Modern IT Operations Skills
Find resources on certifications and DevOps job skills that will enhance your career in the modern IT operations topic center. Get team organization and leadership strategies, tips on managing DevOps and traditional teams within the same IT organization, and ideas for beginning or improving your DevOps rollout.
Top Stories
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Tip
11 Jan 2023
Demystify the DevOps process, step by step
While varying definitions and vendor marketing spins can make the meaning of DevOps tough to nail down, there are concrete principles and processes that underpin the methodology. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Apr 2022
9 IoT training certifications to take your next career step
IoT training certifications offering skills in IoT development, networking and security can give tech experts an advantage, especially when IoT skills are in high demand. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Aug 2019
Simplify SaaS integration with an IT service aggregator
SaaS management can cause as many headaches as SaaS apps prevent. Poor integrations between disparate tools can create bottlenecks and failures, but aggregators can help. Continue Reading
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News
23 Aug 2019
SolarWinds Discovery offers low-cost way to manage IT assets
SolarWinds expands its IT service management offerings with a software service that lets IT teams locate, map and manage their software and hardware assets. Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2019
Istio service mesh hits OpenShift GA, but upgrades are slow
Istio service mesh, Kiali and Jaeger are generally available for Red Hat OpenShift 4, but it will be some time before users are ready for the latest version of the platform. Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2019
Splunk pricing worries some users amid SignalFx monitoring buy
Splunk wants to collect more data via SignalFx, but some users wonder how much it will cost to keep up with the proliferation of logs and metrics in the age of cloud monitoring. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
22 Aug 2019
Follow this Terraform and AWS tutorial to create a VPC
As an infrastructure-as-code tool, Terraform simplifies and streamlines resource deployments. Follow along with this example, which features Amazon VPCs, to get started. Continue Reading
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Video
21 Aug 2019
Explore the basics of Kubernetes cluster networking
IT admins who need a crash course in basic Kubernetes networking concepts can follow along with this four-minute video. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Aug 2019
Don't buy a GPU for machine learning unless you have the workload
Virtual GPUs and machine learning might seem like a perfect match, but specialized chips might not be worth the investment if your workloads won't use the cards' full capacity. Continue Reading
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Quiz
20 Aug 2019
Test your knowledge of CNCF projects and tools
From Kubernetes to Envoy, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation has ushered in many leading open source technologies for the IT enterprise. So, how well do you know them? Continue Reading
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Answer
19 Aug 2019
What is an embedded hypervisor and what value does it provide?
Embedded systems and hypervisors go hand in hand. By understanding both, admins can maximize system benefits such as multiple OS support and legacy code compatibility. Continue Reading
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Guide
19 Aug 2019
How to create a successful DevOps organizational structure
To build a DevOps organizational structure for speed and quality, align various skill sets with shared goals -- a process that requires a revolution, or evolution, of the status quo. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Aug 2019
PowerShell vs. Bash: Key differences for Windows deployments
Windows admins have the option to use Bash, a Linux shell, but the command-line tool doesn't stack up one-to-one with PowerShell for Windows deployments. Continue Reading
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News
16 Aug 2019
IT pros contend with the future of continuous delivery
Continuous delivery tools are poised to add comprehensive breadth and analytical depth, but whether most enterprises can assimilate them is another matter. Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2019
Jenkins X gears up for SaaS version, GitOps standards
With key maturity milestones behind them, the maintainers of Jenkins X prepare a SaaS version, and plan to collaborate with Google's Tekton and Netflix's Spinnaker. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Aug 2019
Understand KubeVirt basics to help get you started
Getting to know KubeVirt prior to use is essential. Though it relies on core Kubernetes technology, running VMs alongside containers is something you might be unfamiliar with. Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2019
CloudBees CEO reveals plans for CI/CD tools, Google project
CloudBees CEO Sacha Labourey puts his roadmap cards on the table for the next generation of the company's CI/CD tools and an upcoming project to co-develop CI/CD for Anthos with Google. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Aug 2019
Obtain and deploy Hyper-V with Admin Center rather than VARs
Using Admin Center to deploy Hyper-V over VARs can offer admins flexibility and the ability to remotely manage servers, but the push toward cloud migration can be an issue. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Aug 2019
IT training flaws compound DevOps skills shortage
Before investing in an online course to learn new IT skills, heed this warning from brain scientists: there is a big difference between knowing what to do and knowing how to do it. Continue Reading
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Answer
13 Aug 2019
What's the role of an application load balancer vs. API gateway?
