Systems automation and orchestration
Get expert guidance and practitioner-written tutorials to improve your organization's automation and orchestration processes, offering advice for beginners and pros alike.
Top Stories
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News
25 May 2023
AI and automation take center stage at AnsibleFest 2023
Amid excitement around the possibilities raised by AI and automation, experts at Red Hat Summit and AnsibleFest 2023 highlighted the importance of trust and responsibility. Continue Reading
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Opinion
25 May 2023
Automating modernization: Takeaways from Red Hat Summit 2023
Get an industry analyst's take on major announcements from this year's Red Hat Summit and AnsibleFest and how the developments fit into today's IT landscape. Continue Reading
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Opinion
10 Jul 2018
Modern service management, DevOps streamline app administration
DevOps and service management are synonymous in modern IT, insofar as their guidelines match. Regardless of the term, ensure organizational practices are built for today's reqs. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jul 2018
How infrastructure as code benefits and eases provisioning
Being able to provision services with code means a simplification to sometimes complicated processes. Plus, you won't need to worry about the platform that service will run on. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jul 2018
IT pursues zero-touch automation for application support
The best and most efficient approach to IT automation features as little human intervention and interaction as possible. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jun 2018
Use HashiCorp's Terraform tool and companions for production IaC
Developers want isolated systems for prototyping. Testers want mimicry of production. And IT operations wants to configure this infrastructure for them without reinventing the wheel. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2018
Database DevOps tools bring stateful apps up to modern speed
Database DevOps is no longer a contradiction in terms, as enterprises roll out database management and persistent storage software that makes stateful apps more flexible. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2018
IT infrastructure management software learns analytics tricks
Not every enterprise IT shop is ready to take the AIOps plunge, but IT ops automation is increasingly data-driven -- even at mainstream companies. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
21 Jun 2018
These Go code examples showcase its main features
Google's golang uses many of the same functions as older code languages, such as key-value pairs and compiling, but is better fitted to modern systems development requirements. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Jun 2018
Cloud applications demand a new IT operations strategy
Business and software development trends are putting more pressure on IT operations staff and changing the way teams deploy applications. Continue Reading
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Opinion
19 Jun 2018
How the three phases of automation dictate human employment
Automation might end human employment as we know it. The final result is in question, but we can draw clues from the relationship between automation and employment. Continue Reading
- 18 Jun 2018
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Tip
18 Jun 2018
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
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Feature
15 Jun 2018
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
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News
08 Jun 2018
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
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News
06 Jun 2018
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
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News
04 Jun 2018
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
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Tip
29 May 2018
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
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News
25 May 2018
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
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News
23 May 2018
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
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Feature
18 May 2018
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
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Tip
14 May 2018
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
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Feature
09 May 2018
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
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Tip
07 May 2018
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
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Tip
03 May 2018
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
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Tip
27 Apr 2018
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
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Answer
24 Apr 2018
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
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News
20 Apr 2018
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
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E-Zine
19 Apr 2018
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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Tutorial
17 Apr 2018
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
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Tutorial
12 Apr 2018
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
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Tip
03 Apr 2018
SaltStack Enterprise GUI features outreach Salt Open territory
For enterprise IT shops that require a mix of reports on systems, and audit compliance, SaltStack Enterprise offers more than the pure open source version of Salt. Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2018
