IT compliance and governance strategies
The IT compliance and governance topic area contains resources, guides and advice tailored for companies under strict regulations, requiring detailed documentation as well as audits. Data centers help maintain IT compliance with regulations such as SOX and HIPPA. IT governance frameworks like ITIL and COBIT ensure a successful IT compliance strategy.
Top Stories
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Tip
04 Jan 2022
Foster health and safety in the post-pandemic data center
Data centers adapted to a new set of circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic. As work and the pandemic continue to change, here's how data centers can continue to evolve. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Oct 2021
How to evaluate and select GRC vendors and tools
There is a variety of governance, risk and compliance software on the market. Learn about some of the available products and how best to evaluate GRC tools and vendors. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Oct 2021
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
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Tip
08 Oct 2021
Data center security compliance checklist
In five steps, create a security compliance plan for your data center. Discover different standards, learn audit schedules and develop procedures to align with compliance. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Jul 2021
IT industry standard training for data center admins
Axelos, IDCA and the Uptime Institute each offer training courses and certifications for data center admins to increase their knowledge of common data center standards. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 May 2021
How to successfully automate GRC systems in 7 steps
There is more to automating GRC programs than technology alone. This implementation roadmap helps IT leaders effectively plan, deploy and monitor GRC activities and tools. Continue Reading
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News
11 Sep 2020
Mega Hopex update focuses on aligning IT to business goals
Mega's Hopex upgrade adds IT Business Management, Information Architecture and Risk Management features designed to help users keep their technology in line with business goals. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Aug 2020
A quick primer on the ANSI/TIA-942 standard
Industry standards help organizations minimize downtime and ensure operational quality. With ANSI/TIA-942, IT teams can certify their infrastructure for mission-critical sites. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Jun 2020
6 steps to prep your organization for ISO 9001 certification
ISO 9001 is a quality management standard. Before your team decides to become certified with an official audit, you should have all the gap analyses, documentation and fixes in place. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 May 2020
Considerations for SIEM logging software and storage
SIEM systems aggregate a lot of data across all types of infrastructure. For regular audits, admins should address notification settings, analysis protocols and storage locations. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Apr 2020
7 top open source network monitoring tools
Network is an essential part of infrastructure health and requires constant monitoring. To meet specific OS and hardware requirements, open source tools can be the best fit. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Apr 2020
Safeguard data center power with regular UPS maintenance
There are several levels of testing to address when developing a UPS maintenance checklist. Be sure to conduct visual, thermal and load tests to verify UPS health. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Feb 2020
Disaster recovery regulations complicate data compliance
Many organizations struggle when it comes to compliance with recent data regulations. Modern disaster recovery adds an extra layer of difficulty for meeting these requirements. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Feb 2020
Initiative aims to improve data center incident reporting
The Data Center Incident Reporting Network hopes to pull back the smoke screen on software and hardware issues to improve operations and reduce downtime risks -- with admins help. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Dec 2019
Guidelines to tackle multi-cloud and hybrid IT management
Managing infrastructure isn't just the on-premises data center anymore. Software selection, architecture configuration and governance are key components of any hybrid IT setup. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Oct 2019
Addendum sets ASHRAE 90.4 as energy-efficiency standard
The publication of ASHRAE 90.4 in 2016 brought a new set of energy guidelines, but the industry still used Standard 90.1. A new addendum has changed protocol and best practices. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Aug 2019
5 steps to include on your software update checklist
Training, testing and automation are all essential components to software updates. Implementing these concepts makes version maintenance a less herculean task. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Jun 2019
A 6-step guide for hardware disposal
Asset tracking, information logging and security measures should all be a part of hardware decommissioning. Don't miss a step with these considerations. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Sep 2018
Discovery functions, FIPS compliance increase DCIM security
Data center infrastructure management is one way to track security patches and unauthorized hardware access. There are a few features you can use to increase security. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Aug 2018
14 SIEM reports and alerts to boost security
Setting up an SIEM reporting infrastructure requires an overall knowledge of what data capture is available. With standard reports and event categories, you can ease implementation. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jun 2018
SIEM software basics and use cases for IT administrators
Security information and event management products use algorithms to stop cyberattacks in their tracks, but they also offer other workflow benefits for admins. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 May 2018
Get to know SIEM software basics and benefits
Security information and event management tools give organizations enhanced network management functionality, such as automatic reporting, data stream analysis and anomaly detection. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Jan 2018
Create your best GRC program with business continuity and DR
Any governance, risk management and compliance program should work with an organization's business continuity process. There are challenges to consider, though. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Feb 2016
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
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News
29 Oct 2015
IoT devices, data use developing faster than common standard
The onslaught of data from IoT devices may not happen until a set of common standards is developed. Continue Reading
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Guide
28 Oct 2015
Data center metrics and standards guide
From energy use to server performance, data center metrics form a foundation for improving IT operations. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 May 2015
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
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E-Zine
16 Feb 2015
Hybrid cloud command and control
Expectations set by the public cloud around self-service and speed of deployment are beginning to creep into the enterprise. In the early days of cloud, developers were so wowed -- and the controls around accessing it were so loose -- that many organizations didn't even bother to try to control it. That's changing.
