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• z/OS

  Z/OS is a 64-bit operating system (OS) developed by IBM for its family of z/Architecture enterprise mainframe computers, including the zEnterprise 196 and zEnterprise 114. Continue Reading

• What's the best Linux distribution for Docker in your business?

  To find the best Linux distro for Docker, compare options from Red Hat, Ubuntu, VMware and more to make a match and smoothly run containers in your enterprise. Continue Reading

• Remain relevant as a data center specialist

  Handling a variety of roles and possessing a multitude of skills make data center specialists a key cog in the IT machine as workloads evolve and businesses demand speed. Continue Reading

• Persistent memory trend preps for launch, but no takeoff yet

  The interest in persistent memory continues to grow, but a few things -- including support from server vendors -- must happen before widespread adoption. Continue Reading

• Before you deploy OpenStack, address cost, hybrid cloud issues

  OpenStack deployments are complex and involve power, hybrid cloud, performance, update and cost concerns. Research each carefully to avoid these OpenStack challenges. Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • screen scraping
  • data center
  • parallel processing
  • blade server

  • shell script
  • ambient temperature
  • OLTP (online transaction processing)
  • statistical mean, median, mode and range

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• SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux)

  SELinux, or Security-Enhanced Linux, is a part of the Linux security kernel that acts as a protective agent on servers.Continue Reading

• Install Ubuntu Core successfully with these steps

  An Ubuntu Core installation can often prove tricky for IT teams. Use these step-by-step instructions to properly install the platform for a more secure Docker environment.Continue Reading

• Emergency Power Off (EPO) button

  The Emergency Power Off (EPO) button -- sometimes called an EPO switch -- is a large red device in data centers that kills power to a particular piece of equipment, or to an entire facility, in the event of an emergency.Continue Reading

• Boost application resilience to keep workloads running

  Increase application resiliency and availability for enterprise workloads through clustering, replication, snapshots, microservices and application design.Continue Reading

• An edge computing architecture upends the data center

  To get closer to customers, more businesses are taking data center technologies all the way to the edge. Here's what it takes to actually make that happen.Continue Reading

• CMDB (configuration management database)

  A configuration management database (CMDB) is a database that contains all relevant information about the hardware and software components used in an organization's IT services and the relationships between those components.Continue Reading

• infrastructure (IT infrastructure)

  Infrastructure is the foundation or framework that supports a system or organization.Continue Reading

• SUSE Manager

  SUSE Manager is an open source infrastructure management tool for Linux systems.Continue Reading

• Serverless architectures offer more than a catchy buzzword

  There's an innovative concept behind the buzzword 'serverless.' Discover the benefits of this emerging architecture and how it delivers the true promises of cloud computing.Continue Reading

• Paris Agreement

  The Paris Agreement is an international treaty that seeks to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. The agreement is sponsored by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and seeks to limit temperature increases in the ...Continue Reading

• Red Hat Satellite

  Red Hat Satellite is an IT infrastructure management tool primarily used to monitor and manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments.Continue Reading

• Linux distros (Linux distribution)

  A Linux distribution -- often shortened to "Linux distro" -- is a version of the open source Linux operating system that is packaged with other components, such as an installation programs, management tools and additional software such as the KVM ...Continue Reading

• Software-based networking brings new automation perks, challenges

  More data center teams have moved to software-defined networks. And while the technology brings new benefits around automation, it also brings a host of implementation challenges.Continue Reading

• Test your knowledge of hyper-converged technologies

  Hyper-converged and converged systems continue to make their way into the data center. Test yourself on the current market, and major differences between the two tecnologies.Continue Reading

• Ask the right questions before committing to a colocation SLA policy

  Being happy with a colocation provider has a lot to do with setting clear expectations right from the start. Know what you want and what you can realistically expect.Continue Reading

• Are you prepared for the challenges of IoT in the data center?

  IoT will force data center teams to evolve their network, storage and cloud strategies. Take this short quiz to see how much you know about IoT implications in the data center.Continue Reading

• Words to go: Data center colocation services

  Don't jump feet first into the colocation pool. First, make sure you understand the different options for colocation services and agreements, using these key terms below.Continue Reading

• remote hands

  Remote hands is a service offered by colocation providers that allows customers to delegate management tasks to a technician hired by the provider.Continue Reading

• automatic transfer switch (ATS)

  An automatic transfer switch (ATS) is a device that automatically transfers a power supply from its primary source to a backup source when it senses a failure or outage in the primary source.Continue Reading

• Understand the benefits, limits of composable infrastructure

  Composable infrastructure leads the next stage of data center evolution, changing the way admins manage IT resources. But lock-in and other hurdles may hinder adoption -- for now.Continue Reading

