Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• When should you use K3s vs. MicroK8s?

  Looking for an efficient, user-friendly alternative to traditional Kubernetes? Compare the popular lightweight distributions K3s and MicroK8s to decide which is best for you.  Continue Reading

• Manage the Windows PATH environment variable with PowerShell

  Among many other tasks, IT teams can use PowerShell to manage and edit the PATH environment variable. Walk through these basic steps to access, add and remove system paths.  Continue Reading

• What are hyperautomation use cases for IT operations?

  Fully automated NoOps workflows might not be possible, but there's always room to further automate existing processes. An expert explains two hyperautomation use cases for DevOps.  Continue Reading

• How do I maintain an Azure VM static IP during a reboot?

  Microsoft Azure users can assign static IP addresses to VMs, but doing so has notable downsides as well as benefits. Learn how and why to assign static IPs to Azure VMs.  Continue Reading

• Is Kubernetes a hypervisor? How do they differ?

  Kubernetes, on the surface, appears to perform the same task as a hypervisor. Does that make Kubernetes a hypervisor? The short answer: No. Let's clarify why it's not.  Continue Reading

• Do hypervisors limit vertical scalability?

  Knowing hardware maximums and VM limits ensures you don't overload the system. Learn hypervisor scalability limits for Hyper-V, vSphere, ESXi and Red Hat Virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Why and how to use eBPF for Kubernetes scaling

  Scaling Kubernetes clusters has always been a challenge -- but eBPF makes the process smoother with service-specific monitors and a lack of special instrumentation.  Continue Reading

• PowerShell looping examples for the 4 key commands

  There are many instances where looping is a valuable tool in your PowerShell script. Knowing how to use them will serve you well. Evaluate these four loop commands.  Continue Reading

• Battle of the buzzwords: AIOps vs. MLOps square up

  Another -Ops has entered the arena: MLOps. Is it just another buzzword, or does the term hold its own weight? Learn more about it and how it compares to AIOps.  Continue Reading

• How to roll back Git code to a previous commit

  Mistakes happen. Thankfully, in Git, admins have two command options to roll back to a previous commit. Learn more about both here.  Continue Reading

• Containers vs. VMs: What are the key differences?

  Containers have rapidly come into focus as a popular option for deploying applications, but they have limitations and are fundamentally different than VMs.  Continue Reading

• Kubernetes deployments vs. pods: What's the difference?

  Pods and deployments are both important to using Kubernetes in production, but they're not the same. Learn the role each one plays in building and managing containerized applications.  Continue Reading

• What are the differences between OpenShift and Kubernetes?

  Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes share a lot of similarities -- including the same underlying container orchestration technology. So how are they different, exactly?  Continue Reading

• What are the cost considerations when buying AIOps tools?

  AIOps tools can reduce overhead for IT staff, but first, enterprises must decide how they will use the tool to know which features to budget for.  Continue Reading

• How do I audit a Kubernetes environment?

  IT teams should audit their Kubernetes configuration files to uncover -- and address -- coding mishaps and vulnerabilities. Fortunately, third-party and native Kubernetes tools automate the process.  Continue Reading

• What is a Docker container vs. an image?

  Docker images, Dockerfiles and containers are all instrumental in a Docker setup. Learn what tasks each component completes and how they interact with each other to run applications.  Continue Reading

• How to make the right HCI deployment decisions

  Hyper-converged infrastructures pose different challenges depending on the deployment method. Software might not offer as much support, while choosing hardware risks vendor lock-in.  Continue Reading

• When to use canary vs. blue/green vs. rolling deployment

  App deployment strategies such as rolling updates and blue/green environments help IT organizations manage change with minimal risk. See which strategy fits your application.  Continue Reading

• How many Kubernetes nodes should be in a cluster?

