Features

Features

• Data center design best practices from a pro

  From Colorado to Illinois, Tehran to New York, Robert McFarlane has innovated in data center design, power and cooling. Here are his tips for data center operators.  Continue Reading

• Ethernet connections rely on new cabling, chip technology

  Advances in Ethernet cabling -- along with smart Ethernet controller silicon -- will enable more bandwidth choices and faster networks in the near future.  Continue Reading

• Understanding tomorrow's Ethernet speeds

  New standards mean more bandwidth and versatility for tomorrow's Ethernet networks, whether in 25, 40, 50 or 100 GigE deployments.  Continue Reading

• Words to go: Colocation options

  If you're deciding between cloud, colo or managed services options, study this reference sheet of terms to know before migrating workloads.  Continue Reading

• Colo in the age of cloud

  Colocation and managed services serve as a transitional space for production workloads that don't fit in the cloud or in a legacy data center.  Continue Reading

• Intel E7 v3 designed for scale-up BI workloads

  The Intel E7 v3 processor entered the ring against IBM Power and other systems. But will the new BI features be enough to take over scale-up workloads?  Continue Reading

• Data aware storage yields insights into business info

  Storage isn't just a bunch of dumb disks anymore. In fact, storage infrastructure is smarter than ever.  Continue Reading

• How SDN in the data center shapes Ethernet's future

  Ethernet's future lies in smarter software working alongside new materials and silicon advances. SDN and NFV promise exceptional flexibility and management.  Continue Reading

• Data center components that deserve an upgrade this year

  In the next 12 months, consider making a few component upgrades to the data center. Our advisory board explains which ones are the most important.  Continue Reading

• Why big data servers stay on-premises in data centers

  Compute- and I/O-intensive big data workloads won't stray to the cloud yet as security and existing infrastructure keep analytics in the data center.  Continue Reading

• The data center SSD takeover is well underway

  The future of hard disks grows bleaker by the day, with giant SSD storage densities, outdated RAID algorithms and faster interconnects ushering in flash domination.  Continue Reading

• Vendors race to provide big data infrastructure

  Enterprise big data workloads demand a lot from storage and network bandwidth. Storage, cloud and as-a-service vendors are developing the infrastructure to support them.  Continue Reading

• Quick guide to what's inside new hyper-converged systems

  A spate of new converged and hyper-converged systems give IT shops a potent combination of flash storage and pre-integration.  Continue Reading

• Data center dunces cause operations, security failures

  Data center security is paramount to ensuring the safety of your employees and data. But what happens when you let a fool into your facility?  Continue Reading

• Rethinking data center components as commodities

  Labeling servers and hypervisors as commodities like corn and cattle may be overly simplistic. It's time to reconsider what constitutes a commodity.  Continue Reading

• Are all software-defined storage vendors the same?

  What does software-defined storage mean? How is it implemented? And why does it matter for data center managers?  Continue Reading

• New approaches to scalable storage

  With all these scalable storage approaches, IT organizations must evaluate the options against their data storage and analytics needs, as well as future architectures.  Continue Reading

• Blade server cost, performance guide purchasing decision

  The TechTarget Server Hardware Survey reveals how data center pros buy blade servers, and what they plan to purchase in the next year.  Continue Reading

• Nano server innovation extends beyond the data center

  What's the difference between a nano server and a PC? Timing.  Continue Reading

• Words to go: Data center design standards bodies

  Need a handy reference sheet of the various data center standards organizations? Keep this list by your desk as a reference.  Continue Reading

• What NFV vendors are currently on the market?

  Many data centers are on the path to NFV. How are the NFV standards and vendor offerings guiding -- or challenging -- implementation?  Continue Reading

• Network function virtualization unifies the data center

  Network function virtualization is shaking up the networking status quo in large data center environments.  Continue Reading

• Explore information technology budget plans for 2015

  The TechTarget IT Priorities Survey asked how companies plan to spend 2015 IT budgets, and if IT teams expect more money allocated to technology this year.  Continue Reading

• Ten ways to optimize IT team structure

  The data center teems with unpredictable equipment -- about 42U tall and prone to failure -- but is also loaded with on-board intelligence: its IT team.  Continue Reading

• Tips to standardize your next data center move

  With colocation and centralization on the rise, you're likely to take on multiple data center moves in your career. It's time to standardize your process.  Continue Reading

• A disaggregated server proves breaking up can be a good thing

  Split up and go your separate ways for cost efficiency. With disaggregation, systems separate CPU, memory and I/O for more flexibility, no hard feelings.  Continue Reading