• power cycling

  Power cycling is the process of turning hardware off and then turning it on again. In the data center, technicians use power cycling to test the durability and reliability of network components.Continue Reading

• Test yourself on modern data center networking architecture

  Evolving business needs demand a new approach to data center networking. Keep yourself updated on SDN, VXLAN and other technologies with this quiz.Continue Reading

• To reap the benefits of hyper-convergence, manage it right

  Use a policy-based approach to manage hyper-converged infrastructure.Continue Reading

• Linux operating system

  Linux is a Unix-like, open source and community-developed operating system for computers, servers, mainframes, mobile devices and embedded devices.Continue Reading

• colocation marketplace

  A colocation marketplace is an online platform that connects colocation users with managed service providers, IT vendors and potential business partners.Continue Reading

• How an IoT deployment reshapes network and storage management

  Data center admins need to know the unique network and storage requirements that come with an IoT deployment, and evolve their IT management practices accordingly.Continue Reading

• Prep your network for a big data initiative or IoT project

  This chapter addresses the network traffic challenges inherent in a large-scale data project. The internet of things, in particular, involves lots of machines talking to each other. This makes it necessary to know what demands are being placed on an...Continue Reading

• the Open19 project

  The Open19 project is aimed at standardizing servers, storage and networking components into a common set of form factors for any Electronic Industries Association (EIA) 19-inch data center rack. The initiative was launched by LinkedIn Corp. in 2016.Continue Reading

• The Green Grid Performance Indicator (PI)

  The Green Grid Performance Indicator (PI) is a set of metrics designed to help information technology (IT) teams assess current and future data center cooling performance. PI was developed by The Green Grid in 2016.Continue Reading

• edge computing

  Edge computing is an IT architecture in which raw data is processed as near to the data source as possible instead of being sent over the Internet to a remote data center for processing.Continue Reading

• Choices for Red Hat virtualization include RHEL, RHEV and OpenStack

  While the KVM functionality in Red Hat Enterprise Linux can help admins manage VMs on a few servers, larger deployments may call for RHEV and OpenStack.Continue Reading

• Full SDDC architecture adoption remains in the distant future

  Why are most organizations not adopting full SDDCs yet? Find out what's blocking their road to an SDDC architecture and how some companies are overcoming those challenges.Continue Reading

• A big data, IoT project brings unique storage demands

  With the proliferation of IoT and big data, the amount of data in the enterprise increases every day. Find out how to meet storage demands for these new IT initiatives.Continue Reading

• Cutting edge: IT's guide to edge data centers

  As organizations look to support a growing workforce, or enable IoT, edge computing is gaining traction in the enterprise -- but it also presents challenges for data center managers.Continue Reading

• computerized maintenance management system (CMMS)

  A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is software that helps operations and maintenance staff identify and track the status of maintenance tasks and availability of replacement parts.Continue Reading

• New IT roles to put on your hiring radar

  The shifting nature of the IT industry doesn't just influence new technology; it's spawning some noteworthy changes in IT staffing, especially around big data and cloud.Continue Reading

• Storage for big data and IoT is no small detail

  Capturing and capitalizing on vast amounts of data about customers and products can help a business adapt and even thrive. But implementing big data or IoT means creating or adjusting IT resources to handle the burden. With these emerging IT ...Continue Reading

• Virtualization containers spark a consolidation comeback

  Over the past 10 years, virtualization has made waves in data centers everywhere. But now, containers are tipping the scale back toward server consolidation.Continue Reading

• Two server memory types shaking up performance expectations

  Memory manufacturers are getting creative for high performance. High Bandwidth Memory and Hybrid Memory Cube modules could appear in the next generation of servers.Continue Reading

• SD-WAN benefits create serious competition for MPLS

  SD-WAN architecture offers features that reduce operational costs and simplify deployment models. Learn how to take advantage of SD-WAN benefits and navigate its potential downfalls.Continue Reading

• Get in the know about data center Ethernet

  Bring yourself up to speed on what's happening in the realm of data center Ethernet with this quick guide covering advances in standards, speeds and cabling.Continue Reading

• Tips to ace tough IT operations interview questions

  Few things career-wise are as nerve-wracking as job interviews. Knowing what to expect going into that first meeting for a Web or app administrator role can quell some uneasiness.Continue Reading

• leaf-spine (leaf-spine architecture)

  Leaf-spine is a two-layer network topology composed of leaf switches and spine switches. Leaf-spine is a two-layer data center network topology that's useful for data centers that experience more east-west network traffic than north-south traffic.Continue Reading

