Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

Google and other public cloud providers

• What is the difference between AKS and Azure Service Fabric?

  Azure users have a few ways to manage containers on Microsoft's cloud. Learn when and why to pick between two of them -- AKS and Service Fabric.  Continue Reading

• How do I integrate cloud AI APIs into existing apps?

  Learn how to build AI into your apps with the help of cloud services and prepare for some of the challenges you can expect to face along the way.  Continue Reading

• What are common uses for cloud AI APIs?

  Curious about AI? See top use cases of how cloud-based AI APIs and services can boost application functionality.  Continue Reading

• What are some ways to stop and restart OpenStack instances?

  Admins can pause, suspend, shelve or stop a compute instance in OpenStack. But what are the key differences between each option?  Continue Reading

• Which workloads benefit from GPU instances in the public cloud?

  GPU instances help enterprises run more compute-intensive workloads on the public cloud. But what kinds of apps, specifically, are a good fit for these instance types?  Continue Reading

• How does Azure Premium Storage billing work?

  For Azure Premium Storage, are users billed by how much storage capacity they actually use or how much they reserve or allocate?  Continue Reading

• How do I invoke Azure runbooks with a webhook?

  Runbooks help admins automate certain processes within the Azure cloud. But what capabilities do I gain if I kick-off Azure runbooks through a webhook?  Continue Reading

• How do I synchronize MFA devices for public cloud?

  Multifactor authentication helps organizations verify account and user identities in the public cloud. But what do I do when my MFA devices fall out of sync?  Continue Reading

• Which Microsoft tools can help me migrate to Azure?

  There are a number of Microsoft tools that can monitor workload performance. But which tools can help gauge if my apps are ready to migrate to the Azure public cloud?  Continue Reading

• What are my cloud requirements for implementing direct connections?

  Direct connections provide a more efficient way to move data to the public cloud. But how does my organization set one up?  Continue Reading

• How do I establish network security groups for public cloud?

  Network security groups control the lines of communication between network traffic and cloud instances. How do I set them up in AWS or Azure?  Continue Reading

• How can I use Azure Resource Manager more effectively?

  Cloud admins use Azure Resource Manager to track apps and resources in Microsoft's public cloud. What are some tips for getting started with the tool?  Continue Reading

• How does a shared responsibility model work in multicloud?

  Many public cloud providers share security responsibilities with their users. But how does that work in a multicloud model?  Continue Reading

• MapReduce vs. Spark: Which should I choose for big data in the cloud?

  MapReduce and Spark are two common options for processing big data in the cloud. But what are the key differences between the two?  Continue Reading

• What are my options for a third-party Azure management tool?

  Microsoft offers a number of management tools for Azure, but what are some options for third-party or open source management tools?  Continue Reading

• When should I use Azure VM Scale Sets?

  Microsoft Azure VM Scale Sets help cloud admins manage a collection of VMs as a single unit. But what workloads are they best suited for?  Continue Reading

• Should I use Rackspace Fanatical Support?

  For organizations lacking in-house cloud expertise, managed cloud services like Rackspace Fanatical Support could be a way to fill that gap.  Continue Reading

• How is cloud penetration testing different for AWS, Google, Azure?

  Penetration tests help organizations spot vulnerabilities in their public cloud environments. But how are the testing requirements different for AWS, Google and Azure?  Continue Reading

• When should I use Azure SQL Data Warehouse?

  Amazon Redshift is the market leader in cloud data warehousing services. But what does Azure SQL Data Warehouse bring to the table?  Continue Reading

• Is Google's PerfKit a reliable cloud benchmarking tool?

  As the IaaS market grows, choosing the right vendor becomes challenging. Google's PerfKit Benchmarker can help, but will it provide unbiased results?  Continue Reading

• Would Azure Data Factory benefit my cloud data?

  Azure Data Factory helps move large volumes of data between the cloud and on-premises environments. But how else could it impact my big data strategy?  Continue Reading

• How do I move between Google Compute Engine instances?

  Organizations often have to move workloads from one Google Compute Engine instance to another. So how should IT pros plan for such a move?  Continue Reading

• Is my public cloud provider right for hybrid cloud?

  Not all public cloud providers are created equal. So how can I tell if my provider sets me up for hybrid cloud success?  Continue Reading

• What's the best cloud services broker option?

  A cloud services broker role can be filled by a third party, a cloud provider or even in-house IT. So which is the best option for my business?  Continue Reading

• Is the cloud services brokerage model redefining IT?

  Cloud brokers connect a growing landscape of service providers with busy business users. But what impact would they have on my IT team?  Continue Reading

• What should I look for in cloud storage availability?

  It's nearly impossible to avoid downtime with any IT service, and cloud storage is no exception. But what should you consider for cloud storage availability?  Continue Reading

• How does Amazon S3 stand out from other cloud storage services?

  Amazon S3 gets a lot of hype as a cloud storage system, but sometimes it could be overkill. Simpler cloud storage products could get the job done.  Continue Reading