Managing Virtual Containers
Experts share tips and case studies in the virtual containers topic center, covering container management and deployment strategies, as well as how to troubleshoot issues with a container-based infrastructure and plan resource capacity on cloud or virtualized servers. You will also find news on container technology developments and adoption rates.
Top Stories
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Conference Coverage
05 Oct 2022
KubeCon + CloudNativeCon 2022 news coverage
Trying to keep up with the latest news out of KubeCon + CloudNativeCon? Use this comprehensive guide to stay updated and informed on both the North American and European events. Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2022
F5 distributed cloud security services strike a trendy chord
As talk of multi-cloud management gives way to distributed cloud, which also ties in edge computing, F5 bundles application security services to expand its appeal to enterprises. Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2020
Facebook to launch Workplace Rooms in challenge to Zoom
Workplace Rooms, a new video conferencing service for Facebook's business customers, falls short of competitors on features. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 May 2020
How to respond to 3 common IT alerts
When those IT alerts pop up, the ops team needs to respond. Take steps to deal with the problems -- but also look out for possible sources of the trouble. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
22 May 2020
5 IT automation examples that ops teams should implement today
IT automation use cases are plentiful and highly variegated -- but organizations should emphasize these five examples in their roadmaps. Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2020
IT pros clamor for Kubernetes multi-cloud deployment API
Enterprise IT pros who want a standard approach to Kubernetes multi-cloud deployment say the Cluster API project shows promise, but it needs work to be production-ready. Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2020
Linux kernel utility could solve Kubernetes networking woes
Linux kernel utility eBPF gets new life as a more effective means to scale Kubernetes networking than native Kubernetes tools, and in some cases, service mesh. Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2020
Fintech firms prove IT compliance via security automation
Security automation tools proved useful for two highly regulated fintech firms, that use them to protect cloud-native infrastructure and demonstrate their security to auditors. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 May 2020
Container auditing best practices for large-scale deployments
Container auditing and reporting are essential security and compliance measures in a production environment. Apply these practices to uncover abnormalities, control user access and choose the right tool. Continue Reading
- 19 May 2020
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Feature
19 May 2020
A successful CMDB deployment in five essential steps
Join the first of our three-part series on maintaining your CMDB as a trusted source and learning the essential role it plays in your organization’s modernization. Continue Reading
- E-Zine 19 May 2020
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Opinion
19 May 2020
Forget monitoring alerts, turn to IT root cause analysis
Alerts get your attention, but they don't always tell you where the core of a problem is to be found. Maybe it's time to shift your IT management strategy. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 May 2020
Optimize Kubernetes cluster management with these 5 tips
Effective Kubernetes cluster management requires operations teams to balance pod and node deployments with performance and availability needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 May 2020
6 quick server troubleshooting tips
Understand, communicate, monitor, check logs, ask for support. Follow these guidelines, and make troubleshooting server problems quick and easy. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 May 2020
How -- and why -- to add SolarWinds modules
SolarWinds is known for its capabilities in network monitoring, but flexible modules give IT operations staff the ability to monitor systems far and wide. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 May 2020
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
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News
15 May 2020
Essential firms forge on with AIOps for incident response
AIOps systems for incident response have helped a bank and a provider of care services in the home streamline operations amid a pandemic emergency and an ongoing IT skills shortage. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 May 2020
Use a zero-trust model for container security in the cloud
Traditional firewalls just won't cut it when it comes to container security in the public cloud. Zero-trust models are a better approach, but they demand some careful upfront work. Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
VMware Tanzu seeks IT attention with Kubernetes security buy
VMware buys Octarine for security cred in a crowded Kubernetes management market, but some VMware shops will shift to SaaS apps rather than deal with container infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
13 May 2020
A Terraform Registry tutorial to build and share modules
Before IT teams share Terraform modules through the tool's public registry, they must familiarize themselves with these prerequisites and technical steps. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 May 2020
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
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Tutorial
11 May 2020
A Kubernetes namespaces tutorial to manage cluster resources
Namespaces in Kubernetes serve several purposes -- from allowing teams to share a single cluster to enforcing resource quotas. Use this tutorial to get started with this important Kubernetes feature. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 May 2020
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
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News
08 May 2020
Puppet Labs CTO eyes IT automation amid COVID-19
An entirely new executive leadership team is the latest of several upheavals at Puppet Labs over the last four years, but CTO Abby Kearns says there's a clearer path ahead in 2020. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
08 May 2020
Create an AKS cluster with this Ansible and Kubernetes tutorial
IT admins familiar with Ansible can use the configuration management tool, alongside Azure Cloud Shell, to spin up a Kubernetes cluster in AKS. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 May 2020
Craft a DevOps transformation roadmap around these 5 milestones
As organizations embark on a DevOps journey, they can use these five milestones to ensure team members stay on track -- and collaborate efficiently along the way. Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
VMware Tanzu beta project melds Cloud Foundry, Kubernetes
VMware Tanzu Application Service for Kubernetes, now in public beta, intrigues PKS users by combining Kubernetes infrastructure components behind a Cloud Foundry developer interface. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 May 2020
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
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Opinion
05 May 2020
Remote work technologies to account for in 2020 IT budgets
In light of a crisis like COVID-19, IT organizations must amend their budgets to invest in technologies that can support remote access and foster employee collaboration. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Apr 2020
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
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Answer
29 Apr 2020
How many Kubernetes nodes should be in a cluster?
