Problem solve
Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.
Problem solve
Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.
Server failure, Linux comprise 2020 data center management tips
When you work in IT, you should consistently try to expand your knowledge base. This tip roundup explores recent content about Linux, IT budgeting and server troubleshooting. Continue Reading
Avoid colocation and cloud noisy neighbor issues
In any multi-tenant IT environment, noisy neighbors can be an issue. Here's a closer look at how the challenges differ in the public cloud versus colocation. Continue Reading
5 ways a remote hands data center ensures colocation success
Off-site hardware upkeep can be tricky and time-consuming. With remote hands options, your admins can delegate routine maintenance and monitoring to trained, on-site service staff. Continue Reading
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Colocation data center outage response and support
Navigating data center malfunctions when hardware is off premises can be tricky. Organizations must have strong SLAs with their colo provider to ensure appropriate response times. Continue Reading
Your guide to avoiding server rack setup issues
Not all data center servers are created equal. Before you attempt a server racking project, double-check size specifications and account for fastening hardware and cabling needs. Continue Reading
Top 4 ways to reduce data center power consumption
Infrastructure power requirements can drive up operating costs. Data center managers can cut their utility bills if they address power needs for CPUs, storage and cooling systems.Continue Reading
6 DCIM software vendor tools address data center complexities
DCIM tools can improve data center management and operation. Learn how six prominent products can help organizations control costs, manage energy and track assets.Continue Reading
Data center backup power systems, standards to address downtime
Backup power is essential to reduce -- or eliminate -- downtime. Admins can refer to industry standards, UPSes and generators to build out systems that support critical components.Continue Reading
Adjust these 4 server BIOS settings to improve performance
You can configure BIOS settings to get more productivity out of servers, but some high-performance settings could increase power consumption or put reliability at risk.Continue Reading
Troubleshoot Linux kernel panic with the kdump crash tool
Kernel panic renders your system useless. With an NFS server and kdump crash tool, you can easily perform a root cause analysis and figure out how to bring a system back online.Continue Reading
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IoT data center tech aims to improve operational efficiency
IoT tech can make data center operations data-driven and automated. For a successful implementation, IT managers should evaluate upgrade costs and infrastructure resiliency.Continue Reading
5 common server issues and their effects on operations
Server problems can spring from inside and outside hardware. Delve into these common issues and learn about the policies to have in place for regular maintenance and prevention.Continue Reading
How to prevent and recover from server failure
Hardware, software and facility issues can lead to server failure. With the right protocol and preventive maintenance, you can reduce failure amount and troubleshoot time.Continue Reading
Considerations for SIEM logging software and storage
SIEM systems aggregate a lot of data across all types of infrastructure. For regular audits, admins should address notification settings, analysis protocols and storage locations.Continue Reading
Data center power infrastructure essentials prevent downtime
Power infrastructure upkeep is essential to reduce damage in an unplanned outage. UPS and generator maintenance, plus disaster planning, should be a part of regular operations.Continue Reading
Initiative aims to improve data center incident reporting
The Data Center Incident Reporting Network hopes to pull back the smoke screen on software and hardware issues to improve operations and reduce downtime risks -- with admins help.Continue Reading
Make the case for a technology refresh strategy
A good portion of IT budgets are spent maintaining aging hardware. Energy efficiency, failure rates and potential downtime costs are all ways to justify regular hardware updates.Continue Reading
Improve efficiency with server energy consumption tools
Deciding what servers are most efficient for your infrastructure requires research. Hardware-level certifications and web-based tools can help you select the right option.Continue Reading
Use GRUB to fix Linux boot problems
GRUB is a handy tool to help admins solve any Linux booting issues. Reinstalling or manually implementing GRUB are two main approaches to getting your system back up and running.Continue Reading
Increase efficiency with data center temperature monitoring
Data centers must track multiple temperature components. Organizations can use ASHRAE standards and on-premises hardware for easier monitoring.Continue Reading
Develop a 7-step server maintenance checklist
For effective server maintenance, admins must perform proactive hardware and software checks. Any list must include dusting, log review and software patch tests.Continue Reading
How to maintain your hyper-converged data center
Data center managers can run HCI once it's out of the box, but the technology still requires performance monitoring and support to bring IT benefits to the organization.Continue Reading
