IT systems management and monitoring
Learn about the tools and technologies that enable more visibility into IT infrastructure, integration between IT management tools, tailored alerts for IT professionals and new areas of performance monitoring and management.
Top Stories
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Tip
18 Mar 2025
Learn how the Windows Server 2025 editions differ
See what's been gained -- and lost -- in Microsoft's latest version of its server OS before you plan a migration from your existing workloads. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Mar 2025
APM vs. distributed tracing: How they differ
Application performance monitoring and distributed tracing help IT teams identify performance problems in different but complementary ways, as explained here. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Mar 2025
What is security automation?
Security automation uses technology to remove high-volume manual processes from security operations to detect cyberthreats, which saves time by integrating different workflows into repeatable processes. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Mar 2025
Kubernetes automation: Use cases and tools to know
Kubernetes automation simplifies the configuration, deployment and management of prepackaged container components supporting business apps, but it's not recommended in all cases. Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2025
GitHub Actions supply chain attack spotlights CI/CD risks
Experts say a GitHub Actions vulnerability should renew enterprises' attention to securing build pipelines the same way they secure production environments. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Mar 2025
8 service desk automation examples to enhance IT support
NLP-powered chatbots, escalation algorithms, data insights, onboarding, SLA monitoring and faster response times are service desk automation examples boosting IT support. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Mar 2025
IT automation vs. orchestration: Key differences
As complementary technologies, automation defines each repetitive task to be performed, while orchestration assembles arrays of individual tasks to accomplish complex workflows. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 Mar 2025
What is pipelining?
Pipelining is the process of a computer processor executing computer instructions as separate stages. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Mar 2025
11 tools that facilitate developer productivity
Development teams have a better experience when they use tools that integrate well together and facilitate collaboration. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2025
March Patch Tuesday fixes 6 Windows zero-day exploits
All the vulnerabilities that had been actively exploited in the wild will get resolved quickly by deploying the Windows cumulative update for this month. Continue Reading
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Definition
11 Mar 2025
What is an automation engineer and how do you become one?
An automation engineer designs and develops autonomous systems to manage repetitive tasks and improve efficiency and productivity. Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2025
Analysts: IBM-LzLabs suit a cautionary tale for IT buyers
A U.K. court ruled that an LzLabs subsidiary breached IBM license terms, a reminder to IT orgs to do careful research before choosing a vendor, according to industry watchers. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Mar 2025
Benefits and challenges of IT automation
Adopting IT automation comes with improved process efficiency, greater scalability, lower costs and the power of AI, yet implementation, integration and maintenance issues persist. Continue Reading
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Definition
05 Mar 2025
What is tool sprawl? Explaining how IT teams can avoid it
Tool sprawl is the accumulation of many IT tools by an organization, leading to inefficiency and data siloing. Continue Reading
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Definition
04 Mar 2025
What is root cause analysis?
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method for understanding the underlying cause of an observed or experienced incident. Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2025
JFrog integrates with Hugging Face, Nvidia; intros JFrog ML
The partnership aims to give developers a clearer guide on safe models. It also aims to ensure enterprise-grade safety and security with the deployment of open models. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Mar 2025
10 steps to develop your IT automation strategy
Setting business goals, establishing governance practices, identifying and deploying the right tools, and providing training are the foundations of a sound IT automation strategy. Continue Reading
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Definition
03 Mar 2025
What is a word in computing architecture?
In computing architecture, a word is a fixed unit of data containing a specific number of bits that can be addressed and moved between storage and the computer processor. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Feb 2025
The top AIOps tools and platforms to consider in 2025
As AIOps approaches become more common among IT teams, the AIOps tools and platforms market has expanded. Compare leading options to decide which fits your needs. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Feb 2025
What is network analytics?
Network analytics is the application of big data principles and tools to the data used to manage and secure data networks. Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2025
New Relic takes partnership tack for agentic AI
New Relic users say its collaborative approach to agentic AI, revamped AIOps tools and pricing model will make it easier to explore fresh forms of automation. Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2025
Zero-CVE Chainguard Images gain customization option
Chainguard opens its container image builder factory to let users mix and match hardened container components while preserving a zero-vulnerability SLA. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Feb 2025
What is function as a service (FaaS)?
