Distributed Application Architecture (Scale-Out Architecture) for IT

Three tools enable DevOps for Windows shops

DevOps isn't just the domain of open source Linux experts. These three tool options tailor DevOps to how Windows applications and systems operate. Continue Reading

How many Hyper-V virtual processors should I configure per VM?

There isn't a set number of virtual processors you should configure for a Hyper-V VM, but there are steps you can take to ensure your workloads receive enough processor resources. Continue Reading

KVM troubleshooting in six simple steps

To troubleshoot common KVM issues, start by checking the logs. Then, isolate the issue and check the VM status using virsh commands. Finally, check the disk space, memory and networking. Continue Reading

Kubernetes books put container deployments on the right track

Whether you're tasked to set up and manage or deploy applications with Kubernetes, these books offer guidance and support. Co-author Brendan Burns shares insights from the texts. Continue Reading

Docker pledges Kubernetes for Windows support in Docker EE

Docker Enterprise Edition will add Kubernetes for Windows features in the coming months, but Microsoft shops haven't decided on a container orchestration strategy. Continue Reading

Docker roadmap champions multi-cloud container management

Docker Enterprise Edition will roll out multi-cloud container management in beta later in 2018 and go head-to-head with Red Hat OpenShift and Rancher. Continue Reading

Cisco roadmap plots course through clouds to DevOps future

From a Google Cloud partnership to API-based network data integration, Cisco showcased application hosting flexibility and DevOps process flows in its product plans at its annual conference. Continue Reading

Manage Switch Embedded Teaming in Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V

You can create and manage a Switch Embedded Team in Hyper-V using just a few PowerShell commands, but there are specific requirements and limitations you should be aware of. Continue Reading

Splunk's VictorOps acquisition extends alerts, but narrows lanes

Splunk's purchase of VictorOps, its fifth deal in the past year, adds DevOps incident management, on-call scheduling and alerting, and opens doors into adjacent markets. Continue Reading

Use Sysprep to generalize Hyper-V VMs for rapid deployment

Microsoft's Sysprep tool enables rapid Hyper-V VM configuration and deployment through image generalization. Use commands to speed up configuration and disaster recovery. Continue Reading

Reflect adds color to Puppet DevOps tools

Puppet plans to add data visualization and analysis to spruce up its DevOps tools now that it has acquired Reflect, but it's still playing catch-up in a crowded, noisy market. Continue Reading

Small-scale infrastructure testing requires transparency

Use small-scale tests for a cheaper alternative to expensive, duplicate test environments, but be wary of limitations, such as hardware functionality and performance. Continue Reading

What is the Hyper-V VHD Set format and how is it optimized?

VHD File Set -- a file format new to Windows Server 2016 -- is helpful for IT administrators using guest clusters. Get up to speed on the basics and learn how to optimize it. Continue Reading

What are containers and how do they work?

Containerization is a new approach to application provisioning for many enterprises and requires a fundamental understanding of how containers operate, where they differ and the pros and cons. Continue Reading

DevOps shops weigh risks of Microsoft-GitHub acquisition

An online outcry about Microsoft's GitHub acquisition seems overblown to enterprise DevOps pros, but that doesn't mean there's no cause for concerns. Continue Reading

Is your shop compliant? Take our DevOps audit quiz to find out

Compliance is hard, even in a Waterfall environment. Bring in the speed of DevOps, and it can feel overwhelming. Take our quiz to see if your DevOps team is ready. Continue Reading

Microsoft-GitHub acquisition shakes up DevOps market

Microsoft's $7.5 billion blockbuster deal for GitHub is a sea change for the IT market, as an enterprise software bellwether with legacy baggage snaps up an open source DevOps darling. Continue Reading

Enable rapid provisioning of VMs with SCVMM SAN copy

Achieve VM rapid provisioning with SCVMM by creating a SAN copy template from either an existing or new VM. Then select the required options when deploying the template to the host. Continue Reading

What is the best DevOps tool for my career?

