Tips

Tips

• Maintain cloud computing compliance in the enterprise -- or else

  Cloud compliance is a moving target, so enterprise IT must be diligent to stay on top of changing requirements and regulations to avoid sanctions.  Continue Reading

• DRaaS benefits spark market growth, mask dangers

  Cloud-based disaster recovery addresses major enterprise concerns, such as lower costs and greater flexibility. But it's not without warts of its own.  Continue Reading

• Migrating to Office 365 requires planning, pilot-testing

  Contributor Tom Nolle explains why companies migrating to Office 365 need to plan, pilot-test and verify at every step.  Continue Reading

• Thinking outside the 'box' for cloud orchestration strategies

  Cloud orchestration can offer IT pros the dynamic environment cloud requires, but a strategy must be carefully implemented to see results.  Continue Reading

• Is Amazon CloudSearch superior to do-it-yourself search tools?

  Big data can be incredibly valuable for enterprise business intelligence. But to extract that value, you must choose the most appropriate search tool.  Continue Reading

• Five things every cloud developer needs to know about Windows Azure

  Cloud developers who use Windows Azure must keep in mind these best practices throughout development and deployment, and the entire lifecycle.  Continue Reading

• Four keys to implementing a cloud file-sharing policy in the BYOD era

  Cloud admins must balance securing content with on-demand access for users, or users will flout the file-sharing policy.  Continue Reading

• How four providers ranked in head-to-head cloud performance benchmarks

  Don't partner with a cloud service provider until you have clear evidence of performance metrics. Here's how four providers stacked up.  Continue Reading

• Choosing among IaaS, PaaS and Database as a Service for a cloud database

  Regardless of which cloud database you choose, multiple factors must come into play, ranging from costs and availability to feature support.  Continue Reading

• Cloud email migration: 10 tips for evaluating service providers

  In this tip by Executive Editor Jan Stafford, Mimecast CEO Peter Bauer explains how to evaluate vendors that provide cloud email migration services.  Continue Reading

• Securing data with Authentication as a Service in the cloud, mobile era

  Authentication as a Service is enabled by standard security protocols, but other service features can be the keys to deciding on a provider.  Continue Reading

• When IaaS won't cut it: Planning a transition to PaaS cloud

  Many IT pros find PaaS meets their needs more than IaaS does. How can you ensure success? Transitioning to PaaS isn't as easy as you think.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for comparing and deploying cloud servers

  Before you can compare performance benchmark reports on cloud servers, know the facts on what to look for when it comes to price and performance.  Continue Reading

• Portable cloud apps require standards, vendor research

  Contributor Christine Parizo describes how to improve portable cloud apps by setting standards and researching cloud providers and app vendors.  Continue Reading

• Negating network latency's effects without bending law of physics

  Moving apps to the cloud for flexibility sounds great in theory, but latency creates its own problems unless you know how to counter its effects.  Continue Reading

• Windows Azure Media Services gives YouTube junkies a new outlet

  Enterprises need only look to YouTube's stats to see the value of video. Windows Azure Media Services has the benefits of video with more control.  Continue Reading

• Entry-level big data analysis with Google BigQuery

  For enterprises intimidated by Hadoop, Google BigQuery offers an entry-level approach to big data analysis, but it may trade accuracy for speed.  Continue Reading

• How SaaS app portability planning can ease pricing, stability woes

  SaaS app portability planning can help users deal with pricing and business stability issues for SaaS providers. Tom Nolle explains.  Continue Reading

• Building a hybrid cloud environment with Agile and DevOps

  Learn how best to build a hybrid cloud environment while combining Agile and DevOps.  Continue Reading

• Five things to consider before moving legacy development efforts to PaaS

  Managing your own development infrastructure takes time away from designing and coding. A move to PaaS can be helpful, even for a legacy development.  Continue Reading

• Application portability in PaaS: Problems and solutions

  Even in the early stage of cloud adoption, users of PaaS services are already questioning the portability of the applications.  Continue Reading

• SaaS providers: Is it really a buyer's market?

