Tips

Tips

Application Maintenance on Production Systems

• DevOps support strategies for an effective, informed help desk

  In a DevOps shop, the help desk is just as important as every other group. Give them the resources they need to keep users up and running -- before you're out of a job.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• IT application support demands hard ops data and artful finesse

  The secret to successful application resource management is coordinated capacity decisions between developers and operations -- but also the application owners.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Application layer security puts up another obstacle for hackers

  Hackers will exploit any entrance to enterprise data they can find. Make sure to erect more than just a network-level fence to ensure nobody crashes the data party.  Continue Reading

• Application support and maintenance add up to operational ALM

  An application isn't fully grown when it moves from development to production -- it still needs nurturing to meet its full potential.  Continue Reading

• 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

• SNMP monitoring tools improve how IT looks at application performance

  To better manage application performance, you need to collect the right data. SNMP monitoring has the advantages of wide adoption and compatibility with other monitoring schemes.  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

• 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