Evaluate

Evaluate

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

• Enterprises wrestle with OpenStack backup, DR challenges

  To work around the manual and often tedious processes associated with OpenStack DR and backup, some enterprises have turned to third-party tools. Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud market matures, but competition still fierce

  There's no longer much debate about hybrid and multi-cloud being the endgame for businesses. And now, vendors ranging from AWS to Cisco seek to carve out a space in that market. Continue Reading

• Evaluate PaaS vendors based on these two types of features

  To determine whether a PaaS provider will meet their needs, buyers should look closely at what the vendor offers for development tools, automation, collaboration and more. Continue Reading

• Don't let Kubernetes services stall a multi-cloud strategy

  Despite the benefits of managed Kubernetes services from AWS, Microsoft and Google, these offerings can impede workload portability when tied closely to other provider-native tools. Continue Reading

• Top IaaS providers slowly warm up to multi-cloud

  While major IaaS vendors all offer some flavor of multi-cloud support, they still have work to do to help customers achieve the dream of seamless portability. Continue Reading

• Weigh the benefits of PaaS providers against lock-in risks

  The right PaaS environment enables developers to focus on what they care about most: building a successful application. But it also brings new risks -- particularly around lock-in.Continue Reading

• Four tips for a successful hybrid cloud POC

  A hybrid cloud proof of concept is an important step to ensure a deployment will fully meet IT and business needs. Mind these best practices around data, networks and more.Continue Reading

• Cloud-based applications pose tough integration challenges

  Even though SaaS applications are now indispensible to many enterprises, their lack of flexibility still presents a challenge around integration and management.Continue Reading

• Cloud billing APIs enable greater cost transparency

  No enterprise wants to be surprised by its cloud computing bill. And, even as providers offer more visibility into users' costs through APIs and other tools, obstacles remain.Continue Reading

• Know what to look for in a cloud management platform

  Like so many decisions in IT, choosing a cloud management tool takes time. Be sure to outline your key goals for resource deployment, cost monitoring and more.Continue Reading

• The best multi-cloud strategy is to just ignore the hype

  Vague vendor and analyst definitions for multi-cloud only confuse business leaders and put IT professionals in a precarious position.Continue Reading

• Cloud-native low-code platforms rival third-party options

  To choose between native and third-party low-code tools, application development teams need to weigh the benefits of consolidation against the risk of lock-in.Continue Reading

• Users demand more from containers in cloud

  Technology is always advancing, but it needs to march in the direction that users want. Containers are maturing, but plenty of IT pros still want more from the technology.Continue Reading

• IaaS and PaaS blurred lines increase lock-in risks

  There are three distinct cloud service categories: IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. However, IaaS and PaaS are getting a little too close, and you need to be aware of vendor lock-in risks.Continue Reading

• Single pane of glass for multi-cloud management still elusive

  Unified management for multi-cloud remains a work in progress. Vendors have yet to produce the perfect single-pane-of-glass tool -- and some IT teams can't afford to wait for one.Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud deployment demands a change in security mindset

  To fully protect data in a hybrid cloud model, enterprises need to scrutinize integration points, network access controls and the policies they have in place.Continue Reading

• Brace your IT operations team for a cloud migration

  A cloud migration isn't as easy as some providers suggest. Use these five tips to prep your IT ops teams for the big management and support changes that lie ahead.Continue Reading

• Azure Machine Learning services ease data science struggles

  With Azure machine learning services, such as Workbench, Experimentation and Model Management, Microsoft hopes to address common data science challenges in the enterprise.Continue Reading

• Azure Migrate aims to attract VMware workloads to the cloud

  A new Azure service removes a lot of the guesswork for IT teams that want to move VMs to Microsoft's public cloud. But will a lack of early support from VMware hurt its appeal?Continue Reading

• With more providers, security issues in cloud computing rise

  We hear a lot about the pros and cons of a multi-cloud strategy, but a surprising number of organizations don't think they need to worry about it. They do.Continue Reading

