Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• How do data processing units support enterprise storage?

  While only a handful of hardware vendors offer DPUs, the technology has significant implications for IT storage systems -- and the admins who manage them.  Continue Reading

• Continuous innovation keeps tape relevant

  With each generation, tape gains density, stronger security and practical improvements to support long-term backup and archive strategies.  Continue Reading

• NAS vs. SAN vs. DAS: Key differences and best use cases

  Compare NAS, SAN and DAS and find out what to consider when using each type of storage system. Object storage and the cloud are additional available storage options.  Continue Reading

• SNMP vs. CMIP: What's the difference?

  While SNMP and CMIP originally competed as network management protocols in the 1980s, SNMP has emerged as the more relevant protocol, largely due to its simplicity.  Continue Reading

• 3 essential network analytics use cases

  Network analytics enables teams to monitor performance, identify issues early and improve efficiency. These use cases illustrate how insights can address network challenges.  Continue Reading

• Network security management challenges and best practices

  Threat actors are using increasingly sophisticated tools to make their attacks more costly. It's time for organizations to craft a comprehensive security management strategy.  Continue Reading

• 9 common network issues and how to fix them

  Common home and office network issues include poor Wi-Fi, slow speeds and hardware problems. Fixes involve upgrading equipment, reducing congestion and updating systems.  Continue Reading

• What is a good replacement for VMware vVols?

  The deprecation of VMware Virtual Volumes leaves a hole for some storage users. Substitute options include manually provisioning storage and using vSAN.  Continue Reading

• U.S. 5G fixed wireless access market: What leaders need to know

  FWA continues to grow globally, especially in the U.S. and India, as more companies learn its advantages for extending broadband to rural areas.  Continue Reading

• AIOps vs. MLOps: How are they different?

  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

• Traceroute vs. tracepath: What's the difference?

  Traceroute and tracepath are essential network diagnostic command-line tools used to trace the path of data from source to destination, but they serve slightly different purposes.  Continue Reading

• What are the 6 components of structured cabling?

  The six components of structured cabling are Entrance Facilities, Equipment Room, Backbone Cabling, Telecommunications Room, Horizontal Cabling and Work Area.  Continue Reading

• What are the types of requirements in software engineering?

  Requirements fall into three categories: business, user and software. See examples of each one, as well as what constitutes functional and nonfunctional software requirements.  Continue Reading

• The differences between cloud, fog and edge computing

  Cloud, edge and fog computing all support modern applications. Cloud computing offers centralized resources, edge enables real-time processing and fog connects them hierarchically.  Continue Reading

• TB vs. GB: Is a terabyte bigger than a gigabyte?

  A terabyte comprises more than 1 trillion bytes. Discover how the storage measurement scale was created and where a terabyte stands among other units of measurement today.  Continue Reading

• Why does DHCP use ports 67 and 68?

  DHCP servers use port 67/udp to receive requests and send responses, while DHCP clients use port 68/udp to broadcast discovery messages and receive configuration data.  Continue Reading

• The benefits and challenges of AI in network monitoring

  Using AI to track network activity streamlines management and predictive maintenance. But questions about data output integrity, security risks and integration complexities remain.  Continue Reading

• How to choose coding standards: Development best practices

  Learn how coding standards enhance quality and efficiency in software projects. Follow coding conventions and standards to achieve the five pillars of code quality.  Continue Reading

• Application vs. network load balancing: What's the difference?

  Network load balancing and application load balancing both handle traffic requests. However, they process and direct requests with different levels of speed and efficiency.  Continue Reading

• Cloudflare vs. Amazon CloudFront: Which CDN is right for you?

  Compare the key features of Cloudflare vs. Amazon CloudFront to determine which of these two popular CDN services best meets your organization's content delivery needs.  Continue Reading

• Cloud networking vs. cloud computing: What's the difference?

  Businesses might see cloud computing and cloud networking as interchangeable due to similarities, but the two strategies dictate different processes and fulfill different goals.  Continue Reading

• Explore the top 12 private cloud providers of 2025

  There are many factors to consider when choosing a private cloud platform. Explore these popular providers to see which one suits your business best.  Continue Reading

• What is data segregation and why is it important in the cloud?

  Data segregation, also commonly referred to as data separation, involves the policies and practices for isolating data and workloads based on specific criteria.  Continue Reading

• What are the 5 types of network management?

