Tips
Tips
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Get more from your data center by following iSCSI best practices
Following these iSCSI best practices can enhance the performance and reliability of iSCSI deployments in enterprise data centers. Continue Reading
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An introduction to the ARM server
High scalability and extreme efficiency may allow the ARM server to compete with traditional server architectures. Continue Reading
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The realities of PUE and PUE v2
PUE calculations are getting more accurate, but require more caution and common sense when drawing comparisons. Continue Reading
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Why monitoring data center power consumption is vital
Monitoring data center power consumption is the first step to reducing energy expenses, but many facilities still lack key monitoring capabilities. Continue Reading
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Understanding and using IMS SOAP Web services
SOA message exchange works with IMS transaction processors to keep mainframes on the leading edge of service delivery. Continue Reading
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Five questions on data center outsourcing
Understanding selection criteria and opportunities for leverage can help you get the best deal with data center outsourcing providers. Continue Reading
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Avoiding single point of failure design flaws
Redundancy can help a data center avoid downtime, but sometimes hidden flaws in the electrical design can still create a single point of failure. Continue Reading
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CICS mainframe storage protection
Mainframe storage protection can help prevent storage overlays that can corrupt data or wreck a CICS region. Continue Reading
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Ensuring virtual machine security
Focus on both the host server environment and the virtualization layer for the best virtual machine security strategy. Continue Reading
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Setting up Ubuntu Server 11.04 for iSCSI storage
Learn how Ubuntu Server 11.04 can be set up as an iSCSI storage server using simple Linux command line operations. Continue Reading
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Preventing virtual resource oversubscription with capacity management
Identify the symptoms of resource oversubscription, and learn capacity management strategies to prevent it. Continue Reading
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Strategies for mainframe application modernization
Mainframe application modernization, re-engineering or distributed integration can maintain support for business-critical applications. Continue Reading
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Data center design tips: What you should know about ASHRAE TC 9.9
Following the data center design and cooling standards recommended by ASHRAE TC 9.9 will help IT professionals improve facility safety and efficiency. Continue Reading
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Five questions on data center virtualization
Data center virtualization is mature and reliable, offering significant benefits to businesses that deploy it. Continue Reading
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Darker shades of the IT equipment gray market
Counterfeit IT equipment makes the “gray market” treacherous for data center operators. Continue Reading
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Changing vendors: Avoiding pitfalls, IT vendor contract negotiations
Negotiating IT vendor contract terms is crucial for protecting business continuity, physical property and intellectual assets when contracts end. Continue Reading
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Managing Red Hat Enterprise Linux network settings using NetworkManager
Red Hat Enterprise Linux includes a graphical network management application called NetworkManager that can be used to set network connections instead of using the command line. Continue Reading
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Preparing for network virtualization
Network virtualization may demand LAN upgrades and configuration changes to achieve optimal performance. Continue Reading
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Aisle-lighting tips for data center design
Lighting is an often-overlooked aspect of data center design, but a little bit of preplanning can make hardware, labels and color-coded wires much more visible. Continue Reading
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Using open source tools to monitor Apache Web Server performance
Much of today’s business relies on smooth operation of Web servers. Explore these three open source tools to monitor performance, security and traffic on Apache Web servers. Continue Reading
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Best practices for maintaining a data center CRAC unit
A CRAC unit failure could often have been avoided through preventive maintenance and correctly sizing cooling infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Implementing SBD STONITH in Linux HA clusters
An SBD STONITH approach is simple to set up and is a reliable way to ensure data integrity in a Linux HA cluster. Continue Reading
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Safeguarding Linux HA server integrity with STONITH
Designing an approach to automatically shut down a failing node is an important step in protecting data and system integrity in a Linux HA cluster. Continue Reading
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Basic disassembly: Decoding the opcode
Programmers can find benefit from disassembling object code–a lost art that begins with understanding the opcode. Continue Reading
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Securing an Apache Web server with SELinux
Learn how to keep your Apache Web server secure by applying basic SELinux settings, including adjusting SELinux so Apache uses nondefault settings. Continue Reading
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Best practices for setting up RAID groups
Setting up RAID groups is a simple process, but admins should know the pros and cons of various RAID levels and take steps to prevent common problems. Continue Reading
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Data center cooling and power capacity challenges
Administrators face many complications when it comes to data center cooling, but knowing which approach best fits their facility’s needs is the first step to better energy efficiency. Continue Reading
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Evaluating mainframe system monitoring tools