• Simplify multi-cloud management with two abstraction models

  To streamline management and reduce complexity in a multi-cloud model, enterprises can turn to two abstraction techniques: resource and orchestration.Continue Reading

• Climb on the cloud network engineer career track

  Connectivity is a critical piece of any hybrid or multi-cloud deployment, which means there's a lot of new opportunity around the network engineer job.Continue Reading

• BPM in cloud evolves to suit line of business, IoT

  While on-premises BPM tools have caused a tug of war between lines of business and IT, the cloud helps appease both sides. Here's what to expect from this cloud BPM trend and more.Continue Reading

• Human error still poses a significant cloud security risk

  Even with the most sophisticated cloud security tools in play, human error -- both from end users and IT teams -- can open up your enterprise to numerous kinds of attacks.Continue Reading

• Alibaba Cloud services become strong IaaS contender

  Alibaba continues to gain traction in the IaaS market, and despite not having the same breadth of services as some of its rivals, it could lure some smaller shops away from AWS.Continue Reading

• Can you choose the right tools to manage Azure resources?

  Azure continues to evolve its tool set to simplify cloud monitoring and management for admins. Take this brief quiz to see how much you know about these tools' capabilities.Continue Reading

• Optimize serverless apps with real-time troubleshooting

  Serverless computing demands a new way of thinking to successfully troubleshoot apps. Carefully define error states, and maintain logs to pinpoint and solve performance issues.Continue Reading

• Explore the revert-to-snapshot feature in OpenStack Cinder

  OpenStack Cinder has added a revert-to-snapshot function, enabling enterprises to recover from corrupted data sets. However, if the feature falls into the wrong hands, risks arise.Continue Reading

• Look beyond public cloud giants for the right PaaS offering

  While the leading public cloud vendors remain a popular choice for PaaS, there are other offerings, ranging from Heroku to Engine Yard, that might be worth a closer look.Continue Reading

• Multi-cloud management still a work in progress for IT teams

  Multi-cloud deployments are a mixed bag, providing both business value and complex management challenges. Fortunately, a number of third-party management tools can help.Continue Reading

• Bare-metal cloud services lure legacy workloads off premises

  For some enterprises, bare-metal services in the cloud act as a crucial steppingstone to an IaaS deployment, and providers, including IBM, Oracle and AWS, have taken notice.Continue Reading

• How to blend the advantages of cloud computing with containers

  Containers and cloud sound like a perfect match. But how well does containerization help boost application portability? And will the effort be worth it?Continue Reading

• Prepare for hybrid cloud implementation with these key steps

  As enterprises mix public and private IT resources, they grapple with app workflows, network connections and more. Here are four ways to alleviate common hybrid cloud challenges.Continue Reading

• Containerized applications and the portability dream

  To make containers work within a cloud strategy, you're going to need to carefully consider the complexities of porting an application from platform to platform.Continue Reading

• Application release automation drifts to the cloud

  CI/CD initiatives will spark increased adoption of app release automation tools this year, including those hosted in the cloud, but the market hasn't fully matured just yet.Continue Reading

• User self-service challenges mount in multi-cloud computing

  Self-service provisioning presents challenges with a single cloud provider, and a multi-cloud strategy only magnifies those issues, as IT seeks to integrate multiple interfaces.Continue Reading

• Review chatbot development options in public cloud

  As users look to interact with applications via more natural language and text, chatbots become increasingly popular. And many developers turn to the public cloud to create them.Continue Reading

• Azure B-series VMs reduce resource waste for bursty apps

  Paying only for the resources they consume is the ultimate goal for many enterprises in the cloud. Azure's B-series VMs make that goal more attainable -- for certain workloads.Continue Reading

• Compare managed Kubernetes services from AWS and Azure

  AWS and Azure have both rolled out a managed service for Kubernetes, and while their overall aim is the same, there are key differences users should note.Continue Reading

• Serverless cloud providers aim to ease adoption in 2018

  As the buzz around serverless computing carries over into 2018, providers will look to simplify adoption in several ways, including more support for hybrid cloud.Continue Reading