CloudBees Jenkins Enterprise snags raise roadmap questions
CloudBees' Jenkins software is slated for major updates after strong revenue growth in 2017, but customers and partners report struggles with upgrades, pricing and support. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Mar 2018
Automated continuous deployment tools produce successful code
Continuous deployment skips the operations oversight step in software production. So, automated tools must ensure code success in administrators' stead -- before mistakes go live. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Mar 2018
Three steps to plan a self-service IT portal that actually works
There's no point to a self-service IT portal if the offerings are out of touch with how its users conduct business or the instant builds are on hold while additional capacity spins up. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
13 Mar 2018
Assess Salt configuration management's capabilities and limitations
Salt's benefits for IT operations include fast configuration and flexible, responsive functioning. Get a handle on the basics of Salt, then install it to explore the tool's capabilities. Continue Reading
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Photo Story
22 Feb 2018
Data center and cloud computing products that make an impact
The Modern Infrastructure Impact Awards recognize the best IT infrastructure and cloud computing products in seven categories, from cloud to DevOps to converged infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Feb 2018
Terraform best practices that aid DevOps infrastructure builds
Create the right configuration for any DevOps setup, and then, fluidly replicate and scale as necessary with infrastructure-as-code tools and strong management policies. Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2018
Chef InSpec widens the compliance-as-code possibilities with v2.0
Chef InSpec 2.0 adds infrastructure tests for compliance policy enforcement, and the tool's expansion into more areas of the DevOps workflow won't stop there. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Feb 2018
SaaS support challenges IT ops admins to shift gears
SaaS means no more app support, right? In practice, IT ops teams enter a new realm of upgrade management and capacity planning when their user base migrates to a SaaS offering. Continue Reading
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News
16 Feb 2018
Enterprises identify 10 essential DevOps tools
Products branded with DevOps are everywhere, and the list of options grows every day, but the best DevOps tools are already well-known among enterprise IT pros. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Feb 2018
Cloud ops doesn't solve your problems, it creates new ones
There are many reasons to consider a cloud migration, but if you expect to cut costs or dramatically ease management, you'll be disappointed. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Feb 2018
Automation and orchestration elevate scripts from helpful to essential
Did you automate a server update, only to realize another script for configuration compliance has to run first? Orchestration tidies up the messy piles of automation that grow out of IT scripting. Continue Reading
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Guide
07 Feb 2018
Explore Ansible for DevOps configuration management
The configuration management tool is adept at managing workloads across different infrastructure environments. This Ansible overview preps admins to automate apps and infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
05 Feb 2018
Create a self-signed certificate to control PowerShell scripts
Signing code ensures that every change is official and approved. This helps to prevent errors and security breaches. Write a PowerShell self-signed certificate for code testing. Continue Reading
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News
02 Feb 2018
Kubernetes hybrid cloud emerges from Google-Cisco partnership
A Kubernetes partnership from Cisco and Google widens IT pros' container orchestration options in hybrid cloud deployments, but its advantages depend on future software integrations. Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2018
Kubernetes storage projects dominate CNCF docket
The Cloud Native Computing Foundation will host the Rook distributed container storage project -- the first move in a pivotal year for Kubernetes stateful app support. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2018
ServiceNow Kingston troubleshoots IT tasks with AI, machine learning
ServiceNow delivers AI and machine learning capabilities to its core platform to eliminate time-consuming manual help desk tasks. Continue Reading
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Opinion
25 Jan 2018
An IT automation strategy wilts under cloud's shadow
Organizations have been striving to keep abreast of IT automation trends, but with the ongoing cloud takeover, operations must consider new skill requirements instead. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Jan 2018
Learn YAML through a personal example
Some code languages take countless hours of formal training and practice. YAML strikes out in the opposite direction. To comprehend its hierarchical format, follow this coding example. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2018
AI apps demand DevOps infrastructure automation
Businesses look to AI apps to gain a competitive edge, but IT teams must make rapid application changes through a DevOps process and embrace infrastructure automation. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Jan 2018
Catch the IT automation technology wave
IT automation is taking over in operations as tasks get bigger and more complex, handling distributed systems. Stay current with these five big trends. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2018
Jenkins pipeline as code example demonstrates DevOps coordination
Ellucian, which makes software for colleges and universities, offers a pipeline as code example that unifies the release process for multiple generations of apps and brings IT security into the DevOps fold. Continue Reading
