Tips

Tips

• IT automation trends point to smarter machines -- not just faster

  Tools that automate IT tasks are good. Tools that screen, analyze, remediate and alert admins about those preprogrammed actions are better.  Continue Reading

• Kubernetes as a service offers orchestration benefits for containers

  Kubernetes presumes deep private cloud knowledge. If your organization isn't there yet, evaluate the supported Kubernetes distributions from third-party as-a-service vendors.  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

• Choose a container network model that matches the enterprise setup

  The difference between a container vendor's network specifications and the organization's main network shouldn't prevent implementation. These configurations fit each networking model.  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

• Be the application scaling voice of reason in operations

  It's not easy to tell application owners no, but overallocating resources in the name of application scalability can do more harm than good in production.  Continue Reading

• When to use Docker alternatives rkt and LXD

  Docker can't meet the needs of every IT scenario. LXD and CoreOS rkt are additional container formats to try out when Docker doesn't make sense.  Continue Reading

• IT cost reduction is vital as cloud expenses rise

  It's easy to spend money in IT. It's harder to save it -- or cut ongoing costs. Comprehensive IT budget planning paves the road to cheaper IT.  Continue Reading

• 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

• Achieve application load balancing on virtual and cloud resources

  Whether a volatile application runs on dedicated or multi-tenant hardware, management and automation technologies keep computing resource supply in step with demand.  Continue Reading

• Log management systems benefit greatly from AI

  Organizations with massive volumes of IT operational data need log management tools that can quickly and adeptly process it. AI embedded into tools might be the answer.  Continue Reading

• 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

• Chef components standardize configuration management across platforms

  The components that make up Chef work the same way in company-owned data centers and on public cloud platforms, but be aware of licensing and hosting variations.  Continue Reading

• Note these ops issues before you deploy with Docker containers

  Docker regularly updates its containerization offering, but it's not click-to-deploy ready for production. Ops professionals should acknowledge these points before deploying Docker containers.  Continue Reading

• Determine IT operating costs to show the value of cloud migration

  Any IT project requires an assessment of present and predicted costs and savings. Those amounts fall into two categories: Capex and Opex.  Continue Reading

• Careful IT provisioning ensures configuration management success

  Automated IT provisioning takes stress off sys admins and improves configuration management workflows. Use scripts, templates and images to improve accuracy and efficiency.  Continue Reading

• Google's Go language seeks DevOps middle ground

  Google's contributions to DevOps culture -- the Go programming language and site reliability engineering title -- strike out in the right direction, though there's still a ways to go.  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

• Overcome app portability hurdles of containers in cloud computing

  Containers have many benefits for application development, including higher performance in a smaller footprint. But a few hurdles stand in the way of seamless container portability.  Continue Reading

• Let application architecture and design take the stage in modern IT

  As the software-defined data center and DevOps methodologies hog the limelight, don't let application infrastructure design fall into the shadows.  Continue Reading

• 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

• Five buried costs in a bimodal IT model

  The more IT changes, the more ops teams have to handle, including legacy infrastructure that runs existing systems as well as new, faster software. And this involves a variety of costs.  Continue Reading

• A manageable DevOps tools list makes coordination, compliance easier

  When developers want to work one way and operations wants to work another, a unified set of IT management tools helps bridge the gap and smooth workflows.  Continue Reading

• Future IT operations strategy abandons ownership in favor of subscriptions

  The cloud-first strategy of IT operations is proving itself the way of the future, as enterprises invest less in private data centers. Resistance is futile.  Continue Reading

• Self-healing software stacks guard against outages, downtime

  If an IT professional breaks down, a doctor must set him right. If IT software breaks, self-healing measures let it repair itself -- if the break isn't prevented altogether.  Continue Reading

• Shipyard floats a Docker GUI for easier container management

  Deploying new Docker images is the easy part; managing and reporting on those instances is tricky. IT teams can use the Shipyard GUI to stop, start, orchestrate and manage Docker.  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

• Try a Puppet setup to learn configuration management and automation

  Configuration management is vital to fast-moving IT ops, and Puppet is a popular tool. This Puppet setup tutorial gets users started on the open source version.  Continue Reading

• Nail an IT project proposal

  It's easy to get bogged down with the details when writing an information technology project proposal, but execs want simpler data. Here's how to write a winning proposal.  Continue Reading

• 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

• IT operations best practices to boost team performance and morale

  You can make sys admins happier and more productive with easily implemented practices, which includes forcing them to do their least favorite chore.  Continue Reading

