Tips

Tips

• How to transition to the cloud: 7 best practices

  Cloud migration provides numerous benefits, but there are pitfalls. Following these best practices builds a solid foundation for a systematic plan that sets you up for success.  Continue Reading

• Cloud TCO: How to calculate cloud total cost of ownership

  Unsure what it will cost to run workloads in the cloud? Learn the variables you need to compare on-premises deployment to cloud deployment and avoid costly surprises later on.  Continue Reading

• How to calculate cloud migration costs

  It's important to calculate the total cost of a cloud migration before making the move. Heer's how to compare your on-premises expenses to what you'll spend on the migration.  Continue Reading

• How to prepare for long-lasting cloud outages

  Cloud outages are more than a technical inconvenience -- they can threaten business continuity, customer satisfaction, security and innovation. Will your business survive one?  Continue Reading

• Understanding SaaS migration benefits and best practices

  Consider the four common approaches to single-tenant and multi-tenant SaaS migration and get a good grasp on tradeoffs and challenges before making a move.  Continue Reading

• 5 examples of cloud migration success stories to learn from

  Senior executives from Experian and TCW explain why and how they moved to the cloud. Plus: case-study highlights from Johnson & Johnson, Unilever and Capital One.  Continue Reading

• The 7 R's of cloud migration: How to choose the right method

  Gartner's easy-to-remember model summarizing cloud migration options, later expanded by AWS, neatly captures the choices. Here are the benefits and drawbacks of each.  Continue Reading

• Linux text editor tips for cloud admins using Vim and Nano

  Vim and Nano are common Linux text editors that can help cloud admins manage cloud-based Linux VMs. While the tools might seem overwhelming, a few basic skills can go a long way.  Continue Reading

• On-premises-to-cloud migration: Top methods and tools to use

  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

• 11 cloud migration benefits to know before making the move

  The cloud's benefits are well established, but it's still useful to keep the biggest ones in mind before going through the trouble of moving on-premises systems to the cloud.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for rightsizing EC2 instances

  EC2 instances that are improperly sized drain money and restrict performance on workloads. Learn how rightsizing EC2 instances can optimize costs with these best practices.  Continue Reading

• 12-step checklist for cloud migration success

  Ready to move your on-premises apps to the cloud? From rehosting vs. redesigning to testing and monitoring, follow these key steps for a successful cloud migration.  Continue Reading

• How to migrate legacy applications to the cloud

  Enticing as cloud benefits are, it takes a lot of research and planning to know all the risks and challenges before committing to a cloud migration.  Continue Reading

• How to build a business case for cloud migration

  Successful cloud migrations start with a solid business plan that details the costs, benefits, risks and challenges to key stakeholders and decision-makers.  Continue Reading

• Managed identity vs. service principal for Azure apps

  Managed identities automate identity management for Azure-native applications, while service principals are ideal for external applications that need access to Azure resources.  Continue Reading

• Top cloud migration service providers and how to choose one

  Tools, services and pricing vary widely, and often, the options are platform-specific. Here's a rundown of seven representative providers and advice on how to choose.  Continue Reading

• 6 cloud migration challenges to prepare for and overcome

  A cloud migration can bring lots of risks, unexpected costs and inconveniences. You can minimize or avoid them with thorough assessment, planning and training.  Continue Reading

• Application refactoring: Best practices for cloud migrations

  Learn what application refactoring is, its role in cloud migration, typical challenges, the best ways to ensure success -- and when to not do it at all.  Continue Reading

• Selecting an AWS EC2 instance for machine learning workloads

  Certain workloads require specific EC2 instances. For AI and machine learning workloads, teams need to find instances that balance app requirements, performance needs and costs.  Continue Reading

• An introduction to a cross-cloud strategy

  A cross-cloud strategy enables enterprises to run the same workload in different cloud environments simultaneously. This is beneficial for resilience, flexibility and performance.  Continue Reading

• A guide to the CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ certification exam