  Don't assume you'll save money with Software as a Service. Learn more tips for evaluating SaaS providers' evolving pricing models.  Continue Reading

• Java vs. Ruby: A cloud software engineer weighs in

  A cloud software engineer shares tips on Java versus Ruby, app security and deployment.  Continue Reading

• Security considerations for IaaS cloud

  Learn about the necessary security considerations for IaaS cloud environments.  Continue Reading

• You're charging me for what?! Deconstructing your AWS cloud bill

  With the array of AWS cloud services offered, your bill can get confusing. Learn how to decipher your cloud bill so you don't get sticker shock.  Continue Reading

• Cloud stack comparison shopping for your private cloud build

  Will it be OpenStack, CloudStack, Eucalyptus or another option? Save yourself from costly mistakes by choosing the right cloud software up front.  Continue Reading

• Mobile app development trends to watch

  Learn about the changes in mobile app development and what this means for software application architecture.  Continue Reading

• Building redundancy into your cloud outage strategy

  Any effective cloud computing strategy should include measures to protect against outages. The best defense you can have is to plan for redundancy.  Continue Reading

• How cloud computing, tablets will reshape the desktop

  The cloud and tablets both have sizable benefits for enterprises. Aligning the two can change the way you think about desktops.  Continue Reading

• The role of software-defined networks in cloud computing

  Software-defined networking can be difficult to define. Understanding SDN models is key for enterprises trying to properly position cloud services.  Continue Reading

• Understanding the significance of DevOps in a cloud deployment

  DevOps and cloud go hand-in-hand, facilitating application deployment and automation. Will DevOps be the key to enterprise cloud?  Continue Reading

• Cloud computing development tools call for collaboration, integration

  When developing apps in the cloud, look for tools that allow collaboration and align with your IaaS or PaaS platform.  Continue Reading

• Cloud computing tips and tricks -- by the numbers

  There are thousands of cloud computing tips offering cloud knowledge. One cloud expert stripped down this info to a handful of lists essential to any cloud project.  Continue Reading

• Choosing the right cloud connector for application integration

  Many architects are turning to cloud connectors to connect on-premise applications to cloud-based software. Choosing the right one can be a challenge.  Continue Reading

• Windows Azure Services allows multi-tenant IaaS cloud

  The latest Windows Azure Services for Windows Server preview enables cloud hosting providers to offer multi-tenant Windows Azure IaaS subscriptions.  Continue Reading

• Five hybrid cloud security issues to overcome

  Many factors threaten hybrid cloud security, ranging from a lack of redundancy to poorly constructed SLAs. Here's how IT should prepare.  Continue Reading

• Peeling back the layers of the Platform as a Service market

  The PaaS market can be split into traditional IT vendors and independent, niche providers. Which choice offers an enterprise long-term cloud health?  Continue Reading

• Ten key principles of evaluating a cloud SLA

  Don't get buried under cloud SLA details. Know how to read the fine print and ensure it jibes with your personal business needs.  Continue Reading

• Reducing risks with multiple cloud service providers

  Using multiple cloud providers can help mitigate public cloud risks, though the challenges of a multi-cloud environment take some getting used to.  Continue Reading

• Windows Azure Active Directory enables single sign-on with cloud apps

  Linking Active Directory to multi-tenanted Windows Azure apps can simplify user sign-on in the cloud.  Continue Reading

• Common mistakes in cloud application deployment

  Simple mistakes are plaguing cloud application deployment. The good news is, they are easily addressed.  Continue Reading

• Five VMware tools to kick start a private cloud build

  If you're kicking the tires on a private cloud, you might want to read up on these five VMware tools.  Continue Reading

• Implementing SOA in the cloud

  Learn why there is confusion surrounding implementing SOA in the cloud.  Continue Reading

• Evaluating SaaS providers: Uncovering vendor weaknesses

  Learn the four evaluation criteria for evaluating SaaS provider strengths and weaknesses.  Continue Reading

• Public cloud security: 10 ways to keep your applications safe

  Learn ten important best practices for keeping your public cloud security applications safe.  Continue Reading

• Defining the right cloud SLA requirements up front

  Before signing on the dotted line for cloud services, scrutinize your SLA for unsavory terms. Be wary of these SLA gotchas.  Continue Reading

• Five common mistakes of constructing a cloud presence

  With all that’s involved in moving to the cloud -- choosing a provider, determining which workloads to cloud-enable, and more – mistakes will happen.  Continue Reading

• SaaS application service assurance: It’s more than a SLA

  For most SaaS application consumers, the SLA from the network provider is the wrong tool.  Continue Reading

• Mobile cloud computing vs. cloud computing in building or hosting mobile apps

  Learn the differences in using the mobile cloud computing for developing or hosting mobile apps when compared to regular cloud usage  Continue Reading

• Best practices for implementing a private cloud computing environment

  Learn best practices for implementing private cloud computing environments and avoiding security problems in the public cloud.  Continue Reading

• Cloud integration tools and platforms

  Learn about the decisions IT managers must make when it comes to cloud integration tools, platforms and architectures.  Continue Reading