Application load balancers and API gateways both manage network traffic, but in their own ways. Learn the differences between them and how to use them together in a modern IT deployment. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Aug 2019
5 IT video tutorials admins don't want to miss
The best way to ramp up with a new technology or IT practice is to see it in action. Use these five video tutorials to visually walk through GitOps workflows, CI/CD pipelines and more. Continue Reading
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News
08 Aug 2019
Mesosphere's Kubernetes pivot sets stage for IT vendor attrition
Mesosphere becomes D2iQ, and affirms that Kubernetes is eating the world. Is IT entering a golden age of interoperability, or on the verge of mass consolidation? Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Aug 2019
Cloud adoption questions every IT admin should ask
For all of a cloud service's benefits, there are limitations, such as restricted access to infrastructure, that cause IT teams to be leery of adoption. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
06 Aug 2019
Use this Mesos and Marathon tutorial to try resource abstraction
Marathon, the Mesos-based tool, eases large-scale container orchestration. Before you begin deployments, set up Zookeeper and Mesos with Marathon, and try a simple task. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 Aug 2019
Are there tools or platforms that support AWS Firecracker?
Although there are a handful of tools to help run Firecracker more easily, admins might find issues with the lack of major tool integration for the software. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 Aug 2019
Can I install Ansible for Windows system management?
Even though Ansible has its roots in open source software and Linux, is it possible to use the configuration management tool for Windows environments? Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2019
SaaS management tool eases merger transition for IT
When European car-sharing startup Drivy becomes Getaround this fall, a SaaS management tool will integrate the two companies' IT systems, an increasingly common need for businesses. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jul 2019
Weigh infrastructure as code risks against the benefits
Infrastructure as code can transform the modern data center, but maintain a healthy dose of caution -- and thorough documentation and testing environments -- to prevent chaos. Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2019
GitOps path puts CI/CD ahead of infrastructure automation
Which comes first -- automated app deployment pipelines, or automated infrastructures on which to deploy? At GitOps shop Procore, the answer is emphatically the former. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Jul 2019
Compare Linkerd vs. Istio for service mesh technology
To decide between Istio and Linkerd for a service mesh platform, consider everything from performance and ease of use to support from major public cloud providers. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jul 2019
BizDevOps tools await enterprise maturity
PagerDuty, Splunk and other vendors have added BizDevOps features to their IT management tools, but if they build it, will enterprises come? Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Jul 2019
Check out this free chapter excerpt from ITIL 4 -- A Pocket Guide
In ITIL 4 -- A Pocket Guide, author Jan van Bon walks readers through the core updates to the ITSM framework, and how they apply to the modern enterprise IT landscape. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2019
Kubernetes authentication project wrestles with migration problems
GKE users like the Workload Identity feature for Kubernetes authentication with GCP services, but similar improvements to core cluster security present a potential market-wide migration headache. Continue Reading
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Answer
25 Jul 2019
How do I obtain, deploy and update AWS Firecracker?
Firecracker can assist admins with creating and operating micro VMs, but improper installation and updates can cause potential issues. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Jul 2019
Apply automation for streamlined IT asset management
Without accurate data, IT asset management processes fail. But, with automation and self-service capabilities, admins can efficiently track assets -- from onboarding to end of life. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2019
Compliance-as-code tool hits DevSecOps sweet spot for MSP
There are almost as many tools to assist with DevSecOps as there are definitions for the term – how one managed service provider that serves federal agencies chose a compliance-as-code vendor. Continue Reading
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Answer
24 Jul 2019
What are micro VMs and how do they benefit data centers?
