Tips

Tips

• Emerging tools to help create virtualized test environments

  Tools from Parasoft, HyperQube and CloudShell let admins virtualize their test environments, but admins should exercise caution as product direction and design continue to evolve.  Continue Reading

• Use secrets management tools for centralized security control

  Improper secrets management leaves IT orgs vulnerable to attacks. A secrets repository can help -- but it requires commitment, along with a willingness to change existing workflows and processes.  Continue Reading

• Modernize ops practices to manage hybrid IT infrastructure

  Hybrid IT management requires ops teams to rethink everything from networking to the way they oversee system configurations. Third-party tools, including those for IaC, can help.  Continue Reading

• Build a DevOps feedback loop with these CI/CD tools

  From Azure DevOps to Jenkins, DevOps teams can choose from a number of CI/CD tools to enable and maintain a continuous loop of feedback.  Continue Reading

• 3 ways to react to an IT system failure avalanche

  In complex IT infrastructures, a system or resource failure can spur follow-up issues. Compare three approaches to prevent these dreaded domino effects and reach the root of the problem.  Continue Reading

• Ensure Kubernetes high availability with master node planning

  Kubernetes ensures high availability in its worker nodes, but for a mission-critical workload, IT teams should take these extra steps for redundancy in the master node components.  Continue Reading

• Increase data center efficiency with the NSX-T load balancer

  When creating a load balancer, the NSX-T Data Center software is a likely contender, but you must have the necessary NSX-T components, such as tier 0 and tier 1 routers, before beginning.  Continue Reading

• Overcome these challenges to detect anomalies in IT monitoring

  Faster and more accurate anomaly detection is a major benefit of machine learning in IT systems monitoring -- but it's not something that enterprises can achieve overnight.  Continue Reading

• Explore native and third-party VM automation tools' features

  VMware and Microsoft offer native tools that provide VM automation capabilities, but admins should also look at third-party vendors, such as Chef, Puppet and SolarWinds.  Continue Reading

• Kubernetes taints and tolerations optimize pod-to-node mapping

  In complex Kubernetes environments, admins must navigate pod-to-node mapping carefully. Try using taints and tolerations -- but be sure to closely oversee the process.  Continue Reading

• Use multiple Dockerfiles for complex application configuration

  Dockerfiles can help with application configurations, but there are some questions you must consider, such as how many Dockerfiles each application requires.  Continue Reading

• PowerShell 7 features set to address some, not all, functionality gaps

  While PowerShell 7 is set to unify the cross-platform and traditional Windows versions of the tool, it might not check all the boxes in terms of features IT admins want to see.  Continue Reading

• Gain deeper IT insight with machine learning for log analysis

  As the log analysis tool market evolves, machine learning plays an increasing role in helping IT teams discover significant anomalies and outliers in their data.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate if serverless cost benefits are worth the upfront price

  Before an IT shop adopts serverless, it must fully grasp how the technology operates, and prepare for the upfront -- and potentially costly -- app refactoring efforts it requires.  Continue Reading

• How and why to set up an automation CoE for DevOps

  As DevOps automation efforts spread across IT and the business, use a center of excellence to establish standards, secure executive sponsorship and organize staff trainings.  Continue Reading

• Red Hat Virtualization 4.3 updates to Cockpit are minor, but beneficial

  Cockpit hasn't seen many changes with the latest RHV 4.3 update, but it still provides beneficial capabilities, such as the ability create a VM from a template or migrate a VM to a different host.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization automation challenges underscore AI usefulness

  Automation helps reduce the complexity of virtual systems, but admins might find that adoption challenges and temporary resolutions underscore its usefulness.  Continue Reading

• Four must-haves in Kubernetes security best practices

  When it comes to Kubernetes security, IT teams must look beyond their containerized workloads, and consider code and cloud infrastructure as well.  Continue Reading

• Kubernetes networking explained: Start with these building blocks

  To understand Kubernetes networking, admins must first master the core components of the container orchestration platform. Then, they need to map deployments to the right virtual networking model.  Continue Reading

• Enable automated failover with a highly available CMDB

  A resilient CMDB helps drive automated failover processes. Explore several approaches to prepare your configuration management database for DR scenarios.  Continue Reading