Function as a service (FaaS) is a cloud computing model that enables cloud customers to develop applications and deploy functionalities and only be charged when the functionality executes. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
18 Feb 2025
Deploy a read-only domain controller for security, speed
A read-only domain controller requires a fair amount of work for a proper deployment, but it can be a great option for quicker logins for users in branch offices. Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2025
IT orgs expand business observability beyond their own walls
Business observability could soon become a part of your IT environment, even if you're not the one who originally thought of it. Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2025
Microsoft plugs two zero-days for February Patch Tuesday
The company corrects active exploits in vulnerable Windows systems, one of which could give the attacker complete control if successful. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Feb 2025
Data center temperature and humidity guidelines
ASHRAE maintains a recommended list of humidity and temperature level standards for data centers. Discover which range of guidelines is best for each equipment class. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Feb 2025
Top observability tools for 2025
Observability tools can help developers and IT administrators improve the delivery, performance and customer experience of applications and avoid potential issues. Continue Reading
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Definition
07 Feb 2025
What is cognitive automation?
Cognitive automation describes diverse ways of combining artificial intelligence (AI) and process automation capabilities to improve business outcomes. Continue Reading
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Definition
06 Feb 2025
What is serverless computing?
Serverless computing is a cloud computing execution model that lets software developers build and run applications and servers without having to provision or manage the back-end infrastructure. Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2025
Dynatrace drops dev observability gauntlet for Datadog
Dynatrace and Datadog both plan to ship live debugging tools as they vie for developer attention in the observability market. Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2025
Dynatrace ups AIOps ante with log analytics refresh
Updates to Dynatrace CoPilot and log analytics for AIOps prompt users to dump other tools, but migrations can be a challenge. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Feb 2025
How to properly implement Exchange Extended Protection
This security feature can better protect Exchange Server deployments to prevent a wide range of attacks and safeguard sensitive data transmitted over the network. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2025
CISO enlists agentic AI reinforcements for SecOps
AI agents are already in the hands of adversaries. One aerospace CISO has begun to use them to augment his SecOps staff and even the score. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Jan 2025
What is cloud orchestration (cloud orchestrator)?
Cloud orchestration (cloud orchestrator) is the use of programming technology to manage the interconnections and interactions among workloads on public and private cloud infrastructure. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2025
EU, U.S. at odds on AI safety regulations
The U.S. under the new Trump administration changes course on AI safety, in contrast with the EU, as uncertainty lingers about other Biden-era federal cybersecurity efforts. Continue Reading
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Podcast
23 Jan 2025
Review and predictions for open source software in 2025
Sigstore creator, Chainguard CEO, OpenSSF TAC member and Season 1 guest Dan Lorenc returns to review 2024 and make predictions for 2025. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jan 2025
A guide to software design documentation and specifications
Software design documents still rank as important SDLC components -- even in the age of DevOps. Learn why they are important, how to write one and who should contribute. Continue Reading
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Podcast
22 Jan 2025
Cybersecurity expertise gaps: More than meets the eye
An S&P Global analyst charts the past, present and future of SecOps, where demand continues to outpace the supply of advanced skills. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2025
Biden order gives CISA software supply chain 'teeth'
The outgoing administration makes a Hail Mary attempt to salvage work it began in 2021 to require specific software supply chain security information from software suppliers. Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2025
Tech industry experts digest cybersecurity executive order
IT pros assess a last-minute cybersecurity executive order with new directives on a broad swath of topics, from cybercriminal sanctions to AI and identity management. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2025
Cisco AI cybersecurity launch touts shadow AI defense
Cisco wields the power of incumbency to weave AI security into existing cloud access management tools, including algorithmic validation testing on AI models. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2025
January Patch Tuesday resolves 3 Hyper-V zero-days
The number of vulnerabilities corrected for January Patch Tuesday is one of the highest in recent memory and includes three Hyper-V vulnerabilities exploited in the wild. Continue Reading