I have no prior knowledge on DevOps. I'm doing an online course and understand Unix. I get the concepts, so what tool should I concentrate on learning to advance my DevOps career? Continue Reading

Chef Habitat early adopters sing app automation praises

Chef Habitat can ease application deployments and updates, and ensure high availability, but there's still a lot of confusion among IT pros about precisely where it fits in the DevOps toolchain. Continue Reading

Zenoss ZenPacks plug-ins support hundreds of external resources

IT monitoring tools only monitor what they're built for. Zenoss fills in the inevitable gaps with ZenPacks to give admins exactly what they need -- without unnecessary extras. Continue Reading

Build a virtualized development environment with these guidelines

Save time and stress by designing virtualized test environments that include migration preparation and sandbox testing, and that, in certain cases, mix test and production hardware. Continue Reading

Use load tests to balance IT capacity management and QoE

Simply throwing more resources at an application won't solve scaling issues. IT ops pros must take the time to chart the relationship between IT capacity and software performance. Continue Reading

Set up BSD jails as a form of virtualization

Using the ezjail tool, you can easily create and install a BSD jail. Execute these simple commands to get started and take advantage of key ezjail features. Continue Reading

What cloud compatibility issues can arise with VM migration?

Many compatibility issues can arise when moving VMs to the public cloud. Watch out for compatibility problems with partitions, OSes and image formats to ensure a smooth migration. Continue Reading

Forget the DevOps mindset, and change habits and behaviors instead

DevOps is not a state of mind, but rather a series of behaviors and practices. Expert Rob Lambert explains how a focus on habits can be a DevOps game-changer. Continue Reading

Chef InSpec users wrestle with compliance as code

Learning the ins and outs of the Chef InSpec product is only half the battle for compliance as code. The thornier task for some enterprises is to bridge the gap between compliance expertise and DevOps execution. Continue Reading

How do you use forklift migration to move VMs to the cloud?

To migrate a VM and its dependencies from a local data center to a public cloud, use the forklift method to prepare the VM for migration, deploy the right tools and import. Continue Reading

Which VM migration techniques prepare VMs for the cloud?

Prepare your VMs with cloud migration best practices that examine how suitable a VM is for migration, what groundwork needs to be prepared for it and the costs of migration. Continue Reading

How do you prepare for a VM migration in cloud computing?

Prepare for a VM migration by examining the requirements of your VMs and your cloud provider. Configure the VM for migration and match the settings to the cloud provider. Continue Reading

Container cluster management tools ease cloud operations

Container ops is full of hurdles, even in the cloud. Managed Kubernetes services from the major providers offer a wealth of services to float a process along more easily. Continue Reading

Chef Automate 2.0 renews appeal to DevOps shops

Chef Automate 2.0 lays the groundwork for tighter integration between the IT automation software and third-party tools, as Chef stakes its claim in the DevOps gold rush. Continue Reading

DevOps goes to Washington: How DevOps in government works

From procurement to compliance and security, the federal government will face enormous challenges as it brings DevOps on board. Here's how what to expect. Continue Reading

Not sure how to start with DevOps? Here's one option

A new consulting firm with roots in Netflix and Amazon aims to help even legacy-heavy companies ship software faster. It starts with 15 metrics and small wins. Continue Reading

How do I convert VMDK to VHDX using PowerShell commands?

Download and install Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter to gain access to several PowerShell commands that enable VMware VMDK to Hyper-V VHDX conversions. Continue Reading

Self-service automation gives WLA maximum power

Users don't want to wait for an admin to run a report. Admins don't want to drop their work to do it. Set parameters on self-service options and let workers help themselves. Continue Reading

IT pros test out fresh crop of serverless monitoring tools

Serverless monitoring is still more of an art than a science, but tools that offer comprehensive insight into serverless infrastructure dependencies are in development. Continue Reading

Why personal alignment is the secret sauce in top DevOps teams

It's not magic, exactly, but there is a little-known secret at the heart of successful DevOps teams. Try personal alignment to improve team performance. Continue Reading

Serverless infrastructure calls for updated IT ops expertise

IT ops participation is necessary for successful serverless infrastructure management, but operations pros will need to sharpen their skills in systems engineering and infrastructure as code. Continue Reading

