Issue 37: Distributed Filesystems

When it comes to merging the cloud with local resources, Azure offers some useful automation tools.

Once you start putting services in Azure cloud, you might want to add an Active Directory domain controller.

Network virtualization takes very different approaches at the software and hardware levels to divide or group network resources into logical units independent of the physical layer. It is typically a matter of implementing secure strategies. We show the technical underpinnings of VLANs.

As IT infrastructure grows more complex, IT asset management tools become essential. They track an IT asset's life cycle from the purchase order, through practical usage, to disposal or reuse. One promising newcomer is Ralph, the open source specialist tool.

One of the biggest hurdles for prospective Linux administrators is a lack of standards for configuring systems based on different Linux distributions. The Open Linux Management Infrastructure – OpenLMI – is looking to establish and define a standard approach to configuring such systems.

Optimization, rationalization, and cost reduction are just as much a part of the IT administrator's everyday life as reliability and security issues. Opsi simplifies automated software installation in large computer networks.

Java 9 tempts programmers with innovations intended to facilitate the development and operation of Java applications.

Passwords should be safe, but easy to remember – a contradiction that can be difficult to resolve. One remedy is a password manager that stores all passwords centrally. The open source tip this month shows a different approach: FreeIPA.

PowerShell offers the perfect client management solution using DIY scripts and a simple storage solution.

In the early days of hacking, phreaking was used to make free long distance calls. Today, phreaking continues with more professional and better organized attacks. Here's how to protect yourself.