Application Maintenance on Production Systems

Two ways to manage different server operating systems

Several tools and techniques let data center systems administrators work with multiple server OSes on one host system, and manage it effectively. Continue Reading

Big data workloads live on-premises

Seven years after its birth, the frenzy around cloud is beginning to subside. IT organizations have embraced public cloud for some workloads, and built private clouds for others.

IT is having productive discussions about which applications to leave where they are, and which applications to re-platform. They're considering the pros and cons of renting shared infrastructure rather than buying dedicated on-premises resources.

You may not get the raw performance from a virtualized cloud instance that you could from dedicated bare-metal hardware -- you need to weigh that against the cost of hiring data center operations staff.

Meanwhile, the hype around big data and social media has just begun. The technology for doing this kind of analytics exists today. You can build a Hadoop-based repository to store the untold amounts of raw data that can later be used to discover unimagined relationships and patterns. It all sounds very promising, but for now, the jury's still out about the value of these initiatives.

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What's the effect of network switch buffer in a data center?

What's causing buffer? How much buffer should ideally be available in a network switch? Is there any standard available for buffer? Continue Reading

The new face of scale-out storage

There are plenty of new approaches to address ever-growing data needs, including scale-out vs. scale-up designs, the shift from hierarchical file systems to object storage, and the Hadoop Distributed File System. Pretty soon there will be absolutely no excuse not to store every crumb of data ever created.

Delivering Windows applications remotely is another area that could use some improvement, especially in today's age of tablets and mobile devices. App transformation takes existing Windows applications and intelligently delivers them to the target device, similar to how responsive web design principles package web pages differently depending on whether the client is a traditional PC, tablet or smartphone.

VMware, meanwhile seems to have hit a home run among users with its latest release to its venerable vSphere virtualization platform. Some things, it seems, get better with age.

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Three apps in which Docker containers really shine

Docker containers offer a variety of benefits. But apply the software to these three application types to get the biggest bang for your buck. Continue Reading

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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How virtualization can get you into software licensing trouble

Maintaining proper software licensing in virtual environments can be a challenge. Find a strategy to cope or you could find yourself out of compliance and in hot water. Continue Reading

How do I use SR-IOV for Hyper-V VMs?

Single Root I/O Virtualization, or SR-IOV, can help reduce latency and increase I/O throughput when enabled for Hyper-V VMs. 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

IBM Tivoli software for enterprise system management

IBM Tivoli enterprise system management products are designed to manage all aspects of a data center, including storage, monitoring and automation. Continue Reading

Dell OpenManage enterprise system management overview

Dell's OpenManage product suite provides tools and modules to manage both Dell and third-party IT infrastructures. Continue Reading

What does ‘software defined’ actually mean?

Software defined is a term used to describe a wide variety of products, but it’s often used to catch your attention rather than describe a product’s function Continue Reading

Know your data center monitoring system

You can't depend on a building system to run the data center. Implement a BMS and a DCIM tool to monitor and predict system changes, tighten security and more. Continue Reading

How to implement a solid DevOps team structure

DevOps collaboration can wipe development and operations teams of hostility and negativity. Dashboards and tiger teams turn wartime to peacetime. Continue Reading

How to adopt a successful DevOps enterprise

No two DevOps shops are alike, but there are common threads that run throughout. So what does it take for an IT shop to successfully implement the DevOps culture? Continue Reading

What do you need to roll out application containerization?

Containers have a significant following these days, thanks to Docker. Find out how containers can help and what you need to get started. Continue Reading

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

Component cloud model powers agile application development

In the future, IT pros see cloud as a place to spin up applications to respond to problems on the fly. The component cloud model is just step one. Continue Reading

Docker 1.0 the beginning of the end for virtualization?

Docker continues to steal the cloud spotlight with its latest lightweight release, but what does it mean for the future of heavyweight virtualization? Continue Reading

Two critical components of DevOps success

DevOps appears to be the right track for enterprise IT, but it’s a big change in the way things work and won't succeed without these two critical components. Continue Reading

Where are Citrix and VMware headed with end-user products?