When used together, VMs and containers can provide key benefits to an admin's workload, such as isolation and security, without having to deal with typical disadvantages. Continue Reading
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Answer
24 Jul 2019
When to use a micro VM, container or full VM
Choosing among VMs, containers or micro VMs depends on workload isolation and security needs, and admins should understand the different use cases before making a decision. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
23 Jul 2019
Build a PowerShell performance monitoring script step by step
Admins familiar with PowerShell can bypass a third-party server monitoring tool and instead write scripts to track key performance metrics. Learn how with this tutorial. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2019
ManageEngine Analytics Plus upgrades with AI assistant Zia
With Zia, IT teams can ask questions via voice or text to quickly access data and insight. Available with ManageEngine Analytics Plus, the AI intends to increase productivity. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Jul 2019
VM cost calculation guide
Proper VM cost assessment is a critical element of meaningful showback and chargeback practices in a virtual data center. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2019
Kubernetes policy project takes enterprise IT by storm
A Kubernetes-friendly compliance as code project hosted by the CNCF has caught on among large enterprises in the first half of 2019, largely through word of mouth. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Jul 2019
Container deployment considerations for successful implementation
Containers can be useful for specific workloads but admins should consider certain factors, such as security and portability needs, before taking a containerized approach over VMs. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Jul 2019
5 Kubernetes adoption considerations you should think about
Understand the basics of Kubernetes, including how it works and its pros and cons, before deciding whether or not to adopt. Then, figure out how you plan to manage it. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Jul 2019
Combine Puppet and Chocolatey to drive Windows DevOps
Through the use of Puppet and Chocolatey side by side, Windows IT professionals can use Linux-like DevOps tools to automate the deployment and configuration of their systems. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Jul 2019
PKI authentication explained: The basics for IT administrators
Public key infrastructure is part and parcel of modern digital business, from secure communications to data transmission and beyond. Admins must understand PKI to optimize its benefits. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Jul 2019
Effectively manage containers and improve workload performance
Containers are increasingly popular, so it's vital that admins understand the tools available and learn how to manage containers before deploying them in production environments. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Jul 2019
Essential virtualization certifications for IT professionals
As companies move beyond virtualization, the need for IT pros with fine-tuned expertise in cloud administration, ethical hacking, legacy infrastructure migration and automation rises. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Jul 2019
Get creative with feature flags in IT operations
Feature flags give IT operations a range of possibility as broad as the imagination -- once you learn this dev-centric technique. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jul 2019
When you create a DevOps workflow, avoid these missteps
How can DevOps help? And how can you apply it correctly? These are important questions to consider before you attempt to create a DevOps pipeline. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Jul 2019
Explore the Citrix guest UEFI boot feature for modern systems
A guest boot feature offered by Citrix provides admins with improved system performance, but they should be wary of its continued experimental status. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2019
Container security improves overall enterprise IT posture
Enterprise IT pros worried about security when containers were first introduced, but as containers are put into production, they can actually present ways to tighten security practices. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2019
AWS OpsCenter and Moogsoft AIOps integrate for IT productivity
By integrating AWS Systems Manager OpsCenter and Moogsoft AIOps platforms, the vendors hope to reduce alert noise, automate remediation and solve incidents faster. Continue Reading
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Answer
17 Jul 2019
What are Ansible roles and when and how should I use them?
Roles are one of several functions in Ansible that simplify and streamline IT automation processes. Dig into this quick overview to learn the basics of roles and potential use cases. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Jul 2019
Avoid chaos with an IT crisis management playbook
A minor IT issue can quickly snowball into a major catastrophe without a carefully constructed crisis management plan, but just what details should an organization include? Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2019
Snow Software launches new tech management suite
The new intelligence suite has six main tools that help manage the challenges due to growing IT operations, from spending and productivity to monitoring risk. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jul 2019
Look inside the Mesosphere DC/OS distributed operating system