  There's no one-size-fits-all answer in terms of how many nodes should make up a Kubernetes cluster. Instead, that number varies based on specific workload requirements.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate 3 ways to run Kubernetes locally

  A local Kubernetes deployment -- enabled by Minikube, MicroK8s or K3s -- is a great option to test code or simply learn the container orchestration technology.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization skills admins must have in 2020

  Industry experts Sander van Vugt, Brian Kirsch and Stuart Burns weigh in on what skills virtualization admins must have in 2020 to better meet growing industry demands.  Continue Reading

• Perform a Windows event log search with PowerShell

  Event log monitoring is vital to an IT environment's health and success, but finding a specific event in the flood is challenging. PowerShell enables admins to simplify this task.  Continue Reading

• How do I manage ACL folder permissions with a PowerShell script?

  PowerShell scripts make short work of repetitive Windows tasks, saving admins time, effort and frustration. One simple area admins can manage with scripts is the access control list.  Continue Reading

• What are the main features of Ansible vs. Ansible Tower?

  Both Ansible and Ansible Tower offer enterprises a wealth of resources for config management, but they aren't equals. Assess their differences in crucial aspects such as security.  Continue Reading

• What are some examples of embedded hypervisors?

  A virtualization layer in an embedded system provides better efficiency for tasks such as network virtualization. Some examples of embedded hypervisors include the Xvisor and ACRN.  Continue Reading

• Embedded hypervisor use cases and benefits explained

  An embedded hypervisor offers several benefits, such as VM security, system reliability and improved hardware use, and is ideal for admins looking to simplify their environments.  Continue Reading

• Considerations for embedded hypervisor implementation

  Before incorporating an embedded hypervisor, admins must consider storage, memory, system performance and scheduling to help prevent latency issues.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V vs. VMware comparison: What are the differences?

  Hyper-V and VMware are in a perpetual battle for supremacy in the virtualization market. Although the two hypervisors have similar features, capabilities are somewhat different.  Continue Reading

• What is an embedded hypervisor and what value does it provide?

  Embedded systems and hypervisors go hand in hand. By understanding both, admins can maximize system benefits such as multiple OS support and legacy code compatibility.  Continue Reading

• What's the role of an application load balancer vs. API gateway?

  Application load balancers and API gateways both manage network traffic, but in their own ways. Learn the differences between them and how to use them together in a modern IT deployment.  Continue Reading

• Are there tools or platforms that support AWS Firecracker?

  Although there are a handful of tools to help run Firecracker more easily, admins might find issues with the lack of major tool integration for the software.  Continue Reading

• Can I install Ansible for Windows system management?

  Even though Ansible has its roots in open source software and Linux, is it possible to use the configuration management tool for Windows environments?  Continue Reading

• How do I obtain, deploy and update AWS Firecracker?

  Firecracker can assist admins with creating and operating micro VMs, but improper installation and updates can cause potential issues.  Continue Reading

• What are micro VMs and how do they benefit data centers?

  When used together, VMs and containers can provide key benefits to an admin's workload, such as isolation and security, without having to deal with typical disadvantages.  Continue Reading

• When to use a micro VM, container or full VM

  Choosing among VMs, containers or micro VMs depends on workload isolation and security needs, and admins should understand the different use cases before making a decision.  Continue Reading

• What are Ansible roles and when and how should I use them?

  Roles are one of several functions in Ansible that simplify and streamline IT automation processes. Dig into this quick overview to learn the basics of roles and potential use cases.  Continue Reading

• How do I get started with an Ansible playbook?

  An Ansible playbook boosts admin productivity when they manage configurations across machines. Learn how playbooks work and how to avoid live errors.  Continue Reading

• Does DevOps require end-to-end monitoring tools?

