Evaluate

Evaluate

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

• Virtual servers vs. physical servers: What are the differences?

  Virtualization has cemented itself in the enterprise data center, but that doesn't mean physical servers are obsolete. They each have their benefits and uses. Continue Reading

• How to find the best server virtualization management software

  Choosing the right server virtualization management software is critical to meeting your organization's current and future needs. Continue Reading

• Memory management strategies improve VM performance

  There are several memory management options, each with their own use cases. Understanding the differences can help admins optimize virtual memory and mitigate resource contention. Continue Reading

• The remote workforce is redefining mission-critical apps

  The explosion in remote work doesn't just mean more work calls in your pajamas. IT must be prepared to support application performance and availability as mission-critical. Continue Reading

• 5 types of server virtualization explained

  Hypervisor-based might be the most common form of server virtualization in organizations, but there are other options to consider, including hardware-assisted and OS-level. Continue Reading

• Evaluate open source vs. proprietary AIOps tools

  Cut through the market hype surrounding AIOps to find the tool that suits your needs, comparing the pros and cons of open source vs. proprietary tools.Continue Reading

• Compare some of the top online IT training providers

  Everyone learns differently. So, to find the right training provider to match your style, weigh the pros and cons of these five options before you subscribe.Continue Reading

• Kubernetes deployments vs. pods: What's the difference?

  Pods and deployments are both important to using Kubernetes in production, but they're not the same. Learn the role each one plays in building and managing containerized applications.Continue Reading

• Where does NoOps fit in the future of IT Ops?

  NoOps might stand for No Operations, but the goal is to improve processes, not eliminate them. Learn how steps toward automation and cloud migration can change IT operations.Continue Reading

• Logging as a service isn't SIEM -- so what is it?

  What is LaaS and how does it work? Storing logs in the cloud can be a voluminous -- and expensive -- challenge, but the cloud offers a variety of enticing benefits.Continue Reading

• Evaluate Spinnaker vs. Jenkins for CI/CD

  Jenkins is one of the most popular CI/CD tools available, but Spinnaker enables IT teams to manage complex pipelines. Is one better than the other, or should 'vs.' be swapped with 'and'?Continue Reading

• Explore Bottlerocket's benefits and limitations

  Everything has pros and cons, but the question is whether the good outweighs the bad. Evaluate what Bottlerocket has to offer, and how it compares to Alpine Linux as a container OS.Continue Reading

• OpenShift Virtualization 2.5 simplifies VM modernization

  Red Hat's OpenShift platform enables admins to take a phased approach to retiring legacy applications while moving toward a container-based environment.Continue Reading

• Understand the differences between VPS vs. VPC

  Both a VPS and a VPC distributes resources and hosts applications, but a VPS is, essentially, a VM used as a server, whereas a VPC is a full private cloud environment.Continue Reading

• ITSM and DevOps don't have to be at odds

  Is it possible for ITSM and DevOps to coexist within the same organization? It is, but it raises plenty of questions about how and whether they are a good fit.Continue Reading

• Containers bring cloud-agnostic workloads closer to reality

  Cloud-agnostic workloads have been a largely elusive goal in enterprise IT. But has containerization -- and, particularly, Kubernetes -- made agnosticism feasible?Continue Reading

• Configuration management vs. asset management simplified

  Configuration management and asset management are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably. While similar in certain ways, they are not the same thing.Continue Reading

• What are the differences between OpenShift and Kubernetes?

  Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes share a lot of similarities -- including the same underlying container orchestration technology. So how are they different, exactly?Continue Reading

• VMware NSX vs. Microsoft Hyper-V network virtualization

  When comparing VMware NSX to Microsoft Hyper-V network virtualization, it's important to examine the software-defined networking features these two hypervisor platforms offer.Continue Reading

• Review the top configuration management tools in DevOps

  Configuration management tools ease the IT burden. And if you're implementing DevOps practices, be sure to consider that during the tool evaluation process.Continue Reading

• Ansible vs. Chef vs. Puppet vs. SaltStack: A comparison

  For teams that oversee ecosystems and software packages, configuration management tools have the power to boost operational consistency. But which products deserve attention?Continue Reading

• Notable benefits of private cloud for IT ops staff

  Deploying a private cloud could provide more benefits than drawbacks -- although it certainly carries both. Know the specific implications of private cloud on IT ops staff.Continue Reading

• Explore the benefits of containers on bare metal vs. on VMs

  Advances in container and cloud technologies have morphed the debate over container deployment on bare-metal servers vs. VMs, with strong pros and cons for each.Continue Reading

• What are the cost considerations when buying AIOps tools?