• Private cloud security risks and how to prevent them

  Admins that rely on private clouds should not be drawn into a false sense of security. Outdated VM images, rogue admins and possible data loss are real security risks for private clouds.  Continue Reading

• Deploy and configure a basic setup of Linux's LXD hypervisor

  Admins looking to use Linux's hypervisor dedicated to container technology can use several commands to deploy and configure a basic setup of the hypervisor.  Continue Reading

• 5 tips to help IT administrators use AIOps tools effectively

  AIOps tools can simplify virtual system management, but you should consider a few things prior to adoption: business processes, employee skills, volume of data and AIOps complexity.  Continue Reading

• Get to know the Kaspersky Light Agent app for virtual systems

  Kaspersky's Security for Virtualization Light Agent application provides multilayered protection for virtual servers and VDIs as well as their VMs and OSes across multiple hosts.  Continue Reading

• How to deploy graphics devices using Hyper-V DDA

  Admins can map a VM to a GPU with Hyper-V, but they must first complete a few steps, such as prepare the VM and dismount the PCIe device from the host partition.  Continue Reading

• Rising use of Kubernetes in production brings new IT demands

  Kubernetes as an enterprise IT service is still in its infancy, but the market has reached a turning point from developer-maintained to IT-provided Kubernetes deployments.  Continue Reading

• Learn to integrate VMs and containers in your data center

  The VMs vs. containers debate is popular among admins, but integrations of the two technologies have begun to emerge with the help of tools such as Kata Containers and Virtlet.  Continue Reading

• How a rules engine can drive -- or derail -- an IT automation strategy

  To benefit fully from a rules engine -- and minimize the risk of chaos -- IT organizations need to carefully define system metrics and be diligent about documentation.  Continue Reading

• Dockerfile commands for containerizing applications

  Admins can use Dockerfiles to containerize their applications and ease deployment. They can implement several commands to help them do so successfully.  Continue Reading

• How to achieve continuous feedback in DevOps pipelines

  Continuous feedback is critical to optimize DevOps processes. While tools can enable feedback loops, DevOps teams still must reduce unnecessary noise and continually measure success.  Continue Reading

• Say 'yes' to NoOps with the right technology and team structure

  Before embracing a NoOps model, be sure IT team members have a clear understanding of how the methodology changes the technologies they'll work with, along with their day-to-day roles.  Continue Reading

• Prevent help desk escalation with runbook documentation

  IT operations teams are often stuck in a process loop to solve issues. Learn how tools, such as runbooks and libraries, break the cycle and help avoid problem escalation.  Continue Reading

• Decide between SAN vs. hyper-converged for your virtual storage

  Shared storage provides admins with virtual storage benefits such as storage migration, high availability and redundancy. But the right storage option depends on cost and performance.  Continue Reading

• A GitOps workflow won't benefit every IT organization

  A move to GitOps is a major transition for an IT team and offers a wealth of perks, but it also carries significant challenges and a steep learning curve.  Continue Reading

• 5 steps to evaluate and perform a service mesh implementation

  Service mesh adoption is a long process that starts with careful evaluation of the technology and its deployment models. And that requires the involvement of both IT ops and dev teams.  Continue Reading

• Import and export Hyper-V VMs with Hyper-V Manager and PowerShell

  When migrating VMs, admins can use Hyper-V Manager's export and import capabilities for small sets of VMs or PowerShell for larger migrations from one host to another.  Continue Reading

• Types of Hyper-V scheduler for simultaneous multithreading in VMs

  Hyper-V's classic and core schedulers both enable use of simultaneous multithreading in VMs, but the core scheduler prevents VMs from ever reserving an entire CPU core.  Continue Reading

• Capitalize on the advantages of open source software in IT

  Open source tools, including those for IT management, might be free, but there are broader pros and cons that might tip the scales for some enterprise buyers.  Continue Reading

• 3 Kubernetes platforms for your application needs

  Admins must consider their application needs when choosing a container strategy and decide between a full PaaS offering built on containers or a fully compliant Kubernetes service.  Continue Reading

• Understand how to orchestrate Windows containers with Kubernetes

  Before you orchestrate your Windows containers with Kubernetes, you must install Windows Server 1809 or later and meet several other requirements.  Continue Reading

