Mainframe migration projects

Dell EMC upgrades VxRail appliances for AI, SAP HANA

As hyperconverged infrastructure use cases expand, Dell EMC adds analytics, flash and network management to VxRail platform built on PowerEdge servers. Continue Reading

Essential VxRail appliance hyper-converged questions answered

Find out what you need to know as you investigate if Dell EMC VxRail HCI with vSAN hyper-converged software meets the needs of your organization's workloads and use cases. Continue Reading

A look at HCI hardware maintenance

Resource forecasting, capacity planning and upgrade compatibility are essential components of hyper-converged infrastructure maintenance. Learn why admins must implement them. Continue Reading

Put your VMware vSAN HCI knowledge to the test

Do you know what it takes to deploy, maintain and secure a VMware vSAN-based hyper-converged infrastructure? Take our quiz to see how deep your vSAN knowledge and expertise runs. Continue Reading

HPE brings InfoSight AI to SimpliVity HCI

HPE brings technologies from two 2017 acquisitions -- predictive analytics and hyper-convergences -- together with InfoSight on SimpliVity in hopes of giving SimpliVity a sales jolt. Continue Reading

What enterprises look for with converged data center projects

Learn about the state of the convergence market and what enterprises require for CI and HCI projects, the workloads they intend to run and which vendors are highest on their buying lists. Continue Reading

Learn the basics of ACI network technology

Application-centric infrastructure is one way to support an SDN setup. By learning the basics, admins can manage networks with automation and data abstraction. Continue Reading

Continuous HCI platform maintenance ensures system health

These best practices will help data center managers keep their hyper-converged platform in tip-top shape and make the process of deploying future updates simpler. Continue Reading

How VCF on VxRail helps achieve hybrid cloud victory

Virtual Cloud Foundation on VxRail combines VMware software-defined private cloud technology with Dell EMC hyper-converged hardware to create an extensive hybrid cloud platform. Continue Reading

Improve server rack physical security with ISO standards

Safeguarding information access is essential to data center operations. With ISO Standard 27001 and the right locking mechanisms, you can prevent a security breach at the server hardware level. Continue Reading

Essential private cloud migration steps

Executive buy-in, application evaluation and tool configuration are all important parts of cloud selection. With these steps, admins can ensure a smooth move to private cloud. Continue Reading

Steel company mines value with Scale Computing HC3 cluster

Harrison Steel Castings outgrew its converged system and swapped it out for Scale Computing HC3 hyper-converged infrastructure, which uses open source KVM virtualization. Continue Reading

Composable infrastructure techniques for the real world

Automating your composable infrastructure engenders flexibility that enables enterprises to reshape the data center and keep pace with today's cultural and technological shifts. Continue Reading

IBM quantum computers' usefulness in sight -- using binoculars

IBM's Bob Sutor discusses Big Blue's new quantum systems and computation center, the realities of quantum computing today and how IT pros will code for these systems in the future. Continue Reading

Top tips for moving workloads to hyper-converged technology

Take security and management seriously when migrating workloads to HCI. Closely evaluate supporting systems -- and the applications and hyper-converged system itself --- as well. Continue Reading

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

Selection criteria for converged data protection

See if a converged backup product will meet your needs by exploring the features you should consider before investing in this relatively new kind of data protection platform. Continue Reading

How to realize the benefits of software-defined infrastructure

Software-based infrastructure and services can streamline management and application data. Before you add them to your data center, consider workload needs and existing hardware. Continue Reading

4 essential components to edge data center maintenance

Security, connectivity and remote management are integral parts of any edge architecture. Here's how to include them in your infrastructure. Continue Reading

Elevate software-defined technology's role in the data center

SDS and SDN aren't a cure-all for infrastructure management ails. Proper implementation requires research and a suitable hardware setup. Here's a look at what this tech can do. Continue Reading

Illustrated history of the converged data center

Data center convergence emerged as an alternative to the traditional data center and it continues to evolve. Learn more about CI, HCI and composable infrastructure in this infographic. Continue Reading

Put your composable infrastructure knowledge to the test

Are you up to speed on composable disaggregated infrastructure and technology? Take our quiz to find out if you know how composability works and how it can benefit you. Continue Reading

New Dell EPYC servers embrace AMD Rome chips

Dell EMC goes from Naples to Rome with a new line of EPYC servers, including Ready Solutions for high-performance computing and Ready Nodes for vSAN hyper-converged infrastructure. Continue Reading

Can next-gen SIEM help cybersecurity initiatives?

