Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent introduction to operating system principles
In this book, two respected Computer Scientists write about the logical design of operating systems, blending theoretical results and practical applications.

Probably the best aspect of the book is the fact that Bic and Shaw stress fundamental concepts, instead of using examples from specific operating systems like Unix. And although the book is rather old, the information in the Second Edition is very necessary today to the design of operating systems.

The book begins with elementary concepts, such as concurrent programming methods, the deadlock problem, and process scheduling and goes on to explore protection problems and various security issues. The exercises at the end of each chapter and the overall textbook style make it a must for the operating system student. ... Read more

Product Description
The source code of MS-DOS is both secret and copyright-protected. Using the DOS work-alike RxDOS, created to emulate and parallel the commercial system, Dissecting DOS reveals for the first time the code-level operation of DOS. By studying the source code of RxDOS included on disk, readers will be able to understand MS-DOS's inner workings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great Book if you want to know about operating systems
You can make your own operating system by studying books like this one.
The source code will reveal much about how to write a kernel.

So-So
The book was pretty good with the information that it did give.Some of the programs that were discussed in the book were not on the disk like the book said they were.Alot was left out and not touched upon like they should have been.There should have been a short section on Device drivers,just to give a reader an overview that they do exist, and maybe a little on installable file systems.I bought this book because the code was written in Assembler.I probably should have bought FreeDos instead except that is was written in C.All the information that I could not find in this book I found in the Code for Free Dos.

Great info source. Be patient if you want it for further use
The book provides an indepth analysis of the way DOS works, containsinvaluable information that you can find nowhere else. Neverthelessespecially in the beginning I 've got the impression thatbypasses -Iadmit that I'm not the most proficient assembly user and it can be mymistake- some funtamental elements very quickly. (I still try to find a wayto list my files without using DOS interupts as the book doesn' t reallyexplain what exactly interupt 52h/21h does and I 've not yet reallyunderstood how the accompanying program printcds work - written in C)

disecting dos
i did not go thro the book till now but i heard a lot about that book

Good book, Great support
After my first review posted, I am very pleased to say that the author (Mike Padanoffsky) contacted me, and was *Extremely* helpful in fixing *any* complaints that I may have had on his book / software. And itchagrins me to say, that the retractant message that I thought I had postednever went up. So I shall do so again.The original one went sorta likethis... "This book, barring a minor bug in one of the earlier editionsis in my own opinion one of the *very* best books on re-entrant assemblycode and on operating systems. In fact, I liked the OS well enough that Iuse it on a daily basis on my notebook.For any inquiring programmers, ifyou want to know HOW to write your own OS, this is one of the *most*essential books to have at your side. I cannot stress enough how well it iswritten and supported. Words just doesn't seem to do it justice." I amalso reminded of the fact, that if it weren't for authors like Mike, someof us programmers would still be scratching our heads, saying "Now,how do I do this one???"

Great book. buy it. I highly recommendit... from one programmer to another. ... Read more

Product Description

The first edition of The Practice of System and Network Administration introduced a generation of system and network administrators to a modern IT methodology. Whether you use Linux, Unix, or Windows, this newly revised edition describes the essential practices previously handed down only from mentor to protégé. This wonderfully lucid, often funny cornucopia of information introduces beginners to advanced frameworks valuable for their entire career, yet is structured to help even the most advanced experts through difficult projects.

The book's four major sections build your knowledge with the foundational elements of system administration. These sections guide you through better techniques for upgrades and change management, catalog best practices for IT services, and explore various management topics. Chapters are divided into The Basics and The Icing. When you get the Basics right it makes every other aspect of the job easier--such as automating the right things first. The Icing sections contain all the powerful things that can be done on top of the basics to wow customers and managers.

Inside, you'll find advice on topics such as

• The key elements your networks and systems need in order to make all other services run better
• Building and running reliable, scalable services, including web, storage, email, printing, and remote access
• Creating and enforcing security policies
• Upgrading multiple hosts at one time without creating havoc
• Planning for and performing flawless scheduled maintenance windows
• Managing superior helpdesks and customer care
• Avoiding the "temporary fix" trap
• Building data centers that improve server uptime
• Designing networks for speed and reliability
• Web scaling and security issues
• Why building a backup system isn't about backups
• Monitoring what you have and predicting what you will need
• How technically oriented workers can maintain their job's technical focus (and avoid an unwanted management role)
• Technical management issues, including morale, organization building, coaching, and maintaining positive visibility
• Personal skill techniques, including secrets for getting more done each day, ethical dilemmas, managing your boss, and loving your job
• System administration salary negotiation

It's no wonder the first edition received Usenix SAGE's 2005 Outstanding Achievement Award!

