Cloud infrastructure design and management
Cloud computing delivers numerous benefits, but only if an IT organization is prepared to manage a cloud environment. Proper cloud infrastructure design and management entails an understanding of automation, orchestration, monitoring, compliance, pricing, availability, and other key elements of cloud services.
Top Stories
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Feature
29 Oct 2024
Top 12 cloud computing careers of 2025 and how to get started
Cloud computing touches many aspects of modern life, and cloud professionals are in demand. See the many positions, salaries and skills needed to launch a cloud computing career. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Oct 2024
10 key characteristics of cloud computing
Evaluate how these 10 characteristics of cloud computing, such as on-demand self-service and broad network access, can help you become a more nimble and cost-effective business. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Mar 2023
AWS Network Load Balancer (NLB)
AWS Network Load Balancer (NLB) is an Amazon Web Services tool that distributes high-performance traffic across multiple cloud instances and provides automatic scaling of resources to ensure low latency and high throughput for applications. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Mar 2023
Get to know the Azure resource hierarchy
Azure management groups, subscriptions, resource groups and resources are not mutually exclusive. Businesses can -- and often do -- use all of these scopes simultaneously. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Feb 2023
Top cloud performance issues that bog down enterprise apps
Workloads with rigid latency, bandwidth, availability or integration requirements tend to perform better -- and cost less -- if you host them on private infrastructure. Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2023
Cloud is a growing force in industrial IoT
Utilities and manufacturers are examples of industries using distributed cloud computing in private facilities to collect and send data across multiple facilities. Continue Reading
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Definition
14 Feb 2023
heartbeat (computing)
In computing, a heartbeat is a program that runs specialized scripts automatically whenever a system is initialized or rebooted. Continue Reading
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Definition
14 Feb 2023
crontab
Crontab is a Unix command that creates a table or list of commands, each of which is to be executed by the operating system (OS) at a specified time and on a regular schedule. Continue Reading
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Definition
08 Feb 2023
Boomi AtomSphere Platform (Dell Boomi AtomSphere)
Dell Boomi is a Software as a Service (SaaS) integration vendor that provides its AtomSphere technology to a host of industry giants, including Salesforce.com, NetSuite, SuccessFactors and SAP. Continue Reading
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Definition
07 Feb 2023
AWS Management Console
The AWS Management Console is a web-based application that lets users access the broad range of services included in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Feb 2023
FinOps model eases cloud billing complexities
Cloud cost management is a top priority on admin's minds. FinOps expert Mike Fuller talks about cloud billing challenges and how to overcome them in this Q&A. Continue Reading
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Definition
03 Feb 2023
multi-tenant cloud
A multi-tenant cloud is a cloud computing architecture that allows customers to share computing resources in a public or private cloud. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Feb 2023
single-tenancy
Single-tenancy is an architecture in which a single instance of a software application and supporting infrastructure serves one customer. Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2023
Oracle officially supports Red Hat Enterprise Linux on OCI
Responding to user demand, Oracle struck a deal with Red Hat to make the latter's Enterprise Linux operating system an integral part of Oracle's multi-cloud strategy. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Jan 2023
The features of multi-cloud networking architecture
Enterprises are looking for multi-cloud networking features that include programmability, security integration and end-to-end visibility in a consumption-based model. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2023
Latest Google Cloud AI shines spotlight on retail automation
AI-powered automated inventory tracking systems aren't perfect. However, retailers with high rates of lost sales from missing items in stores could still achieve a decent ROI. Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Jan 2023
web stack
A web stack is the collection of software used for web development that incorporates, at a minimum, an operating system (OS), a programming language, database software and a web server. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Jan 2023
8 tips for building a multi-cloud DevOps strategy
DevOps practices and tools have many benefits for application development, deployment and monitoring in complex IT environments that span multiple clouds. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Jan 2023
Advantages and disadvantages of storing data in the cloud
Organizations that want to reduce on-site storage costs can consider cloud for easy pricing models and scalability. However, take note of drawbacks such as lack of data control. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jan 2023