  AIOps tools can reduce overhead for IT staff, but first, enterprises must decide how they will use the tool to know which features to budget for.Continue Reading

• Infrastructure as code benefits and DevOps use cases

  Code flexibility, automation and security top the list of reasons to use IaC for DevOps use cases. But without careful management, they can quickly present problems.Continue Reading

• Mini PCs for business offer improved performance, reduced costs

  Mini PCs are a low-cost hardware alternative to servers that enable organizations to maintain maximum data center features and capabilities in remote office locations.Continue Reading

• How to evaluate VDI hardware requirements

  VDI has specific hardware needs that servers hosting other virtualized workloads may not meet. Learn how to gauge VDI hardware requirements for servers, storage and more.Continue Reading

• Compare runbooks vs. playbooks for IT process documentation

  Despite some contextual differences, runbooks and playbooks serve a similar purpose in the enterprise: to document critical processes.Continue Reading

• QEMU 5.0 continues a legacy of emulation

  Admins looking for an alternative tool for emulating hardware should consider QEMU, which supports x86, PowerPC, ARM and SPARC architectures.Continue Reading

• An overview of Xen Cloud Platform components, features

  Xen's open source product, XCP, enables admins to perform various virtualization operations, such as live migrations and VM lifecycle management.Continue Reading

• 3 key ways DevOps benefits a business

  DevOps adoption can strain an organization. Is it worth the effort? Here's what a business should expect to gain when implementing DevOps and continuous delivery.Continue Reading

• Compare GitOps vs. DevOps for modern app deployments

  Despite some overlap, GitOps and DevOps differ in several important ways, especially as organizations embrace containers and application componentization.Continue Reading

• 5 open source software applications for virtualization

  Open source software comes with many benefits, but admins must first determine whether each tool's use cases align with their workload needs.Continue Reading

• A beginner's guide to hosted and bare-metal virtualization

  Choosing a virtualization approach isn't a matter of competition. Admins must consider their personal use cases to determine which hypervisor type suits their needs.Continue Reading

• Understand the pros and cons of the IBM PowerVM

  IBM's enterprise virtualization product, PowerVM, offers a host of benefits, but it also comes with challenges that admins should familiarize themselves with prior to implementation.Continue Reading

• 5 leading data virtualization tools offer integration strategy

  Learn which features and capabilities your organization should consider in order to select the data virtualization platform that will best fits its needs.Continue Reading

• Tools and techniques to master API management in production

  APIs are a cornerstone of modern application development. IT ops teams must monitor and manage APIs in production to resolve issues that hinder performance.Continue Reading

• What is a Docker container vs. an image?

  Docker images, Dockerfiles and containers are all instrumental in a Docker setup. Learn what tasks each component completes and how they interact with each other to run applications.Continue Reading

• When to use canary vs. blue/green vs. rolling deployment

  App deployment strategies such as rolling updates and blue/green environments help IT organizations manage change with minimal risk. See which strategy fits your application.Continue Reading

• An overview of Knative use cases, benefits and challenges

  Knative might be more complex than a serverless platform in the public cloud, but for IT shops already committed to Kubernetes and microservices, it could be worth the leap.Continue Reading

• Choose the best programming language for DevOps workflows

  DevOps is a rapidly evolving set of technologies and practices; choosing the right programming language -- or languages -- makes a big difference in terms of functionality, efficiency and speed.Continue Reading

• Explore common machine learning use cases in IT operations

  Machine learning is a hot topic with use cases that span IT and the business. Learn how IT operations teams most commonly apply the technology -- from help desk response to gauging end-user satisfaction.Continue Reading

• Compare the roles of SREs and DevOps engineers

  Unsure whether your team needs an SRE or DevOps engineer? Or could the company benefit from both? To staff successfully, grasp how the roles differ and intersect.Continue Reading

• CPU vs. microprocessor: What are the differences?