In this podcast, we shed light on Citrix and VMware end-user product roadmaps with a recent news recap and an interview with VMware CTO Kit Colbert. Continue Reading

DevOps overhauls app dev scripts

Applications don't run in a vacuum. Operations -- the last step of app development and maintenance -- actually belongs in every stage of the cycle. Continue Reading

Database performance tuning: Five ways for IT to save the day

IT teams can play heroes when database performance issues disrupt applications. Try these five tips for performance tuning before there's a problem. Continue Reading

Traditional IT silos face a hostile software-defined environment

Think you got rid of data center silos when you adopted virtualization? Not so fast. Software-defined data center tools promise more silo-busting. Continue Reading

Successful DevOps practices from the start

Here's all you need to know to get started with DevOps, from identifying goals and roadblocks, to useful tools to scale DevOps to the next level. Continue Reading

How to build an enterprise private cloud that looks better than AWS

Clouds that enterprises build rarely stack up to AWS and its ilk in a public cloud. Follow these steps if you want a viable private cloud for users. Continue Reading

IT asset management best practices for any data center

Choosing a data center asset management tool depends on how the infrastructure functions, the mix of hardware and software in action and more factors. 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

Flash storage takes center stage in the Modern Infrastructure Impact Awards

Editors from the Modern Infrastructure e-zine take a behind-the-scenes look at the Impact Awards, recognizing the best enterprise technology products. Continue Reading

Modern Infrastructure Impact Award winners

The votes are in, and the winners determined. The first edition of the Modern Infrastructure Impact Awards gave prizes to winners in eight categories, which reflect the big topics affecting data center professionals today. Cloud computing, converged infrastructure, enterprise mobility management, hybrid flash storage and desktop and application delivery are all in the spotlight for the Impact Awards. The winning companies and products are those that really stood out for their innovation and intelligence in solving the problems of today’s IT teams.

In addition, the Modern Infrastructure Bright Idea award recognizes an emerging technology concept or product with the potential to really shake up data center operations. The inaugural winner of the Bright Idea award reflects the changing market around using flash storage to improve virtualization practices. Continue Reading

A look inside the DevOps movement

DevOps is a culture, not a job or procedure for an IT team. That said, there are DevOps tools and organizational strategies to help you get there. Continue Reading

Five tips for selecting system management tools

Too much granularity? Not enough? Need alerts? Maybe not. There are five considerations for systems management tools -- and cost isn't one of them. Continue Reading

Tips and tricks to improve memory paging on servers

Memory paging helps virtual machines share a server's memory resources nicely, but can throttle performance. A few simple tricks will optimize paging. Continue Reading

How and when to enable hardware-based TPM security on servers

Most servers include a Trusted Platform Module, but you only want to turn it on and manage TPM when the server handles high-value encrypted workloads. Continue Reading

How to write your IT automation wish list

IT automation is great, unless complicated, underperforming products that hog resources, time and money overwhelm IT staff. Continue Reading

Frequently asked questions about server automation tools

Server automation tools save time and reduce errors. But what should tools offer, and are point systems or suites the way to go? Find out in this FAQ. Continue Reading

The requisite and advanced features of performance monitoring software

All performance monitoring tools must include certain core features, and advanced features can boost application performance and return on investment. Continue Reading

Virtual security tactics for Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors

It's no surprise that Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors require different security considerations, but we asked an expert to clarify. Continue Reading

Tailoring server BIOS settings for cool servers without wasting energy

A few tweaks to server BIOS settings will keep fans quiet and workloads processing smoothly, allowing data centers to consume less energy. Continue Reading

Recognizing and correcting common VM migration problems

A careful and systematic approach can speed the recognition and correction of common VM migration problems. Continue Reading

Declarative vs. imperative: The DevOps automation debate

Users say Puppet Enterprise 3.0 is a boon, but some industry experts say Puppet's declarative configuration management approach is subject to debate. Continue Reading

How KVM over IP makes remote systems management easier

Remote systems management using KVM over IP is helping businesses avoid the costs associated with travel while improving support response times. Continue Reading

Optimal BIOS settings for server virtualization

The ideal mix of performance and reliability starts with learning which server BIOS settings you should configure for a virtualized system. Continue Reading

Using Zabbix with embedded devices via SNMP monitoring

Some devices you want to monitor with Zabbix cannot have software installed. For these appliances, SNMP monitoring may be the right choice. Continue Reading

