Product Description
Describes computer system concepts in simple terms and offers information on how the low-level, compiler/interpreter activities of computers - arithmetic, I/O, array processing, character strings functions - are performed. A fictitious computer (CUSP), is used to exemplify the concepts discussed. ... Read more

Product Description
Putting Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) into Practice

“This book is a must-have for enterprise architects implementing SOA. Through practical examples, it explains the relationship between business requirements, business process design, and service architecture. By tying the SOA implementation directly to business value, it reveals the key to ongoing success and funding.”
        —Maja Tibbling, Lead Enterprise Architect, Con-way, Inc.

“While there are other books on architecture and the implementation of ESB, SOA, and related technologies, this new book uniquely captures the knowledge and experience of the real world. It shows how you can transform requirements and vision into solid, repeatable, and value-added architectures. I heartily recommend it.”
        —Mark Wencek, SVP, Consulting Services & Alliances, Ultimo Software Solutions, Inc.

In his first book, Succeeding with SOA, Paul Brown explained that if enterprise goals are to be met, business processes and information systems must be designed together as parts of a total architecture. In this second book, Implementing SOA, he guides you through the entire process of designing and developing a successful total architecture at both project and enterprise levels. Drawing on his own extensive experience, he provides best practices for creating services and leveraging them to create robust and flexible SOA solutions.

Coverage includes

• Evolving the enterprise architecture towards an SOA while continuing to deliver business value on a project-by-project basis
• Understanding the fundamentals of SOA and distributed systems, the dominant architectural issues, and the design patterns for addressing them
• Understanding the distinct roles of project and enterprise architects and how they must collaborate to create an SOA
• Understanding the need for a comprehensive total architecture approach that encompasses business processes, people, systems, data, and infrastructure
• Understanding the strategies and tradeoffs for implementing robust, secure, high-performance, and high-availability solutions
• Understanding how to incorporate business process management (BPM) and business process monitoring into the enterprise architecture

Customer Reviews (1)

large set of patterns for distributed systems
Brown's book is a sign that the field of SOA is maturing. The book's heft is because it is a collection of the most significant design patterns in SOA. The early chapters give an overview of SOA and what Brown calls Total Architecture Synthesis. A wholistic view of people, processes, information and (hardware) systems.

But it may be best to treat the book from a top-down classification of patterns. Where the top level has the sections Collaboration, Communication, Data, etc. There is an abundance of patterns. Which in itself might address some of you sceptical about the entire field of SOA. Sure, it has its buzzwords and jargon. However, the set of patterns and their subgroupings might make SOA more applicable to your situation, rather than just having nice high level statements of vague generality.

Many readers might [should] already be familiar with patterns, if you come from a programming background. This will indeed help when reading the book, for several terms and concepts will be familiar. Note however a key qualitative difference between the book's patterns and those of [eg] Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code (The Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series). Fowler's patterns refer to code that often all sits in one machine, or perhaps in a group of machines co-located in the same server room. So bandwidth and latency are not issues. With SOA, these often arise as vital considerations. SOA refers to spatially distributed systems; maybe over large distances. ... Read more

Product Description
The Internet's remarkable growth has been fueled by innovation. New applications continually enable new ways of using the Internet, and new physical networking technologies increase the range of networks over which the Internet can run. Questions about the relationship between innovation and the Internet's architecture have shaped the debates over open access to broadband networks, network neutrality, nondiscriminatory network management, and future Internet architecture. In Internet Architecture and Innovation, Barbara van Schewick explores the economic consequences of Internet architecture, offering a detailed analysis of how it affects the economic environment for innovation.

Van Schewick describes the design principles on which the Internet's original architecture was based—modularity, layering, and the end-to-end arguments—and shows how they shaped the original architecture. She analyzes in detail how the original architecture affected innovation—in particular, the development of new applications—and how changing the architecture would affect this kind of innovation.

Van Schewick concludes that the original architecture of the Internet fostered application innovation. Current changes that deviate from the Internet's original design principles reduce the amount and quality of application innovation, limit users' ability to use the Internet as they see fit, and threaten the Internet's ability to realize its economic, social, cultural, and political potential. If left to themselves, network providers will continue to change the internal structure of the Internet in ways that are good for them but not necessarily for the rest of us. Government intervention may be needed to save the social benefits associated with the Internet's original design principles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

whither net neutrality?
A good part of the book is devoted to the history and technical architecture of the internet.Light reference to the burning issue of net neutrality and extensive discussion of its surrogate "end-to-end arguments" of the narrow and broad types is puzzling.The internet is not end-to-end but based on hops, box 3.4, as stated on p. 384, so what is the big deal with end-to-end hop-less connectivity, except for real-time communication which was not part of the original design of the internet? This is the first time I learned that Salzer, Reed and Clark (1981) take credit for original "end-to-end" arguments (p. 58), overshadowing Vinton Cerf, Bob Kahn and Jon Postel who "invented" the Internet well before 1981. van Schewich ought to explain why she considers Salzer et al phrase "end-to-end" to be the catchphrase and linguistic keyword for the entire book, instead of relegating it to a mere historical artifact.

Ignoring the unnecessary exposition on the Application/ Transport/ Internet and Link layers, known to every Cisco technician, van Schewich deserves credit for building the next two sections of the book: Net Neutrality and competition, and Net Neutrality and innovation.van Schewich comprehensively surveys the literature of the internet + competition (Varian genre) and internet+innovation (von Hippel genre).The conclusions are predictably unpalatable to the financial health of Comcast and Verizon, that erosion of transparent "end-to-end" connectivity (net neutrality) would be anti-competitive and would stifle innovation.

Confuses Architecture and Implementation
The principal problem with the book is the author's lack of understanding of the engineering process. Engineers, unlike law professors writing books about engineering, don't work from first principles like the Internet's retrospective end-to-end arguments principle; they make tradeoffs and design toward a goal or set of goals. Thus, when the Internet was built the project manager, Bob Kahn, adapted a design that had already been proved in the French research network CYCLADES rather than starting with a blank slate. CYCLADES designer Louis Pouzin went with an "architecture" that was appropriate for a research network, and not very suitable for an everyday network for unskilled people. The Internet has proved difficult to manage and expensive to operate because this research-centric design is still there. Security, privacy, viruses, spam, and denial of service attacks raise the price and lower the utility of the Internet, all a direct consequence of its organization.