Continuous HCI platform maintenance ensures system health
These best practices will help data center managers keep their hyper-converged platform in tip-top shape and make the process of deploying future updates simpler.Continue Reading
Decrease legacy hardware security gaps
Dated infrastructure poses security threats to organizations -- especially with the amount of sensitive data used today. Address these concerns with active inventory audits.Continue Reading
How to get out of a bad colocation contract
Renegotiation, legal action and cancellation are all options if your colocation service agreement isn't up to par. But each option requires research to avoid big fees or downtime.Continue Reading
83 useful Linux commands
Enterprise administrators and managers who use this guide of essential Linux commands, utilities and tools will find ways to manage files, get process status updates and more.Continue Reading
Build up your SDDC security with 3 components
If you want to build a foundation for secure operations in your SDDC, software patches, account privileges and encryption should all be part of your security framework.Continue Reading
Top 5 Linux performance commands for system administrators
Figuring out Linux host performance issues is time-consuming without the right tools. The top, vmstat, iostat, free and sar commands can help get CPU, device and memory data.Continue Reading
Top five data center trends to watch in 2019
In 2019, data center admins should research how technologies such as AIOps, chatbots and GPUs can help them with their management, help desk and processing needs.Continue Reading
Security, staffing land atop IT's edge computing challenges
Edge computing is a new way for data center admins to process data closer to the source, but it comes with challenges around security and staffing that organizations must address head-on.Continue Reading
Choosing the best OS: Linux server vs. Windows Server
When determining the best server OS for a data center, you have Windows Server and multiple Linux options. For both, you'll want to look at vendor support, cost and functionality.Continue Reading
Mitigate data center storage capacity miscalculations
You can use cloud storage and deduplication to expand storage capacity, prevent application failure and maintain data center performance.Continue Reading
IT support and service contracts ripe for savings
If you don't pay close attention to IT support, service and maintenance contracts, start now. Chances are your organization is paying more than it needs to.Continue Reading
Five debunked myths about SSD issues
Solid-state drives are mature now, and the technology has eclipsed hard disk drives with superior performance, manageability and pricing for enterprise storage.Continue Reading
Security, vendor choices affect server purchases for IT buyers
Server selection is a quandary for IT, as security, the use of file servers and whether multiple servers of CPU systems will meet enterprise demand plague enterprises.Continue Reading
How to choose a server based on your data center's needs
In an effort to optimize performance in the enterprise, IT should evaluate top priorities to determine how to choose a server and create the most efficient workloads.Continue Reading
Colocation price comparison tools aim to ease IT research
New procurement services, such as Inflect and UpStack, offer a central location to compare prices, services and features from colo companies for easier buying decisions.Continue Reading
Evaluate hyper-converged for high-density data centers
Although rising data center densities don't seem problematic for hyperscale providers, they create challenges for enterprises. Discover how hyper-converged systems can help.Continue Reading
Reposition DCIM systems for virtualization, container management
While DCIM tools are still a good way to maintain granular details about IT infrastructure, admins should integrate other, purpose-built tools for heavily virtualized environments.Continue Reading
Build a high-availability system with containers, data mirroring
Traditional backup systems are no longer the go-to data recovery method for IT. Learn how to create high availability with containers, data mirroring and cloud.Continue Reading
Steps to install Docker on Ubuntu 16.04 servers
If IT wants to maximize Docker's potential on Ubuntu 16.04 servers, know these steps and commands to ensure a smooth installation.Continue Reading
How can I prevent data loss during a Linux distribution upgrade?
It's important to prevent data loss during a Linux OS upgrade. How can partitions or disk drives help IT teams meet that goal?Continue Reading
Manage SELinux policies for better troubleshooting, access controls
The three different SELinux modes -- Enforcing, Permissive and Disabled -- dictate how admins can secure and troubleshoot applications with the SELinux system.Continue Reading
Use a Linux file system journal for data integrity, performance
Understand the three different file system journaling modes for Linux, as well as which mount option provides the best levels of data protection and performance.Continue Reading
Develop an IT budget plan to maximize lifespan and not break the bank
Proper IT budget planning and cost optimization can extend the life of your infrastructure, help guide refresh decisions and prepare you for software-defined architectures.Continue Reading
How do I assign vSphere permissions for segregated VM control?