IT organizations that run large, distributed workloads on clusters should examine the Mesosphere DC/OS approach, but be forewarned: It takes a lot of components to simplify ops. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jul 2019
Support Hyper-V security with these important protocols
A virtual environment's security can make the difference when it comes to malicious attacks, preventing unauthorized OS or firmware codes from running at boot time. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jul 2019
VM automation strategies and benefits for sizable workloads
Before automating VMs, admins must consider several factors, such as workload size and cost efficiency. Otherwise, automated VMs can cause issues rather than yield benefits. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Jul 2019
Don't neglect your IT architect skills in public cloud projects
Public cloud infrastructure is beyond the veil for IT admins: unknown and untouchable. But depending on the deployment -- and the cloud -- admins still have architecture to manage. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jul 2019
Use Puppet Bolt to simplify configuration management
Bolt, Puppet's cross-platform automation tool, is designed to minimize the learning curve for ops teams, but users still need to grasp its primary commands and elements. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2019
Kubernetes security tool gives IT a leg up on DevSecOps
An emerging real estate firm tasked with DevSecOps sought an assist from startup Alcide, which bakes Kubernetes security best practices into its software. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2019
Elastic SIEM woos enterprises with cost savings
Elastic SIEM gains interest from former Splunk users, with the promise of cost savings and the prospect of centralized security analytics and IT monitoring data repositories. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Jul 2019
5 DevSecOps interview questions employers are likely to ask
To land that DevSecOps dream job, prepare to answer questions not only about specific IT and security tools, but about DevOps team culture as a whole. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Jun 2019
An ITSM tool comparison for enterprises with an eye on AI
All AI-enabled ITSM tools aim to streamline and automate IT operations, but buyers must make the right selection to get the most out of these products. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jun 2019
How to copy files to Windows containers
Once you've deployed Windows containers in your production environment, you can start copying data and files to them using one of three methods, depending on file type and location. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jun 2019
Hardware options to support a reverse cloud migration
Moving back on premises can require new infrastructure if maintenance windows have expired, and admins must meet power and storage demands to ensure apps migrate successfully. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Jun 2019
How do I get started with an Ansible playbook?
An Ansible playbook boosts admin productivity when they manage configurations across machines. Learn how playbooks work and how to avoid live errors. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jun 2019
Avoid SDDC security risks during implementation
Moving workloads to a software-defined data center can pose challenges. When updating systems, admins should address potential security risks with proper care to avoid issues. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
27 Jun 2019
Perform this infrastructure as code tutorial with Pulumi and AWS
Learn the basics of an infrastructure as code deployment with this tutorial, which features the open source tool Pulumi, along with Python and AWS. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2019
LogicMonitor wades into AIOps with anomaly detection
Another country heard from in AIOps: LogicMonitor rolls out anomaly detection and alert dependency correlation, but can it rise above the noise? Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jun 2019
Assess AIOps benefits and challenges for enterprise IT teams
To successfully reap the benefits of an AIOps implementation, IT teams first have to navigate some crucial cultural and technical shifts. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jun 2019
Save on licensing with a multi-hypervisor environment
Shifting some workloads from VMware to Hyper-V to rely on multiple hypervisors takes time and effort, but the flexibility and cost savings might just be worth it. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2019
SysAid launches Automate Joe for ITSM platform automation
Integrating Automate Joe with the SysAid ITSM platform will boost automation, minimize repetitive tasks for service agents and improve productivity, according to the vendor. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jun 2019
The history of Docker's climb in the container management market
When the concept of containers became stale, Docker brought containers back to the forefront by creating container management software, and the company continues to evolve. Continue Reading
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Guide
25 Jun 2019
How AIOps monitoring eases modern IT challenges
Operations teams can apply artificial intelligence to modernize their IT monitoring strategy for distributed architectures. Use this guide to learn the basics and get started. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jun 2019
Reality strikes when enterprises deploy Kubernetes in production
It's easy to run containers with Kubernetes, but Kubernetes in production -- with enterprise security, monitoring and compliance demands -- is a different story. Continue Reading
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Answer
24 Jun 2019
Does DevOps require end-to-end monitoring tools?