The author is right that the Internet's organization makes it easy for some application programmers to bring new information services on-line, but wrong about the scope of the innovations it permits. Regardless of the system architecture, the services offered by a network constrain application developers. The telephone network is innovation-limiting because it's a slow, narrow-band system, not because it lacks end-to-end architecture. The end-to-end architecture is misleading in any case, as any network has an end-to-end element.

Because the Internet offers poor support for performance-intensive real-time applications (gaming, video conferencing, other forms of communication-oriented rather than content-oriented apps) the designers of these applications pay an innovation tax in the form of extra effort that effectively subsidizes content-oriented applications. They also end up bypassing most of the Internet through Content Delivery Networks and managed services. So the author is wrong regarding her claim that the Internet is the best of all possible networks from the innovator's perspective; it's good for some applications, but not for others.

If you must read this book for your job or a school assignment, wait for the Kindle version if you can (MIT Press says it will be three years from now;) it's just a bit tedious on paper.

One of the most important books in tech policy in a decade
This is an important and brilliant book, which I consider required reading for anyone interested in or serious about the Internet or innovation.

I have written a review of this book on my blog ([...]) and on the Huffington Post.

As I say there, this book is one of the very few books in the field of Internet policy that is in the same league as Larry Lessig's Code: And Other Laws of Cyberspace, Version 2.0, in 2000, and Yochai Benkler's The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom, in 2006, in terms of its originality, depth, and importance to Internet policy and other disciplines. I expect the book to affect how people think about the Internet; about the interactions between law and technical architectures in all areas of law; about entrepreneurship in general. I also think her insights on innovation economics, which strike me as far more persuasive than lawyers' usual assumptions, should influence "law and economics" thinking for the better.

Books this good don't come along every day--or even every year-and I'm already late to the praise-party. Harvard Law professor Larry Lessig (the trail-blazing cyberlaw champion) recommended it in the New York Times this week; Susan Crawford (a law professor who served as a top White House advisor) recommended it in an op-ed in Salon/GigaOm yesterday; Brad Burnham, the venture capitalist who was featured earlier this week in the NYT's Room for Debate, also posted an endorsing review on his blog. MIT engineering professor David Reed (one of the key architects of the IP protocol, inventor of the UDP protocol) praises it on the book jacket.

It is not easy material--the Internet's technologies and how innovation actually evolves--but she writes for a general audience, not a technologist or lawyer, and you will learn a lot from, and be challenged by, the ideas in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
book ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Conventional parallel computational architectures
Although this reference does not discuss physiological plausible computation models, it provides a fairly easy to read yet serious introduction to conventional parallel computation architectures.

Its a book worth reading by really interested candidates.
The person who has gone through the book thouroughly need not to say that its worth having such a excellent book.The problems given at the end of each chapter dwell oneself into the deeper understanding of the subject andit would have been nice if you could make the Solutions Manual available oninternet. ... Read more

Product Description

Computer and video games are leaving the PC and conquering the arena of everyday life in the form of mobile applications (such as GPS cell phones, etc.) the result is new types of cities and architecture. How do these games alter our perception of real and virtual space? What can the designers of physical and digital worlds learn from one another? Space Time Play presents the following themes: the superimposition of computer games on real spaces and convergences of real and imaginary playspaces; computer and video games as practical planning instruments. With articles by Espen Aarseth, Ernest Adams, Richard A. Bartle, Ian Bogost, Gerhard M. Buurman, Edward Castranova, Kees Christiaanse, Drew Davidson, James Der Derian, Noah Falstein, Stephen Graham, Ludger Hovestadt, Henry Jenkins, Heather Kelley, James Korris, Julian Kücklich, Frank Lantz, Lev Manovich, Jane McGonigal, William J. Mitchell, Kas Oosterhuis, Katie Salen, Mark Wigley, and others.

Customer Reviews (1)

Good book, bad design
Space Time Play is a useful work for those new either to gaming or to how gaming is academically handled. Short, usually readable (though badly proofread), essays on architectural and political aspects of video games are interspersed with reviews of games relevant to the theme of the essay. These short pieces offer a good introduction to a gamut of games and much of gaming history. But I write this review not to praise the book, but to complain about it. It is one of the most poorly designed texts that I have ever encountered. Its glossy, reflective pages make reading the black, 10-point type print difficult. The gray, 8-point type print of authors' names and endnotes make reading impossible. The designer, perhaps in an attempt to look avant garde, has produced a volume that makes the usual pleasure of reading painful. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to the hardware concepts needed to analyze and design digital systems and the principles of computer hardware organization and design. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book for beginners
If you are new to computer engineering and need a firm grasp of the basic, this book will do the trick. Goes good with class room training or as additional resources to more updated version of the book.

Oldie but a goodie
This is an excellent book for beginners or as a review. Look at the large number of topics covered in the table of contents.Many excellent diagrams.Easy to read. Many basic concepts for computer hardware design are covered. ... Read more

Product Description

Software Systems Architecture is a practitioner-oriented guide to designing and implementing effective architectures for information systems. It is both a readily accessible introduction to software architecture and an invaluable handbook of well-established best practices. It shows why the role of the architect is central to any successful information-systems development project, and, by presenting a set of architectural viewpoints and perspectives, provides specific direction for improving your own and your organization's approach to software systems architecture.

With this book you will learn how to

• Design an architecture that reflects and balances the different needs of its stakeholders
• Communicate the architecture to stakeholders and demonstrate that it has met their requirements
• Focus on architecturally significant aspects of design, including frequently overlooked areas such as performance,resilience, and location
• Use scenarios and patterns to drive the creation and validation of your architecture
• Document your architecture as a set of related views
• Use perspectives to ensure that your architecture exhibits important qualities such as performance, scalability, and security

The architectural viewpoints and perspectives presented in the book also provide a valuable long-term reference source for new and experienced architects alike.