• PaaS selection starts at the programming language

  The PaaS market is growing without a single leader or approach. Picking a model should involve more than just saying, ‘Eeney, meeney, miney, moe.’  Continue Reading

• The basics of cloud-based data storage

  Public cloud can offer near-limitless storage, though it’s not always the right choice. Storing the wrong type of data there has its consequences.  Continue Reading

• Big data buzz gets louder with Apache Hadoop and Hive

  Apache Hive gives SQL-savvy developers the power to add up complex queries against big data in Windows Azure blobs.  Continue Reading

• Primary factors for migrating VMs to the cloud

  Cloud may seem to change everything, but the issues aren't new. Looking closely at virtual-to-cloud migration, it's more like a throwback to P2V days.  Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of a non-VM-based IaaS model

  Building an IaaS cloud without using VMs has some limits. The ability to progress to a mixed-service cloud can help IT teams ignore potential issues.  Continue Reading

• Why big data, testing make good Amazon EC2 spot instance candidates

  Amazon EC2 spot instances are ideal for use with some cloud apps. Running tasks like big data analysis there can even reduce your bottom line.  Continue Reading

• Rules for deploying virtual machine images in the cloud

  Choosing a method for deploying VMs in the cloud forces you to reckon with your priorities. Weigh advantages of assembly on demand vs. golden images.  Continue Reading

• Using OpenStack as the building block for a do-it-yourself cloud

  While building a private cloud on open source software may not be for all companies, OpenStack has features that make it worth it to develop in-house.  Continue Reading

• Planning and testing cloud-based disaster recovery

  Cloud-based disaster recovery can be less expensive and faster than traditional DR -- and it could protect your enterprise when all hell breaks loose.  Continue Reading

• Open source cloud platforms: Moving from hype to production

  Success of several open source cloud providers hinges on whether OpenStack cloud is production-ready. How do Eucalyptus, Red Hat and others stack up?  Continue Reading

• Selecting the right virtual machine for your private cloud

  So you’re ready to get into private cloud? Pace yourself. Choosing to cloud-enable the wrong VM could negatively affect performance.  Continue Reading

• Keys to integrated cloud application management

  Seamless cloud application management isn’t a pipe dream. By following a few steps, cloud admins can monitor cloud app performance from one interface.  Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud management tools and strategies

  Determining how to manage hybrid clouds can seem daunting. The trick is to identify what you need to manage and the best types of tools for the job.  Continue Reading

• Six principles of HP Cloud Services

  Lining up cloud platforms from major vendors can cause vertigo. What’s the difference among private cloud products? Take a look at HP Cloud Services.  Continue Reading

• Four cloud computing myths debunked

  Misinformation and misconceptions surround the cloud market, and falling for these four myths can ruin your cloud project.  Continue Reading

• The rise of the non-Amazon IaaS cloud provider

  Amazon isn’t the only vendor in the IaaS universe. With other large vendors out there and niche providers cropping up, enterprises have choices.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft cloud service lets citizen developers crunch big data

  Microsoft’s "Data Explorer" cloud service puts coding power into the hands citizen developers. It remains to be seen how deep into big data users get.  Continue Reading

• Load balancing servers in a private cloud

  Overloaded servers can crush performance and ruin end users’ computing experiences. Load balancing is key to maintaining healthy, robust clouds.  Continue Reading

• Self-service, security and storage tools for the private cloud

  To manage a private cloud, you’ll need third-party tools that can help create self-service portals, maintain security and control storage.  Continue Reading

• Performing due diligence before signing a cloud SLA

  Cloud computing isn’t without risks. But companies can cover their assets by performing some due diligence before signing a service-level agreement.  Continue Reading

• Checklist: Managing applications in the cloud

  Moving applications to the cloud goes beyond selecting the right apps. Next steps include configuring apps, migrating data and monitoring.  Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud: The best of public and private clouds

  Hybrid clouds are gaining acceptance in the enterprise. With three ways to build a hybrid cloud, you need to know which integration method is best.  Continue Reading

• Monitoring cloud workload activities

  Do you know what your cloud is doing? Monitoring cloud workloads can help spot performance problems that might be lurking behind the scenes.  Continue Reading

• Building a Citrix private cloud in six steps

  Are you ready to build a private cloud? Use Citrix’s cloud offerings and follow these six steps to get your cloud up and running.  Continue Reading

• Google, IBM, Oracle want piece of big data in the cloud

  Public cloud giants hop onto big data in the cloud with Hadoop/MapReduce integrations.  Continue Reading

