Deft Blog
Keep up with the latest insights in colocation, cloud, and disaster recovery services
Listen to this podcast featuring Kurt Mackey, CEO of Fly.io
Listen to this new podcast interview with Kurt Mackey, CEO of Fly.io, a platform for running app servers close to users.
AWS Bottlerocket – A Quick, 9-Item Primer
Check out this quick, 9-item primer on AWS Bottlerocket, a new open source Linux-based Operating System (OS) that’s purpose-built to run containers.
Your disaster recovery plan has to work
It’s important to have a disaster recovery plan, but it’s equally as important to make sure that it works. Here’s how.
iDRAC vulnerability puts Dell EMC PowerEdge systems at risk
SCTG is taking steps to mitigate a vulnerability (CVE-2020-5366) in the iDRAC9 controller onboard Dell EMC PowerEdge 14th-Generation servers.
SIGRed: What you need to know about Microsoft’s latest vulnerability
Security researchers have discovered a 17-year old bug in Windows Server that allows a hacker to gain Domain Admin rights to your system. Here’s what to do.
Why everyone says data centers are dead
No one wants to deal with building their own data center anymore. But cloud isn’t the only alternative.
ServerCentral Turing Group Provides Managed IT Services to Essential Chicago Businesses
In light of rapidly changing business conditions, ServerCentral Turing Group (SCTG), today announced its Essential Chicago initiative to provide managed IT services to Chicago essential businesses for the remainder of 2020. The company’s Essential...
VMware releases vCenter security advisory
VMware announced a vCenter security vulnerability (VMSA-2020-0006) rated 10 out of 10 on the CVSS v3 scale. That’s not good.
Fighting the coronavirus with computers
COVID-19 research is performed in labs — but not the kind you might think. Thanks to the biomedical research platform Folding@home (F@h), computer labs operating out of regular people’s homes are actually running the complex calculations that will help scientists understand the coronavirus. Here’s how to get involved.
Secure your backups in 5 steps
To secure your backups, start by combining a local NAS or USB backup with a remote cloud backup (e.g., AWS or Google) for remote employees using storage.
What companies get wrong about disaster recovery
Most businesses have a DR plan. But 23% of them admit to never testing their plans. That’s a problem — but not an unsolvable one.
Buzz vs. substance: which cloud technologies are actually viable?
Here’s a quick overview of the buzz (and substance) behind three of the most talked-about cloud technologies.
Addressing the CVE-2020-0796 security vulnerability
SCTG is currently taking steps to mitigate the CVE-2020-0796 security vulnerability on all internal systems and platforms. We advise all customers to take the necessary precautions to mitigate this exploit on their systems also.
Northern Virginia Colocation Price Traps
Here’s how to avoid common colocation price traps in the Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. area.
Out with the old, in with the new – Windows 7/2008 are now End-of-Life
As of January 14th, 2020, Microsoft’s Windows 7 and Server 2008 operating systems are officially “End-of-Life”.
Avoiding cloud bill surprises, what smart companies do differently, and more
Read excerpts from a convo between two employees about how to avoid cloud bill surprises, why smart companies approach tech differently, and more.
Deft ranks as top cloud consulting and managed IT services firm
Clutch.co has recognized Deft as a Top 5 Global Cloud Consultant and a Top 5 Managed IT Services Firm. Companies are ranked based on verified client reviews, which are collected through in-depth phone and email interviews. Receiving these awards is an outstanding...
Guiding customers along each step of the cloud transformation journey
Deft defines itself as a next-generation MSP by its ability to help customers execute a long-term cloud transformation strategy.
VMware Cloud service undergoes vCloud Director updates
We’re updating all Enterprise Cloud environments with vCloud Director 9.7.0.3. Here are some of the changes that customers can expect.
SCTG achieves AWS Government Competency
The AWS Government Competency recognizes APN Partners who have deep experience working with and providing AWS solutions for government customers.
How much cloud do I really need?
Right-sizing your infrastructure is a critical step in moving to the cloud — and we see companies skip it all the time. Here’s what to know before you move.
To survive your next IT disaster, you need a recovery plan
A strategic disaster recovery plan drastically improves your odds of surviving an IT outage or data loss. Here’s where to start.
SCTG achieves AWS DevOps Competency
SCTG’s AWS DevOps Competency recognizes our technical proficiency and proven customer success in the areas of CI/CD, monitoring, logging, performance, infrastructure as code, and consulting.
Getting started with serverless computing
With serverless, you can build and launch containerized applications without managing a fleet of servers. Here’s how to get started.