Whether you are an aspiring or practicing software architect, you will find yourself referring repeatedly to the practical advice in this book throughout the lifecycle of your projects.

A supporting Web site containing further information can be found at www.viewpoints-and-perspectives.info

Customer Reviews (22)

THE book on software architecture
I'm impressed. Rarely do the IT related books are written so concisely and clearly but at the same time providing extensive coverage of the subjects. I will surely keep it on my desk for future reference when working on different software projects.

Pragmatic Software Architecture
As the title indicates this book is one on software architecture. What sets it apart from many books in that area is that it presents a pragmatic approach to architecture. The basic premise introduced is splitting the architecture into different views, which each address a specific set of concerns, such as information, concurrency, deployment, development etc. The concept of views is not a new one, however what the authors introduce is the concept of viewpoint which is the concrete representation of the view through templates, and artifacts. These artifacts include questions and checkpoints one should go through to describe the architecture.

The above view and viewpoints cover more or less the functional requirements. Perspectives on the other hand cover the quality attributes such as availability, scalability, usability etc. The authors then show how perspectives and viewpoints work together to represent the overall architecture. This includes showing the areas of overlap of these viewpoints/perspectives and how they are to be addressed.The book is supplemented with materials (templates, cheat sheets, questionnaires) on the following website:[...].

This is a great software architecture reference and one that you will keep on your desk to refer to on an ongoing basis, particularly because of its pragmatic approach. A must read for any software architect. It will also help developers anticipate the questions that will be asked during an architectural review, and things to consider throughout the life-cycle of a software project.

Review
I bought this book for my Software System Architecture Class..Book has good examples and explanation is very clear and understandable..Hope it works for me in future..:)

The Missing Manual for Software Architecture
I was lent this book by a mentor and very soon realised this was something I had to have my own copy of as it brought together many aspects of the software architect's job which I had not seen covered so well before.It is easy to read and understand, which belies the underlying complexity of the material and is a testament to the skills of the authors.Not only is the content itself good but I have also found the guided bibliography invaluable.

excellent book
This book is much better than I expected.It is practical and very informative, with good, simple examples to reinforce the points made.It covers pretty much everything you will need to consider when designing or evaluating a large IT system.This book is not outdated either.It is as useful today as when it first went to print.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description

• Endorsed by all major vendors (Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, and SAP), SOA has quickly become the industry standard for building next-generation software; this practical guide shows readers how to achieve the many benefits of SOA
• Begins with a look at the architectural principles needed to create successful applications and then goes on to examine the process for designing services and SOA implementations
• Each stage of the design process has an accompanying chapter that walks readers through the details and provides helpful tips, techniques, and examples
• The author team of SOA practitioners also provides two unique, comprehensive, end-to-end case studies illustrating the architectural and design techniques presented in the book

Customer Reviews (9)

Too much theory than practical !
Too much verbose, disconnected concepts and the writing style is hard to follow - like too many cooks spoil the broth. The book did well to introduce the basics of SOA but failed to connect the dots in terms of practical approaches with patterns and best practices. The content in Part 2 of this book sound a vendor specific material and couple of chapters are just showing less short than a hello world case study.

OK Work short on real detail
The book is great for novices, especially when it comes to handling enterprise integration. Most of the information is just ho-hum.

Must for SOA practitioners....
If there is one book to be recommended for SOA practitioners (or those who wish to begin SOA), this would be it. The author does a great job of introducing the concepts and provides detailed analysis of each concept. Serious about SOA? This is *the* reference.

Clear, concise starting with the business
This book clearly explains the concepts and principles of SOA and makes the vital link to Enterprise Architecture. I would highly recommend this book to start with. If you then need more detail on for instance SOA Design Principles or SOA Design Patterns read Thomas Erl's series.

Outstanding - worth the read.
I have not seen a SOA book that is as practical as this one. Most of the people I work with understand why SOA is important, and we all get the vision by now. Many of the other popular SOA books ONLY focus on the vision and "what is SOA?" but not much else.

This book is different. It provides details. It focuses on architecture, design, and provides in-depth guidance for a wide variety of problem areas that we all encounter when we build SOA implementations. The book is a long one, but it is worth the read. ... Read more

Product Description
An effective security plan recognizes the importance of every component within the Information Security Architecture (ISA). Information Security Architecture, Second Edition describes each of these components in detail and outlines the steps necessary to establish an integrated and effective ISA. This new edition of a bestseller keeps the focus on developing the architecture and adds additional information and detail to each chapter for execution of the architecture. The "Getting started" section has been improved with custom planning templates. The book adds newer concepts such as HoneyPots, Business Continuity Planning, and Disaster Recovery Planning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Book is a good foundation upon which to build a security architecture
Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and other structures. Using some creative license, it also encompasses the design of any entity, including information systems and their security components. But while no one would build a building without an architect, IT departments routinely design computer systems without considering the security architecture, instead believing that firewalls and other devices are quick and durable fixes.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In Information Security Architecture, author Jan Killmeyer Tudor shows that an effective and comprehensive information security infrastructure is best developed within the framework of an information security architecture (ISA), given today's distributed nature of client/server computing. In the past, when systems were closed and proprietary, security wasn't as compelling a need as it is in today's open systems.

The book covers important ISA issues such as the nature of the organization, policies and standards, baselines and risk assessment, awareness and training, compliance, and more. An underlying message is that these components must work in concert to form a cohesive ISA. Hardware and software are ineffective if they are not integrated into the ISA.

A dominant theme throughout is that implementing security technologies requires an understanding not only of the technologies' return on investment to the organization but also of the risks and vulnerabilities related to these technologies. This ISA methodology gives security professionals an excellent method for achieving just that.

Given how important policy is to an ISA, the book has several appendices that include policies, procedures, and work plans. These provide a fine foundation upon which to build a security architecture.

Is there a lower rating available?
As a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, I can definitively state that this book does not cover everything that needs to be covered or in any depth whatsoever. I got this book based on the glowing reviews I found here, and I'm at a loss as to why these reviews would have recommended it.