• Big data and analytics advice from an operations pro

  You don't need to employ special IT personnel for big data analytics. One company uses big data for developers to modify ads and find and adjust pain-points in a game application.  Continue Reading

• Linux pro imparts how to get ahead in IT careers

  According to longtime Linux pro Sander van Vugt, RHEL skills will take you furthest. Follow van Vugt's 10-year plan to a successful IT career.  Continue Reading

• Three novel approaches to building a data center

  Factors from PUE and build time, to accessibility and amenities, will influence your data center design and construction decisions. Here are three routes to consider.  Continue Reading

• TIA standards, new ideas shape data center cabling

  TIA data center standards address cabling systems with performance, budget and future plans in mind. New concepts bear consideration as well.  Continue Reading

• How do you define data center size, density?

  With shifts in the scale and density of data centers, one industry organization is drawing up ways to standardize how we talk about data center size and power needs.  Continue Reading

• Brush up on COBOL basics

  COBOL might be one of the oldest programming languages, but that doesn't mean developers know all there is to know. We have expert insights on COBOL basics.  Continue Reading

• Liquid immersion cooling relief for ultra-dense data centers

  Direct liquid immersion cools servers and paves the way for the next generation of ultra-dense systems. It's not air, and it's not water -- the future is oil.  Continue Reading

• The case for a leaf-spine data center topology

  Three-layer network designs are last season's topology. The leaf-spine model is coming in hot, but can the advantages made data center designers forget about the weaknesses?  Continue Reading

• Business application hosting on-premises vs. cloud options

  Is it better to look for a SaaS version of an app, put it in your own data center on existing equipment, or host it at a cloud provider for a mix of flexible scaling and IT ownership?  Continue Reading

• Denser is better: Increased storage and server density

  For storage and servers, being dense is good. Careful planning can maximize the benefits of greater computing densities while minimizing potential risks.  Continue Reading

• 'Kip and Gary' brings data center jokes, stories to life

  No such thing as a funny data center? One comic artist created 'Kip and Gary,' a cartoon duo who make data center horror stories hilarious.  Continue Reading

• Controversial hot aisle containment practices

  Is your hot aisle too hot for OSHA? New data center trends are causing concern. You might need to adapt to adhere to the law.  Continue Reading

• Controversial data center building and operation practices

  Is key-swipe entry monitored by anyone? Do your retrofit plans include an economizer? See why many facility trends -- and laws -- are causing concern.  Continue Reading

• Why Facebook and the NSA love graph databases

  Graph databases play six degrees of separation to find real connections. See how IT teams can use the database approach for businesses.  Continue Reading

• How many VMs per host is too many?

  The ultimate host server welcomes hundreds of virtual machines. But that doesn't mean consolidation should outrank performance.  Continue Reading

• What's happening in data center energy management

  Smart PDUs and DCIM turn on data center energy management, but that's the short-term stuff. A strong strategy will energize a data center perennially.  Continue Reading

• PowerShell tutorial for Windows server admins

  A lot has changed with PowerShell 4.0. Whether you're new to the CLI or want new tricks in your server administrating bag, now's the time to bone up.  Continue Reading

• Turn to in-memory processing when performance matters

  In-memory processing is faster, and vendors are innovating to make in-memory database technology cheaper and better.  Continue Reading

• Get comfortable with an adiabatic cooling system in the data center

  Is your data center in a hot climate? Rather than fight the environment with CRACs, take advantage of it with an adiabatic cooling system.  Continue Reading

• Chapter excerpt: Keeping Linux safe with root privileges

  Privileged users have superpowers that keep Linux secure. Learn how to configure and run commands with root privileges in this free book excerpt.  Continue Reading

• Attention IT shoppers: How to find the right colocation provider

  Many businesses turn to colocation providers when they need flexible IT facility space and services. But what should you look for in a provider?  Continue Reading

• IT pros suffer OpenLDAP configuration headaches

  Between the frustrations of installing OpenLDAP and annoyances with configuration problems, some IT pros are questioning its merit.  Continue Reading

• Tenets of modern server uptime and data center availability

  Server uptime and downtime can't be pinned to just automation, just application modularity or just redundancy. In a modern data center, availability relies on comprehensive uptime awareness.  Continue Reading

• What should you do with old servers and outdated data center equipment?

