In Depth

In Depth

Managing servers and operating systems

• Hyper-converged infrastructure: Why software-defined everything might not work for all datacentres

  Choosing the right converged infrastructure in the first instance can pivot on a trade-off between security and agility requirements  Continue Reading

• Prioritising workloads in a hyper-converged infrastructure migration

  A cost-effective approach to combining virtualisation and unified management probably means deploying it workload by workload, experts suggest  Continue Reading

• How colocation fits alongside a cloud-native architecture

  IT departments are on a cloud-native roadmap to become more agile, but they are constrained by the risks involved in migrating core systems and data  Continue Reading

• How long until cloud becomes the preferred environment to run HPC workloads?

  The high-performance computing market is growing, but enterprises that have already made large investments in on-premise HPC will need to weigh up whether a move to the cloud would be worth their while  Continue Reading

• How intelligent workload management tools can help IT admins cut through cloud complexity

  IT administrators have to manage an increasingly complex and varied range of application types and IT environments, and intelligent workload management tools offer a helping hand with that  Continue Reading

• Storage analytics: How AI helps storage management

  We look at storage analytics products that measure key metrics in storage hardware, single-vendor and multi-vendor tools, and how AI-based storage management and AIOps is emerging  Continue Reading

• A Dell of a deal: What a VMware spin-off could mean for datacentre operators

  Analysts doubt that Dell would be fool enough to entirely divest itself of VMware, which continues to offer massive value to the enterprise. And how would a change affect the datacentre?  Continue Reading

• The AWS bucket list: Keep your cloud secure

  Misconfigured cloud installations risk billions of records being exposed, damaging organisations’ finances and reputations. Paying attention to securing AWS storage buckets is a simple matter  Continue Reading

• Lean, mean and green: The datacentres of the future

  Working out how to develop more efficient datacentres in an increasingly resource-hungry world is not easy, but it is possible  Continue Reading

• Datacentres operators must move away from diesel backup generators to give back to grid

  While the diesel backup generators used by datacentre operators have a limited environmental impact, using them for extended periods of time to power sites to feed energy back into the grid is not a sustainable solution to growing electricity demand  Continue Reading

• How AI and data analytics are driving composable infrastructure adoption in datacentres

  As enterprises continue to grapple with how to make sense of their big data stores, organisations are having to rethink how they kit out their datacentres, with composable infrastructure leading the way  Continue Reading

• Evolution in action: The changing face of the datacentre

  The role datacentres play in the wider enterprise IT landscape is changing, fuelling the demand for a mix of different types of facilities that are capable of meeting the growing variety of enterprise data-processing requirements  Continue Reading

• Uptime and availability: Making sense of supplier SLAs

  Enterprises need to read the fine print of supplier service-level agreements (SLA) or risk finding themselves caught short during downtime incidents  Continue Reading

• Blackout after Brexit: UK datacentres brace for post-EU power supply and cost changes

  As the uncertainty over how the UK intends to extricate itself from the European Union rumbles on, datacentre operators are weighing up how Brexit might affect the availability and cost of the power they need to run their facilities in future  Continue Reading

• EMIS Group CIO: Breaking down NHS patient data silos by going all-in on AWS

  EMIS Group CIO Pete Malcolm is in the throes of a sizeable revamp of the healthcare provider's flagship software system for GPs that will see it go all-in on AWS, while addressing the government's push to make NHS data systems more open and ...  Continue Reading

• Why VMware is betting big on containers, edge computing and IoT

  With the server virtualisation game won, VMware is having to diversify into new areas, with cloud-native computing emerging as a top area of interest for the firm  Continue Reading

• SDN: Where is it now and what is the future?

  Software-defined networking is one of the great IT hype stories of this century – we look at where it stands now  Continue Reading

• IT administrator 2.0: Adapting to life in the automation age

  As the use of automation becomes increasingly pervasive in enterprise IT environments, systems administrators need to adapt and update their skills to remain relevant  Continue Reading

• The importance of adopting an evergreen IT strategy

  Today's modern IT systems are potentially tomorrow's legacy technology problems, without an "evergreening strategy" in place  Continue Reading

• Windows Virtual Desktops: Microsoft takes virtual Windows mainstream on Azure

  Microsoft is fleshing out its virtual desktop proposition by allowing enterprises to access Windows via its Azure platform, but what does this mean for its competitors?  Continue Reading

• Infrastructure patching at scale: What you need to know

  Embarking on an enterprise-wide patching exercise can be a daunting process for IT departments, but there are few things that can be done to make it less fraught and ensure effectiveness  Continue Reading

• Dividing lines: EU bid to curb server energy use has the European datacentre community split

  An EU-backed push to curb European datacentre energy use has proven to be a divisive issue, as debate rages over the usefulness of using idle energy to determine the overall efficiency of servers  Continue Reading