  CPUs and microprocessors can execute many of the same tasks, such as arithmetic and I/O processing. However, there are some tasks CPUs can't execute effectively.Continue Reading

• 4 FAQs to better understand a paravirtualization interface

  Admins are using paravirtualization because of its ability to improve system performance and reduce virtualization overhead, but its challenges can cause issues for some.Continue Reading

• Evaluate 3 IT ops use cases for the Aternity monitoring tool

  Operations teams can use data from an IT environment to detect, prevent and remediate issues. With Aternity, they can specifically track metrics and manage tasks related to user experience.Continue Reading

• Compare Nutanix AHV vs. VMware ESXi in the hypervisor battle

  Though Nutanix AHV and VMware ESXi offer similar feature sets, admins' decisions will depend on several factors, such as virtualizations needs and workload size.Continue Reading

• ServiceNow vs. Jira Service Desk for ITSM workflow management

  ServiceNow and Jira Service Desk are both big names in ITSM, but which one is better for your workflow management needs? Compare the two tools in terms of flexibility, integration support and more.Continue Reading

• The definitive guide to enterprise IT monitoring

  This comprehensive IT monitoring guide examines strategies to track systems, from servers to software UIs, and how to choose tools for every monitoring need.Continue Reading

• Proxmox VE 6 and later offers container features, better security

  Proxmox VE, an open source virtualization management product, provides admins with several features, such as VM live migration, backup abilities and high availability.Continue Reading

• Evaluate Grafana vs. Kibana for IT data visualization

  Take a deep dive into how Grafana and Kibana can help IT admins visualize critical system data through this database monitoring example.Continue Reading

• 3 options to use Kubernetes and containers for edge computing

  While every deployment is unique, these general guidelines can help IT teams determine whether -- and how -- to incorporate Kubernetes and containers into an edge computing strategy.Continue Reading

• Understand the differences in VM vs. container vs. serverless

  VMs, containers and serverless computing provide organizations with application development flexibility, but they add management complexity.Continue Reading

• A comprehensive guide to Open vSwitch and its capabilities

  Distributed multilayer switches are essential to managing several network connections between VMs. Open vSwitch offers admins automated and dynamic network control for virtual systems.Continue Reading

• Optimize your VM monitoring strategy with these tools

  Keeping track of hundreds of VMs and applications can be difficult. However, monitoring tools such as OpManager and vSphere can help admins ensure successful system performance.Continue Reading

• Reduce IT burdens, costs with on-premises storage as a service

  Most organizations automatically associate storage as a service with the cloud -- but emerging, on-premises STaaS offerings can benefit IT ops and the business just as much, if not more.Continue Reading

• 5 free virtual appliances for data analysis, app creation

  Virtual appliances can execute specific IT tasks, such as data analysis and application creation. There are several free offerings available, but admins must be wary of risks.Continue Reading

• 5 container security tools to safeguard apps, environments

  Learn how five container security vendors monitor and protect container delivery and implementation, regardless of where the container sits in the application lifecycle.Continue Reading

• Kubernetes vs. VMware: Drive the choice with IT architecture

  It isn't easy to classify Kubernetes as the superior product for managing VMs and containers compared to vSphere 7. The decision depends on how widely admins use containers.Continue Reading

• Outsourced DevOps brings benefits, and risks, to IT shops

  Lack certain DevOps skills? Consider outsourcing as a way to fill the gaps, but be sure to understand the potential risks, which vary with each DevOps pipeline stage.Continue Reading

• How zero-touch IT operations can be a burden, not a benefit

  In their pursuits of end-to-end automation, IT operations teams should be careful not to downplay the importance of human staff.Continue Reading