  CompTIA recognizes that nontechnical decision-makers require knowledge of cloud services, accounting and design. Could the Cloud Essentials+ exam provide a solution?  Continue Reading

• Use this EC2 instance type comparison to power your AWS apps

  To get the most out of AWS, organizations need to get the most out of their EC2 instances. Use this comparison to help choose the right AWS instance type and pricing plan.  Continue Reading

• How to implement an effective cloud governance framework

  To ensure their cloud environments deliver expected benefits while keeping costs and risks under control, organizations need a process for adhering to key cloud governance pillars.  Continue Reading

• 5 open source cloud monitoring tools to consider

  IT teams need visibility into their cloud environments. If your team wants more than its cloud providers offer, see if an open source monitoring tool is a better fit.  Continue Reading

• Understand AWS Regions vs. Availability Zones

  It's easy to forget about data centers when you run workloads in the cloud. Learn how AWS Regions and Availability Zones differ, and how they affect cloud costs and configurations.  Continue Reading

• Cloud licensing explained: What businesses need to know

  Businesses vacating the premises and setting up their data and applications in a distributed environment must consider cloud licensing's options, advantages and disadvantages.  Continue Reading

• How to plan a cloud strategy: Complete guide and template

  A cloud strategy document is a mission statement, not a design document. It should capture the what and why of a company's cloud strategy, without delving into the minutiae of how.  Continue Reading

• Examine the top benefits of private cloud

  There's more to private clouds than control over infrastructure and security. Consider the benefits of private cloud services before jumping on the public cloud bandwagon.  Continue Reading

• 14 top multi-cloud management platforms for 2025

  Dig into the benefits -- and drawbacks -- of the top tools and services designed to help enterprises manage their hybrid and multi-cloud environments  Continue Reading

• 3 takeaways from the CompTIA Cloud+ certification exam

  The author of The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Instructor Guide and Student Guide shares his most interesting takeaways from the recent version of the CompTIA Cloud+ certification.  Continue Reading

• 8 key steps of a cloud exit strategy

  If your cloud-based workloads and applications need to move back on premises, you'll need a plan. Start your reverse migration with this step-by-step guide.  Continue Reading

• Is cloud repatriation the only answer?

  Cloud repatriation should be a last resort, not a repudiation of the cloud. Do you know how to fully optimize cloud workloads to avoid costly in-house investment?  Continue Reading

• Amazon Bedrock vs. SageMaker JumpStart for AI apps

  Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker JumpStart both provide AI models for applications. Bedrock offers readily available models, while JumpStart supports more customization.  Continue Reading

• 9 cloud cost management tools you should know about

  There's a whole category of tools dedicated to managing cloud costs. Here's how they optimize cloud resources and improve bottom lines, plus descriptions of nine of the best ones.  Continue Reading

• Cloud change management: What you need to plan for

  Traditional change management and frameworks like ITIL are usually too slow and bureaucratic. You need to adapt them for the speed, and agility -- and risks -- of the cloud.  Continue Reading

• 6 FinOps KPIs and metrics to optimize cloud expenditures

  IT leaders who adopt FinOps metrics can identify underutilized resources, improve cost allocation and build a tighter connection between cloud investment and business value.  Continue Reading

• FinOps tools to consider for your organization

  FinOps tools help organizations optimize cloud spending and use. Review the different native and third-party options to find the best fit for your needs.  Continue Reading

• A beginner's guide to cloud-native application development

  Cloud-native applications have become ubiquitous in IT environments. Review key principles, patterns and developmental factors to keep in mind before creating a cloud-native app.  Continue Reading

• Understanding the role of AI in cloud computing

  AI is bringing previously unimagined capabilities in automation, optimization and predictive analytics to cloud management while posing new challenges for IT departments.  Continue Reading

• FinOps best practices to fully optimize your cloud costs

  While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to a FinOps initiative, these established principles and practices get you started on the right path.  Continue Reading

• Why observability is important in multi-cloud environments

  Increased use of multi-cloud environments is creating a need for specialized observability methods and tools for tracking and measuring cloud performance.  Continue Reading

• Prepare for the CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-004 certification exam

  Don't be caught unprepared for the exam. Take advantage of these study tips from the author of 'The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Certification Self-Paced Study Guide.'  Continue Reading

• Should I outsource FinOps or build my own team?