• Enhance efficiency by automating IT services

  We look at the role of artificial intelligence and chatbots in IT service management  Continue Reading

• DevOps done right: How to break down the IT department silos without alienating developers

  Enterprise DevOps adoption rests on securing buy-in at all levels of the company, but developer support is not a given, particularly when it means taking on responsibilities outside their traditional roles  Continue Reading

• Why Kubernetes is emerging as a critical enabler of multi-cloud

  The buzz around containers is showing no signs of stopping, with Kubernetes fast emerging as the technology of choice for enterprises looking to build multi-cloud environments  Continue Reading

• Mergers and acquisitions: Bringing together separate IT departments

  Bringing together the assets of two separate companies can be a fraught business, particularly when it comes to merging IT departments  Continue Reading

• Data recovery disasters: Kroll Ontrack on how it helps enterprises bounce back

  Data recovery expert Kroll Ontrack provides a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges enterprises and consumers face getting their files and information back when disaster strikes  Continue Reading

• Keeping cloud costs in check: Why good governance is key

  Without proper checks and controls in place, it is all too easy for the cost of using cloud to spiral out of control in enterprises, but it doesn't have to be  Continue Reading

• The bitcoin boom: How colocation datacentres are cashing in on cryptocurrency mining

  Cryptocurrency miners are turning to colocation providers to help scale up their operations, drive profits and boost their resiliency, but the benefits could be relatively short-lived for all concerned, it seems  Continue Reading

• Serverless computing: What it is and why it matters

  Enterprises might be forgiven for thinking serverless computing is just the latest in a long line of hyped technology concepts, but there is serious substance to it  Continue Reading

• Intel vs AMD: Server rivals battling it out for edge datacentre supremacy

  Chipmakers Intel and AMD are targeting edge computing environments with their latest embedded chips. What do each firm's propositions have to offer?  Continue Reading

• Cloud management platforms: What you need to know to make multi-cloud happen

  Deploying a cloud management platform can make adopting a multi-cloud approach to consuming IT resources easier, but choosing one that is the right fit for your enterprise can be a challenge for CIOs  Continue Reading

• Staffordshire University goes all-in on Microsoft Azure for digital transformation

  Andrew Proctor, director of digital services at Staffordshire University, describes how ditching its datacentres and moving to the Microsoft Azure public cloud has set the organisation on the path to digital transformation  Continue Reading

• The multi-cloud myth: Why workload portability is still a pipe dream

  While IT providers are fond of suggesting moving workloads between clouds is as easy as dragging and dropping apps between environments, the reality can be far more complex  Continue Reading

• The Sanger Institute on using datacentre upgrades to help decode the human genome

  Paul Woobey, IT director at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, tells Computer Weekly why the organisation's HPC workload requirements cannot be fulfilled by a move to the cloud  Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged choices: DIY HCI software deployments

  What are the advantages of do-it-yourself hyper-converged infrastructure deployment and who are the key suppliers of HCI software? We run the rule over the DIY hyper-converged market  Continue Reading

• Getting stuck on OpenStack: Overcoming the open source cloud platform's upgrade barriers

  Some members of the OpenStack community are finding it a struggle to upgrade to newer versions of the open source cloud operating system. Could customisation be to blame?  Continue Reading

• Tips for buying hyper-converged systems

  Hyper-converged infrastructure has become a commonly used term. But what is it? And is it necessary for your organisation?  Continue Reading

• Changing tracks: Examining VMware's evolving hybrid cloud strategy

  The past 12 months have seen VMware apply a number of tweaks to its hybrid cloud strategy. We look at what these changes means for the company’s future and technology roadmap  Continue Reading

• Hyper-convergence marches on in APAC

  The battle to rein in IT complexity in the Asia-Pacific region continues with hyper-converged systems that promise to offer cloud-like benefits for enterprises  Continue Reading

• Changing channels: How DevOps, shared infrastructure and smart hiring help ITV innovate

  Tom Clark, head of Common Platform at ITV, explains how embracing agile thinking and shared infrastructure is helping the broadcaster stay one step ahead of its commercial competitors  Continue Reading

• Australian startups find their way in the cloud

  Public cloud services have empowered Australian startups to scale up and go global from day one  Continue Reading

• New model datacentres require hybrid approach

  CIOs must marry legacy datacentre infrastructure with the agility of public and private cloud environments  Continue Reading

• Moore’s Law is running out – but don’t panic

  Can system performance continue to improve to cope with the burgeoning needs of datacentres  Continue Reading

• Docker storage: how to get persistent storage in Docker

  Docker, by default, doesn’t come with persistent storage, which presents an issue to some workloads customers that want to run in containers – however, there are ways to achieve persistent storage  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of cloud bursting