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Opinion
10 Jan 2018
The ITIL 2018 update better catch up to modern IT
When ITIL last updated, DevOps was in its infancy. In the face of rapidly evolving IT practices and technologies, ITIL 2018 must be powerful and usable for diverse IT organizations. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Jan 2018
Application support best practices involve all teams
There's more to app support than making sure the bits and bytes are in order; the user's experience is vital to uphold. Creating a smooth process takes more than just operations. Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 Jan 2018
Error budget instills reckless IT project management mindset
Just how many errors is the IT operations team allowed to make? Trendy organizations are answering this question with a budget, but it possesses some admins to push the envelope. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Jan 2018
Unleash application dependency mapping tools to combat outages
Create a detailed map of application dependencies from the CMDB and cloud resources and help prevent unexpected outages. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jan 2018
Embark upon ITSM asset management with systematic tagging
The journey to an organized data center begins with a single tag. Start using IT tags today to apply updates, control access and help automate management. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Dec 2017
Know when to implement serverless vs. containers
Containers save resources and reduce deploy times. So does serverless. Containers are a great host for microservices. So is serverless. But the deployment options are more different than they are alike. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Dec 2017
A good IT orchestration system saves time for users and admins
Rather than fight with business workers about runaway IT resource consumption and complex demands on tight deadlines, let an orchestration platform control the process. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Dec 2017
Two Ansible playbook examples illustrate config management
Configuration management enables automation for many operations tasks. Ansible uses a simple structure and a dynamic language to enable admins to easily complete jobs, once they get the hang of a playbook. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Dec 2017
Centralize Ubuntu server management on Landscape
Canonical Landscape brings centralized server management to Ubuntu on physical and virtual machines, as well as cloud systems. See how it works, and explore features such as tagging. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Nov 2017
Get serious about patch validation and deployment -- fast
Zero-day exploits are more dangerous than ever, but so is applying an untested patch to live systems. Without a strategy to quickly validate patches -- outside of production -- you're playing with fire. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
16 Nov 2017
What you'll build with software-defined architecture
It's been two years since Gartner declared that the future of the data center was software-defined. And while we're still a ways from that reality, there's plenty of reason to think IT is indeed moving toward the software-defined architecture.
The ability to compose your infrastructure puts components where they're needed -- but only for as long as they're needed there. Then those resources become available again for another task. IT professionals aren't crazy to look at the speed and efficiency advantages of that type of software-defined architecture and think, "We need that."
To reap those rewards, however, means orienting the data center around software. That's a big shift both in strategy and execution. And it's not easily achievable.
The cover story of this issue of Modern Infrastructure digs into these possibilities and challenges. TechTarget's Erica Mixon talks with experts about the software-defined architecture, what it can achieve and what an organization will want to take into account before heading down that road.
With a truly composable infrastructure and products with cloud-like capabilities, an organization can pool its data center resources and put them to work with utmost efficiency. If that's the future, maybe it's time to start figuring out how you'll get there.
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Tutorial
08 Nov 2017
Follow a PXE boot tutorial to increase OS configuration automation
PXE boot servers are simple to set up and can aid in IT operations' goals toward high-level efficiency and automation. This tutorial runs through setup and optimal settings. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Nov 2017
IT capacity planning takes new shape in the cloud
Migrating applications off premises to the cloud requires a new capacity planning approach: Develop a detailed cloud strategy, and carefully track upgrade schedules. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Nov 2017
Infrastructure as code benefits range from audits to ops
When an auditor asks to see how the entire application stack is configured, you'll recognize the benefits of an infrastructure-as-code implementation. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Nov 2017
The application runtime environment is as important as the app
To avoid cascading failures and never-ending troubleshooting, take the time to understand the software and hardware -- the runtime environment -- that keeps an app ticking. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
19 Oct 2017
A Red Hat Satellite tutorial to install an update server
With Red Hat Satellite, IT ops can deploy an update server to simplify patching. Follow this step-by-step tutorial to install the server, attach subscriptions and devise a sync plan. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Oct 2017
Use Azure availability sets for patching to achieve the best uptime
Ops' responsibility doesn't end once in a public cloud; in fact, it can get more confounding. Learn the best route to update Azure cloud instances and what mistakes to avoid. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Oct 2017
