You may have noticed some URLs have the added S after “http.” This means a site has SSL security. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It keeps sensitive information, like social security numbers, credit card numbers, login credentials, or medical records, from being intercepted by encrypting the data while it passes between servers. Now, you might be thinking, if I don’t sell things online then I don’t need SSL security. Think again.

Today every organization has invested in the cloud for higher agility, scalability, computing performance, and more. With self-service portals offering easier provisioning, cloud-based services and platforms have reduced operational overheads on IT teams significantly. Further, with cloud, organizations can choose pay-as-you-go plans without making any heavy upfront investments, get full visibility into their spending, and achieve a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

Using a content management system (CMS) like Joomla instead of coding a site from scratch is a quick and effective way to create a website. Content management systems offer everything from flexibility and full control over your website to access to advanced features and functionality. These enable users to create beautiful and dynamic webpages. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced web developer, you’ll easily be able to find a CMS suited to your skill set and project needs.

The other day I found myself trying to tune a Ruby on Rails app I had written as a side project. (The app lets me keep track of my favorite eateries and pubs. It’s searchable, includes multiple images, and has stored locations.) On past projects, I relied on SolarWinds® Papertrail™, path testing, a lot of trial and error, and a general feel to try to improve performance. This time I thought I would give SolarWinds AppOptics™ Dev Edition a try.

Design applications to be modular. It’s a software design best practice. Modular programming is writing multiple independent programs that perform a single function but work together to achieve an overarching outcome. The benefit to this design is the smaller parts can be easily created and tested. New functionality can be slipped into the larger whole without interfering with other functions.

Hidden among your normal, everyday logs are any number of unexpected events and anomalies. These events can provide key insights when troubleshooting problems, tracing transactions, or monitoring performance and behavior. However, finding them can be challenging, especially if you’re unsure of what, or how, to look for them. Searching for unexpected events involves more than just searching for keywords like “error” or “critical”.