The most aggrevating part about this book is the subtitle "An Integrated Approach to Security in the Organization." The book not only lacks effective security integration techniques, it doesn't seem to address the entire organization where it tries its half-hearted integration.

Unrealistic Drivel
I question the security background of any of those who read this book and gave it a good review. The author's approach security leaves huge gaps and what is covered is written in a simplistic form... probably because the author only understands a small amount of the topic she is writing about.

I question the author's own ability to secure an environment, and she should probably not be teaching others.

Information Security Architechture by Jan Tudor
I am a CSS student with the College of North Atlantic, St.John's
, Newfoundland. I think that Jan Tudor has put together the "manual" for security within the buisness structure. I am amazed at the debt and scope of this book as there is no stone unturned andinformation technology people would be at a loss not to read and understand just how security or the lack of it can make or break a buisness, large or small.A true work of art, thanks Jan.

THOROUGH REFERENCE GUIDE
This was a great reference to start an Information Security Architecture project.There are many guidelines, procedures and forms that take the guess work out of the administration of such a project.The book is great at keeping you on track with your security objectives. I have found that it is so easy with such large projects to lose sight of the objectives.Security is not only technical assessments of the network and operatingcomponents but also a combination of management and administration of personnel, policies and procedures and continuous application of pressure to meeting the security requirements of an organization.This book providesexcellent value for the price. ... Read more

Product Description
This unique Linux networking tutorial/reference by experts provides readers with a practical overview and understanding of the implementation of networking protocols in the Linux kernel.The book shows how networking behavior and protocols can be implemented withinthe Linux operating system.Introduction to the Linux kernel, mainly focusing on the upcoming kernel version 2.4 but also valid for version 2.2 kernels.The organization of the book follows the TCP/IP layering model,beginning with the kernel's network device drivers, continuing with link-layer protocols such as PPP, and finally giving a description of all core protocols of the TCP/IP protocol family.Additional supplementary protocols such as RSVP, IP Security, and Mobile IP are also covered.For anyone interested in Linux or networking, including network programmers and administrators. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Fair Introduction to the Linux Network Code
I found this book to be a useful introduction to the Linux TCP/IP stack but the book could be better.

It was not the translation that I found to be problematic in this book.I found the flaws in translation to be at worst a minor annoyance and at times even amusing.I have two major problems with this book.First, I found the book to be poorly organized.Second, too much of the book is devoted to describing individual functions and data structures and not enough of the book is devoted to how the various pieces fit together and interact.

The book is organized more-or-less based on the network layers.This is a logical organization but it means the reader must take detours through chapters on SLIP, ATM, and Bluetooth which are hardly the mainstream protocols that most readers are interested in.The chapter on PPP often referred back to material in the SLIP chapter, making it hard to just skip this chapter.ARP is covered after a description of IPv4. Later in the chapter on Packet Filters and Firewalls several pages are devoted to ipchains as implemented in version 2.2 of the Linux kernel which was replaced by the netfilter architecture that is currently in use.

In spite of these flaws I found this book to be a useful guide to understanding the Linux networking software.The book is thorough, covering everything from transparent bridging to sockets programming.The appendices provide useful supplemental material on navigating the source code, tools and commands for network operation, and some code examples.

Very poor translation kills a good book
I second "science-buff" below: the book is clearly very good, but you should read it in German. The English translation is very poor, the text is unreadable. What a shame.

Excellent but needs to be updated to cover the 2.6 kernel
I did not give this book a 5-star rating only because it does not cover the latest 2.6 kernel. There are quite a few changes in the networking subsystem, nevertheless, there are lot of useful information in this book.

The books covers all protocols (not only TCP/IP). It provides the theoretical background along with the step-by-step technical explanation of the implementation code in Linux.

It covers the Linux implementation of SLIP, PPP, PPP over Ethernet, ATM, Bluetooth, Bridges, TCP/IP, ARP, NAT and even Ipv6.

It is a must to read for anyone interested in Linux Networking and the TCP/IP implementation in Linux.

poor translation from German, but great code walkthrough
This book is marred by pretty bad translation from the original German edition. It takes a while to figure out that the translator is more an English major struggling with intricate computer science terminologies than a fellow programmer. For example, device "base address" is translated to device "basic address" in chapter 5, multiple times; "re-compile the entire kernel" miraculously becomes "retranslate the entire kernel" in chapter 2.

There are also quite a bit of misleading typos. Like "ip_input()" appears multiple times in the discussion of chapter 14, although no such function exists in the code. Actually, the correct term should have been "ip_input.c" - referring to a file, not a function.

It is a major triumph for a German book on Linux network stack to be translated to English by a major publisher; my guess is the German version is well written and well received. This probably means that the English translation/editing is the main culprit.

Other than the cryptic translation and typos, the book does quite detailed code walkthroughs in the Linux network stack. It traces the function calls as an incoming packet enters the Linux kernel from the device driver, and as an outgoing packet propagates down from the higher protocols. The stack uses a lot of function pointers and this makes reading the code quite difficult unless a book like this tells you what function the pointer is pointing to. This, I feel, is the redeeming feature of the book, especially when you are diving deep into the code. There are a bit of code insights described here and there throughout the book, but generally such passages are few and far between, amidst the voluminous mechanical description of who calls who in the code; nothing compares to the kind of insights in Robert Love's "Linux Kernel Development" book.