• Find balance in a configuration management role

  Configuration management specialists have to know the rules and know when to break them. Here's how to get developers, IT staff and project owners on your side.  Continue Reading

• Set up Docker container networking for real production workloads

  A technology as old as data centers -- networking -- threatens to derail the next new thing. Smart networking choices make Docker container deployments functional and organized.  Continue Reading

• Approach an off-premises systems management service with caution

  With an IT platform spread across on-premises and hosted platforms, operations teams need systems management tools that take hybrid integration -- and data security -- seriously.  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

• Red Hat performance monitoring service breaks new ground, within limits

  Red Hat Insights performance monitoring SaaS mixes artificial intelligence and Red Hat expertise to get the most use out of ops data.  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

• Container as a service providers compete with distinct strategies

  IT shops contend with changes to networks, monitoring, storage and other ops to deploy containers, and that's where major cloud providers will gladly step in.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• Don't let serverless applications dodge performance monitoring

  Serverless applications abstract the app from the underlying infrastructure. And that changes the IT team's approach to application performance monitoring.  Continue Reading

• Deploy containers in production with clustering

  Deploying containers in production is no easy task. It requires automation and a way to manage complexity. Orchestration tools such as Google Kubernetes bridge the gap from dev to production.  Continue Reading

• 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

• Agent vs. agentless: Monitoring choices for diverse IT ops needs

  All management tools must run on a device, but the standards for agent and agentless monitoring vary widely. The determination is easier once you understand monitoring data needs.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• The wrong tool for the job ruins DevOps on cloud plans

  Selecting DevOps tools to support cloud applications requires planning and expertise around the app architecture and the deployment model -- one provider, hybrid or multicloud -- supporting it.  Continue Reading

• Simplify your platform with IT systems management tools

  So much effort goes into simply keeping an IT infrastructure up and running. Imagine what more could be accomplished once you automate some of those tasks with IT systems management tools.  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

• 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

• 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

• The right place to jump in with a DevOps methodology

  The potential changes that come with DevOps can scare operations personnel. But a good starting point to introduce the methodology will mitigate those fears.  Continue Reading

• Five approaches to IT resiliency that don't need new hardware

  With new application architectures, snapshots, containerization and other technologies, IT resiliency goes up while the server count stays the same.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization lightens IT application management load

  With very few exceptions, applications can -- and should -- go on virtual machines. IT admins benefit from better application management and increased automation.  Continue Reading

• Secure Jenkins for fast and safe app delivery

  Enterprises evaluating a migration to Jenkins continuous integration for quick and agile software development should keep security in the forefront of their decision.  Continue Reading

• Manage disk image files wisely in the face of DevOps sprawl

  There are strategies to prevent obsolete disk images from clogging up valuable space, especially in a rapid-change DevOps shop. However, not all VMs will benefit from the same plan.  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

• 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

• Conduct an honest IT performance review in problem areas

  There are many common signs that the IT estate is unhealthy. These are a few indicators of trouble, with potential changes to consider.  Continue Reading

• Secure Docker on Linux or Windows platforms

  With Docker appearing in businesses of all shapes and sizes, security is a concern for many IT admins. Here's how to secure Docker on the container or the host machine.  Continue Reading

• Improve application rollout planning with advanced options

  Enterprise IT teams have several advanced options for deploying application updates. The right one depends on what makes the most sense for the business, available IT infrastructure and your confidence in the update.  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

• How application scalability works in event-driven vs. IaaS computing

  Event-driven computing saves IT admins' time and helps application scalability, compared to managing traditional cloud infrastructure. But IaaS and event-driven computing aren't exclusive.  Continue Reading

• Patch servers the right way without wasting time

  Apply these server patching best practices to save time, reduce complexity, and build an optimal schedule and toolkit.  Continue Reading

• Stay safe with free IT tools on live systems

  Sometimes you just need any help to fix the problem in your IT deployment. It's okay to download free IT troubleshooting tools, as long as you think through and monitor the choice.  Continue Reading

• Master microservices management on IT resources

  Deploying and managing microservices is a hard, continuous process. Proper resource planning and automation tools help realize the benefits of cloud and virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Working with event-driven compute resources

  Businesses can unshackle themselves from the woes of traditional IT surrounding applications, and provide on-demand resources from the cloud.  Continue Reading

• Create a DevOps infrastructure with code -- it's easier than you think

  Infrastructure as code allows DevOps teams to control their infrastructure like devs do application development while maintaining robust virtual server and networks in the cloud.  Continue Reading

