Tue. Jan 19th, 2021

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How to create a new database with RavenDB

By Grace 2 weeks ago

Jack Wallen shows you how easy it is to create a NoSQL database with RavenDB.

Must-read developer content

RavenDB is a cross-platform document-oriented, NoSQL database server with a range of features that would make any enterprise-level developer or admin giddy. RavenDB was designed especially for the .NET/Windows platform, but getting it up and running on a Linux server is an outstanding pathway to success. 

Like many NoSQL databases, RavenDB includes a well-designed GUI that makes working with those massive collections of data much easier than you might think. Before you can work with the data, you must first create a database to hold said data. Fortunately, RavenDB makes this easy as well. 

Let me show you. 

SEE: Microservices: A cheat sheet (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

How to create a new RavenDB database

  1. Log in to your RavenDB dashboard and click Databases. 
  2. In the resulting window, click New Database. 
  3. Give your new
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Top 5 things to know about Progressive Web Apps

By Grace 2 weeks ago

Progressive Web Apps are becoming more and more popular. Tom Merritt lists five things you should know about PWAs.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are starting to get some attention. For instance, Amazon is using it for game streaming service on iOS. PWAs give you the advantages of an app with the freedom of publishing on the web, but they aren’t for everyone or everything. Here are five things to know about Progressive Web Apps.

SEE: Top 5 programming languages for systems admins to learn (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

  1. They’re more of an idea than a thing. The term was introduced by Google’s Alex Russell in 2015 to apply to app-like web technologies. There’s no single standard for a PWA, but there are some agreed upon things they need.
  2. PWAs need a manifest. This is a JSON file that defines things about the look–like the name of the app, the icon for
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How to use the grep command for better data retrieval

By Grace 2 weeks ago

Automating the performance of tasks via scripting is something we all strive to do as IT pros. But taking it a step further by using grep adds a layer of granularity and universality to your scripts.

Image: iStock/HAKINMHAN

Interacting with data is the core function of any IT professional. Each role is unique and brings with it specific challenges, but at the heart of each role lies the same basic premise: As IT, we interpret and respond to the data we receive and if it isn’t accurate, we take measures to correct the data flow. When we automate tasks based on scripts, it is typically done in response to known parameters and provides a predetermined set of commands to execute, thereby automating repetitive tasks.

SEE: TechRepublic Premium editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits, and research for download (TechRepublic Premium)

This is great and, I whole-heartedly recommend that IT pros automate

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How IT can prepare for the coming hybrid work environment

By Grace 3 weeks ago

Remote work is here to stay. Planning how to integrate remote workers as others return to the office will be critical for tech leaders.

Image: iStock/Anna Chaplygina

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, remote work seemed a temporary and novel approach to keeping productive, and I was among the many people who thought it would be a couple or three-week experiment. As the pandemic wore on and many companies embraced remote working, I heard sentiments like, “We’ll never go back to the old way of working,” a feeling that was particularly resonant among many of my colleagues, for whom the “old way” involved a dozen hours each week shuffling through overcrowded airports and cramped airplanes.

SEE: COVID-19 workplace policy (TechRepublic Premium)

A funny thing happened shortly after several promising COVID-19 vaccines were announced and ultimately began to be administered around the world, whereby people seemed more or less equally divided among

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6 steps for using low-code platforms to create big data apps

By Grace 3 weeks ago

Low-code development can be used for managing big data. Here’s how to make it work for your organization.

Image: iStock/AndreyPopov

Low-code development tools are aimed at reducing application development time to market. They do this by using graphical user interfaces with point-and-click tools to cobble together applications, making it easy for end user “citizen developers” with no knowledge of programming to develop apps. Low-code tools also allow IT technical staff to insert custom code to endow the apps with functionality that the low-code tools can’t generate on their own.

SEE: Everything you need to know about using low-code platforms (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Low-code development tools are gaining popularity in companies because users see them as ways to get around IT logjams that prevent them from getting things done.

The market concurs. By 2024, Gartner predicts that 65% of all application development will be done with low-code platforms, and that

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3 ways to manually restore a managed iPad or iPhone

By Grace 3 weeks ago

Managing iPads and iPhones at scale is made easier when leveraging an MDM solution. However, when devices need to be restored, an out-of-box method may be required to get the device operational again.

Image: iStock/ViewApart

Ask anyone tasked with managing iOS-based devices like iPads and iPhones, mobile device management (MDM) suites make all the difference in the world. From simplifying the overall management afforded by standardizing and securing devices uniformly to allowing administrators to centrally manage thousands or tens of thousands of devices, the benefits are endless.

SEE: 10 MacOS tune-up tricks for your Mac (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

I can’t say enough nice things about good MDM products, however, as with all computing devices, sometimes they require an additional touch that requires restoring the device in order for it to be re-enrolled and fully manageable once again. Luckily, iOS devices have a few avenues available to them to

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