This eagerly anticipated second edition updates this time-proven classic:

• Chapters reordered for easier navigation
• Thousands of updates and clarifications based on reader feedback
• Plus three entirely new chapters: Web Services, Data Storage, and Documentation

Customer Reviews (31)

Shows How-to manage but is too old
Liked the How-To manage story line and the narrative style but it's too old.It is a needed book.Needs an update ASAP.The LINUX Administration handbook by Evi Nemeth is useful as a hands on reference this book is constantly focused on decision making tradeoffs.You need both.If the authors own the manuscript consider going totally open commons online with monitored community editing and additions.

If necessary require a nominal subscription of say 3 euros per year. Then print the book every two years with extensive changes.Add to this another subscription for automatic PDF updates and a further subscription for an automatic delivery of the next edition.

I liked the bibliography but it still needs to be much bigger.A whole new concept and vision is needed for the index.A hyperlink index is automatic.The glossary needs to be five times its size with an online version 1000 times that size.This could also be part of the subscription access.

News and newsletter related to solid professional issues not fluff is needed as well.The authors can use blogging, forms, and book wiki to develop new book editions.Is Amazon trying to develop such author services?

More helpful then I thought
At first,I thought that this book might be too basic but that is not the case.It explains how to build and maintain a computer network - servers, workstations, network devices - and explains how to make decisions based on your requirements, not just how to make things work. Making things work is very important. But to be a world-class network administrator, you've got to understand how to make decisions, and how to weigh options. This fabulous book takes you into the problem solving, decision making minds of two experienced administrators. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to go past twiddling configurations into the realm of building a useable, stable, maintainable enterprise network. System administration books tend to focus on how to accomplish particular, important tasks - along with providing background information on computers, networks, and services. Those books are tremendously valuable, because they centralize information and often explain system details that documentation leaves out.
.

A "career overview". Not recommended if you have experience.
I bought this based on the positive Amazon reviews. I am an experienced system administrator and IT Manager and my intent as a reader was to help me assess my own practices and give insight into things I hadn't considered or had overlooked. I would say if you have significant real world experience then this book isn't for you. However, if you are newer to the field and want to get an idea of the type of things systems/network administrators work with, then I don't think I've seen any other book that covers as much ground, nor that does it in a more friendly manner. It's very general so just don't consider the information to be authoritative or to offer you tools that you'd use in the work place after getting some years of experience in the field.

I actually found it very hard to review this book. Based on their "resumes", the authors have extensive industry knowledge and perspectives. The frustrating thing is that it doesn't come out in this book. There is no real in-depth look at different options or methodologies, nor do areas of discussion seem comprehensive by any measure. I kept asking myself, "Where's the meat?". True, at times there are actually solid recommendations and new ideas, but it just isn't the nature of the book.

On the other hand, when I looked at it as an introduction to the career of system/network administration, I had to admit that the friendly and approachable tone is refreshing and appropriate. The ambition of its scope is laudable. I see it as a high school "overview of this career" book, but written for an older audience. If you are that audience, then this book will be helpful to get you started, and I think you will appreciate it. However, after a few years in the field when you come back to this book you may find that you have outgrown it.

the 2nd edition for me
this 2nd edition has been reorganized in more logical ways for performing a project: I still have the first edition of this book which I bought ten years ago!

A comprehensive overview of System Administration
If you've been or are planning to be in the hot seat when it comes to running a orginization's computer systems than this book is for you. I read this after being an SA for 12 years for some of the biggest names in the business (IBM, EDS, NetApp, Sprint) and it still has information that's useful to me. I'm no slouch but the fact is that most of us have learned how to do our jobs by feeling pain and working to make that pain go away. This book lets you learn from *others* pain, as well as taking a step back from the "I NEED IT NOW" we all deal with to look in a logical and comprehensive fashion at the many aspects of system administration. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

I don't agree with everything the authors say (I think DDNS is a decent system for most companies for instance), but informed discusion on these topics is a must even if you (as you should) come to your own conclusions. If you're not an SA and you have not read this book chances are you're not doing as good a job as you could be. Seriously. ... Read more

Product Description
Virtualization and related technologies like hypervisors, which create virtual machines on a single hardware machine, and containers (also known as zones), which create virtual operating systems running on a single operating system, are a totally new area for many system administrators.