I would suggest that you look at the "Linux TCP/IP Stack" book by Herbert first, then try this one if you really need help tracing the code.

very good book
Overall this is a very good book on a topic
that is not well documented elsewhere. Well written
and easy to read. Lots of diagrams showing code
flow which was very helpful for digesting the
information. The only caveat is that this book
does not cover more recent 2.6 kernel (e.g. no discussion
of NAPI). Such is the problem with linux books, by
the time these books are published the code
has changed significantly. Regardless this book
is still worth buying if you need to understand
linux network architecture and the source code. ... Read more

Product Description
Information is the lifeblood of most organizations. In fact, in many cases information is not just critical to the business - it IS the business. Organizations struggling with the fallout from today's economy have a heightened need for enterprise architecture the set of IT plans that describes how all parts of the IT infrastructure need to behave to support the organizations needs. Urgent cost-containment issues, consolidations, productivity pressures and ebusiness integration all demand solutions. This book will help you master the vital skills needed to plan how data is collected, how data should efficiently flow through your organization, and how data is transformed into information can your business can use. Learn from Ms. Carbone's decades of experience and proven approaches to better understand and implement enterprise architecture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

One of the best enterprise architecture texts available today
Over the past year, this reviewer has spent some time catching up on some of the more recently available texts on enterprise architecture, and quite simply this one by Carbone is one of the best. It is a testimony to the effectiveness of this book that this author is able to bring together in just over 200 pages what other authors are not able to do in two or three times this volume: get to the heart of what enterprise architecture is really all about, provide clear no-nonsense examples of how to reflect the needs of the enterprise in its software systems, and guide the reader along a cumbersome-free step-by-step process that focuses on results. While Carbone does not view the enterprise as holisticly as T.S. Graves in his recently-penned "Real Enterprise-Architecture" (see my review for that book), this book is much more practical. The author explains in her preface that there were two factors that motivated her to write this book: "the need to plan how data is collected, flows through the organization, and is transformed into information the business can access, is vital" even though there was a time when her opinions and passion about business information "was not always popular", and she has had her "own religious experience...having been honed (some would say charred) on the altar of architecture" and "having learned many lessons the hard way, [she] is anxious to help [the reader] benefit from those lessons". The "enterprise architecture toolkit" presented here is much simpler than the Zachman Framework, focusing on the upper left-hand rows and provides methods for filling in the cells, and unlike that framework addresses strategies for implementing the target architecture. Carbone is persistent in her communication throughout this book that enterprise architecture is comprised as the business and IT functions working together, unlike some books of this genre which present IT architecture as enterprise architecture, although this reviewer does find it interesting that her "enterprise architecture toolkit" got renamed for the title of the book. Chapters 2 through 5 focus on the "toolkit business framework" portion of the overall toolkit: the current state of the business and an analysis of that state, and the target state of the business and identification of gaps and opportunities for that state. Chapters 6 through 9 focus on the "toolkit IT framework" portion of the overall toolkit: current and target state architecture, IT inventory, and standards. Chapters 10 through 13 focus on the "toolkit implementation framework" portion of the overall toolkit: projects, metrics, buy-in, compliance, and people. Essentially, this last aspect of the toolkit places a focus on strategies designed to address and mitigate what the author views as often-repeated mistakes that contribute to solution failure: "attempts to implement too much, too quickly", "inability or lack of willingness to tie implementation to business success", "underestimation of resistance to change", "no commitment and/or buy-in from the entire organization", "lack of supporting enterprise-wide processes", and "insufficient focus on the people issues". Nine (very lightweight) appendixes, A through I, follow the overall presentation of the toolkit. A recent client of mine indicated very fervently that "the business doesn't know what they need, IT knows what they need"; this book provides an antithesis to that philosophy.

Book is a photocopy
I was quite disappointed, with the publisher not amazon, because the entire book is a photocopy. I wanted to keep this book in my library and something of this sort is just not acceptable. I even went to barnes and nobles to see if they had a good version of this book, but they sell a this photocopy for around $59. Sad isn't it!

No issue with amazon. Never have had. Timely arrival, no damage etc. I am glad I paid a discounted price for this on amazon because paying around $60 for a photocopy is definitley not worth it.

Very good
Anyone interested in learning more about how to think about developing software systems in a large corporate environment needs to read this book. Short and to the point it outlines how to think about and develop an architecture for the enterprise.

waste mt time and money
I feel regret to spend the money and time on this book

A reasonable architecture development framework in a poor-quality package
My first impression of this book was poor due to its aesthetic problems: although it's a hardcover, it appears to have been "printed" on poor quality paper by a photocopier low on toner.Certain diagrams are rendered unreadable by the lack of color, and gray backgrounds are uneven and splotchy.

Aesthetics aside, the content of this book does deliver on its promises.It presents a reasonable architecture development framework.Each aspect of the framework is explained and justified with examples from the author's personal experience.It covers the people management roles of an architect too, and includes some useful advice on how to "sell" architecture changes throughout an organization, and how and when to involve the client's IT staff.

The book details a step-by-step approach, best read start-to-finish.I imagine most architects who read this already have their own frameworks, and won't want to swallow Carbone's methodology whole.But nearly anyone will find bits and pieces useful.

What this book doesn't include is much technical detail.There is no discussion of architecture or integration design patterns, and little advice for conducting vendor evaluations for architectural components.But if the framework / methodology angle is what you're seeking, this book delivers. ... Read more

Product Description
The last two years have seen significant developments in the standardization of GMPLS and its implementation in optical and other networks. GMPLS: Architecture and Applications brings you completely up to date, providing the practical information you need to put the growing set of GMPLS-supported services to work and manage them effectively.

This book begins by defining GMPLS's place in a transport network, leveraging your knowledge of MPLS to give you an understanding of this radically new control plane technology. An overview of GMPLS protocols follows, but the real focus is on what comes afterwards: in-depth examinations of the architectures underpinning GMPLS in real-world network environments and current and emerging GMPLS applications. This one-of-a-kind resource delivers immensely useful information for software architects, designers and programmers, hardware developers, system testers, and network operators--and also for managers and other decision-makers.