• Prepare for these cloud computing technologies in 2018

  Not sure what to expect, exactly, in the cloud computing market in 2018? Three of our Advisory Board members share their top predictions.Continue Reading

• Cloud conferences to check out in the first half of 2018

  For beginners and experts alike, cloud conferences are a good way to gain industry knowledge and sharpen your skills. Here are some to pencil in over the next several months.Continue Reading

• CASBs address wide range of cloud security concerns

  Cloud and distributed apps create complex security challenges. CASBs aim to resolve these issues with features for threat protection, data loss prevention and more.Continue Reading

• Google cloud features evolve to turn up the heat on AWS

  Google made several moves in 2017 in an attempt to close the gap between itself and market leader AWS. But will those efforts be enough to win over new customers?Continue Reading

• BPM market advances around AI, cloud technology

  As AI, microservices and other emerging technologies transform the BPM industry, enterprises need to carefully navigate their business processes to the cloud to avoid GRC risks.Continue Reading

• Serverless, containers shape future of cloud computing

  Experts seem to agree that serverless platforms, containers and the eventual merging of the two will be the biggest cloud trends to follow this year.Continue Reading

• App development teams brace for big change in 2018

  Multi-cloud, blockchain and more sophisticated PaaS tools are three trends expected to reshape app development practices in 2018. Is your team ready for the change?Continue Reading

• Providers continue to push hybrid cloud technologies in 2018

  The hybrid cloud market changes rapidly, as major cloud providers release new services to bridge private and public platforms, but for now, management challenges remain.Continue Reading

• Azure App Service Isolated boosts security and PaaS performance

  Aimed at organizations with unique security needs, Azure App Service Environment v2 lets applications run in a dedicated network without sacrificing scale or performance.Continue Reading

• Four ways the container ecosystem will evolve in 2018

  The container market constantly evolves, as new technologies and uses emerge. See what the new year will bring with these four container predictions around IoT, Windows and more.Continue Reading

• Top cloud providers dominate headlines in 2017

  From the AWS and Azure machine learning partnership to Google's grab for hybrid cloud, 2017 was an exciting year for cloud. Review some of our top stories below.Continue Reading

• Ease OpenStack troubleshooting with AI, third-party tools

  As admins continue to seek more efficient ways to troubleshoot and debug in OpenStack, recent advancements to the platform, along with third-party tools, offer some relief.Continue Reading

• Manage containers in cloud with these four quick tips

  Depending on your cloud deployment, containers, despite their benefits, can throw a variety of challenges your way. Use these top container management tips of 2017 to prepare.Continue Reading

• Five cloud security threats to combat in 2018

  In 2018, IT security teams will continue to fight to keep their cloud deployments safe. Watch out for these common risks associated with APIs, IoT and human error.Continue Reading

• Choose the right APIs and apps for serverless infrastructure

  While serverless platforms can reduce both infrastructure complexity and cost, they might not be your best bet for monolithic or multi-cloud apps.Continue Reading

• Compare machine vs. deep learning services in the cloud

  Machine learning and deep learning increasingly make their way into the enterprise. Assess which AI technology is right for you, and the public cloud services that support them.Continue Reading

• Assess serverless platforms based on performance, portability

  Serverless computing offers potential cost savings, but that shouldn't be the only factor enterprise IT teams keep in mind when they evaluate potential providers.Continue Reading

• How value stream analysis unclogs DevOps workflows

  Break through cloud DevOps workflow bottlenecks by following the value stream, not the yellow brick road. Find out how value stream analysis undams app development.Continue Reading

• Use APM tools to find app anomalies, wherever they occur

  Publisher Penguin Random House turns to New Relic APM tools to find application inefficiencies during development and testing to ensure peak performance in production.Continue Reading

• Build an application migration plan step by step

  To migrate apps to the cloud, start with nonessential workloads and move to more mission-critical ones from there. But, remember, some apps might not be suited for cloud at all.Continue Reading

