Tips

Tips

• Are AWS Local Zones right for my low-latency app?

  AWS offers its customers several options to minimize application latency. Let's look at the role AWS Local Zones can play in delivering your apps right on time.  Continue Reading

• Reduce latency with the right AWS placement group

  When prioritizing latency in AWS, evaluate the advantages and limitations of placement groups and how they fit the desired cloud architecture outcome for an application.  Continue Reading

• Prepare for the Azure Security Engineer Associate certification

  Are you ready to boost your resume or further your cloud career path? Review this preparation guide to get ready for Exam AZ-500 to become Microsoft certified.  Continue Reading

• Deploy an app on Google Cloud Run with Terraform

  Using Terraform to deploy an application to Google Cloud Run enables a scalable deployment process and can reduce configuration struggles. Follow this tutorial to get started.  Continue Reading

• The benefits and limitations of Google Cloud Recommender

  Cloud costs can get out of hand but services such as Google Cloud Recommender provide insights to optimize your workloads. But can you trust its recommendations?  Continue Reading

• 4 best practices to avoid cloud vendor lock-in

  Without proper planning, an organization could end up feeling trapped in its relationship with a cloud provider. Follow these tips to avoid vendor lock-in.  Continue Reading

• When to use AWS Compute Optimizer vs. Cost Explorer

  AWS Compute Optimizer and Cost Explorer monitor, analyze and optimize your cloud costs. Compare the two tools to choose which is best for VM rightsizing.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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 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

• 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

• IaaS vs. PaaS options on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud Platform

  Looking to shift your organization's workloads to the cloud? Understand the advantages and disadvantages of IaaS and PaaS options on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud Platform.  Continue Reading

• 3 best practices for right-sizing EC2 instances

  EC2 instances that are improperly sized drain money and restrict performance demands on workloads. Learn how to right-size EC2 instances to optimize costs with these best practices.  Continue Reading

• Interpret and apply AWS Compute Optimizer recommendations

  It is challenging to find the right balance between performance, availability and cost. Learn how to enable and apply AWS Compute Optimizer to monitor your metrics.  Continue Reading

• Weigh the benefits and drawbacks of a hybrid data warehouse

  Among other benefits, a hybrid cloud data warehouse can offer enhanced flexibility and scalability, as well as on-demand access to emerging analytics services.  Continue Reading

• Compare Azure Key Vault vs. Kubernetes Secrets

  Secrets require a certain level of upkeep such as storage, delivery and management. Compare services in these criteria and learn how to use Key Vault for AKS.  Continue Reading

• Cloud experts and their AWS re:Invent 2022 predictions

  As AWS prepares for its biggest event of the year, our contributors predict what the cloud vendor will unveil at re:Invent 2022.  Continue Reading

• Compare Amazon Lightsail vs. EC2 for your web app needs

  Not all developers need, or want, the full capabilities of Amazon EC2. See if the scaled-back and simplified Amazon Lightsail is the better fit for your application.  Continue Reading

• Top 11 benefits of cloud computing

  On-premises environments aren't the best fit for all organizations. Discover the top benefits of cloud computing that can save time, money and resources.  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of cloud computing explained

  Familiarize yourself with the basics of computing in the cloud, how the market has changed over the years, and the advantages and disadvantages of this type of IT environment.  Continue Reading

• Top public cloud providers of 2023: 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

• Protect data with these Azure Key Vault best practices

  Enterprises must secure, manage and monitor Azure key vaults correctly to ensure protection. Follow these best practices to effectively protect your data.  Continue Reading

• Compare AWS Global Accelerator vs. Amazon CloudFront

  AWS Global Accelerator and Amazon CloudFront solve similar problems. But users must know when to use one over the other. Discover how they differ to choose the right service.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for a multi-cloud Kubernetes strategy

  Multi-cloud has its benefits, but it also creates complexities. Discover best practices and configurations for a multi-cloud strategy using Kubernetes.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Compare Azure Data Factory vs. SSIS

  Discover the differences between Azure Data Factory and SSIS, two ETL tools. These contrasts include key data management features, GUI layout, performance, data volumes and more.  Continue Reading

