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IT compliance and governance strategies
7 top open source network monitoring tools
Network is an essential part of infrastructure health and requires constant monitoring. To meet specific OS and hardware requirements, open source tools can be the best fit. Continue Reading
Guidelines to tackle multi-cloud and hybrid IT management
Managing infrastructure isn't just the on-premises data center anymore. Software selection, architecture configuration and governance are key components of any hybrid IT setup. Continue Reading
Addendum sets ASHRAE 90.4 as energy-efficiency standard
The publication of ASHRAE 90.4 in 2016 brought a new set of energy guidelines, but the industry still used Standard 90.1. A new addendum has changed protocol and best practices. Continue Reading
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5 steps to include on your software update checklist
Training, testing and automation are all essential components to software updates. Implementing these concepts makes version maintenance a less herculean task. Continue Reading
A 6-step guide for hardware disposal
Asset tracking, information logging and security measures should all be a part of hardware decommissioning. Don't miss a step with these considerations. Continue Reading
14 SIEM reports and alerts to boost security
Setting up an SIEM reporting infrastructure requires an overall knowledge of what data capture is available. With standard reports and event categories, you can ease implementation.Continue Reading
Data center compliance teams face new privacy, sustainability rules
With new frameworks for data privacy and sustainability, such as Privacy Shield and the Paris Agreement, data center teams may need to rethink their compliance strategies in 2017.Continue Reading
Automate systems and server documentation tasks to boost IT efficiency
Develop comprehensive IT system documentation to save IT time, create an environment that automatically checks for updates and alert management to critical changes.Continue Reading
Ten server deployment checklist considerations
Use this server deployment checklist to make sure you've covered all your bases. From power distribution outlets to available network connectivity, server deployment can be an arduous process.Continue Reading
International data centers face Safe Harbor loss
Think your company doesn't use international data centers? The servers used in colocation and cloud outsourcing could be just a warrant away from the U.S. government peeking at your corporate data.Continue Reading
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Data center metrics and standards guide
From energy use to server performance, data center metrics form a foundation for improving IT operations.Continue Reading
Data awareness gives storage pros new insights
Early adopters of data-aware storage arrays see better management and analytics, as well as compliance assurance from the technology.Continue Reading
ITSM tools no silver bullet for data center service delivery
ITSM tools can simplify and streamline the service delivery process, but don't forget the critical steps that also must be taken to help IT meet businesses' goals.Continue Reading
Improve data center energy management with this guide
The revised 2015 version of the E.U.'s best practices guide for data centers provides up-to-date tips on data center energy management for everyone.Continue Reading
Intro to machine learning algorithms for IT professionals
Machine learning -- supervised and unsupervised -- tracks data patterns that help businesses build improved predictive models and make smarter IT decisions.Continue Reading
Checklist of IT KPIs for responsive data center ops
The right metrics, aligned with business needs, strengthen data center monitoring and capacity planning. KPIs orient IT performance to specific goals.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
How do I avert database security issues in match/merge?
Our IT organization needs to secure customer names, but also needs to conduct searches on the entire customer database to match and merge records.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
Five tips to prep for a Sarbanes-Oxley audit
For IT organizations in public U.S.-operating companies, SOX audits are a fact of life. Look forward to a compliance audit with these immediate and long-term preparations.Continue Reading
Data center maps lead IT to server treasure
Can't find the server that needs repairs or the right reboot button when the host blue-screens? A data center map is vital when disaster hits.Continue Reading
How well do you know the ITIL v3 framework?