More organizations are using SIEM, AI and cloud technology to minimize security breaches. Though despite interest, this combination is still in its infancy. Continue Reading

How to address HCI's resource provisioning challenges

Provisioning in hyper-convergence is often imbalanced. Integrating more powerful, higher-capacity nodes with HCI software or taking a more hybrid approach can help. Continue Reading

How to address HCI's resource provisioning challenges

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IBM z15 mainframe secures data across multi-cloud environments

IBM unveiled the latest in its line of mainframes capable of processing 1 trillion web transactions a day. The IBM z15 mainframe's software can manage data across multiple clouds. Continue Reading

Data center management as a service launches DCIM to the cloud

DMaaS is an option for organizations that want to use cloud-based management. Though these offerings hold a lot of promise, there are concerns about cost and function. Continue Reading

How Cisco and Nexenta software defines storage for HyperFlex HCI

See how Nexenta's virtual storage appliance software can extend Cisco HyperFlex HCI storage capabilities without additional hardware or complex system reconfigurations. Continue Reading

Decrease legacy hardware security gaps

Dated infrastructure poses security threats to organizations -- especially with the amount of sensitive data used today. Address these concerns with active inventory audits. Continue Reading

A close look at different types of hyper-converged architectures

Learn more about the major kinds of hyper-converged infrastructure available as we explore the evolution of HCI from basic storage-compute nodes to newer disaggregated types. Continue Reading

Answers to top server lifecycle management questions

Unsure when to maintain, upgrade or ditch a server? Here's a look at your hardware -- and software -- care options. Continue Reading

Explore Robin hyper-converged Kubernetes for containerized apps

Robin Systems new scalable and agile Kubernetes HCI platform aims to take the pain out of deploying and managing complex data-intensive systems in a containerized environment. Continue Reading

4 steps for a smooth SDN installation

Software-defined infrastructure can be tricky to implement. Automation, vendor-supported hardware and skilled developers are essential for smooth updates. Continue Reading

VMware vSAN HCI: Complete stack or 'vaporware'?

VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger says vSAN is crushing Nutanix, while Nutanix CEO Dheeraj Pandey says VMware sells 'vaporware' -- but users say they like the integrated stack for HCI. Continue Reading

3 ways to approach legacy hardware maintenance

Budget, maintenance cycles and specialized use cases are all reasons to keep legacy hardware. Minimize costs and outages with service contracts and emulation options. Continue Reading

Top hyper-converged platform features to look for in an HCI system

Know software compatibility, maximum scalability and long-term potential of hardware support from vendors before buying a hyper-converged infrastructure system. Continue Reading

VMware vSAN HCI users share cloud strategies, battle scars

Hyper-converged infrastructure has meant change to IT organizations, and VMware vSAN customers consider evolving their cloud plans in an age of hybrid and multi-cloud options. Continue Reading

What hyper-converged network details should I consider?

No longer a second-class citizen to compute and storage, networking is now integral to most HCIs. Keep in mind certain networking facts when adopting hyper-convergence, however. Continue Reading

Should admins learn about serverless computing?

Serverless architecture is beneficial to organizations that use virtualization and function-as-a-service models. Here's what admins should know about it. Continue Reading

Iran says it's building an AI supercomputer, despite sanctions

In a tweet, Iran said it is building a new supercomputer. Other nations are doing the same because high performance computing platforms lend themselves to AI development. Continue Reading

IBM Power chip instruction set now open source

IBM opened up its Power server Instruction Set Architecture allowing the open source community to develop more innovative hardware components for IBM's Power servers. Continue Reading

Big Switch updates its Cloud-First Networking portfolio

Big Switch Networks' new products and features aim to help solve issues such as lack of operational consistency, visibility and management in hybrid environments, and shadow IT. Continue Reading

3 elements to consider for a hybrid cloud deployment

Hybrid cloud uptake is increasing, as organizations demand greater infrastructure freedom across on- and off-premises environments and more control over the application layer. Continue Reading

How to choose hyper-converged backup for data protection

Data protection is essential for any hyper-converged infrastructure. How you back up data -- natively, agentless or using agents -- depends on your environment and other factors. Continue Reading

How composable disaggregated infrastructure works

Familiarize yourself with how composable infrastructure works, core characteristics and benefits, and what enterprises hope to gain from this infrastructure-as-code delivery model. Continue Reading

How to get out of a bad colocation contract

Renegotiation, legal action and cancellation are all options if your colocation service agreement isn't up to par. But each option requires research to avoid big fees or downtime. Continue Reading

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

Scale Computing HC3 gaining an enterprise foothold, CEO says

Scale Computing founder and CEO Jeff Ready claims demand for HC3 is pulling the vendor into more enterprise use cases as edge-created data prompts companies to consolidate IT. Continue Reading

Cray exascale computer to modernize aging nuclear weapon stockpile

The U.S. is buying an exascale system from Cray Inc., its third from the company which is now being acquired by HPE. The $600 million system will be used in nuclear weapons development. Continue Reading