  Complications arise when replacing nonfunctional data center equipment. Decide what to do with the old equipment and how to handle retrofits.  Continue Reading

• Getting Windows admins started with Linux server distros

  Windows administrators often find themselves with a few Linux servers to manage. Learning the basics of Linux distributions will make it easier.  Continue Reading

• Must-read information technology books for the IT strategist and admin

  Whether you're a CIO or a system administrator, a good IT book will help your career. The SearchDataCenter Advisory Board shares their favorites.  Continue Reading

• Data center network design moves from tree to leaf

  Leaf-spine designs are pushing out the hierarchical tree data center networking model, thanks to the popularity of Ethernet fabric networks.  Continue Reading

• Reintroducing the RISC processor for data center servers

  Will energy and processing efficiencies in RISC processors be enough to oust x86 chips from servers, or will RISC stay stuck in a niche?  Continue Reading

• Modern processor design means integration, efficiency

  The quest for improved integration, energy efficiency and performance is taking processor designs in new directions.  Continue Reading

• From the ToR switch to data center containers: Design and layout fads

  Of all the hot trends in IT, changes to data center design and layout run the gamut from small to revolutionary. And some are here to stay.  Continue Reading

• Trends in data centers: Adiabatic cooling, DP humidity control and more

  Could your data center benefit from free cooling or intelligent power strips, LED lighting or SSD storage? Let's parse the latest data center trends.  Continue Reading

• Modern data center cooling systems: No muss, no fuss, no waste

  If old school data center cooling strategies leave your energy bill sky high, try more modern systems and bring it back down to earth.  Continue Reading

• On-premises build offers better data center costs, security and control

  When it came time for a new data center, VSE decided -- after much research -- to build rather than outsource, and repurpose its old equipment for DR.  Continue Reading

• Unix vs. Linux debate dies down as Linux risks diminish

  The arguments against Linux -- RAS, capabilities and scalability -- are quieting down as the platform matures and lures more Unix to Linux migrations.  Continue Reading

• Data center size, infrastructure determined by type of enterprise

  Cloud apps and virtualization are pushing traditional data center size and infrastructure to a new norm in favor of more tailored hardware solutions.  Continue Reading

• Hyperscale data center means different hardware needs, roles for IT

  The complexity of new workloads and increasing demand from consumers means different server, network and IT needs in today's hyperscale data center.  Continue Reading

• Understanding silicon photonics technology

  Silicon photonics technology sounds like something from Star Trek. In reality, it involves lasers, semiconductors and just a bit of biology.  Continue Reading

• Comparing popular converged infrastructure products

  Several big-name vendors have converged infrastructure products, but which one fits best in your data center?  Continue Reading

• Big data projects require big changes in hardware and software

  Spreading out storage and compute may ease the burden of big data projects on data center staff and infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• How streamlined IT service operations are doing more with less

  Today's IT service operations teams have adapted management techniques and employed new technology to meet budget challenges head-on.  Continue Reading

• 40 GbE technology: Hurry up and wait

  Despite the enterprise need for high-speed networks, the advent of 40 GbE has been met with low adoption rates. Where will the hardware find a niche?  Continue Reading

• What will the next big data center transformation look like?

  No one can see the future, but take a look at what we might see in an upcoming data center transformation.  Continue Reading

• Employment survey says IT job satisfaction is all about the work

  Despite long hours, tight budgets and steep technology learning curves, our employment survey shows it's the work challenges that keep IT pros happy.  Continue Reading

• Software-defined networking could drastically change today's network infrastructure

  There's plenty of talk in IT circles about using SDN to change network infrastructures—and catch up with servers and storage. As the hype for SDN spins up, what can you actually accomplish today?  Continue Reading

• Misconceptions about DevOps can impede progress

  A DevOps expert talks about some of the incorrect notions some clients have about the accelerated application development process  Continue Reading

• Five questions on Linux and z/VM OS for mainframes

  Mainframe expert and z/VM systems programmer sees continued growth for Linux in evolving mainframe environments.  Continue Reading

• Approaches to data center capacity planning: Advisory Board Q&A

  Solid technical knowledge, comprehensive tools and a keen business sense are all needed for solid data center capacity planning.  Continue Reading

• Choosing UPS systems for the data center

  Selecting the right UPS for data centers is complex. This buying guide can help you sort through the features offered by today's UPS systems.  Continue Reading

• State of virtualization and cloud computing: 2011

  IT professionals demand the increasing utilization and flexibility that virtualization and cloud technologies provide.  Continue Reading

