Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• 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 available from AWS, Google and Microsoft.  Continue Reading

• Compare EMR, Redshift and Athena for data analysis on AWS

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

• Google Anthos features and updates

  Review the latest improvements to Google's hybrid cloud platform, such as bolstered multi-cloud and on-premises support. Here are the Anthos updates you won't want to miss.  Continue Reading

• Choose the right Google Cloud serverless service

  When it comes to selecting a serverless tool, Google Cloud users have plenty of options. Evaluate the platform's suite of serverless offerings to make the right choice.  Continue Reading

• Compare Azure Firewall vs. NSGs for network security

  Traffic to and from resources needs proper security to protect data, but the wrong tool could leave you vulnerable. Explore these two services to find the right level of protection.  Continue Reading

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

  Review the similarities and differences between CloudFront and Cloudflare to help your IT team choose between these two popular CDN services.  Continue Reading

• What is the difference between Amazon MSK and Kinesis?

  When it comes to data stream processing and analysis, AWS offers Amazon Kinesis or a managed version of Apache Kafka. Compare these two options to pick the best fit for your app.  Continue Reading

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

  How can you approach container orchestration on AWS? Learn the basics about ECS, EKS, DIY Kubernetes and Fargate before you choose an application architecture for your workloads.  Continue Reading

• How do I configure AWS Lambda functions in a VPC?

  Lambda and VPCs are essential to many AWS architectures, but they don't come together as intuitively as you might think. Learn how to configure Lambda functions within a VPC.  Continue Reading

• Why is high availability important in cloud computing?

  How many "nines" does your own cloud app really need? High availability is still an important factor in a cloud SLA, but uptime needs vary for each service and company.  Continue Reading

• DynamoDB on-demand vs. provisioned capacity: Which is better?

  There are two primary ways to handle capacity in DynamoDB: on-demand or provisioned. Learn the advantages, concerns and use cases for each option.  Continue Reading

• When should I use Amazon RDS vs. Aurora Serverless?

  Before choosing between Aurora Serverless and Amazon RDS, consider each service's benefits and limitations to ensure you find the right use case and stick to your cloud budget.  Continue Reading

• When should my company use cloud arbitrage?

  Organizations can escape vendor lock-in with a cloud arbitrage model. However, it requires an upfront investment and a solid understanding of the limitations of this approach.  Continue Reading

• When should you use cloud vs. on-premises storage?

  Choose the right data storage approach with this breakdown on the differences between cloud and on-premises storage. Consider cost, compliance, performance and other factors.  Continue Reading

• What is the difference between AKS and Azure Service Fabric?

  Azure users have a few ways to manage containers on Microsoft's cloud. Learn when and why to pick between two of them -- AKS and Service Fabric.  Continue Reading

• How do I store secrets in AWS so they don't appear in my code?

  To secure a cloud environment, IT teams must keep their application's secrets under wraps. Learn how AWS users can keep sensitive information out of their code with tools like Secrets Manager.  Continue Reading

• How do I apply ECS auto scaling to my containerized apps?

  Break down ECS auto scaling options for container-based applications on AWS. Learn how to automatically scale at the service and cluster level to match user demand.  Continue Reading

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

  Some enterprises avoid the public cloud due to its multi-tenant nature and data security concerns. Learn what data separation is and how it can keep your data safe.  Continue Reading

• How do I integrate cloud AI APIs into existing apps?

  Learn how to build AI into your apps with the help of cloud services and prepare for some of the challenges you can expect to face along the way.  Continue Reading

• What are common uses for cloud AI APIs?

  Curious about AI? See top use cases of how cloud-based AI APIs and services can boost application functionality.  Continue Reading

• What's a cloud migration factory, and how does it work?

  When properly implemented -- and understood -- a cloud migration factory combines the right mix of people, processes and tools to smoothly transition an app into the public cloud.  Continue Reading

• Explore the revert-to-snapshot feature in OpenStack Cinder

  OpenStack Cinder has added a revert-to-snapshot function, enabling enterprises to recover from corrupted data sets. However, if the feature falls into the wrong hands, risks arise.  Continue Reading

• What is a Helm Chart and how can it improve microservices?

  Learn about Helm Charts and how Kubernetes supports a microservices architecture. Expert Ken Milberg discusses what you need to know before delving in.  Continue Reading

• What are the best SDK tools for automating blockchain services?

