Opinion

Opinion

• The true private cloud debate: Do labels matter?

  The debate around authentic private clouds continues as more organizations adopt the model, but labels might not matter in the end.  Continue Reading

• Cloud-first agenda reveals disadvantages of cloud services

  As hypervisor vendors push cloud services over software, organizations are faced with vendor lock-in, licensing changes and, in some cases, added technology and consulting costs.  Continue Reading

• Hypervisor vendors upset virtual disaster recovery market

  Zerto and Veeam have conquered the DR market, but hypervisor vendors such as VMware and Nutanix have emerged, offering services that look to lower costs and provide better performance.  Continue Reading

• What to do when virtualization management tools go cloud

  As more tools transition to the cloud, SMBs that keep workloads on-premises must make a decision about how they'll manage their virtual environments going forward.  Continue Reading

• What's the future of Amazon RDS on VMware?

  Amazon is making its Relational Database Service available to on-premises VMware infrastructures. This deal indicates a hybrid cloud future with more options than some predicted.  Continue Reading

• Find a way forward in the cloud vs. virtualization debate

  IT admins weighing the options available for cloud and virtualization services against use cases and economics must navigate a complex market with an uncertain future.  Continue Reading

• VMware VVOLs adoption now poised to grow after slow start

  VVOLs' low adoption rates lie in overhyped expectations and the risk-averse nature of enterprise IT. The problem it solves is still a pain point, however, so expect growth.  Continue Reading

• VMware vSAN features in 6.6 signal bright future

  Since its release, vSAN has developed into a powerful product. Despite some limitations, improvements in encryption, performance and resiliency show why it's a popular product.  Continue Reading

• Cloud-based environment: The new normal for IT shops

  The sky is the limit as new cloud management tools and evolutions in storage help make hybrid and multicloud IT a viable option for organizations with on-prem data centers.  Continue Reading

• Hyperbole shades the perceived advantages of private cloud

  The private cloud promised a flexible and scalable alternative to public clouds, but in many cases, the concept fails to deliver.  Continue Reading

• Cloud compatibility concerns bust hopes of widespread cloud bursting

  Want to use cloud bursting as a standby for when your business has compute spikes? Not so fast. Compatibility concerns and latency can quickly become issues.  Continue Reading

• Invest in HCI and SDN for a modern data center

  Address any outdated data storage techniques by adopting a hyper-converged infrastructure and software-defined networking to modernize your data center.  Continue Reading

• How the Dell EMC acquisition will affect employees and customers

  The Dell EMC acquisition brought together redundant products that were once competitors, which means customers need to keep an eye on changing partnerships and product families.  Continue Reading

• VMware cloud strategy involves a three-pronged approach

  The VMware cloud strategy, announced at VMworld 2016, includes Cross-Cloud Architecture, Cloud Foundation and a combination of Photon Platform and vSphere Integrated Containers.  Continue Reading

• Are we witnessing the death of local instance storage?

  There are different ways to make sure local instance storage is robust but it depends on the situation.  Continue Reading

• Top 10 VMworld sessions for 2015

  Before you start filling out your VMworld schedule, take a read through our recommendations for the top 10 sessions to attend.  Continue Reading

• For OpenStack to succeed, it needs to change

  The OpenStack project has a lot of support, but there's still a gap between what the platform offers and what infrastructure teams need.  Continue Reading

• Moving from legacy IT to a private cloud

  Private and public clouds are accelerating the transition away from legacy IT  Continue Reading

• The ongoing battle between hyper-converged vendors

  Businesses used to rely on partnerships between companies to get the different top products but now hyper-converged vendors have expanded to offer more products of their own.  Continue Reading

• The hyper-converged hype isn't going away soon

  Hyper-converged products have shown their value and the vendor competition is just starting to heat up.  Continue Reading

• Linux developer sues VMware over GPL violations

  Long time Linux developer Christoph Hellwig is suing VMware for illegally using Linux kernel code in its ESXi hypervisor products.  Continue Reading

• EVO:RACK is VMware's secret weapon in the SDN war

  If VMware can't win over networking pros, its hyperconverged product family is the perfect way to sneak NSX through the back door.  Continue Reading

• Coopetition creates a virtualization soap opera

  One day two companies are working together. The next, they are competing at the same level. Coopetition can create a virtualization soap opera.  Continue Reading

• A virtual Exchange Server is nothing to fear

  Just like any other workload, there are clear advantages to virtualizing Exchange Server 2013, and in many cases it is more cost effective than a physical deployment.  Continue Reading

• If you’re still running Windows Server 2003, you failed

  Windows Server 2003 was a reliable and stable choice for a virtual infrastructure -- more than 10 years ago. If you’re still using it today, you’ve let your company down.  Continue Reading

• Stop squabbling and build a private cloud already

  In order to build a private cloud that can help companies drive innovation, business management and IT must first learn to work together.  Continue Reading

• Why virtualization admins should temper hopes for the VMworld agenda

  VMware must walk the fine line of redefining itself to attract a new customer base without alienating its current users.  Continue Reading

• A virtual vCenter Server is dangerous: Reality or virtual heresy?