DevOps is a culture, but here's why it's actually not

What DevOps needs today isn't more culture or more technology. It needs standards to help companies do a better job with implementation. Expert Aymen El Amri explains. Continue Reading

Use event-driven architecture to design for DevOps 2.0

Collaboration is key to DevOps, but it will be even more important to DevOps 2.0. Expert Bob Reselman explains how event-driven architecture will help us build the next-gen DevOps. Continue Reading

Top-tier ITSM skills go beyond a good tool set

An organization can supply all the tools IT wants and still struggle to succeed. Build up key soft skills in IT and you'll boost productivity and business relationships. Continue Reading

Serverless deployment lifts enterprise DevOps velocity

Mainstream companies see mounting demand for serverless deployments for their new apps, but for existing apps, it's another story. Continue Reading

Expedite Ansible KVM provisioning with automation

Creating KVM virtual machines with virsh and virt-install can be onerous. Use Ansible to automate deployment with templates and modules or to extend to functions like cloning. Continue Reading

Red Hat Virtualization 4.2 updates include UI and DR enhancements

The latest updates to Red Hat's virtualization platform enhance enterprise-grade features. But despite improvements, it's still not a VMware killer. Continue Reading

A Go programming language tutorial for IT ops

Go is a diversely applicable programming language that ops admins can use on distributed systems without the complications of traditional languages such as C or Java. Continue Reading

ServiceNow positions Now Platform as workflow engine

ServiceNow made a move to become a major player in the DevOps market by gearing up its Now Platform as a workflow engine that creates cloud-based applications quickly. Continue Reading

Manage KVM at scale with these best practices

KVM management is easy when VM density is low, but managing hundreds or thousands of VMs can present a challenge. Plan ahead, configure the right drivers and optimize for scale. Continue Reading

ServiceNow Virtual Agent looks to bolster AI strategy

ServiceNow's Virtual Agent technology is designed to automate routine IT tasks and free users and IT workers to focus on more important tasks. Continue Reading

Which IT security roles fall to the ops team?

To help secure data and applications, an IT ops team needs to do much more than put up firewalls and apply other traditional security measures. Here's where to begin. Continue Reading

Can you ace our DevOps quiz? Maybe, but beware SnackOps

Do you know the difference between BizDevOps and DevOps 2.0? How about HumanOps and HugOps? What about SnackOps? Time to test your DevOps methodology knowledge. Continue Reading

APM strikes back in Kubernetes monitoring wars

New Relic and AppDynamics up the ante on Prometheus with dashboards that display Kubernetes time-series data, and monitoring alerts that sync with IT automation tools. Continue Reading

Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform adds CoreOS automation

Red Hat plans to swiftly integrate technology recently acquired from CoreOS into its current product line, but the CoreOS name will stick around. Continue Reading

Blue/green deployment on the cloud makes updates easier

App deployment in the cloud operates differently than it does on physical infrastructure. The blue/green deployment model has a couple variations, each of which can save on time and errors. Continue Reading

Cisco and CoreOS Kubernetes integrations swell IT buyer choices

Cisco and CoreOS added to a growing number of Kubernetes integration options, prompting enterprise IT buyers to consider whether they should rely on one vendor or take on heavy lifting themselves. Continue Reading

Why management thinks your DevOps implementation is great

Tech choices and testing are hard in DevOps, according to GitLab's 2018 Global Developer Report. But it turns out DevOps makes management happy. Here's why. Continue Reading

Google gVisor serves up container security isolation

There are other VM-like approaches for container security isolation, but Google's Kubernetes cred could make its gVisor a multi-cloud standard for security-sensitive enterprise apps. Continue Reading

Get started with AIOps tools

Instead of admins doing all the tedious work to resolve issues reactively, AIOps tools promise predictive analytics, health assessments and preventative action suggestions. Continue Reading

Kubernetes distributions vs. the open source option

There are always benefits to going it alone on open source software, such as Kubernetes, but with containers, there's equal benefit to hitching the cart to a vendor distribution. Continue Reading

VMware NSX portfolio aims to unify local and cloud workloads

VMware's NSX strategy aims to help enterprises stitch together data centers and cloud environments, though it could be overkill for IT shops with simpler needs that are more specific. Continue Reading

How do you reconnect a Hyper-V virtual switch to your VMs?