  As blockchain matures, an ecosystem of tools continues to sprout up around it. Learn how these offerings, including the Hyperledger Fabric Client SDK, can help with a deployment.  Continue Reading

• Use OpenStack Senlin, Heat templates to enable autoscaling

  As it is with other cloud platforms, autoscaling in OpenStack is important to meet changing workload demands. Here's how to enable that process with Senlin and Heat templates.  Continue Reading

• What are the best database services for PaaS offerings?

  When you move to PaaS for your web-based apps, remember to think about database services. Consider the benefits of moving your database to a fully supported cloud infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• What are the pros, cons of PaaS offerings from AWS, Google, Microsoft?

  Get started with exploring these PaaS offerings: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Google App Engine and Microsoft Azure. An IT veteran summarizes their pros and cons.  Continue Reading

• Compare OpenStack local storage options for now and in the future

  SSDs, HDDs and NVMe can all provide local storage for an OpenStack deployment. But what are the benefits and tradeoffs of each, and how will these technologies evolve?  Continue Reading

• What are some ways to stop and restart OpenStack instances?

  Admins can pause, suspend, shelve or stop a compute instance in OpenStack. But what are the key differences between each option?  Continue Reading

• How does Azure Premium Storage billing work?

  For Azure Premium Storage, are users billed by how much storage capacity they actually use or how much they reserve or allocate?  Continue Reading

• How can I reduce private cloud costs during and after deployment?

  Whether using OpenStack, Azure Stack, or another private cloud platform, there are a number of hardware and tuning decisions IT pros can make to save some cash.  Continue Reading

• How can we customize the OpenStack Horizon dashboard?

  Admins can use the OpenStack Horizon dashboard to deploy and manage cloud services. But what are some options for customizing the dashboard's view?  Continue Reading

• How do I prevent an I/O bottleneck in hybrid cloud?

  In a hybrid cloud deployment, what are some ways to eliminate I/O bottlenecks that hurt application performance?  Continue Reading

• What are my options for a third-party Azure management tool?

  Microsoft offers a number of management tools for Azure, but what are some options for third-party or open source management tools?  Continue Reading

• When should I use Azure VM Scale Sets?

  Microsoft Azure VM Scale Sets help cloud admins manage a collection of VMs as a single unit. But what workloads are they best suited for?  Continue Reading

• How is cloud penetration testing different for AWS, Google, Azure?

  Penetration tests help organizations spot vulnerabilities in their public cloud environments. But how are the testing requirements different for AWS, Google and Azure?  Continue Reading

• How are microservices and cloud computing related?

  Microservices and cloud are both on the up and up when it comes to enterprise adoption. But what exactly is the connection between the two technologies?  Continue Reading

• What is a cloud-based system?

  Get an overview of what a cloud-based system is and what would work best in your enterprise.  Continue Reading

• Is Google's PerfKit a reliable cloud benchmarking tool?

  As the IaaS market grows, choosing the right vendor becomes challenging. Google's PerfKit Benchmarker can help, but will it provide unbiased results?  Continue Reading

• What apps are suited for being hosted in the cloud?

  What types of applications are best suited for being hosted in the cloud? Read this expert answer to find out.  Continue Reading

• SaaS platform changes: Is there a migration model?

  Is there a data migration model if a company leaves the SaaS platform it has been using? Read this expert answer to find out.  Continue Reading

• Are there intellectual property issues with SaaS tools?

  Should businesses worry about intellectual property when using SaaS tools? Read this expert response to find out.  Continue Reading

• Facing the challenges of migrating applications to the Azure cloud

  Porting an existing application from on-premises to Microsoft Azure comes with challenges, but the hurdles aren't impossible to overcome.  Continue Reading

• Protecting cloud networks against DDoS and DoS attacks

  DDoS and DoS attacks are simple to implement but more difficult to prevent. How can these attacks on cloud services be avoided?  Continue Reading

• Google Compute Engine and Google App Engine: What is the difference?

  Many IT pros cannot distinguish Google Compute Engine from Google App Engine. Here are the most important details you need to know.  Continue Reading

• What are some best practices for cloud configuration?

  Traditional configuration practices fall short in the cloud. Here, Chris Moyer shares some best practices for cloud configuration.  Continue Reading

• What's the difference between a private cloud and a virtual data center?

  While virtualization is key to private cloud, the two are not synonymous. Features such as self-service provisioning will take your virtual data center to cloud.  Continue Reading