  Even as the software-defined data center marches forward, there is still good reason to keep VMware vCenter Server physical.  Continue Reading

• Cutting the other direction: Why blade servers are losing their appeal

  The trend toward virtualized storage could have some shying away from blades when it comes time to purchase a new server.  Continue Reading

• Elastic computing is the future: Don't let Amazon take your job

  Elastic computing is transforming businesses just as virtualization did. But this time, in-house IT has competition from cloud providers like Amazon.  Continue Reading

• Car assembly plants can teach a valuable lesson in IT automation

  To stay relevant, your business needs to leverage IT automation, taking a lesson from the high efficiency of car assembly plants.  Continue Reading

• Drop everything and jump on the SMB 3 bandwagon

  Windows Server 2012 is picking up momentum, spurred on by SMB 3 improvements. But, could a simple network share change the VM storage game?  Continue Reading

• Not lost, just recalculating: VMware's route to a VDC-OS has been long

  For years, it seemed VMware was taking us on the scenic route to the software-defined data center, but VMworld 2013 shed new light on the roadmap.  Continue Reading

• Meeting long-term business goals, avoiding seagull consultants

  Many customers see consultants as greedy salespeople, but it's still possible to work together toward your long-term business goals.  Continue Reading

• At VMworld 2013, software-defined will be the next hated buzzword

  Check out these five predictions for VMworld 2013, including how software-defined will replace cloud as the most overused phrase.  Continue Reading

• Am I the only one not broken up over the end of TechNet subscriptions?

  Many IT pros are upset with Microsoft's decision to end popular TechNet subscriptions, but not everyone is complaining.  Continue Reading

• As feature gaps narrow, how will we compare hypervisors in the future?

  Growing feature parity will dramatically change the way we compare hypervisors, shifting the focus from what a hypervisor does to what it enables.  Continue Reading

• VMware's vCenter Certificate Automation Tool is too little, too late

  VMware's vCenter Certificate Automation Tool aims to fix a perennial pain point for many admins, but one expert isn't satisfied with the new product.  Continue Reading

• Don't fear an automation tool--it may be your best bet at job security

  Don't worry about automating yourself out of a job--the added value an automation tool brings may be the best kind of job security you can find.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization improved server efficiency, but did it meet the hype?

  Better server efficiency was only part of virtualization's appeal. Now that the hype has subsided, has virtualization delivered all it promised?  Continue Reading

• Aligning virtualization and cloud strategies with business goals

  As cloud strategies become common practice for virtual data centers, be sure you choose the right one that will help you meet your business goals.  Continue Reading

• Tactics for more reliable IT

  Get up to speed on some important tactics to improve reliability and ease overhead across all levels of the enterprise.  Continue Reading

• Social media: Coming to an enterprise near you

  Social media in the data center may not be far off, as vendors and emerging technology trends point to increasing use of social networking in the enterprise.  Continue Reading

• Five things I learned at VMworld 2012

  There were a slew of product announcements at VMworld, but some of the most important things I learned won't appear in any technical release notes.  Continue Reading

• Converging at VMworld

  As VMware’s VMworld 2012 show approaches, we’re hearing about vSphere 5.1 features, company acquisitions and the big news of VMware CEO Paul Maritz’s departure.  Continue Reading

• Putting off patching

  Patching isn't glamorous, but it certainly is necessary.  Continue Reading

• Power consumption solutions for modern virtual data centers

  Data centers are taking small steps toward an energy-efficient future.  Continue Reading

• Not all data centers are created equal

  There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to data center servers and technology.  Continue Reading

• One Platform, Many Uses

  Virtualization assumes key roles in the data center, but care and planning will make the difference between success and failure  Continue Reading

• Reaching for the cloud at VMworld

  Can virtualization in the cloud deliver on its promises?  Continue Reading

• Setting up a virtual lab: Top tips and tricks

  This issue demystifies some of the magic behind virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Introduction: Editor’s Letter

  A field guide to two virtualization worlds.  Continue Reading

• Introduction: Editor’s Letter

  Welcome to the promise—and the perils—of a new era in IT, ushered in by server virtualization.  Continue Reading