+ Written by two industry researchers at the forefront of the development of GMPLS.
+ Provides a practical look at GMPLS protocols for signaling, routing, link and resource management, and traffic engineering.
+ Delves deep into the world of GMPLS applications, including traffic engineering, path computation, layer one VPNs, point-to-multipoint connectivity, service management, and resource protection.
+ Explores three distinct GMPLS control plane architectures: peer, overlay, and hybrid, and explains the GMPLS UNI and NNIs.
+ Explains how provisioning challenges can be met in multi-region networks and details the provisioning systems and tools relied on by the GMPLS control plane, along with the standard MIB modules used to manage a GMPLS system. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great review of GMPLS
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars because of its age.2006, and its nearly 2010.With advancement in this protocol and the advent of GMPLS/GELS for ethernet control plane for Carrier Ethernet this books screams for a 2nd edition (even if in PDF format only). And perhaps a chapter giving a run down of GMPLS implementations by major vendors.Both those that supply network nodes and a control server, and those that build the control plane server only (like Soap Stone until Extreme Networks bought them).

Provides good understanding of GMPLS
I've been doing research in control planes for transport networks and needed to learn about GMPLS. This book does a very good job at explaining what GMPLS is, the set of protocols it involves and how each one works, including sequence diagrams for some of less known ones (to me) such as LMP. There are enough network diagrams associated with examples to give you a clear picture of what's going on. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about GMPLS. If more in-depth information is required, you can always go look at the RFCs.

A must-read on GMPLS
A comprehensive book providing clear and detailed view on all the aspects of GMPLS and related protocols. Instead of of reading a bunch of rfc(s) start reading this book first and let rfc(s) for a second step. You will get the whole picture well explained in all its components and relations.
Really well written and easy to follow with all the concepts explained in a simple but precise way.

GMPLS - Architecture and Applications
I am suprise with this book. The authors use a clear language andexplore very well all the concepts about GMPLS. It is a very important book for wich are developing projects in this area.

Definitely a book of reference on GMPLS !!!
I would without hesitation strongly advice this book to anyone interested in GMPLS ! The book covers in great detail a variety of topics related to GMPLS with the greatest and latest data. Excellent work. ... 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
More and more Agile projects are seeking architectural roots as they struggle with complexity and scale - and they're seeking lightweight ways to do it

• Still seeking? In this book the authors help you to find your own path
• Taking cues from Lean development, they can help steer your project toward practices with longstanding track records
• Up-front architecture? Sure. You can deliver an architecture as code that compiles and that concretely guides development without bogging it down in a mass of documents and guesses about the implementation
• Documentation? Even a whiteboard diagram, or a CRC card, is documentation: the goal isn't to avoid documentation, but to document just the right things in just the right amount
• Process? This all works within the frameworks of Scrum, XP, and other Agile approaches
  

Customer Reviews (2)

Must Read for Architects in a Lean Organization.
When I was a C++ programmer in the early 90's Coplien's Advanced C++ Programming Styles and Idioms was a source of interview material when looking for programmers. It's a good bet that this book may fill the same role for those looking to see if candidates for architect roles understand what it means to be an architect in a Lean or Agile Organization. This book dispels the myth that Agile and Architecture don't go together and explains the balance between Agile architecture and too much Big Up Front Design. This book emphasizes the importance of frequent collaboration between stakeholders in defining a good architecture and helps you to understand the importance of architecture to the success of agile projects. With code examples throughout,this book emphasizes that architecture and coding must go together.After describing some general principles of how architecture can add value to an agile project, the authors explain the Data Context, Interaction (DCI) architecture, which provides an framework for building lean architectures.My one minor complaint is that the transition between the general discussions of lean architecture and the focused discussion of DCI was a bit abrupt. But this was a minor distraction from an enjoyable and informative read. Rich with citations, places to go for more information, and historical context, this book will be useful for anyone who is struggling with how to build systems that need to support complicated user interactions (which could describe most non-trivial systems).

A must read for all system developers
This is a different book. Where most books expound a single theme such as Agile, Lean, or Scrum, "Lean Architecture for Agile Software Development" paints on a much broader canvas: Working with the end user, end user's mental model, user requirements, system architecture, and right down to actual code.

This is neither a beginner's "how to do it in ten easy lessons" nor is it a design method. It is a book written for the mature professional by two authors whose long experience has given them a deep understanding of what really matters in practical programming.

At a first glance, many methodologies appear as mere fads, but Coplien and Bjørnvig see through the fads and build on their real worth to create a thought-provoking and eminently practical book.

Three random jottings from my first reading:

* Architecture: "No matter how we care to define it, software architecture should support the enterprise value stream even to the extent that the source code itself should reflect the end user's mental model of the world."

* Lean secret: "...unite specialists together in one room: everybody, all together, from early on."

* Form and functionality: "System architecture should reflect the end user's mental model of the world. The model has two parts: The first part relates to the user's thought process when viewing the screen, and to what the system is: its form. The second part relates to what end users do - interacting with the system - and how the system should respond to user input. This is the system functionality. We work with users to elicit and develop these models and to capture them in code as early as possible."

The authors claim that an end user should have a picture in his head that enables him to see the commands that are meaningful in a given situation and to understand what they will do for him. This picture, Jim calls it the end user's mental model, it will be reflected into the actual code in well-built systems.

A few years ago, this reviewer introduced a new programming paradigm that he called Data, Context, and Interaction (DCI). The main feature of this paradigm is that it splits the code into two distinct parts. One part specifies system state; the other part specifies system behavior. Coplien and Bjørnvig use this paradigm to fill in the gap between architecture and code execution. To quote from the book:

* Key building blocks of object-oriented design: "Objects, which are end users' conceptualization of things in their business world; Classes, which provide simple, encapsulated access to the data that represents business information; Roles, which interact in a use case to achieve some business goal."

This book is a MUST read for all who want to understand the true nature of systems development. ... Read more

Product Description

As software systems become ubiquitous, the issues of dependability become more and more crucial. Given that solutions to these issues must be considered from the very beginning of the design process, it is reasonable that dependability is addressed at the architectural level. This book comes as a result of an effort to bring together the research communities of software architectures and dependability.

This state-of-the-art survey contains 16 carefully selected papers originating from the Twin Workshops on Architecting Dependable Systems (WADS 2004) accomplished as part of the International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2004) in Edinburgh, UK and of the International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks (DSN 2004) in Florence, Italy. The papers are organised in topical sections on architectures for dependable services, monitoring and reconfiguration in software architectures, dependability support for software architectures, architectural evaluation, and architectural abstractions for dependability.