There are many system monitoring tools available for mainframes. This tip can help administrators analyze and choose the tool that fits their needs. Continue Reading
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Process monitoring and management on Red Hat using graphical tools
Use the learn gnome-system-monitor command on Red Hat Enterprise Linux to monitor and manage processes on your server in a graphical environment. Continue Reading
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Considering a raised floor in the data center
Tile material, strength and durability are important factors to consider when selecting and installing a raised floor in a data center. Continue Reading
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Selecting raised floors, panels for the data center
Choosing raised floor panels capable of supporting the weight of data center equipment cabinets requires taking a close look at strength ratings and manufacturers’ claims. Continue Reading
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Considerations for V2V and V2P workload migrations
Although there are few situations in which V2V or V2P migrations are necessary, administrators needing to make these moves must be prepared to handle unique challenges. Continue Reading
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Management tips for planning P2V migrations
Migrating workloads from physical to virtual machines, or P2V, can present network traffic issues if the move isn't carefully planned. Continue Reading
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Server refresh options: When to rent a server vs. when to buy
Companies looking to replace old hardware must consider long-term goals and evaluate financing options when deciding whether to buy or rent a server. Continue Reading
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Advantages and drawbacks to public cloud services
Public cloud providers can help an organization save money, but it can be hard for some IT professionals to overlook the disadvantages associated with outsourcing services. Continue Reading
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When is server hardware too old?
Modern server hardware is allowing systems to handle more jobs and last longer, easing capital expenses for many data centers. Continue Reading
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Addressing the EPO switch and data center downtime
An EPO switch can be a major liability, potentially leading to accidental downtime, but electrical code doesn’t require all data centers to have a big red button. Continue Reading
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Transaction and database management on z/OS mainframe systems
Transaction and database management tools for mainframe systems, such as CICS, IMS and DB2, have been around for decades, but have evolved over the years to fit the needs of enterprise customers. Continue Reading
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Ensuring high availability in the data center
Using high-availability exclusively in a virtual environment does not provide a data center with the best possible protection. Continue Reading
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How to install an OpenStack Nova compute cloud with Puppet
The open source cloud project, OpenStack, can be used to host private or public clouds. Learn how to install it using the Puppet configuration management tool on your Linux server. Continue Reading
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Seven things you should know about mainframe systems
Vendors are continuing to invest in mainframe platforms, but should you do the same? Find out why mainframe systems still deserve some serious consideration. Continue Reading
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Managing Red Hat from a graphical environment over SSH with PuTTY
Red Hat Enterprise Linux administration can be conducted through a GNOME graphical interface. Learn how to remotely use these tools over an SSH connection using PuTTY. Continue Reading
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Power management technology for the green data center
HP, IBM and APC are making initiatives to improve power measurement and facilitate green data center developments. Continue Reading
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Data center design standards for cabinet and floor loading
The weight of today’s racks and equipment cabinets can stress floor structures, making it crucial to consider floor loading requirements in your data center design. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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Mastering the Linux history command
Learning how to take advantage of the Linux history command, as well as the Bash variant, can save Linux admins a lot of time. Discover how the command works, including shortcuts, searching and settings. Continue Reading
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How to use SUSE Manager for multiplatform Linux server administration
Linux administrators using both SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux can take advantage of the features in SUSE Manager, a multiplatform server management tool to automate configuration and management tasks on Linux virtual ... Continue Reading
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How to improve KVM performance by adjusting KSM
KVM Virtualization on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 is optimized for hosting environments with many virtual machines by using kernel samepage merging. But, disabling KSM can provide better performance in a smaller virtualized Linux system. Continue Reading
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Comparing the advantages of zshell over bash shell in Linux
Linux admins interested in using zsh instead of bash shell will learn what is similar and what is different. Zshell offers new features for tab completion and typo correction and others that would be much more complex in bash. Continue Reading
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How to configure Postfix MTA on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 uses Postfix for mail transmission. Learn how to configure the open source mail server in your Linux system. Continue Reading
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'Free' data center cooling: Methods and challenges
While air- and water-side free cooling aren't options in every climate, data center managers can improve data center energy efficiency by simply using outside temperatures. Continue Reading
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Signing Linux RPM files using a Gnu Privacy Guard key
Signing Linux RPM packages assures users of the package that the RPM has not been tampered with. Learn how to create a Gnu Privacy Guard key and sign your RPM packages. Continue Reading