  The much-vaunted benefits of cloud computing can be overshadowed by portability and interoperability issues  Continue Reading

• Datacentre cooling upgrades: Helping operators decide where best to invest

  Upgrading a datacentre cooling system is an expensive undertaking, but should operators stick with what they've always done or try something new?  Continue Reading

• Datacentre security: Why operators must give cyber and physical threats equal attention

  Datacentre operators often talk up the physical security measures they have in place, but are they at risk of overlooking cyber threats?  Continue Reading

• [email protected]: How UK home brew gave computing to the masses

  From batch processing to the graphical user interface, from desktop PCs to smartphones, from luggables to wearables, computing has come a long way since Computer Weekly was first published in 1966. We look at some of the personal computers that ...  Continue Reading

• The Bimodal IT backlash: Should IT departments subscribe to the notion of a two-tier workforce?

  Gartner’s Bimodal IT vision has captured the imaginations of some CIOs, but industry watchers have queried how well cultivating a two-tier IT department works in reality  Continue Reading

• [email protected]: The changing face of the datacentre over the past 50 years

  As Computer Weekly prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, we take a look back at how the design and role of the datacentre has changed over the past five decades  Continue Reading

• PCIe SSD roundup 2016: Some stall while others progress

  The PCIe SSD market is still important, but PCIE flash drive makers are split between those that continue to develop their products and those for whom product evolution has stalled  Continue Reading

• Hybrid flash array roundup 2016: The Big Six

  Will 2015 be remembered as the last big year of hybrid flash storage? The Big Six offer hybrid flash, mostly based on HDD-era designs, and innovation has slowed as all-flash rises  Continue Reading

• Microsoft’s underwater datacentre: The pros and cons of running subsea facilities

  Underwater datacentres can help providers save on land costs and cooling, but at what cost to the environment?  Continue Reading

• What are containers and microservices?

  Independently deployable bits of code can be used to build agile applications. We look at some of the main players  Continue Reading

• Modular datacentre helps Belgian IT firm support Dutch and German customers

  Cegeka commissioned a new datacentre when its customer base expanded and decided on a modular approach to get it up and running quickly  Continue Reading

• The state of all-flash versus hybrid storage in Australia and New Zealand

  Magnetic disk drives are yesterday’s technology. Soon all servers will be based on all-flash arrays – or will they?  Continue Reading

• Top 10 datacentre stories of 2015

  Computer Weekly's top 10 datacentre stories and trend pieces of 2015  Continue Reading

• EU Data Protection Regulation: What the EC legislation means for cloud providers

  With the European Commission's data protection rules set to drop before 2016, take a look at what the changes mean for the cloud and datacentre community  Continue Reading

• Virtualisation and storage: Five ways to do it better

  Server and desktop virtualisation bring many savings, but you have to work smart to ensure storage performs efficiently. We survey the top five pitfalls and how to avoid them  Continue Reading

• Using SAP Hana as a data warehouse

  Enterprises are using SAP Hana for in-memory data marts and SAP Business Warehouse implementations that integrate with other data warehouses  Continue Reading

• Barriers to adoption: Why are local councils holding back on G-Cloud?

  Is outsourcing, the dominance of incumbent providers, or a lack of central government guidance to blame for the low number of councils using G-Cloud?  Continue Reading

• Case study: Open University uses Microsoft Azure to create course content clearance hub

  The Open University recently scooped the award for Best Cloud Project at the CW European User Awards, and here's why  Continue Reading

• Turning machine data into operational intelligence

  We look at how companies analyse server and security logs to tackle cybercrime and internal fraud, and optimise the user experience  Continue Reading

• Overcoming the business and technology barriers to DevOps adoption

  What steps should the enterprise take in adopting this approach to software development and delivery  Continue Reading

• ARM wrestles its way into the datacentre with the help of 64-bit chips

  Intel x86 technology has traditionally ruled the datacentre roost, but could the power consumption benefits of ARM 64-bit systems change all that?  Continue Reading

• Cloud boosts demand for datacentres in Poland and eastern Europe

  The datacentre market in both central and eastern Europe and Poland has recorded double–digit growth  Continue Reading

• Build in resilience to simplify workloads with hybrid cloud

  Hybrid cloud offers benefits of hosted applications and offloading manual tasks but beware latency and outages in mission-critical functions  Continue Reading

• Cloud and the need for microservices

  Cloud holds the promise to change the way IT supports the business by using hybrid private/public cloud services  Continue Reading

• How to achieve optimum performance in a hybrid cloud

  As hybrid cloud systems become increasingly popular, we look at how to implement them and the advantages they can offer  Continue Reading

• Why 2015 won't be the year of software-defined everything

  With the technical and market parameters of SDE still taking shape, CIOs are in no rush to adopt, despite the hype going into overdrive  Continue Reading