Product Description
Systems Architecture, Sixth Edition, is the most comprehensive introduction to information systems hardware and software in business. This new edition remains an indispensable tool for IS students, emphasizing a managerial, broad systems perspective for a holistic approach to systems architecture. Each chapter has been updated thoroughly to reflect the changing nature of new technologies, and all end-of-chapter material has been enhanced and expanded. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Dismayed Reader
The information is the book is too basic. A quick read of the end of chapter review questions attests to this.For example: chapter 14 question 6, "What is a monitor?". Are you kidding me? I paid for this? The content is merely a repeat of information from various Computer Based Tutorials CBT) and introductory training material I've seen over the 25 years. Stephen D. Burd does state in the beginning of the book that it is not intended for graduate studies. My problem is that this is the required book for my graduate level Systems Architecture class. I cannot identify a purpose that this book serves well except as a refresher for the semantics necessary to complete my course exams.

Less expensive college book
The book was the correct edition and cheaper than on the college campus.It arrived in record speed without standing in a long line at school!

Book binding / structure is poor
If you purchase this book, you will want to take the time to properly break in the book binding (see [...]), otherwise you will have a book with one large crease down the center.The book's pages are very thick, and the binding isn't strong enough (or loose enough) to support it.

I found the book's content timely and informative.

Nearly Worthless
Contrary to what some of the other reviewers believe, this book was not intended for graduate studies, as is expressly stated in the first sentence of the preface.Binary representation, CPU operation, etc. are not subjects for graduate study. This text was used in a first year, county college computer architecture course, and as such, the book is nearly worthless. Burd so obviously has no idea of the difference between telling or listing information, and presenting didactically, i.e. teaching.Do not use this book unless you have no choice.And this is from someone who is pulling an A in the course.

Wow there is lots of stuff in a computer.
Who knew?These computer macheines have many parts that all have to work together just right to make them work.It has all kinds of parts that don't just go left and right but do all kind of things that are kind of like magic.I am just amazed and shocked by all the fancy things inside this thing called a computer. ... Read more

Product Description

This book addresses the use of data mining for smarter, more efficient agents, as well as the challenge of generating intelligence from data while transferring it to a separate, possibly autonomous, software entity. Following a brief review of data mining and agent technology fields, the book presents a methodology for developing multi-agent systems, describes available open-source tools, and demonstrates the application of the methodology on three different cases.

Customer Reviews (11)

Sady, not what I was hoping for.
I thought I was ordering the second edition, but it was the first.However the ordering process was smooth and the book arrived very quickly.

Reprint even if it IS available online
I bought my own used copy of this book, but it is available in its entirety online, so it is unlikely to ever be reprinted.

Great book
This book is one of the best programming language books I've read, along with "Oh! Pascal!" by Cooper and Clancy.It's use of humor and simple, straightforward examples, grab your attention right away and keep it through the entire book.It's hard to believe a programming book can be hard to put down, but this one was.

It also explains complex concepts in simple, elegant ways, just like good programs should be written.

I would recommend it to anyone learning FORTH, and I would recommend sections of it for people trying to understand specific concepts in any language.For example, the explanation of stacks was excellent!

A Truly Amazing Book
Somebody REPRINT THIS BOOK!

"Starting Forth" is the only Forth book I own. After reading it, I was able to implement a Forth runtime system, compiler, and interpreter, from scratch, in 8086 assembly - the results can be found at home.earthlink.net/~jknapka/jkf.html . I credit this mainly to Leo Brodie's skill as an expository writer. The book is a gem; if someone were to reprint it, I for one would buy several copies, just in case.

The reason no one will reprint "Starting Forth" is that Forth is not sufficiently trendy. If we rename the language "JavaForth", we'll be drowning in reprints...

Sigh.

An excellent programming introduction, not just to FORTH
This book is a very clear introduction to programming and the stack.Thecartoons are very entertaining and descriptive, and the book would makelight reading even for beginning programmers. Those who program, but notyet in Forth, will also be happy with the quick introduction.

Why onearth is this fabulous book out of print? ... Read more

Product Description
This book doesn't waste a lot of time with the background of UNIX and comparing various UNIX implementations. Instead, the author gets right to what you need to know to be a productive HP-UX user. Paper. DLC: Operating systems (Computers) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fine book for Beginners
I would recommend this book for people who are just beginning to learn HP-UX. Very well written and provides the basic concepts of HP-UX. I would not recommend it for Admins or power users of HP-UX. There are bettersources out there for these types of users.

