center components

Data centers have come a long way, and we still have pretty far to go. Take a look through data centers then and now, and see what's ahead. Continue Reading

What data center Tier levels can and cannot tell you about uptime

When it's time to go colo, it's important to know what level of facility uptime you need, as well as the data center operator's specific procedures. Continue Reading

Scale up vs. scale out: Debate evolves over how to upgrade data centers

Pick sides on whether to scale up vs. scale out servers. It will establish what method to enhance server performance makes sense for your data center. Continue Reading

No faults here: Advanced techniques to attain more reliable servers

A new generation of reliability features can keep busy servers running in the face of serious fault conditions. Continue Reading

Five data center upgrade strategies to modernize your facility

These five data center upgrade strategies can revitalize older data centers and stave off expensive construction projects. Continue Reading

The basics of selecting server memory

Understanding modern memory helps IT professionals make the best choices for selecting a server memory configuration and upgrades. Continue Reading

A deeper look at memory ranks, channels and types

Looking for new server memory? Learning about memory ranks, channels and types is a good step to making the right choice. Continue Reading

The basics of selecting server memory

Understanding modern memory helps IT professionals make the best choices for selecting a server memory configuration and upgrades. Continue Reading

A deeper look at memory ranks, channels and types

Looking for new server memory? Learning about memory ranks, channels and types is a good step to making the right choice. Continue Reading

How much do you know about 'big data' infrastructure?

Take this quiz to see if your data center's 'big data' infrastructure will hold up. Continue Reading

Tips for improving server reliability and available memory

New memory modules and system capabilities can increase available memory and reliability on mission-critical servers. Continue Reading

Dell unveils workloads, features of converged infrastructure offering

Dell bakes Gale Technologies' automation into Dell's Active Infrastructure to speed up deployments. Continue Reading

Tips for improving server reliability and available memory

New memory modules and system capabilities can increase available memory and reliability on mission-critical servers. Continue Reading

Managing and monitoring server log data

See how proactive system administrators help themselves avoid a security breach by putting an effective log management policy in place. Continue Reading

Hardware upgrade and server refresh guide

In this guide, we address several important aspects of the server hardware refresh process, including how to decide when it's time to replace a server and how to get more out of hardware upgrade. Continue Reading

Case studies show the benefits of virtualization

These case studies demonstrate how businesses have deployed virtual machines to improve efficiency and add computing power, while also saving money. Continue Reading

Increasing network bandwidth available to virtual machines

These three tips on increasing the amount of network bandwidth available to your VMs, including virtual network creation, can also potentially increase a host server's VM density. Continue Reading

Improving IT efficiency with server virtualization technology

The Motley Fool turned to server virtualization technology as its answer to improving IT efficiency and flexibility in the wake of rampant data center growth. Continue Reading

Managing virtual data center growth and virtualization challenges

With careful testing, planning and management, virtual data center growth doesn't have to be an issue, even with problems that crop up with some virtualization technologies. 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, HP-UX, and the free-form products that will work with any Linux or Unix distribution. Continue Reading

Analyze this: The pitfalls of equating performance with capacity

An IT administrator finds that his server can take 1,000 concurrent connections with a simple test. Continue Reading