Maximizing Performance and Scalability with IBM Websphere

by Adam G. Neat

Book Overview

Maximizing Performance Scalability with IBM WebSphere is the only comprehensive performance management book focusing on WebSphere versions 4.0 and 5.0. The book addresses the operational aspects with both a proactive and reactive view. No other WebSphere book written focuses on ensuring that your implementation of WebSphere can scale and operate with such a high degree of performance.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590591305
• ISBN13: 9781590591307
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: Apress
• Length: 576 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 7.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

an independent opinion

WebSphere is one of IBM's core software offerings, on a par with DB2. Accordingly, IBM has built up a huge portfolio of functionality in WebSphere. And it has published a series of books explaining its usage. By definition, these books should be considered authoritative. So why should you even look at Neat's book? For one thing, he offers a different viewpoint on explaining what you can do with WebSphere. Remember that most users of WebSphere are companies that will have to invest considerable time and money in understanding and using it. Simply having a second written opinion on a particular aspect may help your understanding. And the cost of that (ie. the cost of this book) is trivial compared to the time it might save you. Let alone the cost of bringing in a consultant. Another reason for the book's utility is simply that Neat is independent of IBM. It gives him greater flexibility to make objective assessments; particularly if some of these are negative. One consequence of his independence is that the book devotes substantial space to issues involved in running WebSphere on Sun machines. Now IBM does offer WebSphere across a wide range of hardware. Naturally, including their own servers. To the best of my recollection, their WebSphere books simply do not give the extensive Sun coverage you will find here. Neat gives a realistic acknowledgement of the market presence of Sun for web applications.

Real world examples help you understand the theory

This book great to read from cover to cover, as well as simply using it as a reference guide. As some one who is familiar with the WebSphere platform, but new to performance tuning, I found that the topics where laid out in a very easy to understand progression.I appreciate the first chapter as it builds the case for performance tuning. The examples given are 'real world'. They show how costly a project can get over time if you just "throw hardware" at a performance problem. This is a no brainer for most people that will read this book. However, all the dollar figures and numbers are great to bring to decision makers before a project begins to help you build a case for budgeting and planning for performance -before production!It is very nice to finally find a book that compares and contrasts the different architectures of WAS 4 and WAS 5. Adam Neat describes each component in both versions 4 and 5, and how they are different. This book is probably not for someone who is just getting started with WebSphere. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who is comfortable with the administration of WebSphere, and needs to learn the art of performance tuning. You won't be disappointed.