• Five hybrid IT infrastructure breaking points

  A hybrid deployment of infrastructure as a service, virtualized dedicated servers, software as a service and other resources is good for the business -- and tough on IT.  Continue Reading

• Cloud load-balancing difficulties bog down hybrid-deployed apps

  Cloud load balancing frees application server instances and provide enterprise IT with better overall performance, but current conditions make it hard in a hybrid IT environment.  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

• I can't get no IT end-user satisfaction

  IT jobs require a certain amount of finesse and patience. Balancing the needs of application owners and workers while communicating effectively is a difficult, yet manageable, task.  Continue Reading

• Implications of microservices and containers on enterprise IT

  Adopting containers and microservices allows your enterprise to be more modern, agile and event-driven. These steps prevent inefficiencies from bogging down infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• The new wave of application load balancing

  Achieve balance and keep app teams happy with sophisticated application delivery control technologies.  Continue Reading

• Adding a DevOps DBA saves business-critical apps

  A DevOps approach could warrant a front-end and a back-end database administrator.  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

• US 2016 IT conferences about modern operations

  We've compiled the top 2016 IT conferences for SysOps pros to attend in the U.S. Here is your one-stop shop for IT conferences this year.  Continue Reading

• Application maintenance keeps legacy systems serviceable

  IT operations needs tools to ensure that it can manage old -- maybe ancient -- applications while deploying new apps with different structures.  Continue Reading

• Ensure virtualization containers' security in an app world

  Both containers and VMs offer different ways of meeting an organization's application deployment requirements. And virtualization containers present different security challenges than VMs.  Continue Reading

• Red Hat admins await an Ansible vs. Puppet showdown

  IT organizations, especially large ones with multiple deployment types, should monitor Red Hat's open source configuration management roadmap following the Ansible acquisition.  Continue Reading

• DevOps implementation success starts and ends with change

  When rolling out DevOps, organizations should resist the urge to force-fit legacy development tools and processes into their new environment.  Continue Reading

• Tailor these open source IT tools for sys, cloud management

  Like how open source system management software is flexible and saves money, but worried about security or customization? GitHub forking allows you to bring that software in-house.  Continue Reading

• Three DevOps challenges all IT teams face

  DevOps is all the rage, but because it's new, businesses are making the same mistakes over and over again. Learn from these DevOps challenges to make your project a success.  Continue Reading

• Docker instances redefine containers, but have drawbacks

  Docker's service-centric approach to container-based virtualization takes virtualization technology to a whole new level, but still has some serious drawbacks.  Continue Reading

• Diversify your DevOps tools list for best results

  Compile a comprehensive DevOps tools list that cherry-picks the best platforms for each task.  Continue Reading

• Conduct an impartial DevOps assessment for your organization

  These five questions will start an organization off assessing the improvements or hindrances that a DevOps methodology would yield in the software development and deployment process.  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

• Virtualization containers force server architecture to grow up

  Much like the advent of hypervisor virtualization, container-based virtualization requires updates to server architectures for better security alongside high performance.  Continue Reading

• Getting the most out of a server load balancer

  A server load balancer stabilizes and scales workloads in enterprise applications. Look for these features and capabilities when choosing a software or hardware load balancer.  Continue Reading

• Microservices-based architecture powers apps in AWS

  Developers can upgrade applications more efficiently and adapt to uneven workflows by ditching a monolithic architecture and switching to microservices.  Continue Reading

• Why your DevOps process should have security baked in

  To minimize risks to your cloud applications, make sure your security strategy accounts for each phase of a DevOps project.  Continue Reading

• It's an OS. It's a container. No, it's unikernel!

  Unikernels improve application performance and security by getting the OS down to a smaller footprint with no waste. But this new invention in the OS field isn't for every app.  Continue Reading

• Showback reduces costs and exposes resource hogs on your IT platform

  IT showback reduces costs better than a chargeback system by allowing companies to compare and optimize resource usage across their business units.  Continue Reading

• Data center pros dabbling more with API systems, less with wires

  Systems are becoming less hardware-centric and more software-focused. IT pros should focus less on physical wiring and more on making software connections via APIs.  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

• OpenStack Heat template sets private IaaS in motion

  Understanding how the OpenStack Heat template works is key in the deployment of your private IaaS.  Continue Reading

• Securing Docker containers should top IT's to-do list

  Docker containers may be all the rage in enterprise IT today, but they also present unique security challenges. Tools like Docker Content Trust can help with securing containers.  Continue Reading

• Building a DevOps environment with microservices and containers

  Offering increased agility and flexibility, microservices and containers can be an ideal complement to an enterprise's DevOps environment.  Continue Reading