Public cloud spending, competition to rise in 2023
In 2023, companies expect to increase spending on public cloud applications and infrastructure, and hyperscalers that have dominated the market will face new competition. Continue Reading
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Definition
03 Jan 2023
shadow IT
Shadow IT is hardware or software within an enterprise that is not supported by the organization's central IT department. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Dec 2022
cloud sourcing
Cloud sourcing is an arrangement in which a company pays a third-party cloud hosting provider to deliver and support IT services that could be provided in-house. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Dec 2022
AWS rolls out new EC2 instances at re:Invent 2022
The wrong instance type can affect workload performance and even increase costs. This year at re:Invent, AWS released new EC2 instances from general purpose to HPC optimized. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Nov 2022
usage-based pricing
Usage-based pricing is a consumption-based pricing model in which customers are charged only when they use a product or service. Continue Reading
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Definition
21 Nov 2022
Google Cloud Nearline Storage
Google Cloud Nearline Storage is a public cloud storage service from Google intended for storing infrequently accessed data. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Nov 2022
Google Cloud Coldline Storage
Google Cloud Coldline Storage is a public cloud cold storage service for infrequently accessed data. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 Nov 2022
subscription-based pricing model
A subscription-based pricing model is a payment structure that allows a customer or organization to purchase or subscribe to a vendor's IT services for a specific period of time for a set price. Continue Reading
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News
14 Nov 2022
VMware adds multi-cloud management tools
VMware debuted HCX+, a managed service for multi-cloud data centers, as well as Kubernetes capabilities for private clouds and more SD-WAN points of presence. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Nov 2022
10 FAQs about cloud computing
Learn the basics of cloud computing with answers to these frequently asked questions. Review the different types of clouds, and see how your company can get started with them. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Nov 2022
What is a private cloud?
Private cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers similar advantages to public cloud, including scalability and self-service, but through a proprietary architecture. Continue Reading
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Definition
25 Oct 2022
pay-as-you-go cloud computing (PAYG cloud computing)
Pay-as-you-go cloud computing (PAYG cloud computing) is a payment method for cloud computing that charges based on usage. Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Oct 2022
cloud server
A cloud server is a compute server that has been virtualized, making its resources accessible to users remotely over a network. Continue Reading
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News
18 Oct 2022
Oracle partners can now sell Oracle Cloud as their own
Alloy, a new infrastructure platform, lets partners and Oracle-affiliated enterprises resell OCI to customers in regulated industries or at the edge. Continue Reading
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News
13 Oct 2022
Dell adds Project Frontier for edge, expands HCI with Azure
Dell dropped news at separate events this week -- one that showcased edge management software, another that showed deepening HCI ties with Azure -- but the items are connected. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Oct 2022
Choose the right on-premises-to-cloud migration method
One of the first steps in a cloud migration is to choose a data transfer model. There are two options to consider -- online and offline -- but you need to weigh the pros and cons. Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2022
Companies search for ROI from cloud spending
A KPMG survey of 1,000 executives found that two-thirds were reevaluating cloud spending after failing to achieve a significant ROI. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
30 Sep 2022
How to reduce Azure costs via automation
One way for Azure customers to reduce their spending is to be sure VMs deployed in the cloud aren't running when they aren't needed. Automation can help. Continue Reading
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Definition
29 Sep 2022
software-defined perimeter (SDP)
A software-defined perimeter, or SDP, is a security technique that controls access to resources based on identity and forms a virtual boundary around networked resources. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
29 Sep 2022
How to set up Azure budget alerts
Azure budget alerts can be configured to your specific needs by customized email notifications regarding financial budgets. Follow this tutorial to get started. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Sep 2022
Implement these 6 Azure cost optimization best practices
From resource tagging to serverless deployments, there are several ways cloud admins can optimize Azure spending to stay within their company's budget. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Sep 2022
FinOps vs. RevOps: What's the difference?