Great guide for non-unix users
As a system administrator for a large site, I bought 20 copies of this book to hand out to my users who want a simple intro with good reference value.My users are engineers who need to know just enough unix to gettheir job done.

It's only a beginers book
This is book is only good for introduction. Print is very sparce. 309 pages doesn't contain much information. Intelligent use of paper would have made this book 200 page if not much less. In one chapter, describing ls -r command, the system responce of almost five pages is given when only couple of lines of result would have served the purpose. Only chapter "HP Visual User Environment "(17 Pages), has some information particular to HP-UX. Other info can be found in any unix book.

AWESOME!!! Marty delivers another much awaited HP-UX missive
I had the privilege of proofreading the final copy and feel that Marty's new companion to "HP-UX 10.x System Administration" make them an excellent pair. Start with this if you are new to UNIX or just want to brush up on your UNIX user command knowlege. This book takes you there and much further into useful propriety HP Unix tools that you'll want to know about. Too bad Marty didn't name this book "THE User Guide to the HP UNIX system", it might attract more attention andeven sell better than it's going to ... Read more

Product Description

One of the first books in this area, this text focuses on important aspects of the system operation, analysis and performance evaluation of selected chaos-based digital communications systems – a hot topic in communications and signal processing.

Product Description
Operating systems provide the fundamental mechanisms for securing computer processing. Since the 1960s, operating systems designers have explored how to build "secure" operating systems - operating systems whose mechanisms protect the system against a motivated adversary. Recently, the importance of ensuring such security has become a mainstream issue for all operating systems. In this book, we examine past research that outlines the requirements for a secure operating system and research that implements example systems that aim for such requirements. For system designs that aimed to satisfy these requirements, we see that the complexity of software systems often results in implementation challenges that we are still exploring to this day. However, if a system design does not aim for achieving the secure operating system requirements, then its security features fail to protect the system in a myriad of ways. We also study systems that have been retrofit with secure operating system features after an initial deployment. In all cases, the conflict between function on one hand and security on the other leads to difficult choices and the potential for unwise compromises. From this book, we hope that systems designers and implementors will learn the requirements for operating systems that effectively enforce security and will better understand how to manage the balance between function and security.Table of Contents: Introduction / Access Control Fundamentals / Multics / Security in Ordinary Operating Systems / Verifiable Security Goals / Security Kernels / Securing Commercial Operating Systems / Case Study: Solaris Trusted Extensions / Case Study: Building a Secure Operating System for Linux / Secure Capability Systems / Secure Virtual Machine Systems / System Assurance ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Terrific Book
Great book on the history, fundamentals and current implementations of secure operating systems. I picked this book up due to a mention on the grsecurity homepage and I'm very glad I did, it's very through and provides excellent references if you still have an appetite for more information. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

A good teorical review of the Linux System calls and the GLIB functions.
You need some background to get a real approach from this book...
Good to get some tips on how the system works an why, really good explanations for all the points exposed, isn't a "Linux Specific" book, mostly based on POSIX and when not is well distinguished, also include some peculiar calls from other OS.

The book truly is for all developers
I have been programming C/C++ professionally since 1986 and was surprised at how much I've learned in the first few chapters.

One of the programs that I've been working on is an I/O intensive conversion from a legacy platform to Linux.The original code took about 8 minutes per gigabyte of data to process.I had worked and squeezed every trick I could think of and got the application down to 10 seconds per gigabyte.From what I learned in just the first few chapters, I was able to knock an additional 3% off the application performance.(It has been mentioned that I should state that I had been unaware of fread_unlocked and fwrite_unlocked before the book ... see comments for more detailed discussion).

When I finish the book, I fully intend on passing it over to one of our junior members so that they can benefit from it.

Not worth money
If you expect the quality of the author's other books from this book, you'll be disappointed. It just lists system calls and their descriptions that you can find from man pages without any serious examples. It doesn't provide any insight or thorough coverage you can find from other books such as Steven's book (Advance Programmng in Unix environment).

From the book title, I expected the author's insight over interface between user space program and kernel but it just looks like that it copied man pages in some order. If you want to learn sysetm programming in Linux environment,look for other books, seriously.

Easy to read-Your first step into system programming
Up-side
Its a very easily readable book.
Unlike other heavy weight books on system programming in this book code is very simple. All the codes are on one place no extra header files.
So if you are new to system-kernel programming, like my self, this is the book for you.
I did have problem reading kernel development books("Linux device driver" Linux kernel Programming). But after reading this book so many things are in perspective now. I cold do advance study in kernel development.