Introducing fully managed object storage
Today, we are formally introducing our Managed Object Storage (MOS) service. Learn all about it here.
It’s not colocation vs. cloud — the two grow your business together
Colocation vs. cloud is the wrong question to ask. Both should be working together to move your business forward. Learn more about skipping the debate here.
Going native at VMworld 2019
Several announcements at VMworld 2019 have given VMware users a lot to think about after an information-packed week. Here are a few tidbits that stood out.
2019 SOC 2 audit report now available
ServerCentral Turing Group’s 2019 audit-year SOC 2 Type II report is now available to download from the customer portal.
Mitigating Microsoft RDS vulnerabilities
Microsoft recently announced several critical security vulnerabilities. Here’s how to patch them ASAP.
ERP vulnerability reveals danger of under-resourced IT teams
How is it that schools are still affected by a vulnerability that was patched months ago? It’s simple: their IT teams couldn’t implement the patch in time.
The BlueKeep vulnerability and what you can do about it
If there aren’t enough reasons to make sure your patch management program is effective already, a vulnerability like BlueKeep gets discovered and reminds us all. Here’s what you can do about it.
The hidden costs of colocation
Colocation pricing can be tricky. Let’s cover some hidden costs to be aware of the next time you’re shopping for a colocation contract.
Amazon makes cloud security easy
With AWS, it’s easy to attain Amazon-level cloud security when you’re most certainly not Amazon.
5 easy steps to improve your AWS security
I can’t stress how important it is to safeguard your AWS environment. Here are five easy steps that anyone can do right now to improve their AWS security.
Tips for ordering carrier circuits
Ordering a carrier cross connect in a data center should be easier than it is. Here are some insider tips to help you smooth out the process.
SCTG ranked among top IT service and AWS consulting companies on Clutch
After interviewing our customers, Clutch has named SCTG among the top companies for IT services and AWS consulting.
A cloud cost control strategy that works
To work for the long term, cloud cost control has to start with strategy. Here’s a simple way to find one that works.
Unlocking data silos to make smarter decisions
Data silos help keep information private within departments, but that privacy can cloud the clarity of vision across the business. Here’s when and why to unlock siloed data.
The questions everyone asks about cloud migrations
Here’s what our customers ask us about cloud migrations, like, “Why does my app perform worse in the cloud?”
Higher ed cloud migration security checklist
If you’re in higher ed and considering migrating to the cloud, this security checklist is for you. Check out 10 steps you can take for securing your university’s cloud.
Prepare for a cloud consultation by answering these 5 business questions
Knowing the answers to these five questions can help any cloud consultant recommend the best plan for your long-term goals.
Virtual machine management in the new Managed VMware Cloud portal
Virtual machine management has never been easier in SCTG’s Enterprise Cloud. Here’s how the upgraded interface affects VM management and administration.
Cloud cost optimization starts — and ends — with strategy
Learn cloud cost optimization strategies that are worth your time. If you get them right, you won’t have to worry about this month’s bill.
Why we updated our Managed VMware Cloud software to an HTML5 interface
The SCTG Enterprise Cloud UI has been upgraded to vCloud Director 9.5. The new, HTML5-based interface improves upon homescreen controls, navigation, vApps, and affinity/anti-affinity rulemaking.
Managed VMware Cloud gets vCloud Director 9.5 upgrade
SCTG has been hard at work testing VMware vCloud Director 9.5.0.2. It introduces several new features, the most important of which is a new tenant UI. Here’s a look at what vCloud Director 9.5 has to offer.
AWS Direct Connect changes supercharge Amazon’s future
The recent AWS Direct Connections changes offer a hint at an endless puzzle: the future of Amazon. If it seems hard to parse, it’s because we’re still in the first couple of innings of cloud transformation. It hasn't been that long since businesses embraced the full...
8 tips for an easy hardware migration
Here are 8 tips for an easy hardware migration. Tip #1: Give yourself more time than you think you need at every step of the migration. Read the rest here!
ServerCentral Turing Group featured on Clutch Leaders Matrix
We’re excited to announce that ServerCentral Turing Group (SCTG) has been recognized on the Clutch Leaders Matrix as a top managed IT service provider in Chicago. SCTG ranked second due to our longstanding expertise in the IT services industry and highly regarded...
Not just computing: 5 cloud migration business benefits
Sometimes things that don’t look like cloud problems actually are. A look at five business problems that cloud migration might help solve.
Solving data center emergencies
We pull through for our customers. Here’s one story about how we solved one customer’s data center emergency.