• Case studies show the benefits of virtualization

  These case studies demonstrate how businesses have deployed virtual machines to improve efficiency and add computing power, while also saving money.  Continue Reading

• The causes and costs of data center system downtime: Advisory Board Q&A

  System downtime may be unavoidable, but planning and training can help restore operations sooner and mitigate the impact on most organizations.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for accurately measuring data center power consumption

  Knowing when and where to measure data center power consumption is important for calculating power use effectiveness and improving efficiency.  Continue Reading

• Data center security concerns with contractors: Advisory Board Q&A

  Maintaining physical data center security when allowing outside contractors into a facility takes caution and common sense.  Continue Reading

• The future of mainframe systems and the x86 platform

  X86 server virtualization is developing features similar to traditional mainframe systems, and while the two are drawing closer together, there are important differences.  Continue Reading

• The power of traditional mainframe technology

  Mainframes are still much more powerful than virtualized distributed systems clusters.  Continue Reading

• Traditional mainframe systems vs. x86 'software mainframe'

  X86 server virtualization is developing features similar to traditional mainframe systems, and while the two are drawing closer together, there are still key differences.  Continue Reading

• The resiliency of mainframe systems

  Traditional mainframe systems continue to outperform, and are more secure, than even the most bleeding-edge x86 virtualization software.  Continue Reading

• X86-based private clouds offer cost savings

  x86-based private clouds offer cost savings when compared to traditional mainframe systems.  Continue Reading

• Data center construction alternatives

  Data center construction can be a huge expense, but with today’s colocation alternatives, a new facility isn't always the best answer to the needs of growing enterprises.  Continue Reading

• A server refresh guide

  When it’s time for a server refresh in your data center, our guide will give you everything you need to know – from selecting the right hardware to capacity planning advice.  Continue Reading

• Changes in data center jobs and economy: Advisory board Q&A

  The outlook for data center jobs is cautiously optimistic for those with the right mix of skills.  Continue Reading

• Server Month: A guide to server features and functionality

  This server purchasing guide explores various server form factors as well as rackmount versus blade servers. We look under the hood at various form factors and evaluate their standout features.  Continue Reading

• Mainframe problem analysis: What's the worst that could happen?

  In this mainframe humor observation, an overconfident programmer gets more than he bargained for when he takes his shot at analyzing a TSO problem.  Continue Reading

• Getting the IT and facilities relationship on track

  Expert advice on bringing together the IT and facilities departments can improve efficiency and save the company money.  Continue Reading

• Virtual Data Center E-zine

  Virtual Data Center E-zine is a monthly guide that explores crucial challenges and benefits of virtual environments in enterprise data centers.  Continue Reading

• Data center 2010 spending slideshow

  In 2010, companies resuscitated data center spending but also prioritized purchases designed to reduce costs, increase efficiency and automation, and handle increased capacity.  Continue Reading

• Containerized data centers: Is a box a good fit?

  Data centers in shipping containers caught on as Microsoft deployed a data center in the equivalent of a parking garage. But should you be considering this option in your future data center design? Learn what two experts think about data center ...  Continue Reading

• Weird data center locations: Bahnhof's underground bunker

  This first weird data center location houses Bahnhof's network operations, and is a former underground bunker in Sweden.  Continue Reading

• Weird data center locations: Ozarks' hidden gem

  This third weird data center location is located in the carved out side of a mountain in the Ozarks, right outside of Branson, Mo.  Continue Reading

• Weird Data Center Locations

  In this slideshow on weird data center locations, see some of the unusual spots where some companies are deciding to house theirs.  Continue Reading

• Top 20 universal truths in the data center

  In this column, Mark Holt lists the top 20 truisms gleaned from his years working in IT.  Continue Reading

• Making ITIL processes work for your data center

  In this guide to ITIL processes, you'll learn about the benefits of the ITIL framework and how to make it work for your organization. You'll find advice on CMDBs and ITIL, change management and ITSM best practices, and the benefits of ITIL ...  Continue Reading

• DC power in the data center: A viable option?

  DC power is being actively investigated for use in the data center, but the alternative to the ubiquitous AC power platform hasn't yet been proven more effective for the data center. Learn the advantages to DC power as well as the drawbacks from two...  Continue Reading

• APC's data center hot-aisle containment

  APC, meanwhile, sells a prepackaged hot-aisle containment product. Recently, officials from both Liebert and APC duked it out over which is better: hot-aisle containment or cold-aisle containment.  Continue Reading