  FinOps strategies can help enterprises manage cloud costs and monitor cloud usage patterns. But is it better to outsource or build a FinOps team in-house?  Continue Reading

• What's new in the updated CompTIA Cloud+ certification exam

  Wondering what to study to prepare for the CompTIA Cloud+ exam? Read about the new exam content from the author of 'The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Certification Self-Paced Study Guide.'  Continue Reading

• What is cloud cost optimization? 16 best practices to embrace

  Cloud pricing is complex, and there are lots of ways to waste money on services you don't need. Here's how to ensure you have just the right amount of cloud resources.  Continue Reading

• Follow these 8 best practices for cloud-native app development

  The better your cloud-native development process is, the more efficient and reliable your application is likely to be. Follow these tips to bring your development practices to the next level.  Continue Reading

• Compare the 3 types of private cloud

  The different types of private cloud offer varying levels of control, customization and convenience. These factors affect the benefits, challenges and use cases for each model.  Continue Reading

• 6 best practices to manage private cloud costs

  Private cloud doesn't have to break the bank. Use these best practices to implement an intentional cost management strategy that meets private cloud's unique challenges.  Continue Reading

• What to expect from CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-004 certification

  Are you ready for the newest version of the CompTIA Cloud+ exam? Learn exam prep tips from the author of The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Certification Self-Paced Study Guide.  Continue Reading

• Compare cloud-native vs. cloud-based vs. cloud-enabled apps

  While it's tough to make a clear distinction between cloud-native, cloud-based and cloud-enabled apps, they differ in terms of development practices, performance and other factors.  Continue Reading

• How to launch an EC2 instance using Terraform

  With Terraform, developers can lean on familiar coding practices to provision the underlying resources for their applications. Follow these steps to use the IaC tool to create an Amazon EC2 instance.  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of sovereign clouds

  The global distribution of cloud data centers raises serious concerns about regional data privacy laws. Can sovereign clouds help to ease those doubts?  Continue Reading

• Why should I use Docker containers vs. VMs for my cloud apps?

  Containers and VMs have their own use cases, but one takes the lead in efficiency. Compare the two options, and see how Docker can benefit your cloud applications.  Continue Reading

• Optimize Amazon Athena performance with these 5 tuning tips

  Amazon Athena can provide an efficient, cost-effective method of data analysis. But did you properly optimize Athena performance to see these benefits?  Continue Reading

• How to secure Azure Functions with Entra ID

  Centralized identity management is vital to the protection of your organization's resources. Do you know how to secure Azure Functions with Entra ID to optimize data security?  Continue Reading

• How will AI apps impact workloads in the cloud?

  Building AI apps in the cloud requires you to pay more attention to your cloud workload management because of how AI impacts performance, scalability and compliance.  Continue Reading

• Are orgs shifting from a cloud-first to hybrid-first policy?

  While cloud-first gained popularity for its scalability and cost efficiency, the hybrid-first approach acknowledges that not all workloads are suited for the cloud. Which is better?  Continue Reading

• 4 popular machine learning certificates to get in 2024

  AWS, Google, IBM and Microsoft offer machine learning certifications that can further your career. Learn what to expect from each one, as well as skills and tips you should know.  Continue Reading

• Compare a cloud-first vs. cloud-smart strategy

  Is it better to be 'first' or 'smart' in cloud? Compare the two strategies to determine which will help achieve your organization's goals.  Continue Reading

• A primer on AWS tagging with best practices

  Consistency and standardization are critical to a successful AWS tagging strategy. Consider these best practices to organize and optimize your organization's workloads.  Continue Reading

