Tips

Tips

IT infrastructure management and planning

• Build a migration plan for enterprise edge infrastructure

  Micro data centers are essential to edge computing use cases. Build an effective migration plan through site selection, application inventory and post-move monitoring tools.  Continue Reading

• Plan a successful migration to HPC colocation

  If your organization decides to host its HPC hardware in a colocated data center, ensure a smooth migration with proper location selection, security measures and application testing.  Continue Reading

• Key components for negotiating an HPC colocation contract

  When it comes to HPC colocation, there are specialized areas to cover in a service-level agreement. Review provider protocols for power, security and network connectivity.  Continue Reading

• Top guidelines for edge computing software selection

  Finding edge software that meets all your organization's needs requires help from both the business and IT sides. Get the right fit with use case information and developer input.  Continue Reading

• Essential private cloud migration steps

  Executive buy-in, application evaluation and tool configuration are all important parts of cloud selection. With these steps, admins can ensure a smooth move to private cloud.  Continue Reading

• 4 essential components to edge data center maintenance

  Security, connectivity and remote management are integral parts of any edge architecture. Here's how to include them in your infrastructure.  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

• 3 ways to approach legacy hardware maintenance

  Budget, maintenance cycles and specialized use cases are all reasons to keep legacy hardware. Minimize costs and outages with service contracts and emulation options.  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

• How machine learning in data centers optimizes operations

  Machine learning can help manage your data center more efficiently and address power consumption concerns and hardware maintenance. Today's tools make implementation easy and effective.  Continue Reading

• 3 ways to benefit from open source infrastructure

  Using open source infrastructure can reduce operating costs and streamline upgrades, but it's important to weigh the pros and cons before you jump on the bandwagon.  Continue Reading

• How to cultivate the ideal IaaS agreement

  As you expand your infrastructure, you might use service providers for certain components. Make sure you get a comprehensive SLA that addresses responsibilities, costs and security.  Continue Reading

• A guide to IaaS provider selection

  Adding a cloud infrastructure service requires proper evaluation procedures and research. For a smooth transition, assess VM shapes, developer skill sets, licensing and security.  Continue Reading

• 3 ways to approach cloud bursting

  With different cloud bursting techniques and tools from Amazon, Zerto, VMware and Oracle, admins can bolster cloud connections and efficiently move data in and out of on-prem facilities.  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

• Micro data centers build edge computing opportunities

  Organizations can use micro data center deployments to increase on-site data processing. Admins can get their setups right with options from Dell and HPE.  Continue Reading

• 8 pros and cons of colocation

  Colocation is not a silver bullet solution for everyone. Discover the advantages and disadvantages that come with allowing a third-party to manage your IT equipment.  Continue Reading

• Open source virtualization expands VM hardware and OS options

  Dive into open source virtualization software with VirtualBox, KVM or QEMU. Each offers customizable VM management capabilities and legacy hardware support.  Continue Reading

• 4 considerations for choosing a private cloud provider

  Key features to look for from a private cloud provider include interoperability, scalability and how familiar admins are with the provider's technology.  Continue Reading

• Pick the right colocation site for your organization

  Colocation is more than signing a contract and installing hardware. Evaluate redundancy, rack space real estate and distance to ensure a successful colo partnership.  Continue Reading

• Data center budget process should review business goals first

  Discover four factors data center managers should evaluate when allocating financial resources and areas to address to ensure funding requests meet execs' business goals.  Continue Reading

• Considerations for a successful DCIM implementation

  Selecting the right DCIM software is a complicated process. Make sure you have executive buy-in, vendor support and defined goals to get the best return on investment.  Continue Reading

• Research advances data center liquid cooling tech

  You might want to investigate alternatives to water and fans to keep your data center cool. Still, there are costs and environmental concerns facing researchers and IT administrators.  Continue Reading

• GPUs, FPGAs increase software-defined data center performance

  Some applications in your SDDC might need special hardware so they can function at their best. GPUs and FPGAs are an effective way to increase performance.  Continue Reading