Standardize configuration management software for smoother DevOps
If your organization uses different configuration management software for development and operations, you're not alone. Even better, it's no engineering feat to migrate to one main tool. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
25 Sep 2017
PowerShell scripts enable automated cloud deployments
This step-by-step tutorial walks through the process to automate an Azure deployment; start with launching the virtual server, and finish with the deletion process. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Sep 2017
Configuration management processes take down GRC challenges
Configuration management processes speed deployments, but tools that know effective licenses and data storage details aid in another area that businesses are keen to get right. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Sep 2017
Build a DevOps version control process for IT infrastructure
Infrastructure admins can turn to the DevOps version control process for all IaC updates. Learn the basics, then follow along with an example in Git. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Sep 2017
Ansible variables give structure to playbook execution
Ansible playbooks tell the IT automation system how to complete a task. Use variables in a playbook to tell Ansible how to interact with the available resources. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Aug 2017
A deployment pipeline keeps infrastructure ducks in their rows
IT infrastructure is difficult to get right. Whether to stand up a test/dev server or deploy a new app to production, infrastructure developers turn to a deployment pipeline to build IT. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Aug 2017
Come to grips with immutable infrastructure in production
Immutable infrastructure is a developer approach to application hosting that's made its way into the IT ops lexicon. It's time to understand the changes it brings to application support. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Aug 2017
Chef Habitat offers a different take on configuration management
Chef Habitat's strategy focuses on the dynamic application environment instead of static servers, approaching configuration management with a new focus. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Aug 2017
IT automation software: Top five common mistakes
IT automation software projects can involve a great deal of risk, but avoid these common mistakes and it will increase the chances for automation success. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Jul 2017
Simple steps to improve the IT incident management process
No one notices when there's a solid IT incident management response process in place, but everyone notices when there's not. Improve how you handle issues in three steps. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Jul 2017
Agentless Ansible structure opens up configuration management potential
Ansible is easy to use for IT ops pros, and it supports multicloud functionality within its automation structure. This simple walkthrough gets sys admins started with the tool. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Jun 2017
Server OS patching doesn't have to be as painful as you fear
OS patching is like a mechanic's job -- you need different tools for different makes and models. SCCM, Satellite and Landscape provide upkeep for IT's sports cars and SUVs. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Jun 2017
Three DevOps toolchain options refine IT automation
DevOps tools that don't interconnect form a bottleneck that teams can easily avoid -- or retroactively remedy -- if the CI/CD workflow merits the time commitment. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 May 2017
IT asset tracking informs better capacity, management decisions
Detailed IT asset inventories are a result of granular asset tracking and lead to better server and storage management -- among other benefits. Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2017
ServiceNow roadmap extends ITSM technology with AI, machine learning
A leader in the IT systems management market, ServiceNow looks to expand into new applications markets. Farrell Hough, in charge of ServiceNow's product operations, lays out the roadmap. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
18 May 2017
Lessons fall from the cloud, changing data center strategies
The transformative power of cloud computing is long past the point of being news. The cloud model, after all, has irrevocably changed how IT functions. What's interesting to consider is how cloud technologies and methodologies are changing even how on-premises data centers operate. Lessons learned in the cloud are now being applied on site, adjusting data center strategies in surprising ways.
When it comes to resource efficiency, the things that hyperscale cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform accomplish might seem like heroic feats. For sure, server utilization rates in an on-premises environment won't reach the 50%, or better, marks that hyperscale providers hit. Still, rates can be improved by emulating those cloud operators.
So how has cloud computing altered data center strategies?
New classes of products, most notably hyper-converged infrastructure and software-defined networking, now exist primarily because large cloud providers built environments that showed the value of these technologies.
Redundancy architectures, too, are not nearly as rigid as they were. The traditional 2N scheme, in which an organization maintains double the number of infrastructure components needed to run critical operations, is no longer considered the mandatory standard.
Further efficiency is found in rethinking high availability expectations. With more resilient applications, experts argue, a hardware failure shouldn't be the disruptive event it was in an earlier age.
These are lessons brought down from the cloud, ones that noticeably alter data center strategies. They show again how the quest for efficient and effective data centers is never quite complete.