  While basic monitoring services and feedback loops provide critical insight for DevOps teams, an end-to-end monitoring tool gives them a more holistic view of the end-user experience.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate these hyper-converged infrastructure features

  There are six things you should consider when reviewing HCI platform features and functionality: optimizations, storage, hypervisors, management, expandability and integrations.  Continue Reading

• How hyper-converged infrastructure benefits virtual workloads

  Realize the many advantages that HCI offers, such as streamlined virtual resource management and enhanced security and compliance practices.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged infrastructure explained

  HCI breaks down traditional IT silos by bundling compute, storage, networking and virtualization, which helps to streamline resource provisioning and management.  Continue Reading

• Manage SCVMM logical networks with PowerShell

  Use System Center Virtual Machine Manager and PowerShell to make logical network management easy. Execute a script to display network virtualization information in a simple chart.  Continue Reading

• What's the best way to achieve Hyper-V security for hosts?

  Hyper-V security is complicated, but you can set the foundation of your security strategies by following a few best practices, such as simplification and encryption.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V 2016 security comes down to VM considerations

  Secure guest VMs and OSes to ensure Hyper-V security  Continue Reading

• Is read-only mode a viable approach to container hardening?

  Can containers work in read-only mode, and how does this setup make a difference in security hardening?  Continue Reading

• Use shielded VMs, guarded fabric to enable Hyper-V encryption

  Enable Hyper-V encryption using guarded fabric, the Host Guardian Service and shielded VM technologies. Host systems must be proven trustworthy before operating protected VMs.  Continue Reading

• How does Linux Secure Boot affect Hyper-V 2016 VMs?

  Linux Secure Boot can help ensure you're booting trusted OSes, but navigating different distributions and digital signatures can be challenging without these considerations.  Continue Reading

• Setting up Hyper-V replication requires preplanning

  Hyper-V replication is easy to use, but there are a number of steps you should take during Hyper-V replication setup to ensure you stay abreast of potential failures and data loss.  Continue Reading

• How do you find Hyper-V nodes with PowerShell?

  Manage Hyper-V clusters more easily with PowerShell cmdlets and scripts that automate the retrieval and display of node information, including node statuses.  Continue Reading

• What VM automation tools are available?

  There are many different VM automation tools available -- some of them part of much wider product and feature suites. Determine which features you need and find the tool that works.  Continue Reading

• What are the most common virtualization automation mistakes?

  Avoid automation issues by coordinating with the wider organization to ensure employees know how to provision resources and remain aware of evolving business needs and policies.  Continue Reading

• What organizations are best-suited for VM automation?

  Automating VMs isn't universally beneficial. Determine whether your organization needs mass production of VMs before deploying automation tools or platforms.  Continue Reading

• What are the primary use cases for VM deployment automation?

  Automate the deployment of VMs to meet the demand for resources while ensuring each VM remains properly configured and follows lifecycle and governance policies.  Continue Reading

• How do you optimize a virtual database server?

  Avoid virtual database performance hiccups by incorporating monitoring and alerting tools. Stay abreast of any issues and head them off before users encounter them.  Continue Reading

• How do you virtualize database servers?

  Virtualizing database servers has consolidation and efficiency benefits, but you must carefully choose which databases to virtualize and which tools to virtualize with.  Continue Reading

• Docker for Windows shows permission errors on shared volumes

  Understand and work around one of the more common Docker for Windows errors -- permissions for shared volumes -- to read, write and execute to the shared volume.  Continue Reading

• Use nested virtualization to run a container in a VM

  IT administrators should familiarize themselves with the benefits and limitations of using nested virtualization to run containers in VMs before implementation.  Continue Reading

• Is your VM frozen? Isolate the cause and problem solve

  Many issues cause VMs to become unresponsive, including invoking particular tasks, such as snapshots or migrations, resource configuration and infrastructure unavailability.  Continue Reading

• Common VM network latency causes explained

  There are many potential causes of network performance problems when it comes to VMs. Familiarize yourself with the most common causes to aid in troubleshooting.  Continue Reading

• Open source hypervisor technical support, update considerations

  Even though open source software itself is completely free to obtain and use, effective hypervisor technical support options for production environments might cost money.  Continue Reading

• Is the XenServer hypervisor worth the cost?

