Systems automation and orchestration

Release management best practices for every IT team

No one likes an app that implodes once it reaches production. IT operations teams can save themselves some headaches by implementing release management from the initial design on. Continue Reading

A SaltStack tutorial to start mastering data center minions

With a basic understanding of SaltStack minions, modules, grains and other concepts, IT administrators have the power to scale up configurations. Continue Reading

CMDB best practices remain out of reach for many IT shops: Free chapter

Most IT pros know what a CMDB is, but mastering the database and asset management is difficult -- though not impossible. Continue Reading

Ways to make the application deployment process clear and flexible

The application deployment manual must be flexible, and short enough to actually follow. A process that can't change with the evolving IT system isn't of much use to anyone. Continue Reading

Why orchestration services are important in the DevOps age

Automation and orchestration services are critical for modern IT systems to function well. Learn more about how these functions facilitate IT processes and workflows. Continue Reading

Salt minions and grains facilitate deployment at scale

A tiered management setup and finely grained monitoring capabilities make SaltStack's configuration management tool worth considering. Continue Reading

2017 Modern Infrastructure Impact Awards

The 2017 MI Impact Awards recognize the top products, technologies and services in seven categories. Here are the finalists that made the cut. Continue Reading

Use these DevOps examples to reimagine an IT organization

These before and after DevOps adoption stories from real IT organizations yield insights into processes and tools, metrics for success and mistakes made. Continue Reading

Know how to handle IT incident management to avoid chaos

When an important application goes down, you'd better have the right IT incident management processes and procedures in place to fix it. Continue Reading

Mimic production with the right staging environment

With public or private cloud templates, it becomes easy to copy your production IT environment for staging new code as often as development needs it. Continue Reading

The steps in selecting the right configuration management system

Configuration management helps enterprises standardize IT systems and eases updates. This guide assists buyers in selecting the right tools for their CM systems. Continue Reading

IT service delivery model uses BPM to translate ops to biz

A business process management structure for IT service delivery can bridge the gap between IT and the rest of the business, allowing IT leaders to sit at the table for important decisions. Continue Reading

CFEngine configuration management tool up close and in-depth

CFEngine is a widely known and used configuration management tool. Learn about its primary features and functions and if and how your organization could benefit from it. Continue Reading

Inside Docker configuration management functions

Docker may not be a standard configuration management tool, but it possesses a set of capabilities that have made it a growing player in the CM market. Continue Reading

The Cobbler configuration management tool's ins and outs

Cobbler is a configuration management tool best suited for Linux-based IT environments. Learn more about this tool and if it can benefit your enterprise. Continue Reading

SaltStack configuration management tools and their many functions

SaltStack is a relatively new tool in the configuration management market with powerful capabilities and an active user community. Read more about this emerging product here. Continue Reading

What Chef configuration management can do for your IT systems

Chef configuration management tools possess a huge community of users. Learn more about product versions, capabilities, user resources and what Chef can offer an enterprise. Continue Reading

Select the best configuration management tools for your company

What characterizes the best configuration management tools for your company? Read about the different tools available and which ones would address your company needs the best. Continue Reading

Script management technology adds safety to scripting's power

Script management is a necessity to maintain an IT deployment. The canny organization will choose the right tools that give power to the sys admin, while protecting against accidents. Continue Reading

Decision criteria for choosing configuration management software

Selecting the right configuration management software is vital for your company to function well in this modern age. Learn what you need to know in order to select the best tool. Continue Reading

Pick up infrastructure as code tools and techniques

Walk through an infrastructure as code template, using AWS CloudFormation as an example, to better understand defining and connecting resources. Continue Reading

Hadoop workflow automation lets IT pros go with the flow

Hadoop workflow managers are not just resource schedulers. They handle intricate tasks and service handoffs that are essential for managing big data services. Continue Reading

Create a cloud development environment for on-premises apps

With built-in tools from many of the mature public cloud services and a well-planned deployment strategy, IT teams can -- and should -- move test/dev to public cloud. Continue Reading

Container trends fuel storage needs

In life as in technology, there is no free lunch. We've seen this time and again. Every time a technology seems to be too good to be true, we do a little digging, and it turns out we were right.

Containers are just the latest example of a technology that IT must scrutinize. Sure, containers offer a ton of benefits -- density, portability and low-cost -- but what's the catch? Storage may very well be it.

And now that more IT organizations are "doing" DevOps, it's become clear that DevOps isn't some magic pixie dust whose mere mention makes everything right with the world. Meanwhile, over in the cloud, enterprises have learned that it's not all sunshine and roses. Notably, it's dawned on them that migrating legacy applications to an infrastructure as a service provider like AWS or Google Cloud Platform can be more trouble than it's worth.