• PaaS examples prove apps dictate infrastructure choices

  PaaS is the least-known XaaS category. However, it is a great way to bootstrap custom app development and increase IT productivity.Continue Reading

• The evolution of data center storage architecture

  At the forefront of how IT infrastructure evolves to tackle new applications and emerging workloads are the changes in data center storage architecture.Continue Reading

• Ten reasons to consider a hyper-converged data center

  Adopting hyper-convergence seems like all the rage among enterprise IT. But not everyone is jumping on board -- and neither should you, unless these 10 reasons fit your needs.Continue Reading

• Software-defined applications and infrastructure explained

  The inner mechanics of today's software-defined applications and infrastructure reveal an interconnected web of isolated components and scalable resources, supervised by automated management.Continue Reading

• Read this before attempting network microsegmentation

  Microsegmentation makes network security more flexible with software-defined policies rather than manual configuration work, if implemented with forethought and the right tools.Continue Reading

• As turnkey data center options grow, so do deployment challenges

  Businesses need to deploy new IT systems quickly. Gradually, vendors have found ways to integrate IT and energy components in the pursuit of a truly turnkey data center option.Continue Reading

• Allocate IT resources for big data and IoT-based projects

  Companies embarking on new big data and IoT-based projects would do well to critically examine the necessary processing power, memory, storage and networking resources involved, and how to best make use of the required capacity.Continue Reading

• What is the difference between hosted colocation and DRaaS?

  Enterprise IT organizations know the importance of disaster recovery. But which fits the budget, in-house expertise and testing requirements: hosted colocation or DRaaS?Continue Reading

• The right infrastructure for fast and big data architectures

  Learn the differences between fast and big data architectures before buying new software and hardware for the data center.Continue Reading

• Curiosity didn't kill the mainframe systems programmer

  Mainframe systems programmer Robert Crawford explains the lasting relevance of mainframes, his mixed feelings on certifications and how curiosity continues to help him.Continue Reading

• load shedding

  Load shedding is a reduction of power demand by a utility provider during peak or stressed times. Participants voluntarily reduce demand for utility power and rely on secondary sources for uninterrupted operation, or lower or lose power supply in an...Continue Reading

• Two key disaster recovery colocation questions to ask

  Choosing a disaster recovery colocation provider may seem daunting. However, knowing what to look for beforehand can help you make the right choice.Continue Reading

• What to know about selecting a colocation provider

  Selecting a colocation provider is about more than finding one with a low price. The quality of service and conditions spelled out in a colo service-level agreement, or SLA, will be important -- especially if something goes wrong. This handbook ...Continue Reading

• These IaaS examples show data centers can share the load

  Not every IT workload belongs directly under your control in the data center. Consider these IaaS pros and cons for example workloads.Continue Reading

• In IT hardware selection, the first choice is one vendor or many

  From a data center perspective, choosing hardware from multiple vendors remains a sticking point. This guide looks at the ongoing debate about using a single vendor versus multiple vendors in IT hardware selection. Working with a single vendor may ...Continue Reading

• software-defined everything (SDE)

  Software-defined everything (SDE) is an umbrella term that describes how virtualization and abstracting workloads from the underlying hardware can be used to make information technology (IT) infrastructures more flexible and agile.Continue Reading

• The top Linux commands for server administrators

  Managing Linux servers requires command line skills. Keep a list of the top Linux commands to schedule tasks, check statuses and see open files.Continue Reading

• Analyze Linux network connectivity issues with the ping utility

  Linux administrators can narrow down network connectivity problems by deploying the ping utility.Continue Reading

• white box server

  A white box server is a generic server made from commercially available retail computer parts. The phrase "white box" merely indicates that the equipment is generic or brand-agnostic -- the server can be any color.Continue Reading

• The best server hardware to maximize IT performance

  Get the latest tips on compute, networking and storage to choose the best server hardware to tackle IT workloads.Continue Reading

• Data center experts predict 2016 IT trends

  Software-defined everything, security, IoT, APIs and other technologies top our experts' predictions for 2016 data center trends.Continue Reading

• Budgets prompt data center vs. colocation discussion

  Rather than spending another budget cycle struggling to fund the data center, start outsourcing selectively -- and improve at the same time.Continue Reading

• Eight emerging data center trends to follow in 2016

  Data center facilities are undergoing tremendous change, with trends such as open standards and DCIM catching on, and emerging technologies pushing the limits of density and power.Continue Reading

• A data center design guide to get it right the first time

  Corporate moves, rapid IT refreshes, virtualization initiatives and other factors affect your data center design. Use this data center planning guide for a facility that lasts.Continue Reading

• Should I make a storage LUN for each server?