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Using low-latency network switches to improve traffic
Today's mixed traffic networks generate high traffic volume that can overburden network switches. Continue Reading
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Improving server capacity planning
Allocating computing resources to changing workloads is an ongoing challenge, but proper server capacity planning can lead to more efficient use of a data center's resources. Continue Reading
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Creating RPM packages in Linux
RPM software management on Linux systems truly has an advantage when you create your own RPM packages. Learn how to use the enhanced vim option to automatically generate a template file after creating a new RPM file with the .spec extension. Continue Reading
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Using Zabbix for open source network management
Proactive monitoring and other advanced features have contributed to the growing popularity of Zabbix as an open source network-management tool. Continue Reading
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Identifying and resolving network performance issues
Monitoring network performance using tools, such as the VMware esxtop utility, can help to identify dropped packets and network interface card teaming problems. Continue Reading
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Getting work onto zIIP processors
IBM zIIP processors are a great idea in theory, but there are quite a few obstacles to overcome when managing zIIP workloads. Continue Reading
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Data center outsourcing management: A closer look at IaaS and DCaaS
Understanding the subtle differences between Infrastructure as a Service and Data Center as a Service is key to choosing the right outsourcing management practice. Continue Reading
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Safer failover testing procedures for the data center
Haphazard failover testing can be dangerous, but you can minimize the potential risk of data loss or corruption by following a few straightforward procedures. Continue Reading
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Blade servers: An introduction and overview
Blade servers add muscle to demanding workloads and virtual data centers, but they also pose some concerns, including power consumption and management complexity. Continue Reading
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Choosing the right server for mission-critical applications
Planning ahead when selecting a server for mission-critical applications can help you recognize virtualization opportunities and identify potential points of failure. Continue Reading
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Best practices for backup power maintenance
Testing generators and inspecting batteries are just part of maintaining a backup power system that can help prevent unexpected data center downtime. Continue Reading
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Optimizing Linux for SSD usage
Default Linux settings won't allow you to take advantage of SSD performance gains. Learn four ways to optimize SSD performance on your Linux system in this tip. Continue Reading
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Turning to 2U, 4U servers in virtualized data centers
As managers virtualize their data centers, they often turn to larger 2U and 4U servers for better performance. But these form factors can also pose challenges for administrators. Continue Reading
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The data center humidity conundrum
There are several measures for data center humidity, including relative humidity and dew point temperature, and knowing which ones to use can extend hardware life. Continue Reading
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Data center management for geographically split data centers
Geographically split data centers can reduce disaster recovery time to zero, but splitting data centers requires an intelligent network and savvy data center management. Continue Reading
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Using Vagrant with Puppet to create VirtualBox hosts
Vagrant integrates with Puppet and Chef to automate configuration management to build VirtualBox hosts. Linux systems admins can use this technology for quickly creating development hosts and production hosts. Continue Reading
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The problems with code reuse
Reading this set of guidelines before considering code reuse could facilitate system management and reduce performance errors. Continue Reading
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Setting up a centralized Linux log server
One of the many benefits of using Linux as a central logging server is that you can set up logging via syslog. Syslog allows messages to be sent over the network to a centralized log host, which is the ideal scenario for managing logging. Continue Reading
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Data center management using DCIM tools
DCIM tools can help facilitate data center management and energy monitoring, but DCIM software does not come without its own set of challenges and limitations. Continue Reading
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Using DCIM tools to monitor data center power
Although DCIM tools include many capabilities for monitoring data center power and facilitating data center management, you should know their associated costs before implementing projects. Continue Reading
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Exploring the features of the XFS file system on Linux
The XFS file system has been designed to deal with high file volumes and large files more efficiently. Find out how the file system manages these files, and when it might be appropriate to use this file system on your Linux servers instead of Ext3 ... Continue Reading
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Comparing various network cable types for your data center
Choosing the right network cable type is a big part of an effective data center cabling infrastructure, and quantity and quality are key points to consider when choosing. Continue Reading
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Tips on implementing a data center cabling infrastructure
Unravel a cabling mess with these tips on implementing an effective data center cabling infrastructure. An expert shows you how to decide between three different cabling methods. Continue Reading
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Strategies for planning a data center move
If you have plans to relocate your mainframe shop, remember that the best data center move strategies include careful testing and a team that's both business- and tech-savvy. Continue Reading