• Enterprise cloud licensing basics

  Managing software licenses is challenging, and cloud only increases that complexity. Start early; keep licensing models in mind when building clouds.  Continue Reading

• Cloud computing breathes life into test and development

  Test and dev departments often draw the short straw when it comes to hardware and resources. In some cases, performing test and dev in the cloud makes more sense than keeping it internal.  Continue Reading

• Enterprises usher in mobile cloud computing

  As mobile cloud computing infiltrates the enterprise, IT managers and developers still grapple with security and policy issues.  Continue Reading

• Mapping applications to the hybrid cloud

  Moving the right application to a hybrid cloud can help enterprises eke out the most value from the public cloud.  Continue Reading

• Connecting cloud data sources with the OData API

  The Open Data Protocol could be the key to linking on-premises enterprise data and cloud sources.  Continue Reading

• The importance of identity federation in the cloud

  IT shops need to focus on uptime and stability in the cloud to keep a competitive advantage. Identity federation can help maintain technological efficiency and business competency.  Continue Reading

• Three questions to ask when considering Microsoft Azure

  Is Microsoft Azure a no-brainer cloud choice or impossible to adopt? Ask these three questions to determine if the cloud platform is right for you.  Continue Reading

• Finalizing VMware vCloud Director configuration

  In the final part of our three-part series on configuring vCloud Director, our expert explains how to prep VMware's cloud management service.  Continue Reading

• Securing virtual machines in the cloud

  Finding protection for a virtual infrastructure may seem unnecessary, but it's increasingly important to ensure the security of virtual machines in cloud-based environments.  Continue Reading

• Defining and allocating vCloud Director resources

  For IT shops configuring VMware vCloud Director, here are the first four steps needed to make the service aware of a vSphere environment.  Continue Reading

• VMware vCloud Director configuration: How to begin

  Configuring VMware's new vCloud Director can seem a little intimidating, but our expert shows you how to start the process in the first of this three-part series.  Continue Reading

• Choosing from the major Platform as a Service providers

  Many organizations prefer Platform as a Service offerings for their cloud needs. Our expert compares options from Google, Microsoft and Amazon.  Continue Reading

• Ten questions to ask when storing data in the cloud

  Concerned about the security and privacy of your data in the cloud? Ask these 10 questions of every cloud provider to ensure that they'll keep your data safe and flexible.  Continue Reading

• How much are free cloud computing services worth?

  Free trials from cloud computing providers like Microsoft and Google are one way to lead new users toward cloud adoption. Our expert breaks down the value of each offering.  Continue Reading

• Connecting to virtual servers in the cloud

  For IT shops that must move content from an enterprise network or desktop to a cloud-based server, here's how to set up remote connections to virtual servers.  Continue Reading

• Defining the Microsoft Hyper-V Cloud

  Microsoft's entry into the private cloud world, Hyper-V Cloud, aims to link virtualization and business processes. Our expert explains how it'll fit in your virtual environment.  Continue Reading

• OpSource Cloud: Under the hood

  OpSource's VMware-based cloud offers an intuitive cloud computing environment, but how does it stack up to Amazon Web Services?  Continue Reading

• Using CMDBs and service catalogs to build private clouds

  Companies leading the charge on building private clouds are making use of service catalogs and configuration management databases to support the rapid change enabled by cloud-based IT services.  Continue Reading

• Five open source tools for building and managing clouds

  Cloud computing is poised to reap the benefits of open source tools. Our expert describes five tools, including KVM, Eucalyptus and Deltacloud, to keep an eye on.  Continue Reading

• The building blocks of private cloud

  Before building a private cloud, make sure that you understand its virtualization underpinnings and the essential characteristics of cloud computing in general.  Continue Reading

• From private cloud to hybrid cloud: Six things to consider

  IT organizations with private clouds should soon see the value in a hybrid cloud expansion. Find out six things you'll need to know before taking the hybrid cloud plunge.  Continue Reading

• Intrusion detection in a cloud computing environment

  Make sure that your cloud computing environment is equipped to detect and respond to attacks with the appropriate intrusion detection systems.  Continue Reading

• Want to build a private cloud?

  Where should IT pros start when it comes to building a private cloud? This tip digs into the requirements for private cloud, including IT automation, security and standards.  Continue Reading

• Is PCI compliance attainable in a public cloud?

  Can you reach PCI-DSS compliance in a public cloud? The answer is yes, with some gotchas. Find out the requirements to stay compliant.  Continue Reading