While FinOps and RevOps are similar, they help businesses improve spending in different ways. Learn about how these business initiatives compare. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Sep 2022
Azure cost management tools to control cloud spending
With alerts, cost analysis dashboards and other features, Azure cost management tools can help admins more clearly see their cloud usage and optimize their spending. Continue Reading
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Opinion
09 Sep 2022
VMware goes deep into multi-cloud universe
With its rebranded Explore conference, VMware made it clear its focus is on supporting customers' multi-cloud and edge computing environments as data is processed in new places. Continue Reading
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Opinion
06 Sep 2022
Distributed cloud changes IT architecture and planning
With modern applications distributed across multiple platforms and locations, IT organizations must adjust how they confront that greater management complexity. Continue Reading
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Opinion
06 Sep 2022
What to consider in scaling automation for distributed cloud
Infrastructure automation accelerates IT ops, fosters innovation and creates competitive advantage -- but executive support is essential, especially in complex cloud environments. Continue Reading
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News
31 Aug 2022
VMware CEO reveals big changes amid multi-cloud shift
VMware plans to change products, strategic direction and marketing to keep up with customers rushing to deploy multi-cloud architectures. Continue Reading
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News
30 Aug 2022
IBM, VMware to jointly develop services for hybrid clouds
IBM and VMware expanded their long-held partnership with a deal to provide hybrid cloud services and consulting to IT pros in regulated industries. Continue Reading
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News
30 Aug 2022
VMware expands vSphere, vSAN for hybrid cloud enterprises
Updates to VMware's flagship vSphere and vSAN software keep pace with enterprise interest in hybrid cloud infrastructure for applications and workloads. Continue Reading
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News
30 Aug 2022
VMware unveils Aria for multi-cloud management
The Aria product portfolio includes a software console powered by a central data store to deliver a map of the applications running in a multi-cloud environment. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Aug 2022
Break down Azure VM pricing models and discounts
Azure offers three VM pricing models. Learn the benefits and drawbacks of each, which model works best for you and discount options to help you save. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Aug 2022
FinOps vs. DevOps: What's the difference?
While they might seem inherently different, both FinOps and DevOps encourage practices to improve business efficiency and success. Review the concepts and how they compare. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
17 Aug 2022
Tips for smoother, more secure cloud performance
It's easy for an unanticipated glitch to create a significant disruption to a cloud environment. To get around these pitfalls, here are some key things to watch out for. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Aug 2022
Be aware of these CloudWatch Logs limits and quotas
CloudWatch Logs imposes certain limits and service quotas related to log data ingestion and other areas. Fortunately, in many cases, there are workarounds. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Aug 2022
Gain insights from Azure Advisor recommendations
Microsoft's Azure Advisor service offers recommendations based on five categories. Learn these categories and the roles they play in a cloud management strategy. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jul 2022
Walmart's multi-cloud strategy cuts millions in IT costs
Walmart built its own cloud platform and tied it to two public cloud providers, creating a multi-cloud architecture that saved millions in costs and sped up development tasks. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Jul 2022
Prepare for your FinOps interview with these 9 questions
FinOps promises to help organizations gain more value from their technology spending, especially in the cloud. Do you have the skills to become part of the FinOps team? Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Jun 2022
DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean Inc. is a cloud computing vendor headquartered in New York City with data centers worldwide that offers an infrastructure as a service (IaaS) platform for software developers. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2022
HPE GreenLake updates aim for public cloud-like simplicity
HPE GreenLake has been simplified to feel more like a public cloud while making management of VMs across hybrid clouds more consistent. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Jun 2022
Why and how to export data from CloudWatch Logs to S3
There are several reasons to export data out of CloudWatch Logs and into S3. Use this step-by-step tutorial to automate the process. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Jun 2022
Challenges, best practices for network operations management
Traditional network operations teams are struggling with several aspects of network management. Experts weigh in on why, and what to do to simplify operations. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jun 2022
Zadara revs up F1 team's capabilities with edge storage
Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen uses Zadara to store and access race and technical data so that it can improve race analysis and mechanical performance. Continue Reading
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Quiz
14 Jun 2022
Quiz yourself on FinOps principles and concepts
FinOps practices can guide an organization toward more effective cloud cost management. How much do you know about key FinOps concepts? Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Jun 2022
11 cloud programming languages developers need to know
How do you choose the cloud programming language that best suits your current and future needs? Explore 11 popular options and their use cases. Continue Reading
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Opinion
07 Jun 2022
What the Broadcom-VMware acquisition means for cloud users
How will the Broadcom acquisition affect VMware's cloud strategy? As-a-service models, observability and partnerships are some key factors to consider. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 May 2022
Choose the best Azure Blob Storage tier
Hot, Cool or Archive -- where should Azure Blob Storage go? Each tier has its challenges, but don't panic if data is in the wrong one, with step-by-step directions for moving tiers. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
25 May 2022
How to deploy an EKS cluster using Terraform
Terraform benefits include scalability, repeatable infrastructure and cost efficiency. Follow this step-by-step tutorial to learn how to deploy an EKS cluster using Terraform. Continue Reading
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News
24 May 2022
Cost savings among the biggest cloud fallacies
Experts at the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium described the advantages that justify the high cost of moving to the cloud while acknowledging the data center is best for some companies. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 May 2022
What is multi-cloud visibility, and how do I achieve it?
It's not always clear how visibility relates to monitoring or observability or how these terms fit together in a multi-cloud environment. Let's sort it out. Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 May 2022
How Dell is changing the multi-cloud equation
IT teams love the freedom to select the cloud services that match their needs and preferences, but this accidental multi-cloud strategy creates organizational complexity. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 May 2022
8 native Google Cloud management tools admins should know
IT teams can use a range of native management and monitoring tools from Google to ensure their public cloud deployments are reliable and cost-effective. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 May 2022
8 ways to reduce cloud costs
Organizations need the right strategies in place to avoid cloud cost pitfalls. Stay within your budget with these cost management best practices. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 May 2022
Why and how to enable Azure Backup Instant Restore
Azure Backup Instant Restore has minimal wait time, is set at a modest price and has backup options via policies. Learn how to configure this service to restore failed VMs. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Apr 2022
Cloud-first strategy forces big shift on IT infrastructure, skills
More and more, IT infrastructure is in the cloud. As organizations adopt cloud-first strategies, forward-looking CIOs are refocusing their teams on new roles and tasks. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Apr 2022
Follow these examples to use CloudWatch Logs Insights
CloudWatch Logs Insights helps organizations gain insights from a deluge of log data on applications and services. Learn how to implement key features. Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2022
Device42 adds intelligence to IT discovery, asset management
Device42 plans to release on May 30 Insights+ to provide customers with an in-product tool for aggregating, analyzing and visualizing stored IT data. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
19 Apr 2022
Steps to launch an EC2 instance using AWS CloudFormation
Admins can use AWS CloudFormation templates and resource stacks to deploy an EC2 instance using an infrastructure-as-code approach. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Apr 2022
Key Amazon EKS monitoring best practices
Learn how to monitor Amazon EKS resources through tools such as CloudWatch and Prometheus, as well as worker node and infrastructure monitoring tips to maintain application efficiency. Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2022
AMD heats up DPU competition with Pensando acquisition
AMD's $1.9 billion acquisition of Pensando would hand the chipmaker a DPU that leans toward providing distributed network services within large enterprises' private clouds. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Apr 2022
Why and how to create Azure service principals
Service principals let cloud admins control access to Azure resources. Follow this step-by-step example to get started. Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2022
Intel acquires Granulate to boost cloud workload speeds
To improve performance of workloads spanning multiple clouds and on-premises environments, Intel acquired Granulate Cloud Solutions, specialists in autonomous optimization tools. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Mar 2022
How an AWS multi-region architecture can strengthen DR
Meet AWS outages head on by learning how to build a multi-region architecture that achieves resiliency in the event of disaster. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Mar 2022
