Tips

Tips

• Using benchmarks for virtualization capacity planning

  Benchmarking tools for virtualization capacity planning allow administrators to find more efficiency and forecast growth in computing resources.  Continue Reading

• Recognizing and avoiding common server benchmarking mistakes

  With care and consistency, reliable server benchmark results can be achieved. In this tip, learn how to identify and avoid common server benchmarking mistakes in order to maintain long-term system performance and prevent unreliable server benchmark...  Continue Reading

• Improve benchmark performance with simple optimizations

  While benchmarking is great for measuring system performance, benchmarking tools themselves are applications capable of overtaxing the CPU. However, simple optimizations can ensure benchmark performance by preventing these tools from overwhelming ...  Continue Reading

• Selecting benchmarking tools for specific needs

  Narrowing down the best benchmarking tool requires testing and a careful evaluation of needs, including system compatibility, level of technical depth and scalability.  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 ...  Continue Reading

• Handling weaknesses in remote server management

  Necessity and convenience have made remote server management commonplace, but there are times when this hands-off form of server administration requires a hands-on approach. This tip delves into how to handle the pitfalls of remote management.  Continue Reading

• Choosing a server management tool: Hardware vendor or third party?

  The decision of whether to opt for a server management tool from your hardware vendor or a third-party software vendor depends on criteria such as data center budget, the tool's reliability and ease of maintenance.  Continue Reading

• Check server specs before upgrading your operating system

  Operating system upgrades can be tricky with the number of variables involved. Users need to research server hardware specifications and OS requirements before upgrading.  Continue Reading

• Sys admins: Are your config files and scripts hacks or products?

  Systems administrators often need to write scripts to fill the gaps in systems management tools. But often those scripts are just hacks -- "one off" pieces of code that don't scale or have a future. Instead, systems administrators can apply best ...  Continue Reading

• CMDB Federation specification may ease configuration management system integration

  The new Configuration Management Database Federation (CMDBf) specification may ease integration problems for shops implementing a configuration management system with multiple data sources.  Continue Reading

• Remote server administration tools: Manage your data center from a distance

  New systems management options are making it easier for administrators to manage servers via smartphones and laptops.  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

• What is the Puppet configuration management tool, and how does it work?

  The Puppet configuration management tool is an open source alternative to costly commercial products. Puppet co-founder Andrew Shafer discusses the tool's use in the data center.  Continue Reading

• ITSM basics: Implementing change management processes

  What are the benefits of implementing change management? And what are the common problems that arise when an IT organization implements change management processes?  Continue Reading