Page 11 - CT Innovation in Education, June 2022

because they’ve come to depend on software that is no longer supported by the publisher, which means the software hasn’t been updated in years and can’t be considered secure. It’s time to find a new tool so that all elements of the IT system can be brought up-to-date. Under continuous modernization, administrators are always identifying the oldest technologies in their data centers and targeting them for update as soon as possible — and that is key to enabling broader digital transformation initiatives.
In IT, we also stress the importance of a standard operating environment. The fewer tools there are in an environment, the easier it is to manage. Red Hat Ansible fits into that concept.
It is a simple, straightforward automation tool that we bought several years ago with the goal of helping people manage their RHEL networks. The tool turned out to be even more flexible than
we expected. IT administrators began using it to manage a broader segment of IT, including systems that weren’t running RHEL.
Ansible can automate a wide variety of platforms and network devices, and it can integrate with ticketing and monitoring systems. When all the members of the IT team are using Ansible, they can work together more effectively and easily automate complex workflows that cut across IT silos.
Institutions need to be flexible enough to deal with the next curveball. The only way to accomplish that is to move away from discrete initiatives and make modernization part of daily activities.
Damien Eversmann is the chief architect for education for Red Hat’s North America Public Sector.
Protecting research and education:
Emory University Conquers Sudo Threat with Red Hat
Download the success story:
carah.io/AnsibleAutomatesEmory
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