Down Side.
Some light/sweet projects could have made this book the best.
Some socket programming examples would be nice.

a disappointment
nothing really useful in this book, too shallow to do anything with it, i like his other books though, but this one certainly is not good, if at all. ... Read more

Product Description
The first book to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject rather than a collection of papers.
* The author is a recognized authority in the field as well as an outstanding teacher lauded for his ability to convey these concepts clearly to many different audiences.
* A handy reference for practitioners in the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Needs to be read along with other books
As a computer Science student, I suggest that this book should not be the only reference and the following books should be bought together for a good grasp on real time systems.

1. Real Time systems By Jane W.S Liu
2. Real-Time Systems: Scheduling, Analysis, and Verification
3. Real-Time Systems by CM Krishna and Kang.G.Shin

The above 3 books make a perfect combination to learn enough about real time systems.

Regards,
Yasir
http://yasir03.online.fr

A great book for learning about real-time systems.
This book does a good job of teaching the fundamentals of real-time systems, including what a real-time system is, where they are used, etc.It quickly gets you to understanding different scheduling algorithms (like the rate-monotonic scheduler VxWorks uses), their benefits, and being able to determine if the hardware can keep up with the timing requirements.

The book contains a lot of interesting examples, starting slow with air conditioning/heating unit examples, to smart traffic lights, and on to more complicated ones such as NASA's Mars Odyssey, NASA's X-38 crew return vehicle avionics, and the Space Shuttle Orbital Maneuvernig and Reaction Control Systems.

The author does a good job of explaining complicated concepts.

Very Good!
I'm no theory nut.I wanted to know about a few scheduling algorithms.I learned all I needed in chapter 1.Now I'm not afraid of doing more work in scheduling, perhaps even what's in chapter 2.

It's math-oriented, but it's still readable by those who don't spend their days calculating the time complexities of algorithms.Overall, a very good book! ... Read more

Product Description
A building-block approach to a bedrock PC standard. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Some Useful Information Here
This book is the 2nd book in Mindshare PC System Architecture Series. It assumes that the reader has already read the 1st book in the series, which is "ISA System Architecture". The book has some usefull information. The one that I found most useful are:
1. How the different peripherals in your PC share a single interrupt without causing conflict.
2. More than one Bus Masters can request the use of the bus at the same time. The job of the Bus Arbriter is to prioritize these different Bus Masters.
3. The limitation of ISA Address Decoder which force EISA Address Decoder not to use certain range of address. Otherwise, it will cause conflict between ISA and EISA peripherals.
4. Different types of buses in an EISA system and how they interact with each other.
5. How the PC identify what kind of EISA expansion cards currently sitting in each EISA expansion slots.

Despite all these useful information, I found that the last chapter, chapter 12 (EISA Chipset), which takes about one third of the book, as very confusing and boring. Nevertheless, this is still a good book to read if you want to learn PC system architecture. Since this book is out of print, the publisher, Mindshare, decided to post the free PDF version on their website. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume provides a clear description of the concepts that underlie operating systems. The advent of Java technology has given the authors an excellent vehicle to illustrate many of the most important concepts in modern operating systems today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Exercises
The book gives exercises at the end of each chapter, but does not give the answers to check by.Some of the Exercise questions are so difficult to find answers to.

Excellent!!
I have taken many courses at both undergrad and grad levels and in doing so have come across books that left me wondering.This book in contrast is wonderful!It is excellent at covering the full spectrum of various operating system issues.I doubt I'd pick it up if I were intently interested in Macs, though.It does a good job of addressing UNIX/Solaris issues, JAVA, and of course Intel-based OS's.Was an easy read.

Good First O/S Book
A good introductory O/S book for undergrad/beginning graduate students. Well-designed and straightforward. Good examples of Java code.

The one drawback is a tendency to get rather wordy in some sections and ramble on a bit. Taken as a whole, however, this is a very worthwhile textbook.

easy to read and up-to-date
Jave, NT, Linux... This is the only OS text book I can find which has these buzz words. Like anything else in life, Being up-to-date could be good or bad.

So is easy-to-read. Any tiny lack of details could bemisleading, that's the impression I got while reading this book, I keepasking why, how, such kind of questions. It seems to be the generaldrawback of OS textbook, so ambicious that try to cover all the aspect, tooambicious to cover all the aspect.