• Expand your knowledge of Hyper-V virtual switch types

  Admins can create three Hyper-V virtual switch types: external, internal and private. The need for internet access and a secure network can help admins decide which one to use.Continue Reading

• Evaluate 3 ways to run Kubernetes locally

  A local Kubernetes deployment -- enabled by Minikube, MicroK8s or K3s -- is a great option to test code or simply learn the container orchestration technology.Continue Reading

• Find value in real-time application monitoring

  What started as a way for administrators to know if a system went offline has morphed into a broad combination of monitoring that involves admins, engineers and operations staff.Continue Reading

• Consider the pros, cons of AI-based log analysis tools

  Machine learning can help IT teams uncover new insights in system log files. But these advanced analytics capabilities, especially when achieved through on-premises tools, can be costly.Continue Reading

• Set IT vendor selection criteria to evolve with the times

  As enterprises' IT tool sets expand to include more specialized providers for cloud and DevOps deployments, they face new vendor management challenges.Continue Reading

• Embedded hypervisor use simplifies hardware, improves performance

  Admins who use embedded systems generally see improved performance in VM instances, but improper implementation of hypervisors can lead to system and processor latency.Continue Reading

• Micro VM vendors to evaluate for your isolation, security needs

  Amazon, HP, Qubes OS and Authentic8 provide micro VM-based technologies that help increase VM security through isolation techniques, but use varying hypervisors and OSes.Continue Reading

• Dig into the pros and cons of memory ballooning

  Ballooning is an effective VM memory management technique, but it does have its downfalls, such as potential memory overcommitment and halting application performance.Continue Reading

• Compare Grafana vs. Datadog for IT monitoring

  Before committing to either Grafana or Datadog, understand how the two monitoring tools compare in terms of supported data sources, visualization features and more.Continue Reading

• Third-party VM monitoring tools offer alternatives to native vendors

  Many admins rely on native tools to monitor VMs, such as Microsoft System Center, but third-party alternatives can offer improved capabilities, such as cost savings and integrations.Continue Reading

• Understand the role of infrastructure as code in DevOps

  Infrastructure as code plays a prominent role in enterprise DevOps shops. Use this chapter excerpt to understand why -- and to learn the basics of some common IaC tools.Continue Reading

• GPU virtualization eases system workloads, boosts efficiency

  Virtual GPUs help boost data center efficiency and provide a better user experience, but admins must determine whether their workloads justify implementing the technology.Continue Reading

• Top 10 VM backup tools for VMware and Hyper-V

  Admins who rely on VMware and Hyper-V workloads might have trouble choosing the right backup tool for their VMs. Admins can use this article to better inform their purchasing decisions.Continue Reading

• IT tool selection criteria to guide emerging tech navigation

  The IT industry is almost always in flux. For organizations to keep up, they must invest in the right tools, which takes asking the right questions.Continue Reading

• Cloud, Linux vendors cash in on KVM-based virtualization

  Vendors such as Red Hat and Google provide products that rely on KVM technology, but picking the right vendor depends on admins' choice of OSes and cloud providers.Continue Reading

• Emerging tools to help create virtualized test environments

  Tools from Parasoft, HyperQube and CloudShell let admins virtualize their test environments, but admins should exercise caution as product direction and design continue to evolve.Continue Reading

• Edge virtualization manages the data deluge, but can be complex

  Virtualizing at the edge introduces device management benefits to admins, but they must ensure edge computing is worth the time and effort.Continue Reading

• Explore native and third-party VM automation tools' features

  VMware and Microsoft offer native tools that provide VM automation capabilities, but admins should also look at third-party vendors, such as Chef, Puppet and SolarWinds.Continue Reading

• Evaluate if serverless cost benefits are worth the upfront price

  Before an IT shop adopts serverless, it must fully grasp how the technology operates, and prepare for the upfront -- and potentially costly -- app refactoring efforts it requires.Continue Reading

• AIOps meaning to expand throughout DevOps chain

  AIOps means artificial intelligence to aid in IT operations. But it could mean much more than that, bringing in development, business, security and other application stakeholders.Continue Reading