• Explore the benefits, tradeoffs of GPU instances in cloud

  While GPU instances can give compute-intensive apps the processing boost they need, not all workloads -- or budgets -- will benefit from these cloud instance types.Continue Reading

• Evaluate public IaaS options for your organization

  Despite a steady increase in IaaS adoption, it's crucial to carefully evaluate potential providers and their feature sets before you move to public cloud.Continue Reading

• Remember messaging in digital transformation projects

  Digital transformation projects and strong customer relationships look rosier, thanks to cloud-based messaging capabilities. So says a recent survey.Continue Reading

• Infrastructure governance keeps systems in compliance

  Creating a cloud-based enterprise infrastructure is a job for software and scripts. Automating infrastructure governance assures that configurations conform to compliance policies.Continue Reading

• Oracle Cloud VP on the future of cloud computing technology

  Which cloud app development and migration path is best for your company – lift and shift, SaaS or PaaS? They are all viable choices that may be impacted by your legacy code load.Continue Reading

• Three warning signs serverless computing isn't right for you

  Serverless technology is more accessible to enterprises through public cloud providers, but just because it's available, doesn't mean you should use it.Continue Reading

• A machine learning and AI guide for enterprises in the cloud

  AI and machine learning could drive the next wave of cloud adoption. But businesses need to know their provider options and evolve their skills to succeed with these technologies.Continue Reading

• App integration remains a hurdle in adopting SaaS technology

  The allure of SaaS architecture was to simplify IT and cut costs. The reality is on-premises silos often reappear in the cloud, requiring integration.Continue Reading

• Fortify a DR strategy with automated failover in multi-cloud

  Disasters happen, but they don't have to bring business to a halt. With the right mix of tools and testing strategies, active-active failover in multi-cloud keeps things running.Continue Reading

• Examine leading IaaS vendors to find your cloud match

  The Big Four continue to lead the public IaaS market, but they aren't alone. Use this roundup of cloud vendors and their key strengths to find the one that's best for you.Continue Reading

• Cloud computing technology for 2018: Transform or die

  Oracle roadshow keynoters count six alternative routes to adopting cloud computing technology, and they note that the best implementations demand a deep understanding of the customer.Continue Reading

• Navigate your options for public cloud database services

  Your choice of a cloud database, data warehouse or data lake depends on the structure of your data and your analysis needs. Follow these guidelines to know which to choose.Continue Reading

• Words to go: Azure cloud security services

  Cloud security is a high priority for enterprises, but the range of services can be overwhelming. For Azure users, here's a quick cheat sheet of must-know security tools.Continue Reading

• Three pieces of advice to master disaster recovery in the cloud

  Don't let a natural disaster or outage slow your business down. Review this advice from cloud experts to build a solid DR plan.Continue Reading

• Scalability, performance soar with mobile apps in the cloud

  While the general benefits of public cloud, such as increased scalability, apply to mobile apps, there are other ways IaaS uniquely benefits mobile dev teams and their users.Continue Reading

• The driving force behind DevOps in the cloud

  With both DevOps and cloud computing promising speed, efficiency, agility and better end-user experiences, it's no wonder organizations are making DevOps in the cloud work.Continue Reading

• Put cloud on your digital transformation roadmap

  Whether organizations are looking at leveraging blockchains, using IoT devices or implementing DevOps practices, a digital transformation roadmap must lead through the cloud.Continue Reading

• Prepare for serverless technology with these five tips

  Serverless computing can boost flexibility and reduce overall cloud costs. To tap into these benefits, though, be sure to carefully design and manage your serverless apps.Continue Reading

• Look for these IaaS features to compare cloud providers

  Public cloud IaaS offers a range of benefits, but provider selection can be tough. Carefully evaluate what vendors offer for resiliency, hybrid support, data services and more.Continue Reading

• Compare two types of cloud automation and orchestration tools

  There are two camps of tools for automation and orchestration in cloud: provider-native and third-party. To pick the right one, know your future needs, especially for multi-cloud.Continue Reading

