Inside the AS/400: Second Edition [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Frank G. Soltis (Author), Soltis (Author), Paul Conte (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996

Here's the inside story on the new AS/400e series! IBM has extended the AS/400 into the world of electronic business (e-business) with a totally new generation of AS/400e systems and servers. The functions and capabilities of these new offerings uniquely position the AS/400e series for the next millennium. The first edition of Inside the AS/400 set a new standard for AS/400 books with a behind-the-scenes look at the AS/400's design, architecture, and history - and at some of the people behind the scenes who created this remarkable system for you. This second edition continues the tradition with an insider's look at the newest AS/400e series. Whether you are an executive looking for a high-level overview or a "bit-twiddling techie" who wants all the details, Dr. Frank G. Soltis, IBM's AS/400 chief architect, demystifies this system, shedding light on how it came to be, how it can do the things it does, and what its future may hold. Included are detailed looks at th! e AS/400's advanced application architecture, technology-independent machine interface, RISC hardware implementations, objects and object management, integrated database, security and authorization, single-level store - process management, I/0 system, e-business computing capabilities, and future in the 21st century. Simply, Inside the AS/400, Second Edition, is written for those who want to learn more about all of the AS/400 systems from someone who knows. Is it magic, or just good design? After reading this book perhaps you will agree that it's a little of both. As the original architect of the IBM System/38, Dr. Soltis created a revolutionary new computer architecture based on his Ph.D. dissertation research. The single-level addressability of that architecture, along with the technology-independent machine interface he proposed, led to a totally new breed of computers. Today's AS/400 family of computers uses his architecture. Besides his system architecture work, Dr. Solti! s has several technical and management positions at the IBM Development Laboratory in Rochester, Minnesota, involving compute ware and software development, strategic planning, and advanced technology programs. He is a frequent speaker at computer conferences throughout the world and is an award-winning author with several publications to his credit. He also holds more than 25 patents and published invention disclosures related to computer systems. During the past few years, he has participated in the definition of the PowerPC architecture and led the effort in Rochester to move the AS/400 to the 64-bit PowerPC RISC processors. He continues to define sever Mite$ en, ut r W e~ the direction for the AS/400 architecture in the future. In addition to his IBM responsibilities, Dr. Soltis is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches classes on advanced computer architectures.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Get the inside story on Version 4 from the chief architect of the AS/400. In this second edition of Frank Soltis’s bestseller Inside the AS/400, you get expanded coverage of today’s hot topics (e.g., security and data warehousing). Order yours now – it’s a must for understanding the AS/400.

About the Author

As the original architect of the IBM System/38, Dr. Frank G. Soltis created a revolutionary new computer architecture based on his Ph.D. dissertation research. The single-level addressability of that architecture, along with the technology-independent machine interface he proposed, led to a totally new breed of computers. Today's AS/400 family of computers uses his architecture. Besides his system architecture work, Dr. Soltis has held several technical and management positions at the IBM Development Laboratory in Rochester, Minnesota, involving computer hardware and software development, strategic planning, and advanced technology programs. He is a frequent speaker at computer conferences throughout the world and is an award-winning author with several publications to his credit. He also holds more than 25 patents and published invention disclosures related to computer systems. During the past few years, he has participated in the definition of the PowerPC architec! ture and led the effort in Rochester to move the AS/400 to the 64-bit PowerPC RISC processors. He continues to define the direction for the AS/400 architecture in the future. In addition to his IBM responsibilities, Dr. Soltis is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches classes on advanced computer architectures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 402 pages
• Publisher: 29th Street Press; 2 Sub edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882419669
• ISBN-13: 978-1882419661
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,079,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for AS/400 developers, August 5, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside the AS/400: Second Edition (Paperback)

This is your chance to find out what really is going on inside your AS/400. Everything you have always wanted to know. You won't find this out from anywhere else. It will satisy the appetite of even the most technically minded. There's even an historical perspective - the AS/400 really does come from an alternative universe. Fantastic.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best iSeries book ever!, September 27, 2001

By 

Robert J. Cancilla (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inside the AS/400: Second Edition (Paperback)

Did you ever wonder about why IBM is pushing JAVA? Worried about the future of the AS/400? Concerned about personal computers or PC servers that have faster cpu speeds than an iSeries? You must read this book then! Only Frank Soltis could provide the highly readable in depth analysis of the internal architecture that appears to becoming the basis for the entire eServer line of computers to be built by IBM in the future.

For many of us who have invested heavily in the AS/400 and are worried about its future this book should put those fears to rest and demonstrate clearly how this amazing machine and its even more incredible layered operating system will be the basis for IBM's future!

Bob C.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The inside story of a revolutionary computing system, July 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Inside the AS/400: Second Edition (Paperback)

This book is an exceptionally well-written description of the AS/400. It describes in some detail the internal architecture of both hardware and software. It explains the reasons behind design decisions. Though not a comic strip it contains helpful diagrams to assist the explanations. The AS/400 contains revolutionary concepts not yet found in other less advanced operating systems. It has demonstrated its ability to adapt and coexist with new and superficially rival technologies. Anyone who wants to understand what a real engineer does, to get major insights into and inspiration for software and hardware design cannot afford to ignore this book. To describe it as 'trash', as one reviewer has, is a reflection on the reviewer, not the book.