Network Resource Planning For SAP R/3, BAAN IV, and PeopleSoft: A Guide to Planning Enterprise Applications (Paperback)

by Annette Clewett (Author), Dana Franklin (Author), Ann McCown (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
This guide admirably details how to determine if your network will hold up under the strain of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application. While you will not find information on the intricacies of SAP, BAAN, and PeopleSoft products, you will get solid advice on preparing for their roll out.

Geared more to managers than technicians, the book first provides a bit of context for distributed computing, the model that ERP software follows, and reviews the types of software tools and people resources necessary for the task at hand, an incredibly useful exercise. The authors then dive into the specifics of network baselining, application planning, and capacity planning in three clearly written and nicely constructed sections. Three well-documented network resource-planning case studies illustrate the principles in action. Like the other books in the McGraw-Hill computing series, this one is beautifully laid out and heavily stocked with useful diagrams, a fabulous glossary, and terrific appendices that outline baseline model-creation strategies and provide a consolidated listing of software tools for network resource planning. Through it all, Clewett and company remain true to their convictions, which can be summed up in a singular and familiar motto: Be Prepared. --Sarah Roberts-Witt

Product Description
Now you can learn how to predict service levels and the availability of network resources for critical enterprise applications like SAP R/3Nusing the Network Resource Planning (NRP) methodology, automated NRP tools, and NRP case studies provided in this book. It explores such topics as how to baseline a network, application profiling, capacity planning, and reviewing network performance on an on-going basis. A bundled CD-ROM includes a demo model of the NetMaker XA automated NRP toolset.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies; 1st edition (May 26, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0079136478
• ISBN-13: 978-0079136473
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,739,862 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to find insights into NRP/Capacity Planning, October 7, 1998

By A Customer

Managers and IT Staff who have not performed Network Resource Planning analysis themselves will learn a great deal from the book. Network IT staff who have experience in capacity planning will be able to adjust and/or validate their approaches by studying the authors' approach.

The examples in the book are interesting for two reasons. They elucidate the authors'methodology and they provide some basis from which to compare the NRP maturity level of one's own IT organization.

In terms of details, the authors provide useful insights into the various kinds of network delay, approaches to utilization baselining, the strenghts and weaknesses of categories of modeling tools, and a view of the limitations of the state of the art of NRP. Recommended!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference for seasoned and newcomer networkers!, November 5, 1998

By A Customer

Clewett et al do a great job of demystifying the current art of network planning. As with any technical challenge, the sound approach is to decompose the problem space to manageable pieces, and Clewett's valuable experience shines through in their approach to this methodology.

Their timing has been ideal-- Reference volumes like this coincide with IT industry demand trends, and are a must reading or desk reference for engineers, managers and IT planners who are involved in deploying these hot products. Over time, material like this will help defray the high cost of IT delivery by applying well-accepted and proven methodologies in network planning.

One caveat: Practical experience tells us that heavy analysis can produce 99% accurate results yet take an unacceptably long time to produce. As Clewett et al point out, the key is to balance a costly analytical approach with practical judgement calls and systematic *educated guesses* in order to reach decisions quickly enough to make a difference.

I would look for sequels that deal with the rest of the lifecycle in this business!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Title may be decieving, July 29, 1998

By A Customer

This book is a general networking book which so happens to deal with ERP systems. There are better books for networking available, but if you are already skilled in ERP systems and want to understand the network requirements this may be the book for you!