Anyway, it's a good and expensivebook. Easier than Tanenbaum's classics, and up-to-date. Could be a goodchoice for your first OS book. ... Read more

Product Description
An ideal tutorial for those new to administration and an invaluable reference for experienced professionals.Stresses a practical approach to systems and administration, from basic topics to UNIX esoterica. Now covering Red Hat Linux. Previous edition not cited. Softcover.Amazon.com Review
The third edition of Unix System Administration Handbook stands as a fantastic Unix book, perhaps one that's destined for legend. It's arguably the best general Unix book around. Don't delay in getting it, and don't spend too much time flinching at the price; it's worth it. If you work with Unix--in any of its flavors--you'll use this book, and frequently.

How, then, to begin the song of praises for the book? Let's start with its comprehensiveness. The authors--a whole passel of them, but miraculously consistent in style--deal with every subject that's central to the Unix universe. Their diligence extends even to detailed coverage of subjects (like the Domain Name System (DNS)) that many authorial squads omit. System administrators need to understand it all--it's good to see everything covered in one book. Of course, you still will need more focused texts for really complicated situations, but the coverage here will carry you a long way.

Although you probably will want to read this book cover to cover eventually, you might first look at the index, which typically will guide you to a couple of sections. First, an overview of the subject that interests you will explain what the service or feature is meant to do, what it isn't meant to do, and how (in fairly general terms) it does its job. You'll find four sections--one each on the relevant configuration facts of the four emphasized Unix variants. These sections aren't presented as explicit sequences of steps (which invariably leave the reader asking, "But, what if... " anyway), but as narratives that are interspersed with commands and configuration file listings. The approach works well, and it's made even better by the syntax summaries and conceptual diagrams that pop up now and then. --David Wall

Topics covered: Administration of Unix systems, with specific reference to Solaris 2.7, HP-UX 11.00, Red Hat Linux 6.2, and FreeBSD 3.4. Administration is a broad subject, and the authors touch on most of its aspects, including user and file operations (basic and advanced), hardware configuration, and kernel tweaking. Networking coverage includes basic connectivity, routing, server software, DNS, and security. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (49)

handbook for sys adm
this book is really helpful in understanding and clearing concepts regarding the activities of a system administrator. i found it a good book to keep for your help in understanding complexities of a unix operating systems

Unix System Admin used book purchased
I received the book within a few days and even though the book is used it was in perfect conditions.

It's a very Good book
I really liked this book because it contains a lot of information on different flavors of unix, like HP-UX, SUN, FreeBSD, linux.

It's pretty detailed on most topics covered, probably the only thing that's missing is shell scripting.

I would recommend this book as a general reference to Unix Administration.

UNIX
This book is good for the UNIX people. I received it in a very good condition.

Doubleplus good!
For me, the greatness of this book resides in the cross platform explanations of how various system tasks differ from one OS architecture to another.Beyond BSD vs. SysV, I find the deeper I go the more different they all become.This book really helps cut through the confusion.
... Read more

Product Description
Ubuntu Linux is fast becoming the "people's Linux" and provides a secure and simple desktop operating system that provides both ease of use and a number of powerful applications for free. Ubuntu Linux: Your visual blueprint to using the Linux operating system provides the essential coverage for end-user productivity. With an emphasis of the preloaded applications that accompany Ubuntu, this book will cover multimedia applications, Web and email applications and a powerful suite of productivity tools that allow you to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Ubuntu Linux Desktop
This book is a worthwhile supplement to Beginning UBuntu Linux, Third Edition, which I had previously bought. It covers much of the same material, but its profuse illustratins clarify the mostly solid text of Beginning Ubuntu Linux. It is a worthwhile addition. ... Read more

Product Description
"This book will be a supportive resource to help you knowhow to use the tools and features Microsoft shipped, but even better,Williams and Walla guide you through enough of the product internalsto approach administration more strategically."
From the Foreword by Brian Valentine, Senior Vice President, Windows Division, Microsoft Corporation

Windows Server 2003, the successor to Windows 2000 and Windows NT, is designed to accommodate the seamless exchange of information through Web services. It delivers the increased flexibility and power needed to administer networks as global entities, but its enhanced management tools and security features present as many challenges as opportunities. The Ultimate Windows Server 2003 System Administrator's Guide will help readers negotiate these challenges and exploit the opportunities.