• When to use Jenkins vs. Jenkins X for pipeline automation

  Three primary factors -- flexibility, Kubernetes adoption and the need for a GUI -- should shape an organization's decision between Jenkins and Jenkins X as a pipeline automation tool.  Continue Reading

• Conduct an incident post-mortem for ongoing DevOps improvement

  A thorough and effective post-mortem process can strengthen a DevOps organization -- but first, teams must be ready to dig deep and leave blame behind.  Continue Reading

• Try out the Graphite monitoring tool for time-series data

  Combined with third-party tools, Graphite provides a number of benefits for IT performance monitoring. Explore its core components -- including Carbon and Whisper -- and basic guidelines for installation.  Continue Reading

• Prevent man-in-the-middle attacks on apps, CI/CD toolchains

  Man-in-the-middle attacks pose a serious threat to both CI/CD tools and the apps those tools support. Learn how these attacks typically occur -- and how to stop them -- to do DevOps securely.  Continue Reading

• Perform these steps to monitor Windows Server with Nagios Core

  Nagios is no newbie to the server monitoring world, but setting it up for Windows takes a few extra steps. Learn how Nagios Core, originally meant for Linux, can monitor Windows servers.  Continue Reading

• Grasp Docker networking basics with these commands and tips

  For a containerization novice, networking poses one of the biggest challenges. Use this breakdown of essential Docker networking commands and concepts, including host and bridge setups, to reduce complexity.  Continue Reading

• Windows container monitoring tools prevent resource contention

  Monitoring tools for Windows containers enable admins to keep track of CPU, memory, storage and networking performance metrics and troubleshoot any issues that arise.  Continue Reading

• Get to know Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager

  Oracle released Linux Virtualization Manager, a platform that lets admins configure, manage and monitor their virtual server environments.  Continue Reading

• Optimize Docker images on Windows for better system performance

  Multiple layers in a Windows Docker image can cause resource contention. Optimization requires you to limit the number of layers that you use and minimize each layer's size.  Continue Reading

• Match cloud application monitoring to integration needs

  An enterprise's cloud migration includes several elements: a new security process, budget redistribution and a monitoring system that integrates cloud and on-premises apps.  Continue Reading

• Obtain, deploy and manage Oracle VM templates

  Oracle VM templates, which come with a guest OS, application software and preset configurations, help admins streamline VM deployment, and they can set them up in just a few steps.  Continue Reading

• Prepare for Windows Server 2008 end of life

  Admins must prepare their workloads for the Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 end of support. Otherwise, they risk the possibility of significant security breaches.  Continue Reading

• How does time-series analysis work in IT environments?

  IT monitoring metrics are crucial for enterprises to gauge performance and plan for future events. But admins should understand the tradeoffs between a time-series and point-in-time analysis.  Continue Reading

• Heed these cloud security considerations for SaaS, PaaS

  A move to the cloud lessens IT's workload responsibility, but SaaS and PaaS models each require a targeted cloud security strategy to protect applications.  Continue Reading

• Use centralized encryption methods in large-scale IT environments

  Whether data is stored in a VM or in the cloud, centralized encryption key management is critical to prevent theft and protect data from unwanted eyes.  Continue Reading

• Get to know VM networking basics

  Admins can create a network between isolated VMs with the help of several features and products, such as network interface cards and virtual LANs.  Continue Reading

• Apply staging environment best practices to an app lifecycle

  From the public cloud to blue/green deployment, there are a myriad of ways that IT teams can make the most of their staging environments -- and use resources they already have.  Continue Reading

• Server virtualization in DevOps continues to offer advantages

  Virtualization's role in DevOps technologies continues to persevere by providing strong isolation, flexible OS options and an assortment of sophisticated tooling.  Continue Reading

• Add shadow IT applications to the official DevOps toolchain

  Sometimes developers and other IT team members install unapproved apps to fill a gap in the DevOps toolchain. These shadow apps are risky -- but give them a chance.  Continue Reading

• 7 HPC workload virtualization best practices

  If you are running high-performance computing workloads in a virtual environment, use our handy checklist to see if you are optimizing your environment to its fullest.  Continue Reading