There's no one-size-fits-all answer in terms of how many nodes should make up a Kubernetes cluster. Instead, that number varies based on specific workload requirements. Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2020
Red Hat OpenShift to inject IBM Kubernetes management IP
IBM and Red Hat have begun to blend both business priorities and software code, including a forthcoming multi-cluster Kubernetes management tool for OpenShift users. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Apr 2020
Lean on these core Ansible features for IT automation success
These six articles break down Ansible playbooks, roles and other key concepts for IT pros who are new to the tool -- or could benefit from a refresher. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Apr 2020
Top Docker best practices for container management
Many admins use Docker for container management, so they should explore best practices such as container backup procedures and exploring Dockerfile commands. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Apr 2020
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
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News
27 Apr 2020
IT compliance-as-code tool makes Kubernetes security inroads
Open Policy Agent has turned heads among IT shops for Kubernetes compliance as code, and its commercial backer looks to capitalize on that momentum with new enterprise features. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Apr 2020
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
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News
24 Apr 2020
HashiCorp Consul service leads off post-funding roadmap
HashiCorp CEO David McJannet discusses the company's future, including a Consul managed service headed for public beta this week, overlap with Kubernetes and building a sustainable open source business. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Apr 2020
6 articles to modernize an IT log management strategy
Enterprises must adapt IT log management best practices and tools to handle an ever-growing volume of log files. Here are several modern approaches to tackle IT logging efficiently. Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2020
Infrastructure-as-code competitor challenges Terraform
Pulumi 2.0 ratchets up the heat on HashiCorp's rival Terraform IaC tool, adding policy as code, test automation and secrets management features to its mainstream language support. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Apr 2020
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
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Tip
22 Apr 2020
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
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Tip
20 Apr 2020
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
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Tip
17 Apr 2020
Anticipate the unexpected with application capacity planning
Disasters and crises that disrupt daily routines are inevitable. Follow these app capacity guidelines to prepare IT teams for such events and maintain business capabilities. Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2020
COVID-19 remote work forces shift on SecOps strategy
Security risk was mostly an afterthought as businesses scrambled to support remote work in response to COVID-19, but SecOps is now at the top of IT shops' priority lists. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Apr 2020
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
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Answer
15 Apr 2020
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
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Tip
13 Apr 2020
Improve container monitoring with these strategies and tools
Containerized infrastructure significantly expands the number of available metrics within an IT environment. Take a layered approach to container monitoring and lean heavily on automation. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Apr 2020
Container logging tips for IT troubleshooting and more
Don't just leave container log data on a host and forget about it. Instead, establish a detailed strategy to index, search, correlate and analyze that data. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Apr 2020
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
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News
09 Apr 2020
HashiCorp Vault secrets manager ups Enterprise edition value
HashiCorp Vault 1.4 sweetens the deal for users of the paid Enterprise version, which had been subject to questions about differentiation from the free version in the past. Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2020
Foundation exec seeks Cloud Foundry vs. Kubernetes detente
New Cloud Foundry Foundation Executive Director Chip Childers plans to steer the community into the next phase of cooperation with Kubernetes, Knative, Istio and more. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Apr 2020
4 components of a disaster recovery plan to prepare for a crisis
IT teams must take a proactive approach to crisis management and disaster recovery. Use these four guidelines around communication, monitoring and more to build a plan that works. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Apr 2020
Tap into these dark data use cases for IT ops and the business
Untapped data sources cause enterprises to forgo a wealth of information that benefits both IT operations and the business. Here's why -- and how -- to shine a light on dark data. Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2020
As Atlassian cloud push ramps up, users assess migration