 Continue Reading

Pop quiz: Test your knowledge of open source terminology

Open source technology is a wild west at times. Make sure your open source terminology is up to snuff with this short quiz. Continue Reading

Mad about microsegmentation

The tech industry seems fixated breaking things apart into ever-smaller units for greater levels of "granularity." Traditional standalone applications are maligned as "monoliths" that must be broken apart in to their component pieces, or "microservices." Broad brush security that covers an entire network is deemed insufficient, to be replaced by "microsegementation" -- applying security policies on a per-workload basis.

But breaking up is hard to do. In his story, "Mad About Microsegmentation," senior technology editor Stephen Bigelow lays out the pitfalls that will befall operators as they go down this road.

Breaking with tradition is hard too. For decades, one of IT's primary responsibilities has been to protect its systems from catastrophic failure by performing regular point-in-time backups that can get back to a known good state.

 Continue Reading

Windows workloads leap to cloud

Regardless of hype, there are quite a few areas where cloud remains very much a work in progress. Take cloud bursting. This has long been IT's holy grail for cloud -- the ability to seamlessly expand capacity constrained workloads to outside of your data center to meet unexpected demand. But while it sounds good on paper, it's not as easy as it sounds.

Running Windows rather than Linux in the cloud also hasn't been easy, but things are getting better. Technically, any infrastructure-as-a-service provider whose hypervisor exposes x86-based VMs should be able to run Windows.

Speaking of Windows, you'd think that Microsoft Azure would be a shoe-in with developers looking for an easy-to-use cloud platform. Based off our recent #Hashtag feature, however, it seems Azure has its fair share of discontented developers.

 Continue Reading

The 2016 MI Impact Awards

It's January, people, and you know what that means -- awards season! Not one to be left out of the party, Modern Infrastructure is happy to announce the winners of its third annual Impact Awards, where readers, industry experts and editors weigh in on the products and technologies that will have the biggest impact on IT operations in the coming year. Congratulations to all the winners.

Part of the fun of holding an awards program is watching the returns roll in (over 800 readers participated in this year's voting). But for me, the fun comes much earlier -- back in the summer when we're thinking about which categories to keep, which categories to add, which categories to tweak, and which to retire. We don't want to boil the ocean and recognize every conceivable product category on which IT spends time and money. The idea is to highlight the technologies that are effecting the most change in the data center -- and the areas where infrastructure and operations folks can use a little help from their friends. And now, the winners are!

 Continue Reading

How do I set up a file sharing server for three clients?

If I want to share files between three client machines and a Windows server, what are my options? Continue Reading

Use GitHub for open source data center automation ideas

GitHub, a bastion of software developers, also offers automation scripts and open source collaboration for data center administrators. Continue Reading

The merits of white box switching

Modern infrastructures are based on commodity, non-proprietary hardware. People have used commodity servers for a long time, but now we are seeing commodity switching gear too, on which we layer open network operating systems. This is a promising area, writes Ethan Banks in "Why White Box Switching?" An offshoot of software defined networking, "white box switching might survive on its own merits -- even if SDN falls by the wayside."

Modern infrastructures run on open source software, finds Ed Scannell in "Opening Up to Open Source." The reasons for today's surge of open source projects aren't the same as yesterday's -- whereas open source used to be about saving money, now it's about exploiting "the latest Web-based technologies for mobile, cloud and analytics platforms."

What makes one infrastructure "modern" and another not so much? That is continually up for debate, but there are definitely some common themes. Read on to learn more.

 Continue Reading

Server patch management for multi-OS data centers

If you have a multi-OS data center, you know the struggle that is server patch management. Don't fret, the right combination of tools and human intuition can alleviate the pain. Continue Reading

Container technology's role in storage

Containers are somewhat limited in scope and scale so the next logical step for the technology is dealing with storage. Continue Reading

Collaboration moves beyond email

We have some nice examples of thinking out, not up, in this issue of Modern Infrastructure. Take data-aware storage -- a topic explored by contributing writer Alan R. Earls in "Not Your Average Disk Array." Conversations about data storage can be fairly predictable, centering on performance and capacity. Some storage vendors are stretching the bounds of traditional storage by leaning heavily on metadata and analytics, so as to give operators much more advanced management capabilities.

Then there's email. Given its shortcomings, a lot of people like to think, let's get rid of email altogether and just rely on new and exciting social messaging and collaboration tools. But that's impractical. In "Beyond Email," I talk to organizations augmenting existing email systems with complimentary tools that reduce our reliance on email, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Read all these stories and much more in the October issue of Modern Infrastructure (we promise -- no corny Halloween jokes!).