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Podcast
14 Jan 2025
Rethinking business continuity before the next big IT outage
For one industry analyst, the most significant gap exposed by the CrowdStrike outage is between IT and business -- not Sec and Ops. Continue Reading
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Opinion
10 Jan 2025
5 ways enterprise AI will transform IT infrastructure in 2025
Enterprise AI will take a massive step forward in 2025. Don't let the year slip by without a strategy to turn the AI hype into real value for your IT organization. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Dec 2024
Compare 8 tools for IT monitoring in 2025
Effective monitoring is a cornerstone of any IT environment. Examine the available tool options for IT monitoring and compare their features, benefits and costs. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Dec 2024
Top data center infrastructure management software in 2025
DCIM tools can improve data center management and operation. Learn how six prominent products can help organizations control costs, manage energy and track assets. Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2024
AWS, Red Hat hybrid cloud wares court VMware converts
Broadcom has softened some of its stances on VMware licensing and public cloud, but competitors stay poised to pounce on customers looking to defect. Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2024
December Patch Tuesday shuts down Windows zero-day
Microsoft addresses 72 vulnerabilities, including 17 rated critical. Administrators should focus on patching the Windows OS to stop a flaw that has been exploited in the wild. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Nov 2024
Microsoft Teams monitoring tips for admins
Learn how to use PowerShell to set up an automated way to check for suspicious activity in the Microsoft chat service to avoid security and compliance issues. Continue Reading
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Definition
26 Nov 2024
What is managed detection and response (MDR)?
Managed detection and response (MDR) services are a collection of network-, host- and endpoint-based cybersecurity technologies that a third-party provider manages for a client organization. Continue Reading
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Definition
25 Nov 2024
What is a configuration file?
A configuration file, often shortened to config file, defines the parameters, options, settings and preferences applied to operating systems (OSes), infrastructure devices and applications in an IT context. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Nov 2024
What is an information system (IS)?
An information system (IS) is an interconnected set of components used to collect, store, process and transmit data and digital information. Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Nov 2024
Rethinking 'secure by design' amid slippery SecOps shifts
An expert discusses the fallout from a CISA report that raised doubts about the last decade's DevSecOps trend, and where the industry goes from here. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Nov 2024
Guide to the advantages of using the Windows Terminal app
Admins who manage a wide range of resources will want to try this Microsoft app that integrates with Windows machines, cloud services and Linux systems from a single interface. Continue Reading
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Podcast
14 Nov 2024
CEO: GenAI changes multi-cloud security, network equation
Aviatrix CEO Doug Merritt sees generative AI apps forcing a more distributed approach to cloud infrastructure, but he believes it will also help SecOps catch up with threats. Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2024
Microsoft halts 2 zero-days on November Patch Tuesday
The company addressed 88 vulnerabilities, including an Exchange Server spoofing flaw and a significant number of SQL Server bugs, this month. Continue Reading
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Podcast
12 Nov 2024
Lines blur between enterprise SecOps and cyberdefense
One expert predicts AI will ultimately benefit attackers more than defenders and, instead, urges businesses to take a page out of military and government cyberdefense handbooks. Continue Reading
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Definition
12 Nov 2024
What is firmware?
Firmware is a type of software program embedded into hardware devices to help them function smoothly and effectively. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Nov 2024
Data center cooling systems and technologies and how they work
Extreme heat and cold can keep equipment from operating at peak efficiency. Explore cost-efficient and cost-effective cooling technologies and smart options for your facility. Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2024
IBM Apptio preps FinOps link with Terraform via GitHub
IBM drops another hint about its plans for HashiCorp with a shift-left FinOps integration in private beta, while tie-ins with Red Hat remain an open question. Continue Reading
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Podcast
01 Nov 2024
Could SBOMs save lives? SecOps in critical infrastructure
'We live in glass houses,' said a seasoned cybersecurity expert of the U.S. water supply, healthcare and other lifeline services. 'And people are about to start throwing rocks.' Continue Reading
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Definition
28 Oct 2024
What is AIOps (artificial intelligence for IT operations)?
