Skip Links

Network World

  • Social Web 
  • Email 
  • Close

Book reviews and virtualization

Gearhead By Mark Gibbs , Network World , 11/28/2005
Gibbs

Seeing that Thanksgiving has just shot past us, leaving us with an expanded waistline, we need to slim down in time for packing on the pounds at Christmas.

Unfortunately, there is little in the Gearhead universe that will give you much more than a serious mental workout, unless you count racking up computer gear and unpacking boxes as exercise. Be that as it may, this week we have two topics on our minds: books and virtualization.

First up, books. Over the last few weeks we have got our hands on some books you need to get your hands on.

Our first pick is The TCP/IP Guide by Charles Kozierok (No Starch Press). Weighing in with an impressive count of 1,539 pages (we hung on every word), this book is the most comprehensive guide to TCP/IP protocols we have ever come across. It also is the most readable. This is a book that will be staying on our shelves, and we highly recommend it. Actually, if you want a workout, just try lifting this volume at arm's length a few times.

Next, consider The Debian System by Martin Krafft (No Starch Press). At 650 pages, this hefty tome, subtitled Concepts and Techniques, is not quite in the same league as our last pick, but is remarkable for providing a much larger view of the Debian Linux distro than any book we've seen.

Debian is the basis of several other distros, including Knoppix (discussed in Gearhead in More VMware intricacies), Ubuntu and Xandros. As the book explains, Debian is one of the most organized and disciplined open source development projects around.

This book is unusual in that it is much more than a technical discussion - it delves into the philosophy of the system, explains how someone becomes a recognized Debian developer and details the way that Debian is licensed.

That's not to say the book doesn't get technical. It provides a very well-written, soup-to-nuts explanation of how Debian is organized; how to install, configure and modify the system; and how to administer and secure it. Excellent and highly recommended.

Our next book is back to a topic that we discussed in Gearhead and in Backspin: virtualization. Virtualization: From the Desktop to the Enterprise by Chris Wolf and Erik M. Halter (Apress) covers a large chunk of the commercial virtual machine market, including Microsoft Virtual PC and Virtual Server and all of the VMware products.

Partner Content
CA logo

CA Network & Voice Resource Center

Comprehensive Network & Voice Management Visit CA Network & Voice Management Resource Center and get insights into industry best practices, information that helps you to address your challenges.

CA Network & Voice Management Resource Center

whitepaper

Managing Voice Over IP for Successful Convergence

Voice over IP (VoIP) has much to offer in cost savings but some customers have concerns about VoIP call quality compared to the quality of traditional voice services. This white paper will help you learn how to take the right steps so that voice quality is assured.

Managing VoIP for Successful Convergence

whitepaper

The Changing Face of Network Management

Managing your network is serious business. This paper discusses the benefits of integrating configuration change-awareness into your network fault management solution

Download Whitepaper

Comment
Login
Forgot your account info?
Add comment
Anonymous comments subject to approval. Register here for member benefits.
Have a NetworkWorld account? Log in here. Register now for a free account.

Videos

rssRss Feed

Whitepapers

Sun Microsystems: The Green Tide Is Coming. Pressure Builds for an Energy-Efficient Data Center

It's safe to say that most companies, if presented with hard numbers on their energy consumption...

Secure Wireless Printing Options

Discover how you can reduce the TCO of your wireless printers in this whitepaper. Learn how to...

Tuning ERP and the Supply Chain for Profitable Growth

The supply chain is, of course, the primary processing mechanism of every manufacturing company....

Webcasts

Direct from Microsoft: Tips for Integrating Exchange 2007 and Double-Take Software

Double-Take (r) Software and Microsoft are teaming up on September 9, 2008 for a webinar focusing...

PoE Plus: Impact on the PoE Market

The standard for Power over Ethernet (PoE), IEEE Std. 802.3af(tm)-2003, advanced networking,...

Harnessing the power of communications to increase workplace performance

Due to the convergence of IT and telecommunications technologies, the business workplace has been...

Special Reports

The New Network/System Management Challenges

Increasingly popular technologies such as virtualization, wireless networking and data center...

Virtualization Reality Check

Find out why analysts say approaching virtualization with an ounce of caution is wise. And also why...

Closing the Loop: Extending Wireless LAN Security to Wireless Printers

Enterprises cannot overlook wireless printers when assessing network security. The print jobs and...

Get instant email notification when white papers, webcasts, executive guides are added to our library. Stay informed and up-to-date with the latest on IT Technologies with Network World's Resource Alerts.