Composable architecture extends the reach of disaggregation

In composable architecture, IT components are broken apart and reassembled for specific applications. They can provide more flexibility than converged or hyper-converged systems. Continue Reading

83 useful Linux commands

Enterprise administrators and managers who use this guide of essential Linux commands, utilities and tools will find ways to manage files, get process status updates and more. Continue Reading

Larger, expandable HCI nodes bring big infrastructure benefits

Discover why a larger node strategy enables enterprises to better consolidate workloads in a hyper-converged infrastructure environment while reducing complexity and cost. Continue Reading

Larger, expandable HCI nodes bring big infrastructure benefits

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When converged and hyper-converged -- and cloud -- converge

Price, ease of management and use cases should determine if you use hyper-converged, converged infrastructure or on-premises public cloud stacks. There are differences, however. Continue Reading

When converged and hyper-converged -- and cloud -- converge

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.7 tailored for hybrid, multi-clouds

Red Hat released RHEL version 7.7 with features that make it easier to marry its legacy systems with the latest cloud-native applications, while urging users to move to RHEL 8. Continue Reading

Expand your edge data center vocabulary

Data, devices and distributed computing are all important parts of edge setups. Learn about edge computing components and how you might see them in your organization. Continue Reading

Flexible consumption models lower IT overhead, help investments

Flexible consumption lets you track infrastructure usage and decrease tech investment overhead. It may seem similar to the as-a-service model, but there are differences between the two. Continue Reading

How do I measure overall TCO when comparing HCI vendors?

Comparing the TCO of deploying different HCI vendors' platforms makes it likelier you'll pick the right one for your organization. Start the process with our checklist. Continue Reading

Prepare your organization for 100G data center Ethernet

Leaf-spine topologies, Ethernet and optics research are driving the next generation of data center networking infrastructure. Stay ahead of the curve with these technologies. Continue Reading

Put your hyper-converged cloud knowledge to the test

Are you up to speed on clouds built on hyper-converged infrastructure platforms and technology? Take our quiz to find out if you know how they work and their benefits. Continue Reading

AI hardware demands drive biggest server, chip deals in 2019

Many top-tier server hardware suppliers redoubled their efforts to deliver products such as supercomputers to capture a piece of the AI and machine learning hardware market. Continue Reading

Beer maker brews up cloud alternative with Dell EMC VxRail

With breweries in Colorado and North Carolina, New Belgium Brewing Co. moved shared production apps from cloud to local cluster of Dell EMC hyper-converged infrastructure. Continue Reading

A quick guide to data center commissioning

Service provider selection, design documentation and thorough testing are all necessary for commissioning. Learn the process's nuances to get your facilities online. Continue Reading

Deploying a hyper-converged cluster with mismatched hardware

Software HCI implementations make it possible to build HCI clusters from mismatched hardware. Even so, see why matched hardware can make deployment easier to manage and maintain. Continue Reading

How machine learning in data centers optimizes operations

Machine learning can help manage your data center more efficiently and address power consumption concerns and hardware maintenance. Today's tools make implementation easy and effective. Continue Reading

3 ways to benefit from open source infrastructure

Using open source infrastructure can reduce operating costs and streamline upgrades, but it's important to weigh the pros and cons before you jump on the bandwagon. Continue Reading

VMware vSAN HCI multi-cloud setup keeps ambulance airbound

Angel MedFlight runs a multi-cloud setup, using a customer-built app and hyper-converged infrastructure built on VMware vSAN software and HPE ProLiant servers. Continue Reading

Words to go: Composable disaggregated infrastructure glossary

Dig into these terms to get a sense of composable infrastructure and what its disaggregated server capabilities can bring to your IT environment and application workloads. Continue Reading

Erasure coding vs. RAID: Pros and cons for hyper-convergence

Hyper-converged systems, like any other, require data protection. We describe using RAID and erasure coding for hyper-convergence to help you pick the best option for your HCI. Continue Reading

3 ways to deploy hyper-converged infrastructure

An HCI deployment can be done in one of three ways -- full replacement, side-by-side or per application -- each with pluses and minus, depending on requirements and resources. Continue Reading

IBM mainframes face competitive pressures inside and out

IBM's mainframe business continues to be under pressure from cloud-based competitors, and perhaps even its own Power server. But analyst opinions vary about its long-term fate. Continue Reading

Linux features beyond server management

Due to its open source nature, Linux is constantly gaining new capabilities. Here's a look at some common use cases and features. Continue Reading

Use ASHRAE guidelines to get server temperature right

The main factors that affect server efficiency are inlet air temperature, humidity and contaminants. Follow these ASHRAE guidelines to set up the right facility for your hardware and save energy. Continue Reading

6 top hyper-converged infrastructure management tips

These tips address specific aspects of HCI management and illustrate ways to better integrate these systems with third-party tools and overall IT infrastructure. Continue Reading