• 5 KPIs to measure the success of a cloud-first strategy

  So, you've adopted a cloud-first strategy, which means you've prioritized the cloud as a place for hosting workloads. Now, you need to figure out if it's worth it.  Continue Reading

• How to evaluate cloud certification training

  Certifications and training courses help IT pros acquire the knowledge and skills to succeed in cloud. Learn what to look for in courses and how to choose the right program.  Continue Reading

• Compare Azure Government vs. commercial cloud offering

  Microsoft's Azure Government and global cloud offerings serve different customers and have different compliance requirements. See how they compare to make the right choice.  Continue Reading

• Compare NoSQL database types in the cloud

  NoSQL systems are increasingly common in the cloud. Read about the different types of NoSQL databases that are available from major cloud providers and other vendors.  Continue Reading

• 6 best practices for a cloud-first strategy

  Adopting a cloud-first strategy requires careful consideration to ensure affordability and optimal performance. Implement a successful strategy by following best practices.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting 7 common errors in AWS CloudFormation

  Errors can occur when an AWS developer builds a CloudFormation template, launches a stack or rolls back an update. Prevent and address common errors by following best practices.  Continue Reading

• 10 cloud vulnerabilities that can cripple your environment

  Enterprises can be devastated by security-related weaknesses or flaws in their cloud environments. Find out where you are most vulnerable before an attacker comes knocking.  Continue Reading

• Learn the basics of industry cloud platforms

  Healthcare, finance and other specialized industries can ask a lot of cloud services. Find out more about industry cloud platforms, and compare tools from the major cloud providers.  Continue Reading

• Compare ESG tools from AWS, Azure and Google Cloud

  ESG standards are beginning to influence how large enterprises procure and consume cloud services. Take a closer look at the offerings from the biggest providers.  Continue Reading

• Ease multi-cloud governance challenges with 5 best practices

  Establishing sound multi-cloud governance practices can mitigate challenges and enforce security. Review best practices and tools to help manage costs and risk.  Continue Reading

• Top public cloud providers of 2024: A brief comparison

  How do AWS, Microsoft and Google stack up against each other when it comes to regions, zones, interfaces, costs and SLAs? We break down the features of these cloud providers.  Continue Reading

• Top 6 soft skills in IT that cloud teams need

  Soft skills play a bigger part in successful cloud deployments than you might think. Technical skills are obviously essential in IT, but a company must hire well-rounded employees.  Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of CS degrees vs. cloud certification programs

  Standards for IT qualifications are changing with the rapid pace of cloud adoption. See how experts evaluate the debate between individual cloud certifications or a full degree.  Continue Reading

• Compare CompTIA Cloud+ vs Cloud Essentials+ certifications

  CompTIA Cloud+ and Cloud Essentials cover various areas and target different career paths. Find out which certification is right for you and how to prepare.  Continue Reading

• Get to know 8 core cloud team roles and responsibilities

  To fully realize the benefits of cloud, you're going to need to create a structure that puts the right people in the right places. Here are the key roles involved.  Continue Reading

• How to build a cloud center of excellence in 9 steps

  A cloud center of excellence brings together expertise from different departments to develop a uniform cloud adoption strategy. Here are some best practices for a successful CCoE.  Continue Reading

• AWS CloudFormation vs. Terraform: How to choose?

  Once you decide that IaC is the best approach for your AWS environment, it is time to choose a tool. Assess your needs when it comes to stack management, failure and support.  Continue Reading

• Upskill your cloud team for success

  An investment in people is an investment in the company. See how a trained and upskilled staff can have a positive impact on productivity and profits.  Continue Reading

• Top 11 cloud certifications for 2024

  Cloud certifications are available for all levels of cloud expertise. Use this guide to evaluate basic, topic-specific, high-level and vendor-neutral certifications.  Continue Reading

• What you need to know about Microsoft Azure Spot VMs

  The cost of spot prices can be a risk-and-reward kind of strategy. Better understand the risks that come with Azure Spot VMs so your enterprise can reap the rewards.  Continue Reading