• Web server management best practices and essential features

  There are a lot of tools on the market for web-based server management. To find the best product, look for functions that automate workflows and add security.  Continue Reading

• Top 4 advantages of a command-line interface

  With the simple look of the command-line interface, organizations don't always realize the advantages it brings to systems through pointed, accurate commands.  Continue Reading

• Get to know SIEM software basics and benefits

  Security information and event management tools give organizations enhanced network management functionality, such as automatic reporting, data stream analysis and anomaly detection.  Continue Reading

• Hadoop cluster configuration best practices streamline workflows

  Organizations that deal with a variety of Hadoop configurations can streamline workflows through baseline configuration, tests and site-specific configuration files.  Continue Reading

• Hadoop cluster capacity planning best practices

  Trying to calculate Hadoop cluster capacities isn't always straightforward. It's important for organizations to include IOPS and compression rates in their predictions.  Continue Reading

• Guide to buying server performance monitor software

  Integration, storage and vendor support all affect whether a performance monitoring tool is right for an organization. Mull over these ten factors to choose the right one.  Continue Reading

• Three requirements for a hybrid cloud computing deployment

  As the hybrid cloud computing approach gains steam, organizations will need to pay close attention to cross-cloud connectivity and management, plus microservices.  Continue Reading

• Data center GPU use on the rise thanks to AI, big data

  GPU vendors have added new devices and cards for data center servers, as data demanding workloads infiltrated the data center and overwhelmed traditional CPUs.  Continue Reading

• Weigh vendors, tools in software-defined storage products

  Explore the benefits of SDS and continued recent improvements before you determine if making or buying software-defined storage infrastructure makes sense for your enterprise.  Continue Reading

• Optimize data center processes without hyper-converged

  IT can simplify tasks, including storage provisioning, VM lifecycle, data protection and others, with automation to create better data center efficiency.  Continue Reading

• Tailor HCI appliance options to your workload requirements

  Different workloads require different HCI system configurations. Compare offerings from Nutanix, Dell/EMC and HPE SimpliVity to make the right call for your data center.  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

• 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

• 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

• Navigate RHEL support options in the public cloud

  Differences in cost and vendor support make it tough to choose a public cloud platform for RHEL deployment. Compare options from Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure and AWS.  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

• IT still needs the tried-and-true on-premises data center

  Despite a rapidly changing IT industry driven mostly by cloud, the on-premises data center is here to stay, according to a survey by the Uptime Institute.  Continue Reading

• Reduce data center complexity with policy-based management

  Policies allow IT teams to manage VM availability, security and other components more efficiently. Use these tips to establish and implement them in your data center.  Continue Reading

• Prepare your server fleet for a private cloud implementation

  To make a move toward private cloud services, IT teams first need to evaluate their current data center infrastructure, starting with server processor, memory and storage support.  Continue Reading

• Three ways for admins to use a VM snapshot

  An effective virtualization backup strategy is crucial for IT. Snapshots offer admins the opportunity to roll back VM settings to those used before an outage or unintended change.  Continue Reading

• SDDC architecture brings host of new management, staffing hurdles

  There are many advantages to SDDC adoption, but concerns over management tools and evolving IT skill sets have hampered deployment -- at least so far.  Continue Reading

• Limit system downtime with automation, increased security

  Even though IT teams strive for 100% uptime, system downtime remains a harsh reality. Combat that risk with the right mix of automation, orchestration and security tools.  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

• 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

• 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 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

• 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

• Evolving DCIM market shows automation, convergence top IT's wish list

  Growth continues in the DCIM market, but shows signs of slowing down, as IT teams look for a new generation of tools that can help them consolidate management tasks.  Continue Reading

• Navigate noisy neighbor challenges in cloud vs. colocation

  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

• Use SLA monitoring to detect service provider shadiness

  Whether for colocation or cloud, service-level agreements can be filled with jargon. Use this FAQ to wade through the confusion and know what to expect when you sign up for a service.  Continue Reading