  In some scenarios, more than one LUN per server makes sense. In others, it's better to maintain a one-to-one ratio. So which is better?Continue Reading

• converged data center

  A converged data center pre-integrates server, storage and networking hardware with management, hypervisor and operating system platforms, as well as applications and services.Continue Reading

• Enterprise server architectures headed for a shake up

  After a few humdrum years, server architectures are in for big changes to close out the decade.Continue Reading

• SUSE Manager handles more than just SLES

  SUSE Manager maintains control over server patching on SUSE and Red Hat OSes, but what happens with Red Hat's shift away from Spacewalk?Continue Reading

• Today's top IT skills extend far beyond the data center

  Microservices, virtualization, cloud, and other shifts in IT mean traditional deep technical skills are fading from importance. Broad expertise and communication are now the top IT skills.Continue Reading

• A clear vision of the future data center in 2020

  By 2020, what will the future data center look like? Take a peek at how networking, servers and storage will evolve in the next five years.Continue Reading

• twin server (0.5 U server)

  A twin server has two compute nodes housed side-by-side in 1U of data center rack space. Because each server node fills half of 1U, a twin server may also be referred to as a 0.5U server.Continue Reading

• Data center metrics and standards guide

  From energy use to server performance, data center metrics form a foundation for improving IT operations.Continue Reading

• Essential Linux server software for enterprises

  Businesses can deploy a mix of Linux server software offerings to take advantage of the cost and flexibility benefits of open source.Continue Reading

• 'Rolling data center' inspires GE Industrial Internet

  General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt is taking on his biggest challenge yet to reinvent the company on the idea that its new platform will unite the Industrial Internet of Things.Continue Reading

• Data center terminology that will get you hired

  To land a job in a modern, adaptable data center, you have to speak the lingo. These visualizations of data center terminology will help you communicate about DevOps, scalability and other important concepts.Continue Reading

• Data center infrastructure that supports big data

  Many data centers aren't built to handle the type of resource-intensive tasks that a big data project requires. The old tools and technologies simply won't get the job done when you're talking about sophisticated data collection and predictive ...Continue Reading

• Automated infrastructure management untangles cabling

  Cable management typically requires cumbersome manual approaches. As the pace of data center operations accelerates, automation must infiltrate the cable infrastructure.Continue Reading

• What principles form the COBIT framework?

  Can my company implement the COBIT framework for compliance? What does it entail?Continue Reading

• Linux mount command reveals storage device access path

  New Linux server administrators will find mounting storage devices very different than they have seen on Windows servers.Continue Reading

• logical volume management (LVM)

  Logical volume management (LVM), a form of storage virtualization, offers system administrators a more flexible approach to managing disk storage space than traditional partitioning.Continue Reading

• Five ways to beef up your Internet of Things infrastructure

  How are IoT trends affecting data centers? From security and storage to data management and even physical location, Internet of Things infrastructure is changing data centers for good.Continue Reading

• Iceland's blueprints for a data center industry

  Icelanders are fond of saying they're a "new" country -- and they're developing a new data center industry from scratch as well.Continue Reading

• Iceland's data center opportunities and challenges

  Data centers in Iceland access a stable power grid and free cooling. But questions still loom about Iceland's available capital and global connectivity.Continue Reading

• How learning Linux jumpstarted my career

  Choosing an alternative to Windows 98 and learning Linux -- back in the 90s -- led Jack Wallen to his current career. How did you get started with Linux?Continue Reading

• A cloud migration plan for conservative data centers

  Enterprises migrating to the cloud prefer a slow and considered approach that protects sensitive data and ensures performance levels.Continue Reading

• Shape mobility plans with the COBIT 5 framework

  The COBIT 5 framework helps IT organizations bring online new enterprise platforms like mobility without compromising data security and control.Continue Reading

• Integrated systems test prevents data center downtime

  Some colocation providers say the best way to prevent data center downtime is to regularly pull the plug and see what happens. (Hopefully, nothing.)Continue Reading

• What can I do to gain Java skills and leave mainframe programming?

  I have two years of experience in mainframe technology, currently working as a mainframe developer. I want to change to Java technology.Continue Reading

• How expandable or configurable is a white box server?

  A white box server typically comprises standardized parts in a no-frills system configuration. Will they work with GPUs or handle upgrades well?Continue Reading

• runlevel

  A runlevel is a Linux operating state that determines which programs can execute when the operating system restarts.Continue Reading

• OpenPower Foundation

  The OpenPower Foundation is an organization in which IBM shares its Power microprocessor technology with licensed members.Continue Reading

• Big data projects go beyond IT infrastructure

  Big data creates a big test for enterprises: finding the right employees who can meld the technology and business needs in a way to make the data useful.Continue Reading