While basic monitoring services and feedback loops provide critical insight for DevOps teams, an end-to-end monitoring tool gives them a more holistic view of the end-user experience. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2019
AI help desk software frees IT ops to take on SRE skills
A financial services company will retrain its help desk staff to be app developers and SREs, while AI handles the grunt work for the company's call center employees. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2019
IT pros brace for wave of M&A in microservices security
Microservices and DevOps have made IT security a shared responsibility among enterprise stakeholders, and experts expect this shift to prompt mass consolidation among vendors. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Jun 2019
Deploy Microsoft IIS server, .NET apps in Windows containers
Instead of investing money in migrating your existing .NET applications to .NET Core to modernize them, deploy them in Windows containers with a simple script. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2019
Alaska Airlines charts course for DevOps security
As Alaska Airlines plots a flight path to a hybrid cloud infrastructure, it will navigate with an automated DevOps security tool that spans multiple IT environments. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Jun 2019
VMware vSphere HA capabilities ease VM management
VMware vSphere HA provides admins with the ability to manipulate their virtual environments to avoid excessive VM restarts and ensure peak performance. Continue Reading
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Opinion
20 Jun 2019
Future of PowerShell lies in DevOps, cloud resource management
While PowerShell isn't the only automation and scripting tool that fits in IT pros' cloud and CI/CD toolboxes, it won't fall out of favor any time soon. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Jun 2019
Micro VMs can present unique management challenges
The haphazard deployment of micro VMs can eventually lead to issues ranging from IP address depletion to serious performance problems resulting from extreme resource contention. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Jun 2019
3 tools admins can use for private cloud capacity planning
Admins can better manage their private clouds with capacity planning tools, such as specified quotas, resource monitoring and predictive scheduling. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Jun 2019
Apply AI to container monitoring and management -- piece by piece
While the application of AI to container monitoring and management is possible, it first requires certain operations practices and carefully integrated tool sets. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jun 2019
How to cautiously reap the benefits of DevOps as a service
Outsourcing the operation of DevOps tools has its perks, but be sure to carefully position that move to in-house development and ops teams first. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2019
AIOps tools beef up insights, but long-term scope unclear
AIOps tools present a way to cope with IT infrastructure sprawl and complexity, but how far they can go with hands-off automation features is still a topic for debate. Continue Reading
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Video
12 Jun 2019
Build a GitOps pipeline with this Kubernetes, Jenkins X tutorial
Follow the steps outlined in this video tutorial to establish a GitOps deployment workflow with Google Kubernetes Engine, GitHub and Jenkins X. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jun 2019
AIOps early adopters tackle data quality issues
AIOps is new in many ways, but early adopters must also heed a time-honored IT maxim: garbage in, garbage out. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Jun 2019
AIOps monitoring arms IT staff with broader, deeper insights
Conventional monitoring gives ops teams critical visibility into the health of their IT systems, but with limited scope. Through an AIOps tool, they can significantly broaden their view. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Jun 2019
5 critical features that put the 'AI' in AIOps tools
Don't fall victim to AI-washing in the IT systems management market. Instead, know what to look for in a truly 'intelligent' operations platform -- starting with these 5 capabilities. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2019
UPS delivers Agile plan for legacy application modernization
As UPS moved its package-tracking system from mainframe to open systems, it drew on the old adage about how to eat an elephant: one small bite at a time. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Jun 2019
Use ManageEngine OpManager to monitor your virtual environment
ManageEngine OpManager offers monitoring capabilities that enable IT teams to gather resource metrics, such as CPU usage and I/O operations, to help manage their environments. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Jun 2019
Automate declarative configuration management for IT ops success
AWS CloudFormation is one of the top options for configuration management -- but it isn't without flaws. Compare AWS to other tools to pick the best option for your organization. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Jun 2019
Evaluate AI-based ITSM tools using these key points
After determining that artificial intelligence would benefit an IT environment, the next big challenge is to assess AI-based ITSM tools in terms of feature set and pricing model. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
03 Jun 2019
Build a successful Apache Mesos installation on Linux servers
As Apache Mesos gains traction for container orchestration, admins should try it out and evaluate its capabilities. Use this tutorial to set up the necessary software and avoid the pitfalls that plague the process. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 May 2019
What are the differences between KVM, Virtuozzo and OpenVZ?
These virtualization platforms are related, but they vary in terms of whether they're open source or commercial products and the types of instances they provide to run applications. Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2019
Palo Alto Networks buys Twistlock, PureSec for container security
Palo Alto Networks snaps up Twistlock and PureSec to broaden its cloud security portfolio and give enterprise IT shops more options for container and serverless security. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 May 2019
DevOps security best practices span code creation to compliance
Developers and operations staff who split security responsibilities as part of a DevOps workflow should apply these best practices to ensure no vulnerability goes unnoticed. Continue Reading
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Opinion
30 May 2019
What to do when virtualization management tools go cloud
As more tools transition to the cloud, SMBs that keep workloads on-premises must make a decision about how they'll manage their virtual environments going forward. Continue Reading