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Feature
18 May 2017
Deploy patches safely and sanely in a CI/CD workflow
Enterprises engaged in a CI/CD workflow must patch systems and apps strategically. There are multiple technologies to consider, including immutable infrastructure and automation. Continue Reading
- 16 May 2017
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News
12 May 2017
Justify CMDB ROI with these strategies
IT pros can easily list off CMDB benefits. But when it comes to convincing the business to pay for a CMDB implementation, you'll need to discuss ROI. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 May 2017
Learn shell scripts: A sys admin's guide to automation
Shell scripts and sys admins should be best friends. A day rarely goes by without using some form of shell script or another. Learn how those scripts work and start writing them. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Apr 2017
DevOps lab: Build Vagrant VMs to learn immutable infrastructure
This article is part of a series to help IT ops professionals learn DevOps by building a home lab. In this first step, a cluster of Vagrant VMs represents immutable infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Apr 2017
Let's talk about IT infrastructure and emerging technologies
Work closely with hardware specialists and engineers in the data center, as emerging compute, network and storage technologies have ramifications beyond the racks. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Mar 2017
Set Salt configuration management free without a master
Salt configurations usually involve at least one minion controlled by a master, but that's not always necessary. See how to use Salt to run a single machine in masterless mode. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Mar 2017
Advanced shell scripting for IT ops professionals: Free chapter
Shell scripts can improve speed and automation for sys admins beyond what's possible with graphical user interfaces. Dana French's books cover advanced shell scripting for experienced users. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Feb 2017
How the Puppet architecture manipulates configurations
Puppet is intrinsically scalable, enabling IT teams to manage one machine or hundreds. Its architecture makes the configuration management tool compatible with a range of IT setups. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
16 Feb 2017
Not playing games: The GPU vs. CPU question gets more interesting
Putting thousands of cores to work makes perfect sense when you're powering a video game. But graphics processing units, or GPUs, can't serve much practical purpose in a corporate data center, can they?
The GPU vs. CPU discussion isn't as odd as it sounds. In fact, a more broad application of GPUs in the data center can provide the processing punch that CPUs simply cannot. With tasks where data can be processed in parallel rather than in sequence, GPUs might be a particularly valuable tool. The cover story in this issue of Modern Infrastructure looks at scenarios where simultaneous processing can be just what's needed, such as with machine learning and artificial intelligence.
This month's Modern Infrastructure also looks at how data can be protected while in the data center. Full encryption is seemingly a perfect defense for data theft. But that's a difficult -- and, to some, an unrealistic-- road to travel. We look at how an IT team can better safeguard its data, factoring in costs, the tools available and the tradeoffs involved in hack-proofing an organization's data.
And what about the vulnerabilities that arise from within your business? We examine the risk of data loss posed by the shadow IT phenomenon, an ongoing and ever-changing challenge.
It's clear that data is an increasingly valuable resource. Processing it and keeping it safe -- whether that entails taking up the question of GPU vs. CPU for certain workloads or upgrading encryption -- need to be priorities for IT professionals in organizations of all sizes and types.
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Tip
07 Feb 2017
Optimize PHP with finely tuned IT resources and settings
Application ops should address the elephant in the room -- poorly optimized PHP -- to speed load and processing times. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
16 Jan 2017
CMDB discovery tools alone aren't the answer
CMDB discovery tools have been around for quite a long time because their need is pretty obvious. Organizations are generally understaffed to do the daily work. Many just do not staff to ... Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Jan 2017
Automated deployment tools mitigate the risk of human error in DevOps
There are dozens of application and infrastructure automation tools for IT shops. Choosing the right one requires project and feature evaluation. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jan 2017
Real-life change management examples prove it's harder than it looks
Whether your IT shop rigorously follows a service management framework or takes a laissez-faire approach to changes, these examples help hone change management procedures. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Dec 2016
Set up a virtual home lab to learn OpenStack and more on your own time
There are many reasons to set up a virtual home lab, not least of all for career advancement and learning. Occasionally, it can be fun too. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Dec 2016
Idempotent configuration management sets things right -- no matter what
Idempotency ensures a system won't stray from its designated desired state, sending alerts to systems administrators if a requested change would cause a disruption. Continue Reading