Atlassian's cloud products offer sought-after enterprise features and extend integrations, but some organizations will still struggle to transition from its on-premises tools. Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2020
SysAid announces launch of new workflow tool, Workflow Designer
Workflow Designer uses a drag-and-drop process to make workflows easier to create with less training and can be crucial with the rise of employees working from home. Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2020
IT service desks rush to support remote work amid pandemic
IT service desks bore the brunt of the sudden transition from centralized business locations to remote work for most white-collar employees, as COVID-19 forced social distancing. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Apr 2020
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
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News
31 Mar 2020
Rancher plots enterprise Kubernetes management takeover
Flush with funding, Rancher hopes to win deals away from major IT software vendors such as VMware as enterprises seek help with Kubernetes management. Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2020
Log monitoring refinements control data growth, costs
Whether it's pricing according to access frequency or reducing the volume of logs sent by IT infrastructure, fresh IT monitoring approaches make cloud-native visibility manageable. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Mar 2020
Lay the groundwork for a SecOps team structure
A good partnership between IT operations and security teams requires trust, mutual commitment and continual work -- but results in significantly reduced security exposures and a healthier work culture for all. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Mar 2020
Configure advanced VM settings in vSphere 6.7
Configuring advanced VM settings is no easy task. Some common questions admins ask include where to place VM swap files and how many sockets and cores they should use. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Mar 2020
What to expect as AI for DevOps advances in the enterprise
While still an emerging practice, the use of artificial intelligence in DevOps shops will have major implications on monitoring, cost optimization and more. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Mar 2020
Employ log management best practices to better analyze, protect data
Log files generate vast amounts of data, which negatively affects performance. As a result, admins should build logging strategies to prioritize and protect data. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Mar 2020
Walk through 5 common PowerShell uses for IT ops teams
PowerShell use cases have expanded past Microsoft's original design -- but IT automation is still at the tool's core, whether it's to support an AIOps strategy or monitor server performance. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Mar 2020
Kubectl commands and best practices for new Kubernetes users
Kubectl is a simple and powerful means to control containers in Kubernetes. But as with any CLI, it demands familiarity with available operations, resource types and associated syntax. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Mar 2020
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
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News
25 Mar 2020
HashiCorp Nomad vs. Kubernetes matchup intensifies with 0.11
HashiCorp Nomad may not overtake Kubernetes but could capture broader enterprise attention with container-like orchestration features for legacy apps in VMs. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Mar 2020
VM networking best practices to boost network performance
Admins who familiarize themselves with VM network switches and activity can better understand issues and employ best practices to mitigate lackluster network performance. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Mar 2020
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
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News
20 Mar 2020
Las Vegas shores up SecOps with multi-factor authentication
AI-driven SecOps tools spared Las Vegas from a major data breach in January. The city now bets that two-factor authentication can stop future attempts. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Mar 2020
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
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Video
19 Mar 2020
Perform Nagios configuration step by step
Nagios Core helps IT teams monitor system uptime and availability -- but first, they have to install and configure the tool properly. Follow this video tutorial to get started. Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2020
IBM officially supports Red Hat Ansible for mainframe DevOps
IBM will support mainframe DevOps through mainstream distributed systems tools such as Red Hat Ansible and Jenkins, even when it has equivalent mainframe-specific products. Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2020
Coronavirus forces switch to remote work for DevOps teams
The new coronavirus pandemic will force most DevOps teams to work remotely and may also interfere with work schedules. Experts share advice on how to weather the disruption. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Mar 2020
3 ways IT teams can use PowerShell in AI initiatives
As they embark on AIOps strategies, IT admins -- particularly those in Windows shops -- can lean on a familiar tool for data gathering and issue remediation: PowerShell. Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2020
AWS Bottlerocket container OS locks down hosts
AWS Bottlerocket puts the cloud giant's spin on the container OS, and container host security, but the company will have to overcome a generally poor reputation in the open source world. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2020