Admins can define vSphere roles to manage user access and control over virtualized platforms. So what are some tips to start that process?Continue Reading
Compare benefits of a blade server architecture vs. hyper-convergence
To determine if a series of blade servers is the right call for more condensed compute in your data center, evaluate its benefits compared to hyper-convergence.Continue Reading
Navigate recent changes to data center networking architecture
Thanks to hybrid cloud and containers, data center networks are tougher to crack than ever. But IT can succeed if it follows a simple path.Continue Reading
Evolve IT budget planning for software-defined infrastructure
During IT budget planning for a software-defined data center, maximize value by accounting for predictable demand spikes, and evaluate resources to avoid losing funding later on.Continue Reading
Blade server architecture offers efficiency, but lock-in risks remain
For organizations concerned about blade server lock-in, virtualization and cloud offer compelling alternatives with similar benefits, such as consolidation in the data center.Continue Reading
How an IT business continuity plan differs with colocation vs. cloud
To avoid the disaster recovery safety net, build an IT business continuity plan for your data center. But before you do, weigh the pros and cons of using colocation vs. cloud.Continue Reading
Optimize mainframe processor performance with vertical polarization
To increase mainframe processor capacity and speed, IBM turned to vertical polarization. Learn how to take advantage of it through a feature called HiperDispatch.Continue Reading
Shutterstock CIO shares SDDC architecture lessons learned
David Giambruno is leading his team toward an SDDC architecture -- for the second time. In this Q&A, Shutterstock's new CIO shares his greatest challenges and lessons learned.Continue Reading
Evolve your on-premises IT security model for cloud
As public and private cloud services bring new IT security demands, data center teams need to rethink how they approach firewalls, identity management and more.Continue Reading
Anticipate data center challenges with an IT monitoring strategy
Data center challenges come in all shapes and sizes, but by keeping close tabs on systems and data, admins can be ready to react.Continue Reading
Six helpful Linux networking commands to monitor connectivity
There are plenty of useful Linux tools to help in the event of a network connection failure. Here are six of the top commands to stay ahead when trouble occurs.Continue Reading
Five IT troubleshooting tips to beat storage, network bottlenecks
When something goes wrong in the data center, there are many possible culprits, ranging from the network to storage. Here are some tips to identify and solve common bottlenecks.Continue Reading
Cloud data transfer remains sticking point in hybrid cloud model
The blending of in-house and public clouds is challenging, but special attention to networking and data management ensures a smooth implementation to the hybrid cloud model.Continue Reading
Data center improvements will buy you time to plan for what's next
By making the best use of what's already in place, and investing carefully and only where needed, an organization can extend a data center's life. This will buy it time to study and decide where its data center is headed next. To make good decisions...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
Draw up a data center network diagram you'll actually use
Creating a data center network diagram is time-consuming but necessary work. Keep the scope narrow and know the priorities of your diagram to save time and energy.Continue Reading
Microsegmentation lets software define network security
Microsegmentation enables software-defined network security at a granular level, simplifying data center networks and traffic without risking breaches.Continue Reading
Mainframe capacity planning takes on unpredictable workloads
An extension of Capacity Provisioning Manager into the hardware eases mainframe capacity planning headaches.Continue Reading
Three server security tools you might not know
The security of the individual data center server can get lost in the shuffle of protecting enterprise networks. These server security tools will help.Continue Reading
Four paths to a cloud bursting architecture
The lack of capable infrastructure hinders a typical cloud bursting architecture. Choose one of these four paths to better implement cloud bursting.Continue Reading
How to correctly install SUSE Manager the first time
Make sure your SUSE Manager installation goes smoothly by following this step-by-step walkthrough.Continue Reading
Thread safety isn't the only way to boost mainframe performance
Thread safety boosts the performance of DB2 and other mainframe apps, but could unnecessarily complicate code.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
Six steps to better data center skills
Head into 2016 with a positive outlook, a plan for new projects, and a well-rounded set of data center skills.Continue Reading
The new IT security threat coming to your data center
The latest and greatest in technology opens new opportunities for hackers to penetrate sensitive corporate data.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
Is DDoS attack mitigation possible at a multi-tenant colo?