3 vendors to consider for an HCI appliance

HCI isn't just a software product; market vendors such as Nutanix, HPE and Pivot3 also have specific appliances for admins that want features for network and storage management. Continue Reading

Know the risk of hyper-converged vendor lock-in, myths and facts

The risk of HCI vendor lock-in is real. The reason why is different than you might think, however. See how it often comes down to financial, not technical, limitations in this article. Continue Reading

Docker Containers as a Service deployment simplified on HPE Synergy

Reference Configuration guides the deployment of the complete Docker-based Containers-as-a-Service platform on HPE Synergy composable infrastructure to simplify container use. Continue Reading

How to cultivate the ideal IaaS agreement

As you expand your infrastructure, you might use service providers for certain components. Make sure you get a comprehensive SLA that addresses responsibilities, costs and security. Continue Reading

HPE SimpliVity gets new features, competition

HPE exec says vendor's HCI strategy is 'SimpliVity, SimpliVity, SimpliVity' -- but don't forget HPE's competitive Nutanix and Nimble Storage dHCI products. Continue Reading

China's supercomputing systems soar from 21 to 219 in a decade

The U.S. dominates in total supercomputing performance, but lags behind China in the overall number of supercomputers. U.S. x86 vendors sell many of the chips used in these systems, but ARM may soon be giving them a run for their money. Continue Reading

HPE unveils Nimble dHCI, InfoSight on SimpliVity HCI

Is disaggregated HCI a thing? Hewlett Packard Enterprise says yes, with its new Nimble Storage-ProLiant server combo that looks more like converged infrastructure than hyper-converged. Continue Reading

HCI management layer vs. native hypervisor management

See why inherent differences between hyper-converged and native hypervisor management tools tend to make one better suited for managing virtualized HCI resources than the other. Continue Reading

Data center cooling systems advance, incorporate natural sources

Despite concerns around water-based cooling technology, organizations are developing new hardware setups that rely on fjords and oceans to effectively cool dense server racks. Continue Reading

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

Scale Computing HC3 hyper-converged hardware gets edgy

Scale Computing 1U edge nodes allow easy deployment by retailers in multiple sites that lack on-site IT. The Scale Computing storage layer removes the need for RAID-based data protection in the box. Continue Reading

Essential hyper-converged backup, data protection questions to ask

Procure a hyper-converged infrastructure, and you'll need to protect the data residing in that environment. Ask and answer these questions to determine the best HCI backup approach for your organization. Continue Reading

4 essential KPIs for edge computing management

If you want to track edge deployment activity, look at storage, network and processing resources to guide workload configuration and maintenance needs. Continue Reading

Data center managers avoid cloud migration risks

Many corporate IT users are flocking to the cloud, but a majority surprisingly remain reluctant to migrate their on-premises mission-critical workloads to a public cloud. Continue Reading

HCI market: Dell and VMware gain, as Nutanix stumbles

HCI pioneer Nutanix's revenue slid last quarter, as it goes through a business transition and greater competition from Dell appliances and VMware HCI software. Continue Reading

New Toshiba M.2 SSD targets composable infrastructure

Toshiba takes aim at composable infrastructures, data centers and high-end workstations with new low-power, small-form-factor 2 TB M.2 SSD that uses dense 96-layer 3D NAND flash. Continue Reading

HiveIO releases Hive Fabric virtualization framework update

Hive Fabric 7.3 has four main updates. New features enable admins to install GPUs, control acceleration, add multiple defined networks and manage server memory. Continue Reading

The vSAN stretched cluster type spreads HCI love for HA, DR

VMware vSAN stretched clusters enable admins to spread hyper-converged infrastructures across two physical locations. Learn more about them and their benefits. Continue Reading

Colocation vs. cloud: Quiz yourself on these workload expansion options

Colocation or cloud? Data centers have plenty of expansion options beyond building a new facility. Learn about each option -- and test your knowledge -- with this quiz. Continue Reading

HCI hardware or hyper-converged software: Which is better for me?

Appliance-based hyper-convergence integrates software with hardware, while software-only HCI enables you to use the hardware of your choice. Each type has pluses and minuses. Continue Reading

A guide to IaaS provider selection

Adding a cloud infrastructure service requires proper evaluation procedures and research. For a smooth transition, assess VM shapes, developer skill sets, licensing and security. Continue Reading

How do I size a UPS unit?

Your data center UPS sizing needs are dependent on a variety of factors. Develop configurations and determine the estimated UPS capacity that will meet your current and future needs. Continue Reading

How to enhance FTP server security

If you still use FTP servers in your organization, use IP address whitelists, login restrictions and data encryption -- and just a few command prompts -- to keep them secure. 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