• Compare AWS Glue vs. Azure Data Factory

  AWS Glue and Azure Data Factory have key differences despite being similar services. Learn which best suits your organization's data integration and ETL requirements.  Continue Reading

• Which should I choose? AWS Shield vs WAF vs Firewall Manager

  AWS WAF focuses on Layer 7 protection, while Shield protects against DDoS attacks. Firewall Manager manages the protection. Learn their key features, pricing and use cases.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• When and how to search with Amazon CloudWatch Logs

  Logs can reveal important information about your systems, such as patterns and errors. Learn how to search logs with CloudWatch Logs, key concepts and other options.  Continue Reading

• Learn the basics of SaaS licensing and pricing models

  SaaS licensing can be tricky to navigate, and a wrong choice could cost you. To get it right, examine the different types of licenses and the main pricing models.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• What are FinOps tools and how do I choose one?

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

• A SaaS evaluation checklist to choose the right provider

  Replacing a legacy app with a SaaS alternative can be tedious. Create a checklist related to reliability, support and uptime to pick the right SaaS app and provider.  Continue Reading

• 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

• What is the resource hierarchy structure in AWS?

  Review the resource hierarchy to gain a better understanding of what's happening at each step when you deploy a new service, give it permissions and have an admin manage it.  Continue Reading

• Implement these 4 AWS Organizations best practices

  To successfully use AWS Organizations, admins must grasp key concepts related to organizational units, service control policies, and management and member accounts.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate key Azure Data Factory benefits and limitations

  Organizations have plenty of options for data integration tools, some on premises and others in the cloud. Find out which type is the better fit and whether Azure is a good choice.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• How cost and complexity factor into AWS DR strategies

  To choose the right AWS disaster recovery plan, understand how much downtime your business can tolerate -- and how DR scenarios affect your monthly costs.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Compare Azure instance types for cloud workloads

  Deciding on the best Azure compute instance type for a cloud workload involves many choices. Use these tips to help select the right size VM, optimized for the right tasks.  Continue Reading

• Compare DigitalOcean vs. Vultr for cloud deployments

  Sometimes a cloud provider that isn't a big name can be just what you're looking for. Vultr and DigitalOcean are such two providers, and here's how they compare.  Continue Reading

• Follow these 5 best practices for cloud-native app development

  Cloud app developers can strategically create and maintain better applications if they know and follow best practices of cloud-native app development.  Continue Reading

• Compare Azure Bicep vs. Terraform to provision infrastructure

  In comparing Azure Bicep vs Terraform, Azure cloud admins can make an informed decision on which IaC service they want to use to automate deployment of their cloud.  Continue Reading

• Use Amazon CloudWatch metrics to monitor Aurora

  Application owners need to know the vital metrics that affect database health. CloudWatch and DevOps Guru monitor Amazon Aurora performance to give users valuable insights.  Continue Reading

• What does a cloud network engineer do?

  A cloud network engineer juggles a number of responsibilities -- from network design and troubleshooting to knowledge of specific cloud providers and platforms.  Continue Reading

• Apply these FinOps best practices to optimize cloud costs

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

• When to use Amazon RDS vs. Redshift

  Let's look at the similarities and differences between Amazon RDS and Redshift. Discover key factors, such as price and scalability, to consider in the database choice.  Continue Reading

• Compare Google Cloud Run vs. App Engine for enterprise software

  Google's Cloud Run and App Engine both aim to accelerate app development and simplify deployment. Developers will want to choose between the services on a case-by-case basis.  Continue Reading

• Dig into Oracle Cloud's Always Free offerings

  Oracle's Always Free services let developers build and experiment with cloud-native apps without incurring costs. There are, however, important limitations to note.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 3 best practices to manage SaaS subscriptions

  Seemingly simple tools -- such as spreadsheets and work calendars -- can go a long way in helping IT teams keep track of SaaS billing and contract renewals.  Continue Reading

• Guide to creating a cloud migration testing strategy

  Follow these guidelines to help craft a strategy for cloud migration testing, from key tests to run to common challenges and best practices -- and why everything involves security.  Continue Reading