• Micro VMs bridge the gap between full VMs and containers

  Micro VMs address full VM and container disadvantages, all while providing a lightweight container architecture and retaining VM security for each instance.  Continue Reading

• Use these features and techniques to ensure Hyper-V security

  To successfully enhance the security of Hyper-V hosts and VMs, admins should consider network security, guarded fabric technology, Generation 2 VMs and Secure Boot.  Continue Reading

• What IT admins need to know about cloud application patching

  When they host apps in a SaaS or PaaS environment, IT teams offload some patching duties to cloud providers. But other responsibilities become even more important.  Continue Reading

• Tips and tools to achieve a serverless DevOps workflow

  Serverless functions bring the benefits of event-driven computing to a CI/CD pipeline -- but to get there, DevOps teams might need to lean heavily on services and tools from the major cloud computing providers.  Continue Reading

• Persistent memory in Hyper-V VMs offers better data retention

  When coupled with virtualization, persistent memory bridges the gap between traditional memory and storage devices by offering better performance and availability.  Continue Reading

• Secure configuration management tasks with a certificate authority

  A CA server is a limited shield for the data that configuration management tools collect, but IT admins can use one for many tasks -- like to create custom certificates -- and boost security.  Continue Reading

• Get to know Hyper-V 2019 new features and functionality

  Window Server 2019 showed fewer new features than first expected, but Hyper-V admins can benefit from improved support for shielded VMs and the new Admin Center feature.  Continue Reading

• Consider the when, why and how of a Mesos-to-Kubernetes migration

  Before choosing to migrate to Kubernetes, Mesos users should carefully prepare for the complexity of the move -- and first consider using the two technologies side by side.  Continue Reading

• GPU repurposing helps improve infrastructure cost efficiency

  A GPU's cost efficiency decreases when left idle. But, by putting GPUs to work for virtual desktop infrastructure sessions, admins can reduce costs and ensure improved performance.  Continue Reading

• Embrace an app-centric approach to monitoring in the cloud

  Cloud computing minimizes the need for IT teams to worry about infrastructure hardware -- which means their monitoring strategies can, and should, hone in on apps and the user experience.  Continue Reading

• VMware Workstation vs. VirtualBox: Which is the better hypervisor?

  The Type 2 hypervisor debate between VMware Workstation and Oracle VirtualBox has gotten tougher as the latter has caught up. Examine their advantages to see which fits your needs.  Continue Reading

• Maintain CMDB data integrity for automated disaster recovery

  For successful disaster recovery, IT admins must keep CMDB data precise. Learn best practices to promote data accuracy for an automated failover and DR plan.  Continue Reading

• Explore Docker vs. LXC through the lens of a three-tier app

  Containers are not small virtual machines, and they're not all the same under the hood. To make smart deployment choices, understand the nuanced differences between container types.  Continue Reading

• Simplify SaaS integration with an IT service aggregator

  SaaS management can cause as many headaches as SaaS apps prevent. Poor integrations between disparate tools can create bottlenecks and failures, but aggregators can help.  Continue Reading

• Don't buy a GPU for machine learning unless you have the workload

  Virtual GPUs and machine learning might seem like a perfect match, but specialized chips might not be worth the investment if your workloads won't use the cards' full capacity.  Continue Reading

• Understand KubeVirt basics to help get you started

  Getting to know KubeVirt prior to use is essential. Though it relies on core Kubernetes technology, running VMs alongside containers is something you might be unfamiliar with.  Continue Reading

• Obtain and deploy Hyper-V with Admin Center rather than VARs

  Using Admin Center to deploy Hyper-V over VARs can offer admins flexibility and the ability to remotely manage servers, but the push toward cloud migration can be an issue.  Continue Reading

• Cloud adoption questions every IT admin should ask

  For all of a cloud service's benefits, there are limitations, such as restricted access to infrastructure, that cause IT teams to be leery of adoption.  Continue Reading

• Weigh infrastructure as code risks against the benefits

  Infrastructure as code can transform the modern data center, but maintain a healthy dose of caution -- and thorough documentation and testing environments -- to prevent chaos.  Continue Reading