• Red Hat Virtualization 4.3 updates to Cockpit are minor, but beneficial

  Cockpit hasn't seen many changes with the latest RHV 4.3 update, but it still provides beneficial capabilities, such as the ability create a VM from a template or migrate a VM to a different host.Continue Reading

• Virtualization automation challenges underscore AI usefulness

  Automation helps reduce the complexity of virtual systems, but admins might find that adoption challenges and temporary resolutions underscore its usefulness.Continue Reading

• Containers, automation and AI shape 2020 IT trends

  In 2019, Kubernetes took Docker's crown and DevOps matured. As IT operations teams ring in the New Year, they should keep an eye on these 2020 IT predictions.Continue Reading

• Compare Red Hat OpenShift vs. Cloud Foundry in a Kubernetes faceoff

  Looking for a container ecosystem platform? OpenShift and Cloud Foundry have similar roots as PaaS platforms, but this comparison identifies a clear winner for most organizations.Continue Reading

• Emphasize app modernization in 2020 IT budget plans

  IT budgeting can be stressful and complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Communicate with business leaders and users to identify -- and capitalize on -- the right opportunities.Continue Reading

• Get to know the Kaspersky Light Agent app for virtual systems

  Kaspersky's Security for Virtualization Light Agent application provides multilayered protection for virtual servers and VDIs as well as their VMs and OSes across multiple hosts.Continue Reading

• Decide between SAN vs. hyper-converged for your virtual storage

  Shared storage provides admins with virtual storage benefits such as storage migration, high availability and redundancy. But the right storage option depends on cost and performance.Continue Reading

• Why it's time to rethink the DevOps vs. ITIL debate

  As organizations look to more closely align their business and IT goals, they should combine DevOps and ITIL practices, rather than commit exclusively to one methodology over the other.Continue Reading

• Compare 3 distinct types of Kubernetes platforms

  There are three types of Kubernetes deployment options, each with its own benefits and challenges. Use this in-depth comparison to choose the best fit for your organization.Continue Reading

• 5 steps to evaluate and perform a service mesh implementation

  Service mesh adoption is a long process that starts with careful evaluation of the technology and its deployment models. And that requires the involvement of both IT ops and dev teams.Continue Reading

• Types of Hyper-V scheduler for simultaneous multithreading in VMs

  Hyper-V's classic and core schedulers both enable use of simultaneous multithreading in VMs, but the core scheduler prevents VMs from ever reserving an entire CPU core.Continue Reading

• Capitalize on the advantages of open source software in IT

  Open source tools, including those for IT management, might be free, but there are broader pros and cons that might tip the scales for some enterprise buyers.Continue Reading

• 3 Kubernetes platforms for your application needs

  Admins must consider their application needs when choosing a container strategy and decide between a full PaaS offering built on containers or a fully compliant Kubernetes service.Continue Reading

• The true private cloud debate: Do labels matter?

  The debate around authentic private clouds continues as more organizations adopt the model, but labels might not matter in the end.Continue Reading

• When to use Jenkins vs. Jenkins X for pipeline automation

  Three primary factors -- flexibility, Kubernetes adoption and the need for a GUI -- should shape an organization's decision between Jenkins and Jenkins X as a pipeline automation tool.Continue Reading

• Adopt an SDDC architecture with caution and proper planning

  Software-defined components such as networking and storage help achieve data center flexibility, but organizations might come across product and security issues.Continue Reading

• Edge virtualization tools make strides in the edge market

  Vendors are cashing in on edge computing popularity, and organizations are faced with an influx of new virtualization tools that help manage the computing paradigm.Continue Reading

• The history of virtualization and its mark on data center management

  Virtualization was a huge leap in data center technology with software such as hypervisors and virtual switches that expanded organizations' capabilities and redefined IT.Continue Reading

• Kubernetes use cases extend beyond container orchestration

  Enterprises use Kubernetes for much more than they did when Google released the platform in 2015. Discover how Kubernetes' uses have grown, and where it might be heading.Continue Reading