  Despite the changes in how organizations optimize network performance, the five foundational elements of network management -- also known as FCAPS -- remain the same.  Continue Reading

• How to test packet loss on Windows, macOS and Linux

  Network admins should know how to identify and test for packet loss. Diagnosing this issue doesn't require specialized tools or expensive software, but these four tools can help.  Continue Reading

• Compare network management vs. network monitoring

  Network monitoring is a vital part of network management. Both are essential to help network operations teams streamline operations and address potential issues.  Continue Reading

• 8 ways enterprises can enhance object storage security

  Object storage is a popular method for storing data, so security is critical. Access is a big piece, extending across several of the eight security best practices here.  Continue Reading

• 10 common issues when creating a private cloud

  Organizations that want to create a private cloud must prepare for a multitude of issues, including security, compliance, staff expertise and cost.  Continue Reading

• 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

• Telemetry vs. SNMP: Which is better for network management?

  Now that networks have become more complex, network management has become a challenge of its own. Enterprises can compare telemetry vs. SNMP to see which better suits their needs.  Continue Reading

• Managed vs. unmanaged switches: What are the differences?

  Managed and unmanaged network switches differ in various ways, including control and cost. Managed switches support more granular control, while unmanaged switches are easier to set up.  Continue Reading

• Amazon RDS vs. Aurora Serverless: What's the better option?

  Amazon RDS and Aurora Serverless both provide relational database services. But Aurora offers more flexible resource management and performance, and it can result in lower costs.  Continue Reading

• Network automation vs. orchestration: What's the difference?

  Automation and orchestration take different approaches to achieve network efficiency. However, network engineers can use them together to create an efficient, centralized network.  Continue Reading

• Recursive vs. iterative DNS queries: What's the difference?

  Name resolution translates human-readable hostnames to IP addresses for device configuration. DNS uses recursive or iterative methods to translate names into IP addresses.  Continue Reading

• 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

• HTTP vs. HTTPS: What's the difference?

  HTTP and HTTPS are web communication protocols. HTTP lacks security, while HTTPS encrypts data to adhere to the security standards of confidentiality, integrity and authenticity.  Continue Reading

• Different types of cloud load balancing and algorithms

  Learn how load balancing in the cloud differs from a traditional network traffic distribution, and explore services from AWS, Google and Microsoft.  Continue Reading

• What's the best way to protect against HDD failure?

  Whatever the reason for failure, HDDs are hard to repair. Admins need to get out in front of potential issues, like the four described here, to prevent prolonged downtime.  Continue Reading

• An introduction to SFP ports on a Gigabit switch

  SFP ports enable Gigabit switches to connect to a variety of fiber and Ethernet cables and extend switching functionality throughout the network.  Continue Reading

• MAC address vs. IP address: What's the difference?

  A MAC address and an IP address each identify network devices, but they do the jobs at different levels. Explore the differences between the two and learn why both are necessary.  Continue Reading

• CASB vs. SASE: What's the difference?

  CASB and SASE enhance network and SaaS application security. CASB acts as a security layer for cloud services, while SASE integrates networking and security into one framework.  Continue Reading

• Wireshark vs. tcpdump: What's the difference?

  Wireshark and tcpdump both aid network administrators in packet analysis. Wireshark's simple GUI contrasts with tcpdump's speed and scripting abilities, which enhances management.  Continue Reading

• Compare Amazon Redshift, Athena and EMR for data analysis

  Trying to decide among Amazon EMR, Amazon Redshift and Amazon Athena? Check out this overview of capabilities and use cases to help narrow down your choice.  Continue Reading

• SD-WAN vs. load balancing: How are they different?

  Load balancing is beneficial for network traffic distribution. SD-WAN can use load balancing for WAN connections, but it doesn't require load balancing to reap other benefits.  Continue Reading

• Use AI tools to simplify operations inside your data center

  AI is a cornerstone technology that will be part of future-proofing the data center. It will control operations like cooling, network optimization and configuration management.  Continue Reading

• Cloud security vs. network security: What's the difference?

  While network security focuses on solely protecting networks, cloud security provides protection for networks, servers, containers, apps and more.  Continue Reading

• How can AI help cloud storage security?

  AI can improve cloud storage security through such uses as encryption, storage management and anomaly detection, but admins must consider risks as well.  Continue Reading

• Classical internet vs. quantum internet: How do they differ?

  The quantum internet is a hypothetical secure network made of qubits. It differs from the classical internet with its use of quantum principles for enhanced security and computing.  Continue Reading

• How can flape storage help my organization?