Robert Williams and Mark Walla take readers from an understanding of basic concepts to the application of advanced functions. This comprehensive book begins with the fundamentals of Windows 2000 system administration and applies them to Windows Server 2003. The book then details the planning, deployment, administration, and management of a Windows Server system, and follows up with complete coverage of advanced tools and theory. This book concludes with a quick reference to the most important Windows .NET commands and utilities.

Key topics include:

Windows Server 2003 features, structure, planning, and installation

Migration from Windows NT and Windows 2000

Microsoft Management Console

Active Directory management and use

User management

Group Policy

Security, including IP security

Printer and file services and networking basics

Virtual private networks

Disk and backup management and disaster recovery

Terminal and Internet Information Services

Cluster and indexing services, and message queuing

System Management Server

Windows 2000 administration support

In this book, system administrators and other IT professionals will find the essential information needed to succeed in the administration of the Windows .NET and Windows 2000 Server families. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Verbose filler
This book reads like a speech by a stuffed shirt: lots of words - very little actual content. There are numerous errors that show that this edition is a quick rehash of their 2000 edition (Windows 2000 listed where you would expect Windows 2003).

Win Svr Adm Guide 2003 - mrp
I bought the book as a reference book and it has been able to provide me with easy to find and accurate answers each time I had to refer to it

Start to Finish and Beyond
Often I pick up an "administrator's guide" and find myself staring at 300 pages of screenshots explaining how to insert the CD-ROM for installation and resize the task bar for better time/date viewing, written by someone who appears to be learning the topic while writing the text.Rarely do I encounter a resource such as this book that not only intelligently covers the basics but successfully tackles advanced topics as well, leaving the reader's intelligence un-insulted and providing a reference guide that will serve you well long after your initial read.

The foundational information is here, from planning out the network on paper to installing and configuring the basic domain services.The deployment information is here, from server deployment to remote OS installations.General administration, including AD design, IP addressing, DNS, replication, user and group management, and group policies are all thoroughly discussed.More complex systems, such as VPN, security certificates, disaster recovery, terminal services, and indexing are also presented with just as much detail and knowledge as all other topics.Beyond what you would otherwise expect from this style of book are advanced topics that are typically not covered and therefore overlooked by many administrators.Such things as extending the AD schema, real-world security issues and solutions, clustering services, message queuing services, and a very extensive commands and utilities section are demystified, easily adding them to your skill list and making them a real possibility for inclusion in your environment.

The title also provides an introduction to Microsoft SMS, Microsoft MOM, and the Windows Script Host (WSH).These sections are there to inform you of their role within a network, not to provide a learning guide or reference for the technologies.

Those that have never administered a network before in their life, and are looking to this title as a student textbook should look elsewhere.Time is not spent covering the rudimentary basics that qualified IT professionals already have.Although a Windows background is very helpful, administrators of non-Windows networks looking to crossover will find this title inclusive of the background information they need to understand the Windows environment and to apply their current network administration knowledge. Every intrinsic Windows 2003 topic, from planning and deployment to management of core services, are covered in a logical and educated manner, providing you the information quickly and efficiently.Sections and appendices are well labeled and organized to make this not only an educational guide, but a desktop reference that will last you thru the life of the product.This is a must have for Windows 2003 administrators.

full of fillers
I often choose books on Amazon based on the reviews I read here. In most cases, I get it right. However, I think I got it wrong this time.
I still do not understand who would give this book 5 stars. Did these reviewers actually use this book? Did they try to perform simple networking tasks using this book as a reference? Did they look for guidance when performing tasks that were familiar in Windows 2000 but done differently in Windows 2003? I did, and I was disappointed.
This book is full of a rehash of the online documentation. In fact, in some cases, it is scantier than the freely available documentation. You will be forced to read through reams of boring pages just to get to the stuff the authors really have to say.
If you want lectures about the history of Windows servers and the active directory, this is your book. But if you need a solid book that can help you answer those quirky networking questions then you'll have to look elsewhere. A book on networking administration ought to be task oriented. It should also have tons of troubleshooting tips. This one is full of fillers and useless information.
I rarely give negative reviews, but this book is an utter disappointment. I really regret buying it.