• Apply automation for streamlined IT asset management

  Without accurate data, IT asset management processes fail. But, with automation and self-service capabilities, admins can efficiently track assets -- from onboarding to end of life.  Continue Reading

• 5 Kubernetes adoption considerations you should think about

  Understand the basics of Kubernetes, including how it works and its pros and cons, before deciding whether or not to adopt. Then, figure out how you plan to manage it.  Continue Reading

• Combine Puppet and Chocolatey to drive Windows DevOps

  Through the use of Puppet and Chocolatey side by side, Windows IT professionals can use Linux-like DevOps tools to automate the deployment and configuration of their systems.  Continue Reading

• PKI authentication explained: The basics for IT administrators

  Public key infrastructure is part and parcel of modern digital business, from secure communications to data transmission and beyond. Admins must understand PKI to optimize its benefits.  Continue Reading

• Essential virtualization certifications for IT professionals

  As companies move beyond virtualization, the need for IT pros with fine-tuned expertise in cloud administration, ethical hacking, legacy infrastructure migration and automation rises.  Continue Reading

• Explore the Citrix guest UEFI boot feature for modern systems

  A guest boot feature offered by Citrix provides admins with improved system performance, but they should be wary of its continued experimental status.  Continue Reading

• Avoid chaos with an IT crisis management playbook

  A minor IT issue can quickly snowball into a major catastrophe without a carefully constructed crisis management plan, but just what details should an organization include?  Continue Reading

• Look inside the Mesosphere DC/OS distributed operating system

  IT organizations that run large, distributed workloads on clusters should examine the Mesosphere DC/OS approach, but be forewarned: It takes a lot of components to simplify ops.  Continue Reading

• Don't neglect your IT architect skills in public cloud projects

  Public cloud infrastructure is beyond the veil for IT admins: unknown and untouchable. But depending on the deployment -- and the cloud -- admins still have architecture to manage.  Continue Reading

• Use Puppet Bolt to simplify configuration management

  Bolt, Puppet's cross-platform automation tool, is designed to minimize the learning curve for ops teams, but users still need to grasp its primary commands and elements.  Continue Reading

• 5 DevSecOps interview questions employers are likely to ask

  To land that DevSecOps dream job, prepare to answer questions not only about specific IT and security tools, but about DevOps team culture as a whole.  Continue Reading

• How to copy files to Windows containers

  Once you've deployed Windows containers in your production environment, you can start copying data and files to them using one of three methods, depending on file type and location.  Continue Reading

• Hardware options to support a reverse cloud migration

  Moving back on premises can require new infrastructure if maintenance windows have expired, and admins must meet power and storage demands to ensure apps migrate successfully.  Continue Reading

• Avoid SDDC security risks during implementation

  Moving workloads to a software-defined data center can pose challenges. When updating systems, admins should address potential security risks with proper care to avoid issues.  Continue Reading

• Assess AIOps benefits and challenges for enterprise IT teams

  To successfully reap the benefits of an AIOps implementation, IT teams first have to navigate some crucial cultural and technical shifts.  Continue Reading

• Save on licensing with a multi-hypervisor environment

  Shifting some workloads from VMware to Hyper-V to rely on multiple hypervisors takes time and effort, but the flexibility and cost savings might just be worth it.  Continue Reading

• Deploy Microsoft IIS server, .NET apps in Windows containers

  Instead of investing money in migrating your existing .NET applications to .NET Core to modernize them, deploy them in Windows containers with a simple script.  Continue Reading

• Micro VMs can present unique management challenges

  The haphazard deployment of micro VMs can eventually lead to issues ranging from IP address depletion to serious performance problems resulting from extreme resource contention.  Continue Reading

• 3 tools admins can use for private cloud capacity planning

  Admins can better manage their private clouds with capacity planning tools, such as specified quotas, resource monitoring and predictive scheduling.  Continue Reading

• Apply AI to container monitoring and management -- piece by piece

  While the application of AI to container monitoring and management is possible, it first requires certain operations practices and carefully integrated tool sets.  Continue Reading

• How to cautiously reap the benefits of DevOps as a service

  Outsourcing the operation of DevOps tools has its perks, but be sure to carefully position that move to in-house development and ops teams first.  Continue Reading