Social collaboration and sharing paradigms have revolutionized consumer behavior and habits. Consider the effects of sites like Facebook, Twitter-esque notions of followers and crowdsourcing knowledge on Wikipedia. IT is usually at the forefront to embrace new ideas, but it has been relatively slow to adopt these constructs.
No longer does every application require its own dedicated hardware; with server virtualization, IT pros can could simply package it up in a virtual machine and make better use of precious resources.
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Tip
23 Dec 2014
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
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Feature
05 Nov 2014
How do you define data center size, density?
With shifts in the scale and density of data centers, one industry organization is drawing up ways to standardize how we talk about data center size and power needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Oct 2014
A data center checklist for facility design and IT ops
Choose the right data center provider or facility now, and prevent costly errors and inadequate services later. Continue Reading
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Quiz
16 Sep 2014
How well do you know the ITIL v3 framework?
Test how well your team knows its roles and responsibilities with this ITIL quiz. It might help you handle future IT service problems. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Sep 2014
How to write server documentation
A data center should be prepared for the worst, but try to avoid that at all costs. Appropriate system documentation helps avoid critical errors. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Jun 2014
Controversial hot aisle containment practices
Is your hot aisle too hot for OSHA? New data center trends are causing concern. You might need to adapt to adhere to the law. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Jun 2014
What to look for in a Tier III data center provider
Don't believe just any sweet-talking colo provider claiming to be Tier III. Make sure you're getting what you pay for with a true Tier III data center. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jun 2014
Why Facebook and the NSA love graph databases
Graph databases play six degrees of separation to find real connections. See how IT teams can use the database approach for businesses. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Feb 2014
Getting started with ITIL service management
Promised cost savings, alignment with business, and operational efficiency are encouraging more organizations to take up ITIL service management. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Nov 2013
Major changes in data center fire suppression standards NFPA 75 and 76
Fire standard changes can add a lot of work and expense to a data center operator's job, but the updates to NFPA 75 and 76 address real safety risks. Continue Reading
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Survey
02 Apr 2012
Take the Data Center Decisions 2012 survey
Help us learn about your technology preferences and trends among data centers like yours. Be sure to enter our prize drawing for completing the survey and get a chance to win a range of gift cards! Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jun 2011
What to look for when conducting benchmark tests with PerfMon
Microsoft's PerfMon benchmark tests measure a wide range of processes and server aspects, but it can be difficult for IT professionals to understand the numbers and interpret the results. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jul 2010
Calculating carbon emissions in the data center
While data center carbon measurement is in its infancy and lacks hard standards, it still may benefit IT admins to know basic methods for calculating carbon emissions as carbon legislation begins impacting data centers. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jan 2007
Calculating costs of data center cabling infrastructure
In part two of our series on data center cabling decisions, data center infrastructure expert Carrie Higbie offers a cost calculator for determining TCO on a cabling project. Continue Reading