  While flape was a concept coined by Wikibon back in 2012, now might be the time to employ the combination of flash and tape for a multi-tier storage system.  Continue Reading

• How to set up a Windows Server 2022 domain controller

  While the process to migrate from a legacy domain controller is not difficult, it does require advanced preparation to avoid connectivity issues and other problems.  Continue Reading

• Amazon ECS vs. Kubernetes: Which should you use on AWS?

  Learn the basics about Amazon ECS and Kubernetes, as well as EKS and Fargate, before you choose an application architecture for your workloads on AWS.  Continue Reading

• Do-While vs. Do-Until in PowerShell: What's the difference?

  PowerShell scripts have several loop options to make automation easy. Learn the difference between Do-While and Do-Until loops and choose which one works best for you.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Hyper-V vs. VMware vSphere: Feature comparison

  Hyper-V and VMware are in a perpetual battle for supremacy in the virtualization market. Although the hypervisors have similar features, they differ on some key capabilities.  Continue Reading

• Rack vs. blade server: What's the difference?

  Components in a physical data center are held in rack servers or blade servers. Learn the differences, what type of environment you need and which server uses work best.  Continue Reading

• Network simulation vs. emulation: What's the difference?

  Network engineers use simulation and emulation to test changes, which ensures reliable post-change performance. Network simulators create models, while emulators mimic networks.  Continue Reading

• SASE vs. NaaS: What's the difference?

  SASE and NaaS are network models with different goals. SASE combines SD-WAN with cloud-based security, while NaaS lets businesses outsource network management via a subscription model.  Continue Reading

• With CentOS going away, what should users do?

  Red Hat discontinued CentOS and replaced it with CentOS Stream. Other distributions, like Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux, provide free Linux OSes to the public.  Continue Reading

• What to know about UDP vulnerabilities and security

  UDP is a simple protocol, but it has inherent vulnerabilities that make it prone to attacks, such as limited packet verification, IP spoofing and DDoS attacks.  Continue Reading

• What are 5G's killer applications?

  5G's killer applications have yet to be fully realized -- or defined -- but some potentials include higher capacity, improved connectivity, private 5G and more.  Continue Reading

• What are 3 top Google Cloud Storage limitations?

  While Google Cloud Storage has several limitations, these three are among the most prevalent -- but users have straightforward ways to get around them.  Continue Reading

• What's the difference between Wi-Fi and the internet?

  The internet connects users to the outside world. Wi-Fi connects devices within a business, which then connect to other network devices and out to the internet.  Continue Reading

• How to roll back Git code to a previous commit

  Git reset and git revert can be lifesavers for developers. Follow these examples to see which command makes the most sense when mistakes arise during development.  Continue Reading

• Networking vs. telecom: What's the difference?

  Networking describes how devices interconnect to share resources with each other. Telecom, which includes networking, broadly refers to the exchange of data across long distances.  Continue Reading

• Traditional networks vs. IoT networks: What's the difference?

  An enterprise network is a system of interconnected devices that share information, while IoT is a system of devices connected to the internet that provides key analytics.  Continue Reading

• 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

• 5 common network services and their functions

  DHCP, DNS, NTP, 802.1x, and CDP and LLDP are some of the most common services network administrators use to secure, troubleshoot and manage enterprise networks.  Continue Reading

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of CLI and GUI?

  An old-fashioned command-line interface still has some advantages over its counterpart, the graphical user interface, when managing network devices. See how CLI and GUI stack up.  Continue Reading

• What are 5 top cloud data storage risks?

  Storing data in a cloud repository makes good sense and has many benefits. However, any decision to migrate important data to a cloud service brings some risks.  Continue Reading

• In WAN evolution, is software-defined now implied?

  Networking trends and innovations, such as automation and network as a service, have started to ingrain software-defined principles into WAN environments.  Continue Reading

• How to write a business requirements document in Agile

  An Agile software team shouldn't rely on rigid processes or a control board to get the job done, but it still needs to make business requirements a central focus. Enter the BRD.  Continue Reading

• What's the difference between network reliability and availability?

  Network reliability is how long infrastructure works without disruption. Network availability is the percentage of time infrastructure operates in a given time frame.  Continue Reading

• Traditional WAN vs. SD-WAN: How do they compare?

  While comparing traditional WAN vs. SD-WAN, network professionals can see the many benefits of SD-WAN, including centralized control and dynamic traffic management.  Continue Reading

• NFS vs. CIFS vs. SMB: What are the differences?