Save time by using PowerShell commands to reconnect your VMs to a new Hyper-V virtual switch. Different commands can access single VMs or many VMs whether they are local or remote. 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

A proper DevOps feedback loop includes business leaders

What the modern IT organization needs isn't DevOps -- it's BizDevOps. IT exists to serve the business, but that relationship must be fully reciprocal. Continue Reading

Salary snapshot: What is a lead DevOps engineer paid today?

Our monthly salary snapshot looks at lead DevOps engineer salaries, which are high and getting higher due to the worsening developer shortage. Here's how the paychecks stack up. Continue Reading

DevOps and security can coexist with a little planning

If you want to bring the complicated-sounding DevSecOps into your organization, start with these three easy steps from Akamai's Ari Weil. Start where you are and ask a lot of questions. Continue Reading

Distributed tracing gives microservices monitoring more clarity

When you have users interacting with multiple services with each action, finding the cause of a problem becomes a difficult hunt. Distributed tracing helps highlight the issues. Continue Reading

How do you extract an ISO file before booting a VM?

Take advantage of PowerShell commands to clear ISO files from your VMs before booting and ensure their configuration is set to boot from the virtual hard drive, not the ISO. Continue Reading

Cloud Foundry users grapple with stateful cloud-native apps

Cloud Foundry shops can refactor stateless apps according to cloud-native principles, but would like to bring stateful applications on board as well. Continue Reading

Chasing Grace Project spotlights women in tech

Poet Lauren Zuniga is featured in Episode 1 of the Chasing Grace Project, a documentary series about women in tech. Photo by Beth Pariseau, TechTarget Diversity Luncheons have popped up with ... Continue Reading

Is IT workload management easier on software-defined infrastructure?

Our IT organization uses deployment automation, monitoring tools and virtualized resources. What do we need to do to manage IT workloads? Continue Reading

CF community debates Cloud Foundry and Kubernetes integration

Cloud Foundry PaaS and Kubernetes container orchestration each appeal to DevOps shops, and users want consolidation, as the two camps continue to negotiate. Continue Reading

It's time to convey the value of DevOps to your CFO

Take the DevOps lead and turn your CFO into your organization's strongest DevOps supporter. It's not as daunting as you think. DevOps aligns with business interests. Continue Reading

Don't panic! The definitive guide to IT troubleshooting

IT problems can cause distress, chaos and, well, panic -- but they don't have to. These tips and tools guide admins through IT troubleshooting for the best chance of success. Continue Reading

Cloud Foundry PaaS shops hone software delivery process

Enterprises that have deployed Cloud Foundry platform as a service found it catalyzed new thinking about the application delivery process and other organizational practices. Continue Reading

Who put the AI in software?

With artificial intelligence, anything seems possible. And that leaves a whole lot of room for the imagination to wonder about how the use of AI in software tools can change how the work gets done -- and who does it.

The anxiety is understandable. The hyperbole is harder to sort out because, well, when it comes to AI, no one knows quite where to put the line between rational and irrational worries. Will AI at some point control every aspect of your life? Probably not. Will AI push you out of a job? Quite possibly.

Using AI in software development is one way to make your IT resources more intelligent and more automated. If AI can test software faster and better, shouldn't you be doing it that way? That's a question we take up in this first issue of Modern Stack. Also included are articles and columns delving into multi-cloud management, serverless computing and how operations teams can hold up their end of the DevOps bargain.

