NVMe-oF is the modern appropriate protocol for getting the most out of NVMe drives, the fastest storage medium to date. Linux users have long been enjoying NVMe-oF, but Microsoft users have been left out. Now, StarWind has brought the power of NVMe-oF to Windows users by means of a lightweight 100% software solution.
Business needs and exceedingly rapid data growth require further infrastructure automation. Manual processes simply can’t keep up. IaC solutions leverage public cloud to describe and provide your infrastructure resources in code blocks. IaC increases app deployment speed, improves consistency, decreases human errors, reduces configuration drift and infrastructure development cost.
PowerToys have been a part of Windows for quite some time now. However, since Windows 11, new features in all areas are also relevant with the new OS release. PowerToys is a set of freeware system utilities created for advanced users and designed by Microsoft for use on the Windows OS. They exist to change or maximize productivity or alter customization.
Previously, we discussed how to integrate Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters into Azure Arc. Having done that, the GitOps extension is already available there along with Flux. GitOps allows you to deploy Git apps from Git repositories to your AKS, and Flux is a toolkit for keeping AKS clusters in sync. They make a very useful combo.
Windows 11 builds on its predecessor, bringing elevated usability and security. It will also have better integration with Windows Server 2022. As the shift to remote work solidifies, Windows 11 introduces such handy features as Microsoft Teams Integration, SMB over QUIC, SMB Compression, Increased Throughout Security, Virtual Desktops and Snap Layouts.
Rubrik Polaris is a centralized Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) backup management platform for On-Premises Rubrik Backup Appliances. It allows you to manage the appliances and backup/restore data to and from a compatible public cloud. Its main advantage, however, is that Polaris manages all backups the same, whether it’s a VM, a database, a mailbox, or a SharePoint site.
The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol has been used by Windows Server (WS) and Windows OS for quite a while now. However, its compression issues were resolved and integrated by Microsoft only in 2020. SMB compression allows saving on storage and time required to transfer and store the shared files. It also has various use cases, each having its own nuances.
Azure Arc is a multi-dimensional management software that allows operating resources across multiple clouds, services, and environments. This year, Microsoft added the possibility to integrate Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) into Azure Arc. This also means that GitOps gets integrated, too, which makes managing, syncing, and running everything that much easier.
Azure NetApp Files is akin to cloud-based shared storage for performance-intensive and latency-sensitive applications. It leverages both SMB and NFS protocols, so it’s applicable for both Windows and Linux. The service is designed to migrate and run your most demanding, complex, file-based applications in the cloud with no code change.