  There are stark differences among file sharing protocols NFS, CIFS and SMB. Compare access, application deployment, configuration and security, among other key features.  Continue Reading

• Beyond metrics, network SLAs should measure business ops

  Enterprises need to ensure network service-level agreements provide a comprehensive view of network service performance to support business operations.  Continue Reading

• Can composable infrastructure and computational storage mix?

  'Composable' and 'computational' are often said in the same breath, but how exactly are they related -- or not? While there are differences, a combination could serve enterprises.  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 can users securely access Google Cloud Storage?

  With security top of mind across IT, consider best practices for safe Google Cloud Storage access. Admins should be careful about assigning roles and permissions.  Continue Reading

• NOC vs. data center: What's the difference?

  Network operations centers and data centers are two facilities organizations use to store IT devices and manage operations. But they differ significantly in terms of purpose and operations.  Continue Reading

• How to set up backup internet connections for home offices

  Reliable connectivity and secure access are must-haves for employees working from home. Here are ideas to consider when designing backup internet connections for home offices.  Continue Reading

• What is the difference between WLAN and Wi-Fi?

  Although the terms WLAN and Wi-Fi are used interchangeably, the two wireless technologies differ. Wireless LAN uses radio technology to connect nodes, while Wi-Fi is a type of WLAN.  Continue Reading

• IPv4 vs. IPv6: What's the difference?

  IPv4 and IPv6 are two forms of IP addresses, but they differ in length and style. Compare the two, and find out why organizations might implement one over the other.  Continue Reading

• Wireless access point vs. router: What's the difference?

  The choice of a wireless access point vs. a router for wireless network connectivity depends on the physical size of the network, needs of the organization and the number of users.  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

• How do storage scalability and elasticity differ?

  Storage elasticity is less well known than scalability, but it helps admins with efficiency and cost. Both elasticity and scalability are key to modern storage systems.  Continue Reading

• NAS vs. object storage: What's best for unstructured data storage?

  There are advantages and disadvantages to using NAS or object storage for unstructured data. Find out what to consider when it comes to scalability, performance and workload type.  Continue Reading

• What are the top 5 Amazon S3 storage security best practices?

  Public bucket access is a prevalent and discussed S3 security issue. However, there are several other important security measures to take, including monitoring and MFA.  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

• Ethernet vs. Carrier Ethernet: How do they differ?

  Connectivity over longer distances and higher data rates are some of the major differences that separate Carrier Ethernet from traditional wired Ethernet.  Continue Reading

• What are some tips for storage of sensitive data?

  Loss or theft of sensitive data can lead to legal, compliance and business consequences. Be sure to take proper precautions to securely store that data.  Continue Reading

• What are guidelines for cloud-based video surveillance storage?

  Cloud-based video surveillance storage can help organizations with compliance and retention. Be mindful, though, as high storage volume can quickly make costs soar.  Continue Reading

• How can organizations prepare for a data storage audit?

  During data storage audit preparation, gather documentation on storage practices, test results and storage security plans. Evidence is crucial for a satisfactory report.  Continue Reading

• What is the role of machine learning in networking?

  Incorporating machine learning tools into a network can help teams predict traffic flows, generate smarter analytics, monitor network health, tighten security measures and more.  Continue Reading

• How does a NetOps strategy affect enterprise network teams?

  A NetOps approach uses DevOps frameworks to help network teams enable virtualization, automation and AI to create Agile networks and deploy applications faster.  Continue Reading

• Load sharing vs. load balancing: What's the difference?

  Load sharing and load balancing are two techniques that work to distribute traffic across a network. However, their methods of balancing differ significantly. Here's how.  Continue Reading

• Pairing SD-WAN, UCaaS together has benefits and challenges

  Organizations may combine SD-WAN and UCaaS to gain synergies and avoid multivendor complexities. But the combination of the two technologies can create challenges.  Continue Reading

• Network engineer vs. network administrator: What's the difference?

  The difference between a network engineer and network administrator is an engineer is focused on network design, while an administrator is more focused on operations.  Continue Reading

• What are the different types of network switches?

  Some of the different types of network switches include managed, modular, unmanaged and stackable. Find out how different network switches dovetail and differ.  Continue Reading

• How can organizations manage Microsoft Teams storage limits?

  Microsoft Teams storage limits can be complex for organizations to track. Learn the details and how to add Microsoft 365 storage to avoid capacity problems.  Continue Reading