Customer Reviews

Windows NT Cluster Server Guidebook

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I needed to get a cluster up and running and this book was just what I needed. It shows you how to build and manage a cluster. I thought that part would be difficult but everything falls into place when you follow this book. The chapter on clustering SQL Server was the most important part of the book for me. This book had all the steps clearly laid out, so I was able to get it up and running. It's a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone needing to do clustering.

Oops. Having read through 120+ pages ... Clustering as explained in this book was still a mystery -- making learning MSCS difficult. The Microsoft Cluster Server Administrator's Guide (included on the Enterprise CD) does a much better job through and through. By page 3 in the Administrator's Guide -- you get it. On the bright side, the author does explain how to execute administrative tasks well and there is a section for Clustering SQL and Exchange.

In a previous life, I was a VAX Cluster Manager, and so was skeptical about the benefits a book like this could provide to someone with my knowledge of the topic. To my pleasant surprise, this book saved me hours of time in creating my first Windows NT cluster.

Overall, an A+. Kudos to Dave Libertone and Prentice-Hall!

Mr. Libertone provides clear and insightful information on setting up Microsoft Cluster Server. His book outlines the benefits of clustering and clarified some of my misconceptions regarding this new technology. I intend to use clusters to guarantee uninterrupted service to my file and database server. Thanks to this informative book, I can proceed with confidence. This is a must read for anyone interested in setting up clusters.

I found this book very good in terms of the topics coverd, in-depth coverage of clusters in general and specific to NT. It has greately enhanced my knowledge about clusters on NT and how to setup a NT based clusterd network. I would recommend this book to anyone who is new and also wants to learn more about clusters.

Was this book edited? I think the publisher should be ashamed. If you can slog through the grammatical errors, typos and generally poor writing, you might find this book interesting. However, given that it appears to have been unedited, and given that folks in-the-know have pointed out technical inaccuracies to me, I wouldn't take anything written in this book as the gospel truth. It did raise some interesting questions that I will research.

I will think twice before buying a book from this publisher again.

I am still hungry for more after reading it. I think that this book assumes you may be a "Paper MCSE" b/c it explains basic stuff, such as Host Name Resolution (DNS, WINS and HOST Files) and IIS V-Servers. If your touching cluster servers this knowledge should be assumed (most are pretty pricey). It references SQL 6.5, not 7... I also wish the graphics matched the examples in the text.

If you are looking for a practical, well-written book to teach you how toquickly create and utilize clusters of Windows NT servers, then look no further. This book walks you through the process step-by-step. I found the performance tips and troubleshooting guide to be especially helpful.

It is a good starter book. Troubleshooting aspects are incomplete. Overall I would recommend this book for someone who is trying to install MSCS for the first time. Individual must be proficient in NT and TCP/IP concepts. This book gives nice clues for finding troubles and troubleshooting them.

David Libertone offers a readable introduction to MSCS but doesn't offer much more than the Microsoft manual. There are some errors and the (lack of) editing is not what I would expect from a professional reference manual. However, there are currently few Microsoft cluster books to choose from so this is probably the best introduction available.