Tips for improving Active Directory performance on servers

Striking the right balance of memory and disk performance can help optimize Active Directory performance. Continue Reading

Avoiding access issues with Microsoft Network Access Protection

Configuration problems can make Microsoft Network Access Protection overly zealous and lock out users who need data center access. 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

Common causes of a failed Hyper-V live migration

Hyper-V live migration helps admins maintain infrastructures. But a few common configuration snafus can cause failures. Do you know what to look for? Continue Reading

Best of VMworld 2012 awards

A panel of more than 10 industry experts selected the best technologies for TechTarget'’s Best of VMworld 2012 awards. And the winners are … 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

Five questions on systems management

As reliance on systems management tools increases, administrators face varied challenges in deployment, skill sets, infrastructure support and other issues. Continue Reading

Data center monitoring system considerations

An effective monitoring system can track environmental variables and alert admins of a potential problem before it becomes a critical emergency. Continue Reading

The challenges of change and configuration management

Due diligence, business alignment and proper deployment are key to mastering change and configuration management tools. Continue Reading

Prioritizing alerts with server monitoring tools

Setting and prioritizing alerts with server monitoring tools can help an administrator respond quickly to critical problems without being bothered by insignificant alarms. Continue Reading

Application performance tips: Workload optimization and software pathing

IT pros looking to maximize application performance should look beyond basic software, tuning to products from vendors pathing software and hardware. Continue Reading

Weighing the pros and cons of the Trusted Computing Platform

When used as designed, trusted computing can provide a high level of security, but limitations and potential for abuse prohibits its usefulness. Continue Reading

Using OpenNMS and SNMP for open source systems management

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) can allow a deeper look into system information gathered from OpenNMS. This tip walks through network monitoring with OpenNMS and SNMP. Continue Reading

Using Nagios plugins for configuration and system testing

Using Nagios plugins can be vital in performing specific system tests and configuration. In this tip, you'll learn about using default and custom plugins in Nagios. Continue Reading

Hyper-V Dynamic Memory vs. VMware memory overcommit

Memory allocation can be a guessing game in virtualized environments. Hyper-V Dynamic Memory and VMware memory overcommit tackle the problem in different ways. Continue Reading

Remote server monitoring with Nagios

After the network monitoring tool Nagios is fully configured, learn the next step in setting it up for remote server monitoring. Continue Reading

Improve benchmark performance with simple optimizations

While benchmarking is great for measuring system performance, benchmarking tools themselves are applications capable of overtaxing the CPU. However, simple optimizations can ensure benchmark performance by preventing these tools from overwhelming the system. Continue Reading

Selecting benchmarking tools for specific needs

Narrowing down the best benchmarking tool requires testing and a careful evaluation of needs, including system compatibility, level of technical depth and scalability. Continue Reading

Improve application performance with multithreaded applications

Multi-core CPUs fuel a server's operating system performance and virtualization technologies. Can multithreaded applications and multi-core CPUs fuel application performance as well? Continue Reading

Architecting application failover in your data center

Attempting application failover by re-coding your apps may not be the right choice for every data center, as several factors, including virtualization and coding languages, affect which method you should use. This tip offers advice for finding the application failover option that best suits your IT infrastructure. Continue Reading

Quiz: The basics of server virtualization

Take this quiz to find out how much you know about the basics of server virtualization. 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

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

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

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 problems and can monitor system information such as processor and memory utilization, network bandwidth, and more. Continue Reading

Windows Server 2008: PowerShell basics and top commands

The Microsoft PowerShell team offers up the top commands and usage scenarios for the new command line shell and scripting language for Windows Server 2008 Continue Reading

CA's Workload Automation incorporates Cybermation ESP job scheduler

CA has released Workload Automation, job scheduling software that helps IT managers schedule and automate workloads across mainframe, Unix and x86 platforms. Continue Reading

Best practices for naming VMware virtual machines

Are you naming your VMware virtual machines in a way that will help you keep track of where they are and what they do? If not, you must read this expert response by Andrew Kutz. Continue Reading

Automating server management and IT processes

Server automation can free up data center resources to focus on higher-value activities. This tip provides some suggestions for getting started by automating low level IT processes. Continue Reading