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Embrace change to make the DevOps operating model succeed

Operations pros have more to gain and less to lose from DevOps than they understand. Brian Kirsch offers the reasons why ops needs to get on board with DevOps. Continue Reading

Serverless technology obfuscates workflows, performance data

Serverless and microservices reshape the application stack into something that looks like a swath of stars in the sky. How do you find a slow, misconfigured component in this interconnected galaxy? Continue Reading

Why DevOps? The simple answer is it creates safer processes

Is it possible to take an old-fashioned organization actually hostile to technology and move it into the 21st-century DevOps world? Expert David Savage says it is. Continue Reading

Bots know better: Maybe AIOps tools should drive your stack

As more IT tool vendors add AI capabilities, organizations are speeding up delivery and cutting waste, but a lack of integration and trust is holding back the intelligent stack. Continue Reading

Best practices for sizing a server

Serving sizing requires a number of comparisons, especially between having a few large servers or many popcorn servers. Compare use cases to find what fits. Continue Reading

Master application scalability in cloud computing alongside devs

Just because cloud scales endlessly doesn't mean every component in an application should, too. Teams throw money away and degrade app performance when ops isn't involved in design and test. Continue Reading

The DevOps process is hard. But here are seven ways it's easy

Attend a DevOps conference and it seems every company struggles with the methodology. We asked seven experts to tell us how DevOps is easy. Hint: It's not the people. Continue Reading

Docker vs. Mesosphere battleground shifts focus to Kubernetes

Kubernetes integrations in Docker and Mesosphere are generally available, vying for enterprise attention with a focus on ease of use. Continue Reading

Resolve issues between Python and Linux with virtualenv

While Linux OSes favor Python 2, Python 3 is the widely preferred version. Install virtualenv to isolate Python 2 and 3 and prevent IT issues. Continue Reading

Get started with this Nutanix Community Edition installation guide

Install Nutanix Community Edition to test its features in your infrastructure for free. Learn about the download, installation, configuration and VM creation processes. Continue Reading

Monitoring thresholds determine IT performance alerts

An IT monitoring strategy depends on the applications and systems it governs. Static and dynamic thresholds each have benefits and drawbacks, but it's possible to find a balance. Continue Reading

Bharti Airtel overhauls test/dev with container infrastructure

Startup AppOrbit's approach to container infrastructure deployment beat out Red Hat's OpenShift as a large Indian telco overhauled its test environments for speedier development. Continue Reading

Enable resource metering in Hyper-V to collect usage data

Easily monitor resource utilization for your Hyper-V VMs by first enabling the resource metering feature and then collecting data with a few PowerShell commands. Continue Reading

Embrace change to make the DevOps operating model succeed

 Continue Reading

Serverless technology obfuscates workflows, performance data

 Continue Reading

Bots know better: Maybe AIOps tools should drive your stack

 Continue Reading

Try these Salt commands to master the config management tool

The command line is an IT administrator's best friend. Salt users should try these commands to understand how the configuration management tool works. Continue Reading

Migrate virtual machines from development to production

Administrators must prepare carefully before moving test or development VMs to production. Check connectivity, security, compliance and licensing before beginning a migration. Continue Reading

Become an infrastructure developer to get code to production faster

Wondering where to take your IT career in a future that is increasingly software-defined? Learn the role of an infrastructure developer from one expert with experience in the field. Continue Reading

AWS' managed Kubernetes service faces tough competition in GKE

Amazon's native integration of Kubernetes puts all the major cloud providers on the same playing field, but it's not an even match. Continue Reading

Hunt zombie VMs and control virtualization sprawl

VM tagging is an effective tactic for discovering and eliminating zombie VMs. Cut useless VMs, redundant data and confusing configurations to enable efficient resource consumption and limit VM sprawl. Continue Reading

Select the best container monitoring tools for your environment

Organizations that run containers should monitor them, too. Choose container monitoring that integrates into other systems monitoring tools, or take a different route. Continue Reading

What types of VHD files does Hyper-V support?

Fixed VHD files, dynamic VHD files, and differential or differencing VHD files are all supported by Hyper-V. Learn more about these file types and the best use cases for each. Continue Reading

Seven steps to move a DevOps team into the ML and AI world

Artificial intelligence and machine learning can bring a lot to the software development and deployment table. But patience and experimentation will be key to make it work in an enterprise. Continue Reading

512e disks attempt to bridge the gap between 512n and 4Kn

It's important to ensure that your OS and hypervisor support 512e and 4Kn disks, but there are always alternatives to work around any incompatibilities. Continue Reading