Continuous delivery pipeline transforms hotel chain's IT ops
As Choice Hotels moved away from homegrown scripting tools for continuous delivery, it fundamentally shifted the daily duties of its IT ops teams. Continue Reading
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Video
11 Mar 2020
Follow this Ansible Vault example for encryption best practices
IT admins can choose between two types of encryption methods when they use Ansible Vault: file-level and variable-level. Walk through each model with this brief video. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Mar 2020
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
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Tip
06 Mar 2020
Dig into Kubernetes pod deployment for optimal container use
Improve your Kubernetes deployment strategy with balanced application hosting and sound pod-to-nodes mapping. Learn the ins and outs of resource pools and Kubernetes communication. Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2020
Istio service mesh revamp may ease use, or sow confusion
Istio 1.5 reworks a microservices-based control plane into a monolith as the service mesh project seeks to simplify management and improve performance. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Mar 2020
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
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News
05 Mar 2020
Biometrics firm fights monitoring overload with log analytics
Log analytics tools have become more popular as enterprise IT pros contend with complex, continuous microservices application deployments at scale. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Mar 2020
Container training can help admins stay relevant
IT admins might be good at managing IT systems -- until those systems are replaced with newer technologies. One way to keep pace with the changes is to learn container skills. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Mar 2020
Master these 3 common Kubernetes troubleshooting tasks
Not enough nodes? Have some noisy neighbors? Plenty of things can cause containers to underperform. Here's how to chase down and resolve three common Kubernetes problems. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Mar 2020
How to approach Kubernetes multi-tenancy for resource isolation
Multi-tenancy in Kubernetes can partition IT resources and operations, but it can be tricky to determine just how much isolation is necessary. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Mar 2020
Build a SaaS disaster recovery plan for IT automation tools
While cloud-based IT automation software offers speed and flexibility, it poses the same potential risk of other hosted tools: a loss of availability during an outage. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Mar 2020
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
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Feature
28 Feb 2020
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
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News
28 Feb 2020
Top 5 container software trends to watch in 2020
Container software, namely Kubernetes, has become a staple of modern enterprise IT infrastructure -- here's what's coming next for the technology in 2020 and beyond. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Feb 2020
Virtualization skills admins must have in 2020
Industry experts Sander van Vugt, Brian Kirsch and Stuart Burns weigh in on what skills virtualization admins must have in 2020 to better meet growing industry demands. Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2020
Kubernetes edge computing takes shape on container frontier
Kubernetes at the edge has emerged as an early stage trend among enterprises that want to push the boundaries of software automation. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Feb 2020
Optimize Docker images for improved efficiency and security
There are several ways -- ranging from Dockerfile adjustments to vulnerability scans -- that IT teams can ensure their Docker images are both efficient and secure. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Feb 2020
5 IT security measures to safeguard distributed environments
In today's complex IT landscape, it's easy to make mistakes that leave applications and data vulnerable. Follow these five tips to create a comprehensive security plan. Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2020
VMware security for Cloud Foundation ties to Carbon Black
The new VMware Advanced Security for Cloud Foundation binds the company's security offerings with other key VMware offerings such as Carbon Black and NSX. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Feb 2020
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
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Tip
26 Feb 2020
Why to use staging environments for IT infrastructure testing
A well-built and efficient staging environment pays off in a more stable production deployment. For this reason, IT ops teams should perform isolated infrastructure tests in staging. Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2020
JFrog touts DevSecOps edge in CI/CD tools
JFrog hops aboard a crowded CI/CD bandwagon, but its expertise in artifact and package management could appeal to security-conscious DevOps shops. Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2020
Mirantis marshals reinforcements for Kubernetes management
Mirantis adds engineering staff and revives Docker Swarm as it plans to do battle in container orchestration against Red Hat, Pivotal and Docker itself. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Feb 2020
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