• Software-defined datacentres a work in progress

  IT managers need to adopt interim SDDC offerings and build on them as the technology matures  Continue Reading

• Microservices: How to prepare next-generation cloud applications

  A microservice architecture promotes developing and deploying applications composed of autonomous, self-contained units  Continue Reading

• Networking technologies emerging in the enterprise

  We look at the latest networking technologies on offer, and those being adopted in the enterprise  Continue Reading

• Managing risk after support for Windows Server 2003 ends

  With Microsoft due to end support for Windows Server 2003 in July 2015, we look at best practice for migration  Continue Reading

• Cloud, frozen pizza model and the immutable infrastructure

  The architecture pattern for immutable infrastructure is based on the made-to-order pizza model  Continue Reading

• Demystifying Kubernetes: the tool to manage Google-scale workloads in the cloud

  We are witnessing a new technology wave in the form of immutable infrastructure and micro-services  Continue Reading

• Intel is making waves in the growing microserver market

  Analysts predict the microserver market will account for more than 10% of the server market by 2016. But what progress is x86 heavyweight Intel making in the field  Continue Reading

• Harnessing the power of cloud with VMware vCloud Automation Center (vCAC)

  Firms planning an SDDC strategy need a tool to manage, automate and orchestrate their IT - such as VMware vCloud Automation Centre  Continue Reading

• Software asset management is key to datacentre planning

  An ordered approach to managing software and hardware assets is essential to maximising your datacentre  Continue Reading

• Will silicon photonics replace copper cabling in mainstream datacentres?

  Silicon photonics can increase bandwidth in servers, improve data transfer speeds and reduce complexity. But are datacentres ready for it?  Continue Reading

• Automating workloads to improve business efficiency

  In the age of the customer, more and more pressure is being put on workload automation. We look at where workload automation is heading.  Continue Reading

• Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust secures government backing for £6m IT modernisation programme

  CIO interview: Joanna Smith, CIO. Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust  Continue Reading

• Can telcos tap into the datacentre business?

  Telcos have always run datacentres, but now many are hoping to give commercial providers a run for their money  Continue Reading

• BAFTA nominates cloud to boost web performance

  Arts organisation moves to Rackspace to handle awards-season peaks and help meet the ever-growing demand for rich media content  Continue Reading

• Spring cleaning your datacentre

  Although domestic spring cleaning seems to have faded somewhat, perhaps we should consider whether a datacentre spring clean is a good idea  Continue Reading

• Can the mainframe remain relevant in the cloud and mobile era?

  IBM mainframes run more than 1.1m transactions per second, yet the mainframe has remained largely unfashionable. We investigate  Continue Reading

• Blackrock: measuring risk in a datacentre

  How the investment giant handles the risk of managing $13 trillion of other people’s money  Continue Reading

• Human factors in the datacentre

  Whether to ensure business continuity or maximise returns, everyone from the finance director to the facilities manager needs further datacentre education  Continue Reading

• The UK’s problem with power

  Datacentre power buyers say Britain’s deregulated energy market is as complex as trading in derivatives  Continue Reading

• Future job of the senior infrastructure manager

  Hybrid cloud architectures will need IT departments to move from core server skills to managing the capacity to let developers code  Continue Reading

• Get ready for the datacentre storm

  With a wave of innovations rolling ever faster towards the datacentre, analysts say 2014 is the year organisations must plot their course through choppy waters  Continue Reading

• Optimising application performance with flash storage

  At a Computer Weekly roundtable, IT leaders heard how Cancer Research UK achieved a 30% improvement in application performance  Continue Reading

• VMworld Europe User Awards 2013 open for entries

  The VMworld Europe User Awards 2013 is now open for entries. Read the criteria and find out how to submit here.  Continue Reading

• Best of VMworld Europe User Awards: Entry Criteria

  All the information you need to know for the VMworld Europe User Awards.  Continue Reading

• Public sector IT procurement, G-Cloud and the SMEs

  Is the government's intent to widen public sector IT procurement to include SMEs and its G-Cloud diktat improving SME-government engagement?  Continue Reading

• Can hyperscale computing eclipse enterprise storage?

  Pioneered by Facebook and Google, hyperscale computing and storage is built on cheap commodity parts with redundancy at device level  Continue Reading

• The dark side of software-defined datacentres

  As different suppliers have different strategies for software-defined datacentres, is the lack of standards leading to chaos?  Continue Reading

• How to move data and applications in the cloud

  IT must be prepared with a strategy to minimise the impact of the failure of their cloud or datacentre provider  Continue Reading

• Top technologies that can make your datacentre green

  Energy-efficient technologies that can reduce running costs in the datacentre and across the business  Continue Reading