• Storage, security present IoT challenge in the data center

  As IoT becomes more popular, admins need to reshape their data center strategies. Here are some tips to overcome common IoT challenges related to storage, security and more.  Continue Reading

• Upgrade considerations for a blade server vs. rack server

  Blade servers and rack servers aren't designed the same, which means the refresh process varies for each. Explore the different upgrade considerations for memory, storage and more.  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

• SDDC planning should focus on scalability, integration

  The ability to control everything through software is an appealing characteristic of software-defined data centers. But integration, scalability and other considerations should shape your SDDC plan.  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

• IT lifecycle management drives smarter refresh decisions

  IT teams need to strike a balance between keeping up with the latest technology and being cost-effective. Proper IT lifecycle management techniques can help.  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

• Construct a winning data center project plan

  Before embarking on new data center projects, such as an upgrade or move to the cloud, clearly define all goals and expectations -- and not just for IT.  Continue Reading

• Weigh these SaaS pros and cons for your IT landscape

  The cloud service most akin to packaged software, SaaS options are easy to consume but hard to customize. Here's what it means for IT.  Continue Reading

• Machine learning examples crop up for data center management

  Machine learning implementations are finally making their way to the enterprise -- and the data center seems to be a perfect match.  Continue Reading

• Choose the right IT operating model for the business

  Enterprise IT organizations face operating model transitions as they work to meet cost and execution demands of the business. This could mean an on-premises, cloud or outsourced IT model.  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

• Get to know server memory types in the evolving IT space

  Understanding server memory reliability, performance and configuration can pay off in the data center, especially with advanced technologies on the market.  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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Is it better to build or buy data center hardware?

  Choosing converged systems or ODM servers for data center hardware depends on the capabilities of your in-house IT staff.  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

• How to succeed in an ops career without really trying

  An ops career can be stressful if you don't approach decision makers, vendors and end users with flexibility and realistic expectations.  Continue Reading

• Future-proof your colo data center choice

  Figure out which colo data center will meet your current and future needs. Be sure to take into account power draw, cost, security and additional services.  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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Growing cloud capabilities influence IT capacity planning

  IT capacity planning must take into account the decrease hardware space requirements, ramping up densities and the potential to interface with cloud services.  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

• 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

• 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

• Hidden colocation cost drivers that add up

  These unexpected charges and fees can balloon colocation costs for enterprise IT organizations.  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

• 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

• Are you stuck in a legacy data center state of mind?

  Legacy data centers with proprietary code and outdated business practices are familiar, labyrinthine and difficult to leave behind.  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

• Is IT service continuity only for the rich?

  Technologies like cloud and virtualization mean IT service continuity no longer requires an extra data center or two.  Continue Reading

• External penetration testing still critical in cloud

  By moving to the cloud, a business can offload some responsibility for lost or stolen data, but external penetration testing in the data center remains critical.  Continue Reading

• Rank colocation companies with this checklist

  Use this checklist to make fair and comprehensive comparisons between colocation data center providers.  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

• Let's get white box servers straight

  What's the difference between white box servers and Open Compute servers? What's the risk involved without brand-name server features?  Continue Reading

• Create an efficient data management process in the enterprise

  Big data can lead to bigger problems, as enterprises struggle to process, store and organize information of varying levels of importance and ownership.  Continue Reading

• How the brave virtualize DNS, AD and other core IT services

  Critical IT infrastructure services -- DNS, DHCP servers -- don't need to live in the physical realm.  Continue Reading

• How does a wholesale data center differ from retail?

  One offers more control, while the other offers more flexible space. If you're considering a colocation facility, how do you decide between wholesale and retail?  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

• The FPGA server promises flexible app acceleration

  FPGAs offload tasks from server processors more flexibly than other accelerator options. Hyperscale data centers are keen to deploy the technology.  Continue Reading