Artificial intelligence for IT operations (AIOps) is an umbrella term for the use of big data analytics, machine learning (ML) and other AI technologies to automate and enhance IT operations. Continue Reading
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Podcast
25 Oct 2024
Relearning past lessons in assessing cloud risk
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it -- even when that history is only about a decade or two old, according to one security analyst in this podcast episode. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Oct 2024
Continuous delivery vs. continuous deployment: Which to choose?
Continuous delivery and continuous deployment both compress and de-risk the final stages of production rollout. Learn how to choose the proper path for your organization. Continue Reading
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Opinion
23 Oct 2024
Blueprint for hybrid observability: AI and its 4 key enablers
There are four elements that create a foundation for AI-driven observability. The ability to automatically detect new or updated components is just one of them. Continue Reading
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Definition
23 Oct 2024
What is Jira?
Jira is an application lifecycle management (ALM) and Agile project management tool from Atlassian. Continue Reading
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Answer
22 Oct 2024
How to deploy an Exchange Server cumulative update
Cumulative updates give the Exchange Server platform stability and security. This guide explains how to perform this maintenance properly to avoid a major service disruption. Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Oct 2024
Security observability, AI require data hygiene in DevSecOps
Sound data management is the heart of observability for security, which guides DevSecOps practices and determines the usefulness of AI apps, New Relic CISO says. Continue Reading
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Definition
16 Oct 2024
What is black box AI?
Black box AI is any artificial intelligence system whose inputs and operations aren't visible to the user or another interested party. Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2024
Terraform Stacks, HCP Waypoint prompt migration questions
HashiCorp fends off challengers that sell ease of use with fresh infrastructure-as-code abstraction, while Terraform users grapple with a potential move to cloud-first services. Continue Reading
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Definition
15 Oct 2024
What is a command prompt?
A command prompt is the input field in a text-based user interface screen for an operating system (OS) or program. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Oct 2024
The benefits of network asset management software
Network asset management software helps network teams keep track of network devices and software to ensure timely upgrades, accurate inventory and updated documentation. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Oct 2024
How to evaluate AI for Windows Server environments
Organizations tasked with assessing AI workloads on Windows Server must weigh all the variables to determine the best approach to adopt this budding technology. Continue Reading
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Podcast
11 Oct 2024
SecOps from the IT infrastructure operations perspective
The CrowdStrike outage capped a decade of deepening divide between SecOps and the rest of IT ops -- and should bring about its end, according to one industry veteran. Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2024
Microsoft repairs 2 zero-days on October Patch Tuesday
Administrators will have to tackle 117 new vulnerabilities, including three rated critical, in this month's batch of security updates. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Oct 2024
What's new in System Center 2025?
The key management tool for enterprises with a heavy investment in on-premises infrastructure is set for its next major release to coincide with the arrival of Windows Server 2025. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Oct 2024
Configuration management vs. asset management simplified
Configuration management and asset management are sometimes used interchangeably. While similar in certain ways, they are not the same thing. Discover where the two diverge and where they overlap. Continue Reading
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Podcast
03 Oct 2024
Microsoft security overhaul offers blueprint for SecOps
Better late than never: Microsoft lags major cloud competitors in making security a top priority. But other enterprises might learn from how the company is catching up. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Sep 2024
The basics, benefits and risks of cell-based architecture
Cell-based architecture adds a new twist to enterprise infrastructure by speeding deploys, improving uptime and maybe even reducing the test effort. Continue Reading
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Podcast
26 Sep 2024
The double-edged swords of cloud security and AI
DevSecOps expert Kyler Middleton examines the ways modern technologies such as cloud computing and AI both enable and complicate the future of SecOps. Continue Reading
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Definition
26 Sep 2024
What is ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol)?
ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is a network layer error-reporting protocol that's used to communicate data transmission problems. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Sep 2024
Will Windows Server 2025 spark VMware migrations?
Can Microsoft capitalize on VMware customer concerns by touting enhancements to its next version of Windows Server along with its cloud and hyperconverged infrastructure options? Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2024
New Grafana Labs features aim to simplify observability
The vendor's latest set of capabilities includes prebuilt applications and automated features aimed at making it easier to use observability tools to monitor data and IT processes. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Sep 2024
U.S. Army, Lockheed Martin detail SBOM progress
Despite muddied regulatory waters and industry angst over technical stumbling blocks, enterprises are forging ahead with SBOMs, according to presenters at a recent CISA event. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Sep 2024
8 largest IT outages in history
IT outages can be caused by cyberattacks, hardware failure, natural disasters and human error. Learn about some of the biggest outages here. Continue Reading
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Podcast
19 Sep 2024
SecOps' new frontier in the remote work era: HR
A CISO shares the story of how his SOC staff caught and contained a North Korean agent posing as a software engineer, saying he hopes to raise awareness of a growing threat. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Sep 2024
16 metrics that matter in cloud performance monitoring
Compute cost and requests per minute are just two of the metrics that keep cloud performance humming. Here's how cloud metrics differ from on-premises, plus advice on buying tools. Continue Reading
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Answer
18 Sep 2024
What's the role of an application load balancer vs. API gateway?
Application load balancers and API gateways both manage network traffic. Learn the differences between them and how to use them together in a modern IT deployment. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Sep 2024
What is ITIL? A guide to the IT Infrastructure Library
ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a framework designed to standardize the selection, planning, delivery, maintenance and overall lifecycle of IT services within a business. Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2024
IBM adds to FinOps arsenal as cloud competition winds change
IBM broadens its multi-cloud and hybrid cloud FinOps support with its acquisition of Kubecost, as its AI infrastructure strategy diverges from VMware's under Broadcom. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Sep 2024
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
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Podcast
12 Sep 2024
CTO challenges software security status quo
A former U.S. Department of Homeland Security researcher argues that software is fundamentally broken from a security perspective. So, where does the industry go from here? Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2024
Four zero-days fixed for September Patch Tuesday
Most corrections this month focus on the Windows OS, but enterprises that rely on SQL Server or SharePoint should prioritize deploying the security updates for those platforms. Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2024
JFrog connects key software supply chain management dots
JFrog ties in with GitHub and Nvidia and ships Runtime Security to offer visibility into software supply chains from source code to production and back again, including AI apps. Continue Reading
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Definition
09 Sep 2024
What is SaaS sprawl?
SaaS sprawl is the uncontrolled use of software-as-a-service applications within an organization. Continue Reading
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Podcast
09 Sep 2024
An expert's big-picture view of the state of SecOps
In this first episode of 'IT Ops Query' Season 2, a SANS institute instructor and 20-year cybersecurity veteran assesses the past, present and future of SecOps. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Sep 2024
Grafana vs. Datadog: What are the differences?
Grafana and Datadog are both powerful monitoring services with a wide variety of integrations, such as logging, visualization, alerts and APM. Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2024
IT vendors still search for open source license sweet spot
Elastic returns Elasticsearch and Kibana to open source licenses while Sentry floats Fair Source, as balancing business and community success remains a work in progress. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Sep 2024
Microsoft Purview Audit helps IT flush out bad behavior
The auditing tool gives enterprises a way to find problems by examining logs from Microsoft 365 cloud services, such as Exchange Online, to see what actions were taken and where. Continue Reading
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News
28 Aug 2024
Cribl positions for IPO with $319M in latest funding round
The observability specialist's latest financing, along with strong recurring revenue and customer growth, helps set the vendor up to go public pending further financial milestones. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Aug 2024
Stop phishing with help from updated DMARC policy handling
Exchange admins got a boost from Microsoft when it improved how it handles DMARC authentication failures to help organizations fight back from email-based attacks on their users. Continue Reading