Our small colocation provider's other customers have been under DDoS attacks that affected our infrastructure. The colo null routes the bad IP address; meanwhile, our connectivity is poor.Continue Reading
Two key aspects to consolidating data centers after an acquisition
When consolidating data centers after a corporate merger, scrutinize custom software applications and security. You may improve IT operations.Continue Reading
How should I go about shipping hard drives?
Hard drives have a treacherous journey from data centers to archival storage. Shipping hard drives the right way ensures their safety.Continue Reading
Data storage companies add intelligence to on-site arrays
Data-aware storage yields new insights and management capabilities. But challenges include meeting IT organization's needs, tying in with existing systems and the cloud alternative.Continue Reading
Adopt this battle-tested IT implementation plan
New business initiatives live or die by the quality of their IT implementation plan. Experienced IT teams share their methodology.Continue Reading
Legacy IT budget cuts boost data center investment plans
New data center investments can come from legacy IT spending cuts, something most U.S. agencies haven't done well in recent years.Continue Reading
How do you verify a HA server or cluster is working?
I want to ensure server high availability in my production IT environment. Is it better to test server HA and risk disruption, or trust in the systems' reliability?Continue Reading
What switched PDU should I buy?
Our latest firewall/VPN firmware upgrade left CPU usage at 100%. A malfunctioning DHCP-Server means people aren't getting IPs. I have to pull the plug to restart the firewall. What size switched PDU do I get?Continue Reading
Cut data center sprawl to improve IT capacity
This guide offers tips and strategies to corral all types of sprawl -- VM, server and automation -- as well as other drains to data center resources.Continue Reading
Who controls big data implementation?
In the rush to capitalize on big data, enterprises can pitch a battle against their own IT departments. In these conflicts, no one comes out the winner.Continue Reading
Data center water usage whets appetite for change
Will drought dry up the digital economy? With water scarcity a pressing concern, major data centers are re-examining water use for cooling.Continue Reading
Managing shadow IT risk to the business
With more users turning to external IT platforms to meet business needs, IT professionals must take steps to start managing shadow IT.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
Should I use a battery cooling system in the data center?
Do battery cooling cabinets save money over cooling batteries within the whole data center?Continue Reading
Network bottleneck looms when data center storage improves
The high-IOPS, low-latency potential of SSDs moves bottlenecks to the network. SDN offers provisioning adjustments to avoid any slowdown in the data center.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
Do I need another VM host server?
Operations manager Adam Fowler explains the many factors that determine a VM host server's ability to increase its workload and whether you need to buy additional equipment for your VMs.Continue Reading
Can I use Mikrotik vs. Cisco switches in a data center?
I'm purchasing rack-level access switches for an enterprise data center, and weighing Cisco vs. Mikrotik, which is less expensive.Continue Reading
Software testing techniques to address distributed databases
Data that lives across multiple IT infrastructures makes software testing difficult. New technologies in virtualization offer some relief.Continue Reading
Virtualization's random I/O rewrites the data center storage script
Should data center managers pine for the good old days of direct-attached storage? Or is adding a little flash the way to counter-act the fundamental storage changes wrought by virtualization?Continue Reading
Red Hat support evolves with new Access Insights services
Good vendor support must be predictive, agile, interactive and dynamic. Red Hat claims its support is all of that, but not everyone agrees.Continue Reading
Extend UPS battery life, avoid catastrophic data center failure
Are you managing your UPS battery life expectations? Just because the warranty says it will last doesn't mean you should take their word for it.Continue Reading
Help! I deleted a Linux boot partition
I deleted a partition on my Linux system, but I still see a boot menu. How do I re-install GRUB2 and not lose data?Continue Reading
Server performance and benchmark testing guide
The right back-end servers, tuned for maximum efficacy, make the difference in business-critical applications and services.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
Guide to software-defined everything in the data center
It's time to start thinking about a software-defined infrastructure in the data center. Here are benefits of software-defined architectures, tips for implementation and tools to help.Continue Reading
Give the Linux quagga router a try for SDN
The open source quagga router is garnering attention as a flexible choice for SDN. It's easy to set up with the right hardware.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