Product Description
The updated edition of the classic visual manual for troubleshooting PC hardware problems. Morris Rosenthal creates a visual expert system for diagnosing component failure and identifying conflicts. The seventeen diagnostic flowcharts at the core of this book are intended for the intermediate to advanced hobbyist, or the beginning technician. Following a structured approach to troubleshooting hardware reduces the false diagnoses and parts wastage typical of the "swap 'till you drop" school of thought. Flowcharts include: Power Supply Failure, Video Failure, Video Performance, Motherboard, CPU, RAM Failure, Motherboard, CPU, RAM Performance, IDE Drive Failure, Hard Drive Boot and Performance, CD or DVD Playback, CD or DVD Recording Problem, Modem Failure, Modem Performance, Sound Failure, Sound and Game Controller Performance, Network Failure, Peripheral Failure, SCSI Failure and Conflict Resolution ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

A simple approach to troubleshooting
With no pictures, no technical details but just some simple straight forward flow chart, I have to give credit to the author.

This book is well written and outlined out so even a beginner can follow and troubleshoot.
For the well experienced, it serves a simple reminder that some problems are generally solved by taking the simple steps first.

It is indeed very good book to have.

PC Repair Book
This book is not as detailed as the same author's book on laptop repair.Therefore, it is not as good as it might have been.

MUST BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EASY TO UNDERSTAND. I FIXED 2 ISSUES WITHIN 1 WEEK ON MY COMPUTER.BETTER THAN THE OTHER 2 BOOKS I BOUGHT.IT IS A MUST HAVE AT THIS PRICE

Excellent Troubleshooting tool
This is probably the most valuable tool a PC Technician could have in his tool box. It's better at diagnostics and been more helpful than many of the bigger more expensive PC repair books I've gotten. My only regret is that I didn't buy this sooner. Also see the The Laptop Repair Workbook by the same author. It's well written and easy to follow. I highly recommend both.

computer repair
It's always good to have a reference book when dealing with computer problems. If not this book,a similar book would do just as well. ... Read more

Product Description

This award-winning book, substantially updated to reflect the latest developments in the field, introduces the concepts and best practices of software architecture--how a software system is structured and how that system's elements are meant to interact. Distinct from the details of implementation, algorithm, and data representation, an architecture holds the key to achieving system quality, is a reusable asset that can be applied to subsequent systems, and is crucial to a software organization's business strategy.

Drawing on their own extensive experience, the authors cover the essential technical topics for designing, specifying, and validating a system. They also emphasize the importance of the business context in which large systems are designed. Their aim is to present software architecture in a real-world setting, reflecting both the opportunities and constraints that companies encounter. To that end, case studies that describe successful architectures illustrate key points of both technical and organizational discussions.

Topics new to this edition include:

Customer Reviews (25)

Huh?
I was so taken aback by the comments on this volume that I could not resist a retort.First, SEI transformation methodologies are abstract by intent.They are not how-to methodologies or roadmaps for composing class structures, web sites, or a coding guideline standard.The ATAM is immensely valuable for collecting and rating architectural drivers from stakeholders using a very novel approach to tradeoffs.Also, OAR is designed as a guideline to harvesting and rehabilitating pre-existing system components not for a detailed analysis of a systems component code-base.Again, this is not a coding guide for those of us who are new to the architectural profession and are thinking in code-modelling terminology.Last, (but of greatest concern), is the use of SEI transformation methodologies for plotting logical and physical design.They are not intended to be used for this level of design work.(One might compare this to the misapplied notion of using BPMN to design a detailed network topology).Other than possibly CBAM, these are also not cost modelling methodologies. Comparing COCOMO II to CBAM is paramount to comparing an abacus to an accounting algorithm for future value.Sorry if I stepped on any toes...off the soapbox.

Good Foundation Book
This is a solid work on SEI's ADD methodology. The authors fully document the ADD methodology in terms of incorporating this into your practice. Clear text, diagrams, and illustrations depict how you bridge the gap between theory and practice.

If you're looking to use, or enhance, how to leverage your use architecture, I recommend this book. ADD is a method that values the business intent of the software, and constructs a method that delivers value to the customer.

There are some weak chapters, which prevent me from giving a 5-star rating. For example, Chapter 10 addresses reverse engineering an architecture. The focus was on a point exercise that is not useful in either theory or practice. Other case studies in the book (there are a few) were not helpful as they did not have the keys to turn the theory into practice. For example Chapter 16 addressed a J2EE/EJB study; however it was very high-level and omitted important details to be used in practice. However, the case study of an avionics system (Chapter 3) was good; it provided insight in how to apply theoretical concepts.

I recommend this book for those organizations looking for a solid value-add approach to improving your architectures both technically, and in customer value.

Heavy in 'Case Studies'marginal on usable content.
This text is chock full of "Case Studies" in Architectural design & development methods, but surpringinly sparse in specifics. The authors' take an approach that is almost entirely qualitative; I was hoping to see a more analytical set of methods for analysing architectures, butfound little.

Not suitable for web applications
This book is great to gain theoritical knowledge about software architecture, but it lacks practical insights. May be it's my specific problem, because I was trying to find a good book on architecture of web applications, which this book does not provide.