Test how well your team knows its roles and responsibilities with this ITIL quiz. It might help you handle future IT service problems.Continue Reading
Set accurate service-level agreement metrics
SLAs do no good collecting dust in an office drawer, nor are penalties effective. Make sure your SLA fits with the business' present and future needs.Continue Reading
Uptime's guide to data center assessment and optimization
Even the best data center design drifts from its opening day to the present. Uptime shares its recommendations to map cooling power to today's IT load.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
What to look for in a Tier III data center provider
Don't believe just any sweet-talking colo provider claiming to be Tier III. Make sure you're getting what you pay for with a true Tier III data center.Continue Reading
Companies that outsource find they need to keep some IT work in-house
Geography and jurisdiction, rather than technology, complicate IT outsourcing considerations for businesses.Continue Reading
What colocation customers should know about data center tiers
Colo providers use data center tiers as a quick, recognizable way to market their facilities' reliability and uptime, but that isn't the whole story.Continue Reading
Getting started with ITIL service management
Promised cost savings, alignment with business, and operational efficiency are encouraging more organizations to take up ITIL service management.Continue Reading
Management and Operations (M&O) Stamp of Approval
The Management and Operations (M&O) Stamp of Approval from the Uptime Institute is a certification of the critical facilities and management operations procedures of a data center.Continue Reading
Rethinking a stale IT governance model for the cloud era
IT governance frameworks are known for holding innovation back, but a new model embraces innovation. Here's how it changes enterprise computing.Continue Reading
Modernizing the IT governance framework for fun and profit
IT governance frameworks should protect the business, but they're often barriers to innovation. It's time to rethink governance mandates.Continue Reading
Major changes in data center fire suppression standards NFPA 75 and 76
Fire standard changes can add a lot of work and expense to a data center operator's job, but the updates to NFPA 75 and 76 address real safety risks.Continue Reading
Creating more useful server benchmarks with five guidelines
To improve benchmarking, make sure your server benchmarks are accurate, applicable and repeatable. The benchmark is only useful if performed properly.Continue Reading
Server benchmarking tools and stress testing
Admins should turn to several tools to perform benchmark testing and compare results to verify accuracy. This tip outlines the role of stress testing and lists several tools available to engineers.Continue Reading
Best practices for server benchmark testing
Following the scientific method when benchmark testing a server will help reduce variables and produce accurate performance results.Continue Reading
What to look for when conducting benchmark tests with PerfMon
Microsoft's PerfMon benchmark tests measure a wide range of processes and server aspects, but it can be difficult for IT professionals to understand the numbers and interpret the results.Continue Reading
Best practices for VM workload management, resource allocation
Effective VM workload management practices such as setting metrics can help you achieve the most efficient workloads and avoid the mistake of over-allocating resources to a VM.Continue Reading
ITSM best practices and change management
Organize your IT processes and implement a service management focus in the data center with this section on ITSM best practices and change management, the second installment of our guide on ITIL processes in the data center.Continue Reading
TPC-E: New IT benchmarks for OLTP database servers
The Transaction Processing Performance Council (TPC) has released TPC Benchmark E (TPC-E) for online transaction processing (OLTP) database servers. TPC hopes that the new benchmark for database server performance, which is an update to TPC-C, will ...Continue Reading
lights-out management (LOM)
Lights-out management (LOM) is the ability for a system administrator to monitor and manage servers by remote control.Continue Reading
Calculating costs of data center cabling infrastructure
In part two of our series on data center cabling decisions, data center infrastructure expert Carrie Higbie offers a cost calculator for determining TCO on a cabling project.Continue Reading
Fast Guide: Data center metrics and standards
Implementing standards and metrics can help ensure that a data center is run smoothly. By clearly defining metrics a business can increase its productivity; however, if metrics are unorganized or poorly defined a company can begin to slide down the ...Continue Reading
Using ASHRAE specs for data center metrics
Measure proper temperature and humidity using Ashrae's Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments.Continue Reading
Making sense of metrics
Metrics focus employees' attention on the tasks and processes that executives deem most critical to the success of the business. Metrics are like levers that executives can pull to move the organization in new and different directions. In fact, ...Continue Reading
Linpack benchmark
The Linpack benchmark is a method of measuring the floating point rate of execution of a computer by running a program that solves a system of linear equations.Continue Reading