• 3 popular machine learning certifications to get in 2022

  Google, AWS and Azure offer machine learning certifications for the cloud that can further your career. Learn what to expect from each exam, skills you need to know and study tips.  Continue Reading

• Increase cloud visibility with these 4 best practices

  Cloud environments are complex and have many moving parts. Implement a cloud visibility strategy to track those moving parts and prevent cost, performance and security issues.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 5 centralized logging best practices for cloud admins

  Centralized logging -- particularly within hybrid and multi-cloud environments -- can boost an IT team's monitoring strategy and accelerate troubleshooting.  Continue Reading

• An introduction to migrating apps with AWS SaaS Boost

  Explore the benefits and drawbacks of migrating applications using AWS SaaS Boost. Learn how the Boost framework aids migration and how to get started.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• Break down the Google Cloud resource hierarchy

  Admins can use Organizations, Folders, Projects and Resources to manage employee access within Google Cloud. But first, they must understand the distinctions between each level.  Continue Reading

• 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

• How to transition to the cloud: 7 best practices

  The cloud can help improve an app's performance and cost, but businesses need to plan for success. Follow these best practices to ensure cloud migration success.  Continue Reading

• Explore 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

• 12 key steps for a successful cloud migration

  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 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

• 4 key items to add to a SaaS agreement checklist

  SaaS apps can save enterprises time and money, but a bad SLA could reverse those benefits. Focus on these four items to optimize performance and uptime.  Continue Reading

• What are the main features of Azure Storage Explorer?

  With Azure Storage Explorer, cloud admins can centrally manage storage accounts and resources. Here are some key features to tap into.  Continue Reading

• 3 factors that influence multi-cloud cost optimization

  Without careful oversight, multi-cloud deployments can be costly. These data management and security practices can help IT teams control and reduce monthly costs.  Continue Reading

• How to create an AWS Lambda function

  Many developers are turning to AWS Lambda as an alternative to EC2 instances. Here are two ways to create a Lambda function.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 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

• Where cloud cryptography fits in a security strategy

  IT teams face a never-ending challenge as they try to secure data. When that data lives in the cloud, encryption is a key concern. Implement these data encryption tips and tools.  Continue Reading

• Compare products within the Azure Stack portfolio

  Azure Stack Hub, Azure Stack HCI and Azure Stack Edge all support a hybrid cloud architecture. Learn their key differences in terms of form factor, management options and more.  Continue Reading

• An overview of Amazon EC2 vs. AWS Lambda

  EC2 and Lambda meet different needs in an AWS cloud environment -- but can also work together. The only limits are in the minds of cloud architects.  Continue Reading

• Break down the different AWS Graviton2 instance types

  AWS Graviton2 processors power a range of EC2 instance types. To select the right one, consider an application's specific compute, memory and storage requirements.  Continue Reading

• 3 best practices for Amazon S3 cost optimization

  Everything a business runs in the cloud costs money, and AWS S3 storage is no exception. Smart AWS users understand how to adjust S3 storage levels to control costs.  Continue Reading

• How to negotiate a cloud agreement that works

  In a cloud initiative, the difference between disappointment and success is connected to the quality of the contract. Consider these negotiation strategies.  Continue Reading

• On premises vs. cloud: The major similarities and differences

  An organization deciding whether to run a workload on premises or in the cloud must carefully evaluate security, reliability, costs and other factors -- and ask four key questions.  Continue Reading

• HPE GreenLake vs. AWS Outposts: 2 approaches to hybrid cloud

  GreenLake and Outposts both deliver on-premises, cloudlike services, yet have stark differences in the approaches they take. Determine which fits your organization's needs.  Continue Reading

• When to use Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling vs. AWS Auto Scaling

  They sound similar, but Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling and AWS Auto Scaling have different purposes. Let's break down what each enables you to do and how exactly they differ.  Continue Reading

• How to manage cloud transfer and egress charges

  It's expensive -- sometimes shockingly expensive -- to move data out of the cloud. Consider these factors to avoid costly data transfer bills.  Continue Reading

• How to avoid 4 common errors in EC2 Instance Connect

  The EC2 Instance Connect feature enables users to securely connect instances, but there are certain pitfalls to avoid. Here are some issues to look out for.  Continue Reading