• Evaluate public IaaS options based on these key features

  To assess prospective IaaS providers, investigate their range of instance types, as well as their support for emerging technologies, database options and more.Continue Reading

• Cloud network services adjust to enterprise demands

  Cloud networking continues to adapt as enterprise demands push consistency and security to the forefront. But now, hybrid and multicloud add another layer of complexity.Continue Reading

• Make the case for public IaaS at your company

  To build a business case for IaaS, remember that application testing, high-performance computing and disaster recovery are just some IT scenarios where public cloud is a fit.Continue Reading

• Maximize the benefits of containers in multicloud

  Containers offer a number of benefits over VMs but still present challenges. Learn how containers can fulfill, but also fall short on, the promise of multicloud app portability.Continue Reading

• IaaS benefits broaden as public cloud market evolves

  The benefits of IaaS now range from increased scalability to access to emerging technologies, such as serverless. Review these key benefits, as well as management implications.Continue Reading

• Fortify a hybrid cloud network with these connectivity types

  The network has grown in importance as enterprises move more data to the cloud. While latency is an ongoing challenge -- especially in hybrid cloud -- two connectivity types can help.Continue Reading

• Build and test a cloud-based disaster recovery plan

  A disaster recovery plan is essential to protect critical workloads in the cloud, but unless you perform regular and extensive tests, that plan might let you down.Continue Reading

• Three new Azure monitoring services to add to IT toolkits

  For some IT teams, the lines are blurry when it comes to the monitoring features of three new Azure tools. Learn when to use Azure Advisor, Monitor and Resource Health.Continue Reading

• VMware vs. OpenStack debate takes a turn toward hybrid cloud

  As VMware's hybrid cloud strategy advances, OpenStack continues to build out a rich portfolio of services, which revives comparisons between the two platforms.Continue Reading

• Public cloud storage market advances around big data, SSDs

  As the competition continues among major public cloud storage providers, recent advancements around SSDs, big data and other technologies will shake things up even more.Continue Reading

• Recent trends in cloud computing fuel the need for DevOps methods

  New offerings, such as serverless computing and function as a service, improve the cloud experience. But they also spell big changes for IT staff, including a push toward DevOps.Continue Reading

• Weigh the pros and cons of cloud computing

  Some enterprises rush to public cloud for greater efficiency and lower costs -- but those perks don't always come easy. Explore cost and performance implications before you migrate.Continue Reading

• Brush up your cloud automation and orchestration skills

  Admins use cloud automation and orchestration to reduce manual tasks and errors. Use these five tips to explore options for tools, implementation strategies and more.Continue Reading

• Cloud management platforms come with a catch for some admins

  A multicloud model creates new management challenges, and while third-party tools help, they can also introduce some new operational headaches of their own.Continue Reading

• GCE committed use discounts offer perks for predictable workloads

  Google's committed use discounts cut cloud costs, but they aren't right for all workloads. Learn when to use them, potential risks and how they compare to AWS Reserved Instances.Continue Reading

• New tools aid cloud provisioning process, but issues remain

  Even with increased levels of automation, cloud provisioning gets complicated when multiple platforms are in use. A new wave of tools can help, but not necessarily out of the box.Continue Reading

• Implement cloud storage snapshots to protect critical data

  Storage snapshots act almost like a rewind feature for admins, enabling them to roll back to uncorrupted versions of data. Unfortunately, they aren't as simple as hitting a button.Continue Reading

• OpenStack Foundation certification looks beyond vendor-specific skills

  The Certified OpenStack Administrator program aims to broaden IT pros' skills beyond vendor-specific knowledge. But what do employers covet more: certifications or experience?Continue Reading

• What are the pros, cons of PaaS offerings from AWS, Google, Microsoft?

  Get started with exploring these PaaS offerings: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Google App Engine and Microsoft Azure. An IT veteran summarizes their pros and cons.Continue Reading

• Real-time vs. near-real-time analytics -- how to choose

  Data is king, but what happens when the data isn't truly real-time? Expert Tom Nolle explains the cloud platform choices when it comes to 'real-time' analytics.Continue Reading