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Increasing network bandwidth available to virtual machines
These three tips on increasing the amount of network bandwidth available to your VMs, including virtual network creation, can also potentially increase a host server's VM density. Continue Reading
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Addressing data center power failure and its root causes
Data center downtime is most often a result of human error. But with proper capacity planning and battery selection, among other steps, a data center power failure can be averted. Continue Reading
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Deciding when to use Linux file system barriers
Linux file system barriers in Ext3 and Ext4 protect data written to the journal. Learn how these barriers work and in which use cases they are a benefit, and in which cases you should disable them on your Linux servers. Continue Reading
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Doing business with Apache OFBiz: Open source ERP solution
Many large sucessful enterprises use Apache OFBiz as their ERP solution. Find out how to get started with this open source tool for your e-business. Continue Reading
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Addressing data center power path issues and common failure points
The loss of power in the data center is often troublesome and unexpected, but knowing these common failure points and ways to mitigate power path issues can ease the burden. Continue Reading
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Configuring load balancing with Linux Virtual Server
Using Linux Virtual Server, learn how to configure load balancing to help avoid busy servers and achieve optimal resource utilization on your Linux system. Continue Reading
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Truths and reasoning behind mainframe modernization
Mainframe modernization offers a host of benefits, including cost savings and preserving investments in legacy applications, but is it the best strategy for your IT department? Continue Reading
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Nagios notifications: Setting up alerts in the network monitoring tool
In this tip on the open source network monitoring tool Nagios, learn how to set up custom configurations that can send Nagios notifications to admins at any time of the day. Continue Reading
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Five tips for negotiating IT support contracts with vendors
With IT budgets slashed, now is the time for vendor negotiation to get the most bang for your contract buck. These five approaches can help lower IT support contract costs. Continue Reading
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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
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Working with Linux file system attributes
File system attributes can provide a valuable addition to the way you ensure security on your Linux server. Learn how to mount, list and change file system attributes in ext4. Continue Reading
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Building massively distributed applications with Hadoop
Hadoop has become the de facto solution for distributed data processing. Learn about how this open source project from the Apache Software Foundation creates reliable, scalable, distributed computing, and its four subprojects: Hadoop Common, HDFS, ... Continue Reading
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SELinux tutorial: Introduction to Linux kernel security
SELinux may seem too complex for some administrators who instead disable the useful Linux kernel security tool. Learn how SELinux works, including how subjects and objects work and security policy settings. Continue Reading
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Improving IT efficiency with server virtualization technology
The Motley Fool turned to server virtualization technology as its answer to improving IT efficiency and flexibility in the wake of rampant data center growth. Continue Reading
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Server virtualization software, refresh cycles go hand-in-hand
By exploring server virtualization software and implementation, one healthcare provider found that a server refresh provided a prime opportunity to improve workload efficiency. Continue Reading
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SAN technology considerations for data center virtualization
While storage area networks (SANs) are key in a virtualization rollout, one company found that problems can arise when an initial SAN deployment isn't properly planned. Continue Reading
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Two forgotten but useful CICS transactions
While CICS has evolved its system interface, the lesser-known CICS transactions ADYN and CSFE can still be useful for debugging and other tasks. Continue Reading
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Setting up MindTouch document management on a Linux system
MindTouch is an open source document management system alternative to SharePoint and other commercial software. In this tip, learn how to set up MindTouch on a Linux server, using CentOS 5.5 as the example system. Continue Reading
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RHEL 6 ditches System V init for Upstart: What Linux admins need to know
System V init is fading to a memory in Linux boot systems as the new Linux disdribution releases, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, switch to using Upstart. Learn what is different with this boot service and how to work with it to get your Linux ... Continue Reading
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Optimizing SUSE Linux performance for VMware environments
Learn how to optimize Suse Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) on VMware by optimizing VMware and SUSE. For better performance, switch to VMware's paravirtualization disk driver and adjust I/O settings in SUSE along with changing the journal settings. Continue Reading
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Managing virtual data center growth and virtualization challenges
With careful testing, planning and management, virtual data center growth doesn't have to be an issue, even with problems that crop up with some virtualization technologies. Continue Reading
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Bash commands for navigation, sharing, and find
Learn how to use Bash on a Linux server to change command line navigation, switch around in directories, file first redirection, three find commands, and how to show people the command line without giving them access through rerouting. Continue Reading