Customer Reviews

IBM WebSphere DataPower SOA Appliance Handbook

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I purchased this book at Amazon to use as a reference for a DataPower implementation and to supplement basic DataPower training. It has been very helpful as a reference and has an easy-to-read style (for a technical book) that has made it possible to read it from cover to cover. The book provides numerous examples with screen snapshots. Interestingly, the examples typically are associated with a book purchase service :). Our project is using DataPower systems for web services security, service virtualization, routing, web service enabling MQ®, logging and complex XML transformation. These topics are covered extensively in the book. I strongly recommend this book if you are launching a DataPower project.

I'm working on a long term Datapower integration project in a QA / business application testing capacity with one of the authors of this book. The authors have done a great job of describing the capabilities and efficiencies of Datapower appliances. It gives just the right depth of insight both from a technical and business case perspective- it provides a level of understanding as to allow those with high level knowledge of the technical architecture to leverage Datapower's flexibility. Well done!

Disclaimer - I work for IBM in DataPower Technical Sales and I know 3 of the 5 authors of this book.

That being said, this is an excellent, long-overdue treatise on DataPower. The "DataPower Bible" if you will.

My first exposure to DataPower was in March of 2007. The idea of pushing expensive software functions (xml/crypto) into hardware was an epiphany for me.

I decided to pursue this with vigor.

My initial excitement was tempered by the huge learning curve that awaited me. DataPower information was fragmented and the extensive capabilities of the device challenged me to learn many new things.

There was never a single, authoritative source for DataPower information and best practices.......until now!!!

I am now carrying these 900 pages in my backpack and insisting that my customers purchase this book.

When I have a customer question, I go to the Index or search the online version....this is my first reference for all questions DataPower.

Even after 2 years of on-the-job experience, I am still exclaiming "ah-hahs" when I research things in this book.

I highly recommend this book for anybody that works with DataPower on a regular basis.

We purchased this book as soon as it was published since we were already developing applications on an XI50 and were looking for some good, practical information. One of the authors was working with us and recommended it (of course!). I have found this book to be constantly useful as we update application components and system components. I reference the GUI guide...then double check here to see if instructions are any more detailed..and they usually are, despite the fact that the book is primarily for Application developers and not system admins. As a system admin, i have actually used it so much i have broken the binding....I have tabs sticking out all over the place from VERY IMPORTANT pages. I highly recommend getting this book.

This is absolutely the best guide to learning and using IBM's DataPower devices available. The technical documentation from IBM is good for a terse, technical reference to specific features of the devices, but those documents are definitely NOT tutorials or self-study courses. The DataPower Handbook, on the other hand, provides a gentle, comprehensive guide to learning to use DataPower effectively.

The book is divided into several sections which are geared toward different interested parties. There is a wealth of information in there for administrators, network architects, security architects, and, of course, firewall developers.

This is, hands-down, one of the best technical books I have ever owned. It is so good, in fact, that we went ahead and purchased three copies for use within the company.


Oh-- one additonal point: I'm not sure if it's mentioned in the book, but there is an online forum for DataPower users that is also an excellent resource. The forum is located here:

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And one final gripe: I really wish that the original DataPower designers had chosen to call the XML processing pipelines something other than a "firewall." That name totally confuses everyone I talk to. Oh well....

If you are a security administrator or systems integration programmer this book should be on your book shelf. The experience of the authors shines through in the many insights and real world examples.

Disclaimer: 2 of the authors have briefly consulted re: security services and DataPower with our team. These guys are top notch.

Simply put, this is the best collection of technical guidance and best practices available for WebSphere DataPower SOA Appliances. The authors are top experts, and the material is extremely useful for anyone involved in working with DataPower.

A couple months ago, I read through this near 900-page text in preparation for the project I am currently leading to move my client from proprietary software built in-house to a suite of WebSphere branded products that includes DataPower. While the scope of the project ended up changing to exclude work on DataPower, the background that this book provided was immensely valuable in getting an understanding of the client product environment from both an architecture perspective and an in-the-trenches development perspective.

Prior to reading this text, I read through other material such as Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the IBM RedBooks series "IBM WebSphere DataPower SOA Appliances", but even though IBM RedBooks provide valuable information, and I regularly reference both IBM product manuals and IBM RedBooks while working with the rest of the WebSphere branded suite of products being used for this particular project, such as WebSphere Message Broker Toolkit and WebSphere Transformation Extender Design Studio, I find this book much more practical for DataPower.

While I extolled the benefits that vendor neutrality provided another IBM Press text, "Enterprise Master Data Management: An SOA Approach to Managing Core Information" (see my review), what the authors provide here is intended to focus on DataPower, and additional non-IBM background material is provided to both those new to this space and those who need to get acquainted with the particular contexts in which DataPower might apply.

My focus was on the DataPower XI50 integration appliance, although this text also covers the XA35 entry level product and the XS40 security appliance. The Chapter 1 introduction to appliances and the DataPower family outshines all of the presentations found readily via search engines, including those from IBM, and the coverage of DataPower setup, configuration, networking, services, management, and security literally starts from square one. The best practices and insight you will not find from any other printed material is what sets this book apart. Well recommended.

As integration of large disparate systems become more necessary, appliances like DataPower become more of a player in the market. This book is perhaps the most well written technical book i've seen. It's excellent at a number of levels, from intro to advanced.