TREMENDOUS !!! Solid On ALL Fronts
I have never written a book review before but I am extremely impressed by The Ultimate Windows Server 2003 System Administrator's Guide. It is written with authority yet very easy to understand. It begins with a forward by the Microsoft executive in charge of Windows ... that alone is a solid endorsement. However, the real proof came when I needed to understand otherwise foreign concepts like Active Directory and the various security technologies. The book gave me the theory and then provided very human instructions on how to pull these concepts together in the real world. I have six other Windows Server 2003 including the sub-standard Manasi book that has now become a door stop. The "Ultimate ... Guide" is always at my finger tips unless of course a co-worker borrows it. ... Read more

Product Description
Internet programming demystified! This is a hands-on guide to TCP/IP networking that includes platform-independent source code to a simple TCP/IP stack - a lean version that is easier to present and efficient enough to use in embedded applications. Create

Implement an embedded TCP/IP stack that supports a Web server capable of providing dynamic graphics. In this new edition, the Web server is ported to the PIC16F877 and updated to work over an ethernet connection. Complete source code is provided and a fully described demonstration port is presented. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

TCP/IP Lean excellent purchase
Thank you the item was as described and recieved n very good contion as well as on time, Thank You.

Excellent Introduction to embedded TCP/IP
This book is an excellent introduction to TCP/IP on embedded systems and webservers. The author is very clear and divided the book in a very smart way. The last few chapters which talk about the low level codes are excellent. This book will be one day recogized as the ultimate reference of embedded TCP/IP.

Ideal for anyone who must understand the internals of TCP/IP
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to implement a complete embedded webserver, but has no prior knowledge of ethernet, ip, tcp, or http. There are a few good state diagram pictures, and snippits of C source to walk through every state. It goes above and beyond a raw technical RFC explaination and mentionsfeatures and techniques common in other implementions. This book does not cover HTTP as completely as it does the lower level protocols, but it does cover it well enough to implement a small, simple embedded webserver. Combine this book with UNIX Network Programming / W. Richard Stevens. And you have an ideal combination. TCP/IP Lean works from the bottom on up (over-the-wire transmissions) and UNIX Network Programming works from the top on down (high-level API). This book also covers SLIP, Ethernet, ARP, and other protocols. If you have to implement your own TCP/IP stack, or only want to learn the guts of what SYN, FIN, ACK, and RST mean in your packet captures, then this is a well written book.

This book does not describe BSD Sockets or any APIs. It really only covers the author's thin "API" which is really a kernel interface. That is why it's best as a low-level book, as I mentioned before UNIX Network Programming is the book you want if you need a high-level view of TCP/IP and networking in general.

Perhaps the most important feature of this book is that it tries to take you from nothing to having a TCP/IP stack in the most direct route possible. It does not try to insert all possible optimization, and infact it recommends ignoring various TCP/IP features for your first pass because they are rarely used. (For example, It mentions that without additional handling, the implementation presented can only handle 4.3Gb of data transfer per connection. This is when the sequence number address space wraps around). I consider this a good thing, keeping it simple so you can get a workable system as quickly as possible is the best route. You can bog yourself down in the details after you get a rough draft working.

I'd recommend this book as a text book for undergrad courses in TCP/IP and networking implementation, especially as a complement to any other low-level Operating Systems courses.

Disjointed documentation of the Author's Software
The second edition of the book is an expanded version of the first edition with the same, lazy, writing style. The author seems to have a problem collecting his thoughts and tends to jump around topics. The writing style is that of a technician with limited technical writing skills. CMP Books could use a good copy reviewer/editor team.

If you are attempting to learn networking protocols in general, there are higher quality books available. If your goal is to learn a network stack on an embedded processor (In particular the PIC), this is not a bad book as source code is included. To be successful and focused on the software, you'll need to invest another [$] for the PCW version of CCS's compiler, and another [$] for the Microchip PIC.net demo board (Unless you have very good prototyping skills). Note that the first edition of this book comes with the Microchip PIC.net demo board which is sufficent.

Not as great as anticipated
I bought this book based on the reviews here, and the fact that the author popped up in several Usenet groups and seemed to know what he was talking about.The title and subtitle would indicate that this was exactly the book I was looking for, and the fact that it included source was a bonus.

Unfortunately, after having the book for two weeks now, I can tell you that I've gotten far more value out of Stevens' "TCP/IP Illustrated" series.

The source code included on the CD-ROM is licensed for personal use only, and it appears that probably %90 of the code is included in hardcopy format inside the book.

Finally, the network traces are practically unreadable: it would have been easier to read if the author had used tcpdump, instead of his own style of printf's.

What I wanted was a concise guide to how to strip down TCP/IP to get it running on small systems: what I could delete, what I had to keep, and the tradeoffs of doing so.When I finish filtering through all the source code and simply focus on the text, that may be what I end up with.

But since I don't have much time, the book will probably sit on the floor, and I'll keep Stevens on the desk. ... Read more