  There is a free, easy-to-obtain version of Citrix XenServer, but additional features and commercial support from Citrix -- which some shops might need -- require a license.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate Oracle VM Server as a potential hypervisor

  Oracle VM provides useful features such as high availability and live migration, but it's important for admins to size the server for the workloads it's intended to host.  Continue Reading

• Red Hat Virtualization hypervisor adoption considerations

  IT admins considering Red Hat Virtualization might inadvertently overlook certain system requirements or forget to consider whether they need support.  Continue Reading

• Can container communication cross over to noncontainerized apps?

  Can an application have Python as a container, run SQL queries on an external Microsoft SQL database and publish the results on an Apache web server container?  Continue Reading

• How do you decide to scale up or scale out a workload?

  Scaling up or scaling out is not a decision to be made lightly. Use monitoring data to determine the strategy that fits your use case and to inform future decisions.  Continue Reading

• How do you analyze the costs of virtualization scalability?

  It's easy to allocate more resources to a VM, but scaling decisions require careful deliberation. Without retrospective analysis, scaling can quickly become costly.  Continue Reading

• How do you improve storage scalability?

  Storage can limit virtualization scalability if IT administrators don't plan properly. Examine how storage scalability problems can arise and strategies for addressing it.  Continue Reading

• Why is Docker's container approach so important?

  The name has become synonymous with containers, but there are other container management tools available.  Continue Reading

• Can virtual SAN performance create VM performance issues?

  Monitor the performance of your VSAN and VMs to ensure one isn't affecting the other. Performance metrics and alerts can make it easy to spot VSAN issues before they affect VMs.  Continue Reading

• How can VSAN network requirements affect performance?

  Virtual SAN network configuration problems can detract from performance and availability. Update your drivers and check that no security products are blocking connections.  Continue Reading

• How do VSAN compatibility issues affect performance?

  Effective VSAN performance requires compatible hardware and software. Review compatibility guides and use diagnostic tools to keep your system updated.  Continue Reading

• How many Hyper-V virtual processors should I configure per VM?

  There isn't a set number of virtual processors you should configure for a Hyper-V VM, but there are steps you can take to ensure your workloads receive enough processor resources.  Continue Reading

• What is the Hyper-V VHD Set format and how is it optimized?

  VHD File Set -- a file format new to Windows Server 2016 -- is helpful for IT administrators using guest clusters. Get up to speed on the basics and learn how to optimize it.  Continue Reading

• What is the best DevOps tool for my career?

  I have no prior knowledge on DevOps. I'm doing an online course and understand Unix. I get the concepts, so what tool should I concentrate on learning to advance my DevOps career?  Continue Reading

• What cloud compatibility issues can arise with VM migration?

  Many compatibility issues can arise when moving VMs to the public cloud. Watch out for compatibility problems with partitions, OSes and image formats to ensure a smooth migration.  Continue Reading

• How do you use forklift migration to move VMs to the cloud?

  To migrate a VM and its dependencies from a local data center to a public cloud, use the forklift method to prepare the VM for migration, deploy the right tools and import.  Continue Reading

• Which VM migration techniques prepare VMs for the cloud?

  Prepare your VMs with cloud migration best practices that examine how suitable a VM is for migration, what groundwork needs to be prepared for it and the costs of migration.  Continue Reading

• How do you prepare for a VM migration in cloud computing?

  Prepare for a VM migration by examining the requirements of your VMs and your cloud provider. Configure the VM for migration and match the settings to the cloud provider.  Continue Reading

• How do I convert VMDK to VHDX using PowerShell commands?

  Download and install Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter to gain access to several PowerShell commands that enable VMware VMDK to Hyper-V VHDX conversions.  Continue Reading

• How do you reconnect a Hyper-V virtual switch to your VMs?

  Save time by using PowerShell commands to reconnect your VMs to a new Hyper-V virtual switch. Different commands can access single VMs or many VMs whether they are local or remote.  Continue Reading

• How do you extract an ISO file before booting a VM?

  Take advantage of PowerShell commands to clear ISO files from your VMs before booting and ensure their configuration is set to boot from the virtual hard drive, not the ISO.  Continue Reading

• Is IT workload management easier on software-defined infrastructure?