 Continue Reading

2016 Modern Infrastructure Impact Awards

The 2016 MI Impact Awards recognize the top products, technologies and services in six categories. Here are the finalists that made the cut. Continue Reading

Lift and shift vs. re-platforming cloud apps

When evaluating a new technology, some people like to go all in, with gusto, and adopt it hook line and sinker. Then there are folks whose MO is to take baby steps: Dip a toe in the water and do a lengthy proof of concept. What's right for any given organization depends on its temperament, needs, budget, skills -- any number of factors. One thing's for certain, there's no right answer.

This cover story in this issue of Modern Infrastructure delves into the different ways organizations implement cloud applications, whether replatforming or "lift and shift."

Sometimes, the question isn't how to implement this new technology, but whether to bother implementing it at all. "I'm a big believer in the natural balance that forms based on how people actually use things versus planning for how people might use things," Brian Madden said. So sit tight. What you need to do will become clear soon enough.

 Continue Reading

Can hyperconverged systems transform the enterprise?

It's hard to predict which novelties will become mainstays, and which will be has-beens. One current hot technology is hyperconvergence, the subject of Alex Barrett's article in our May issue, "The Hyperconvergence Effect." Is hyperconvergence a transformative approach to delivering IT, or just a nifty way of packaging compute and storage?

There are also many operational implications to a microservices route, says George Lawton: service discovery, network provisioning and release automation. Microservices has its challenges, but some say doing so can deliver significant ROI.

And virtualization has been transformative over the years, even as it's evolved. We've seen a shift away from hypervisor-based server virtualization to containers popularized by Docker. But it's hard to imagine a world without virtualization -- if only for the management and automation opportunities it brings to the table.

 Continue Reading

Container technology thrives for IT

Just when you thought you had driven the last nail in the coffin of old-school IT, you find out it's back -- albeit with a twist.

Remember operating system-level virtualization? This method of server virtualization is back with a vengeance as containers, with Docker leading the charge. But whereas the old-school containers were used largely by service providers to eke out every last drop of capacity from their server farm, today's containers are an application-portability play.

As for data center infrastructure, not only has the entire world not moved to public cloud, but many organizations use that consummate old-school IT model: the data center co-location facility.

Ethernet, meanwhile, never left the data center. Still, tomorrow's Ethernet doesn't look much like the Ethernet you know and love.

Read all about this and more in the May issue of Modern Infrastructure.

 Continue Reading

Facebook completes Chef DevOps migration, shares lessons

The mistakes, best practices and tools that Facebook shares from its migration to Chef configuration management apply to your DevOps shop too. Continue Reading

How to integrate IT infrastructure monitoring tools

When done successfully, performance monitoring tool integrations enhance administrative insight and productivity across a busy data center. Continue Reading

Two ways to manage different server operating systems

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

Big data workloads live on-premises

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

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

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

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

 Continue Reading

The new face of scale-out storage

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

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

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

 Continue Reading

Three apps in which Docker containers really shine

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

Hybrid cloud command and control

Expectations set by the public cloud around self-service and speed of deployment are beginning to creep into the enterprise. In the early days of cloud, developers were so wowed -- and the controls around accessing it were so loose -- that many organizations didn't even bother to try to control it. That's changing.

Social collaboration and sharing paradigms have revolutionized consumer behavior and habits. Consider the effects of sites like Facebook, Twitter-esque notions of followers and crowdsourcing knowledge on Wikipedia. IT is usually at the forefront to embrace new ideas, but it has been relatively slow to adopt these constructs.

No longer does every application require its own dedicated hardware; with server virtualization, IT pros can could simply package it up in a virtual machine and make better use of precious resources.

 Continue Reading

Can you verify software compatibility on IT systems?

If you're thinking about deploying an application software package, how do you know if it is compatible with your particular systems and hardware? Continue Reading

IBM Tivoli software for enterprise system management

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

What do you need to roll out application containerization?

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

How to write server documentation

A data center should be prepared for the worst, but try to avoid that at all costs. Appropriate system documentation helps avoid critical errors. Continue Reading

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

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

Traditional IT silos face a hostile software-defined environment

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

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

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

IT asset management best practices for any data center

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

Modern Infrastructure Impact Award winners

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

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

A look inside the DevOps movement

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

How to write your IT automation wish list

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

Frequently asked questions about server automation tools

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

Declarative vs. imperative: The DevOps automation debate

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

Tips for improving Active Directory performance on servers

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

Five questions on systems management

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

The challenges of change and configuration management

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

Application performance tips: Workload optimization and software pathing

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

Using Nagios plugins for configuration and system testing

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

Remote server monitoring with Nagios

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

Improve application performance with multithreaded applications

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

Architecting application failover in your data center

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

Top five keys to success for a new CMDB project

Configuration management database (CMDB) projects require a steady hand and a lot of help from IT staff. Here are some tips to help you ensure CMDB success. Continue Reading

CA's Workload Automation incorporates Cybermation ESP job scheduler

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

Automating server management and IT processes

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