Learning from the ancient masters of building
What is arguably the best analogy to the creation of the large, modern software product is the construction of the great pyramids of Egypt: any error made in laying down the lower layers was magnified many times over when the additional layers were added. The placement of even a single component required the coordinate actions of many workers. Large detailed plans were necessary before the first block could be laid and while no precise deadline existed, there was a general one. Finally, despite their impressive size, the pyramids were built by applying simple components while following a well-understood pattern for integration.
Therefore, as so many people are now pointing out, software engineers can learn much from the masters of construction.
Architecture (architorture to students of the craft) is a very difficult area to master. The human mind processes information based on patterns, but much of that efficiency is based on experienced patterns, and abstractions rarely come easy even to the prepared mind. In this book, the authors do a great deal to assist "open minds" in preparing to understand and use architectural patterns.
To present their ideas, the authors coined the phrase, "Architecture Business Cycle" (ABC). This phrase is designed to describe the entire process, from the initial itch on the back of the brain, to the influence of the architecture of one product in succeeding generations of products. Only when the consequences to future generations of software are included can we truly say we are describing the complete software life cycle.
The approach used is a combination of explanation and case studies. Seven of the nineteen chapters are case studies that generally are well-done examples of the material. The core of the book, however, is the development of the steps in the construction of the ABC. The first step is the creation and analysis of a specific architecture. To perform the analysis, the authors put forward the Software Architecture Analysis Method (SAAM), a scenario-based method of evaluation. This technique is also one of the components of an architecture-review process.
After the architecture is developed, it is time to create an equivalent system based on the design. To do that, a symbolic notation is needed. While there is some time spent on Architecture Description Languages (ADLs), this is one topic that should have been expanded. Without a common language that has a high degree of precision, there is a great deal of room for potential error. The analogy or metaphor that clarifies a concept for one person makes it less comprehensible for others. An example of an ADL is presented, but seven pages containing diagrams is not enough to do more than spark interest or confusion.
The final area concerns the reuse of components and architecture. Two chapters are devoted to this topic, one on reuse within an organization and the other on reuse within the community. Within an organization, the emphasis is on the other software product line-a series of products in both parallel and sequential development. Creating a "reasonable" match to a consumer's requirements in the software development equivalent of real time is achievable only if there is an extensive stock of well-designed components that work and play well with each other. The only way to achieve this is to make such behavior part of the fundamental design. In the modern era of global competition, exposing your architectural designs to the world might seem to be a poor business practice. However in many areas this is not the case.
Software developers can learn a great deal from the construction engineers of the ancient world. When planning a complex structure, the medieval architect commonly attacked the problem from a multigenerational perspective. Knowing the project would not be completed for decades, the initial architectural plans included the passing of the necessary legacy knowledge down to the later generations of planners and builders. Only then could there be a guarantee of completion and long-term viability. The ABC as put forward in this book is one way the computer industry can approach problems from the same perspective.

Published in Journal of Object-Oriented Programming, posted with permission.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Great overview, greate guide a little repetitous at the end
Give you a great overview about architecture and how microsoft products may help you.
It's a good guide that expose MS products and their pros and cons over each situation.
Become a little repetitous at the end when I was expecting to go deeper in the subjects reported before.

Great guidance
Given all the technologies both new and old supported in .NET and Visual Studio it can quickly become unclear on when to use what technology for a given situation.There are so many data access and ORM technologies in .NET do you know which one is good for a given project?

This book offers clear guidance on when to use what technology, framework and pattern for a given scenario.An example it provides an easy to use table for when to use a dynamic data application, Entity Framework, Linq, or just the ADO.NET api.

This book is packed witih great guidance.Now only if it were available on the Kindle!

Cannot Do Any Better
Whether you are an architect, developer, product manager, project manager, analyst, Microsoft Application Architecture Guide (Patterns & Practices) is a great desk reference. Please note that this reference is not an end-all-be-all for programming, but rather a 'guide' to aid in planning and designing any project (regardless of size and scope).

In addition to the Guide, I'll use Erl's SOA books or Dino Esposito's references, and others, but the Guide is usually the first place a I begin to make certain I do not make any expensive mistakes along the way.

I find it important to mention that this book had more than 30 collaborators from within Microsoft, its partners and its customers, so its depth in knowledge is expansive.

Great Reference
I didn't use the first edition of the guide as much as I thought I would when it first came out oh so many years ago. But when the new 2nd edition was released I was interested to see what changes they had made. I was very surprised to find it so useful. There is a lot of great descriptions for the different architectures possible with the .NET framework. I found this to be a great refrence for documenting architectures for the projects I work on. It helped me organize my thoughts, and consider items to include (and to leave out) of my architecture documentation. One thing I noticed was the printed version is different than the PDF available for download from the CodePlex web site. Not sure why they are different, but I found the print version a bit better to follow.

A must have for the .NET Architect, Developer, and PM
Man, was I glad to see them print this thing.I had bugged them about it, but they said it wouldn't pay for itself.It's good to see they changed their mind.I have been lugging it around in a binder, and that had been less than pleasurable.

I like keeping this with me because it serves as great reference of all the things I am supposed to remember, but often forget.When it comes time to begin a new architecture I like having my valuable books nearby, and this is one of them.

This book is packed with guidance on Mobile applications, Rich client applications, Rich Internet applications, Service applications, and Web applications built with .NET.The solution guidance provided in this book is all 100% .NET and Microsoft centric.It maps all the important aspects of software architecture to ways to implement them in .NET or with Microsoft products.This is the compass you need to find out what Microsoft has to offer for building different types of architectures.

The book includes individual chapters on designing Mobile applications, Rich client applications, Rich Internet applications, Service applications, Web applications, Hosted and Cloud Services, Office Business applications, and SharePoint LOB applications.

The book also includes some nice appendixes.They include the Microsoft Application Platform, Presentation Technology Matrix, Data Access Technology Matrix, Integration Technology Matrix, Workflow Technology Matrix, patterns & practices Enterprise Library, and a patterns & practices Pattern Catalog.

The book primarily focuses on architecture, but each chapter provides resources for guidance on the details of implementation for the technologies mentioned in that chapter.

The book focuses on the technical aspects of .NET architecture.It does not cover the soft skills needed to be an architect, or cover the customer facing skills need to communicate with the business stakeholders.You won't find much on process either, just an overview.These missing topics have not taken away from the book, they have made it a stronger book.There are plenty of resources on how to execute the soft skills and architecture process.This book concentrates on how to communicate with the development team through solid design and well known patterns and principles.

If you are a .NET Architect, Developer, or Project Manger of a .NET team, you should have this book at your side.As a matter of fact, I would recommend making one of your interview questions for your team members - "Tell me what your favorite part of the Microsoft Application Architecture Guide 2nd Edition is?" If the candidate does not have a favorite part, you get back that hour you almost wasted on them.
... Read more