• Top benefits and disadvantages of serverless computing

  It's no secret that developers want to focus more on building apps. With serverless, the cloud vendor takes care of back-end tasks. However, serverless comes with its own caveats.  Continue Reading

• Decode serverless pricing in AWS to avoid high costs

  Serverless computing is an implementation worth considering in any cloud-based application. Learn to evaluate every component to avoid unexpected and unnecessary high costs.  Continue Reading

• On premises vs. cloud pros and cons, key differences

  Immersed in the 'should I stay or should I go' cloud migration debate? Before vacating the premises and moving 'up there,' ponder these advantages and disadvantages.  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of containerized 5G workloads

  Deploying containerized 5G workloads in a cloud environment offers benefits like portability, optimized resource usage and orchestration. But the strategy creates security risks.  Continue Reading

• 7 keys to an effective hybrid cloud migration strategy

  Cloud readiness, storage costs, network lag and metrics can make or break the choice to move data, applications and workloads to today's more complex hybrid cloud environment.  Continue Reading

• 8 hybrid cloud security challenges and how to manage them

  Hybrid cloud's benefits are many and varied but so are the security issues surrounding integration, compatibility, governance, compliance, APIs, visibility and responsibility.  Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of 10 common hybrid cloud use cases

  For businesses contemplating the advantages and disadvantages of their applications living in a distributed cloud infrastructure, take a cue from these hybrid cloud use cases.  Continue Reading

• The relationship between cloud FinOps and security

  True FinOps maturity isn't achievable without FinOps and cybersecurity team collaboration. The first step is building the relationship between those teams.  Continue Reading

• Optimize serverless apps with an observability strategy

  Serverless apps come with unexpected challenges and sometimes they are nearly impossible to troubleshoot and optimize. Move away from traditional monitoring practices to succeed.  Continue Reading

• Top 8 benefits of hybrid cloud for business

  Why choose between public cloud and private systems when you can have both? With hybrid cloud, enterprises can address workload requirements, business demands and budgetary needs.  Continue Reading

• Navigate the eviction policies for Azure Spot Virtual Machines

  When things go right, Azure Spot VMs are a good investment to save money. However, users need a greater understanding of how eviction policies will affect their VMs.  Continue Reading

• Compare Azure Blueprints vs. Terraform

  Azure Blueprints helps companies with strict compliance needs in Azure environments, while Terraform is a versatile tool that suits multi-cloud strategies. Evaluate the tools here.  Continue Reading

• How to implement AI into cloud management and operations

  AI is becoming a transformative feature of cloud, but it means nothing if you don't have a proper strategy. Find out how to fold AI into management practices.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate serverless computing best practices

  Serverless computing strategies require enterprises to evaluate tools, features and costs, while understanding application requirements and use cases. Here are some best practices.  Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud connectivity best practices and considerations

  Private and public clouds stress networks in different ways and don't always play well together. Here's what to know to set up a cost-effective hybrid cloud network architecture.  Continue Reading

• Compare AWS, Azure and Google Cloud IAM services

  This comparison dives into the differences among cloud IAM services from AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Use it to evaluate features, resource hierarchy configuration and pricing.  Continue Reading

• Deploy ML on edge devices with SageMaker, IoT Greengrass

  Amazon SageMaker, ONNX and AWS IoT Greengrass help deploy machine learning models to edge devices. Steps include component creation, recipe building and core device configuration.  Continue Reading

• 3 cost optimization strategies for multi-cloud environments

  Cloud environments can become costly especially across multiple cloud providers. Read about these cost optimization strategies to bring down your bill.  Continue Reading

• Minimize the high costs of AI in cloud with FinOps

  Deploying and managing AI applications can become costly, especially if it is your first generative AI initiative. Learn how these costs can impact cloud costs.  Continue Reading

• Prep data for ML training with SageMaker Data Wrangler

  Are you ready to wrangle some data? Follow this step-by-step tutorial, and learn how to load, analyze and transform data to train a ML model with Amazon SageMaker Data Wrangler.  Continue Reading