  Our IT organization uses deployment automation, monitoring tools and virtualized resources. What do we need to do to manage IT workloads?  Continue Reading

• What types of VHD files does Hyper-V support?

  Fixed VHD files, dynamic VHD files, and differential or differencing VHD files are all supported by Hyper-V. Learn more about these file types and the best use cases for each.  Continue Reading

• 512e disks attempt to bridge the gap between 512n and 4Kn

  It's important to ensure that your OS and hypervisor support 512e and 4Kn disks, but there are always alternatives to work around any incompatibilities.  Continue Reading

• What are the best log consolidation and storage methods?

  Storing log data is an important part of the log management process. Maintain performance, security and backup policies with careful log consolidation.  Continue Reading

• What logging best practices can help with log management?

  Logs can produce immense amounts of data, but logging standards, such as standardized formats and security procedures, can help IT professionals minimize information overload.  Continue Reading

• How do you analyze log data for relevant information?

  Log files can contain enormous amounts of potentially useful information, but without log data analysis and log filtering, it can be difficult to sort, prioritize and read.  Continue Reading

• How does an effective logging strategy improve data analysis?

  Logs and log analytics can produce vast amounts of information. Save time and use resources efficiently with an effective logging strategy that prioritizes relevant data.  Continue Reading

• How to list the Hyper-V virtual processors configured for VMs

  To see virtual processors configured for VMs on the local host, execute a simple PowerShell command. For vCPUs configured for VMs on remote servers, a script is needed.  Continue Reading

• Use the Hyper-V QoS feature to manage storage IOPS

  Quality of service addresses storage IOPS limitations by enabling administrators to stipulate a minimum and maximum IOPS value for a virtual hard disk.  Continue Reading

• Enable and disable vTPM on Hyper-V VMs with PowerShell cmdlets

  If you don't have Guarded Fabric or Shielded VMs, which have the Trusted Platform Module feature built-in, you need to manually enable virtual TPM for your Hyper-V VMs using PowerShell.  Continue Reading

• Manually initiate the Hyper-V replication failover process

  Hyper-V replication failover only requires two steps. But before you initiate failover, perform some tests to ensure the recovery point has consistent data.  Continue Reading

• Retrieve a Hyper-V event log with the Get-EventLog cmdlet

  Use the Get-EventLog PowerShell cmdlet with the desired parameters to retrieve a Hyper-V event log. This command gets errors and warnings and exports them as a CSV file.  Continue Reading

• Live-migrate Hyper-V VMs in and outside a failover cluster

  PowerShell commands save time and enable admins to migrate multiple VMs outside a Hyper-V failover cluster from one host to another, as well as VMs inside the cluster between nodes.  Continue Reading

• Follow these VM network configuration best practices

  Set up and operate a VM network using proven strategies to ensure security and performance. With a little planning, virtualization admins can avoid potential issues down the road.  Continue Reading

• Network security features available in a virtual switch

  Virtual switch security is achieved through a number of features. Virtualization admins can create and enforce policies, lock down MAC addresses and block forged traffic from VMs.  Continue Reading

• NIC teaming software enables load balancing and failover

  Load balancing and failover capabilities help optimize performance and achieve resiliency in your virtual infrastructure. Learn how NIC teaming provides both functionalities.  Continue Reading

• Navigate different network ports, from physical to virtual

  Physical network ports, virtual network ports, uplink ports and group ports all have different functions in virtual infrastructures. Learn more with this in-depth breakdown.  Continue Reading

• VM networking: Physical and virtual switches explained

  In order for VMs to communicate, they must utilize VM networking technologies that enable them to emulate and access the existing physical network and provide additional features.  Continue Reading

• Paravirtualization advantages, disadvantages and use cases

  Despite a promising start, paravirtualization comes with significant disadvantages that limit the number of use cases that make sense for enterprise IT, but it still has its place.  Continue Reading