Compare high availability vs. fault tolerance in AWS
To achieve high availability and fault tolerance in AWS, IT admins must first understand the differences between the two models. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Mar 2022
Compare Amazon ECS vs. EKS
Amazon ECS and EKS are similar, but their differences are enough to set them apart for AWS users. Learn which best fits your needs in terms of flexibility, pricing and more. Continue Reading
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Definition
16 Mar 2022
solution provider
A solution provider is a vendor, service provider or value-added reseller (VAR) that comprehensively handles the project needs of their client from concept to installation through support. Continue Reading
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Definition
10 Mar 2022
data residency
Data residency refers to the physical or geographic location of an organization's data or information. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Mar 2022
How to approach cloud compliance monitoring
Compliance monitoring is a critical practice. Learn how to build a cloud compliance monitoring strategy from application design and development to ongoing operations. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Mar 2022
Stay online with these 5 AWS disaster recovery best practices
Solve disasters in an AWS deployment by having a disaster recovery strategy in place. Learn how to pick the right recovery methods and prevent more problems. Continue Reading
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News
03 Mar 2022
New Splunk CEO inherits a company in transition
Splunk is at a crossroads as a new chief executive takes over and the vendor navigates the classic Innovator's Dilemma. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Jan 2022
3 best practices to achieve high availability in cloud computing
High availability is the crucial test of whether a business can continue to access data and applications when things go wrong in a cloud-based IT infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
27 Jan 2022
Cloud resiliency: What it is and why it matters
Cloud resiliency is critical to ensure IT services and resources can recover quickly -- and without data loss. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Jan 2022
Implement these 4 Amazon CloudWatch Logs best practices
To improve the reliability of their applications, AWS users might want to consider exporting log data to the cloud for analysis and pattern detection. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
30 Dec 2021
Why re:Invent 2021 spotlighted existing AWS products
Many of AWS' re:Invent announcements highlighted enhancements to existing products, rather than new services. Here's why the cloud provider took that route. Continue Reading
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Opinion
20 Dec 2021
An AWS re:Invent recap: Key services to watch
From container marketplaces to file systems, this year's re:Invent conference was brimming with news. Here are some key takeaways. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Dec 2021
Popular security best practices for hybrid cloud
Combining a public cloud and an on-premises environment creates unfamiliar security challenges. Learn the main security issues in hybrid cloud and the ways to combat them. Continue Reading
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Definition
09 Dec 2021
Google Cloud operations (formerly Stackdriver)
Google Stackdriver was a monitoring service that provided IT teams with performance data about applications and virtual machines (VMs) running on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Amazon Web Services public cloud. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Dec 2021
Cloud TCO: How to calculate cloud total cost of ownership
Unsure what it'll cost to run your workloads in the cloud? Learn the parameters you need to define in order to get up and running and avoid costly surprises. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Dec 2021
Understand the role of an SRE vs. cloud engineer
While SREs can play a distinct role in cloud computing, they don't replace the need for cloud engineers. Learn how the two roles can work together toward reliability goals. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Nov 2021
9 cloud migration security considerations and challenges
Cloud migration may seem daunting to security teams. Follow these essential practices to safely and successfully migrate infrastructure and applications. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Nov 2021
How to use Google's workload identity federation with AWS
Cloud admins struggle to share data between cloud providers. Here are the steps to create a federated identity in Google Cloud, connecting it to AWS in a secure way. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Nov 2021
PaaS showdown: AWS Elastic Beanstalk vs. Google App Engine
AWS and Google Cloud offer their own flavor of PaaS. While they share some similarities, take a closer look at their core features and use cases before you choose an offering. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Nov 2021
Best practices for endpoint security in the cloud
As the proliferation of cloud services continues, IT teams should revisit -- and potentially revamp -- their endpoint protection strategies. Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2021
Kion, formerly Cloudtamer, expands cloud management features
Cloudtamer, a cloud management startup, rebrands as Kion for the platform's 3.0 release. New features include expanded support for Google Cloud Platform and cloud finance tools. Continue Reading