Belongs on Every Virtualization Book Shelf - This book is a great
complement to the multitude of virtualization books out there (my own
included). Hardware design and sizing for virtualization is critical in
all virtualization migration projects and this book does a great job
examining all of the available blade solutions and architectures at your
disposal. The authors also provide granular analysis of all major vendor
solutions (HP, IBM, Dell, Egenera, etc.). Coverage of clustering and
virtualization software is also included.
The scope of the book is vast (blades, virtualization software, power and
cooling, management -- to name a few topics), so it's unfair to expect
every detail of every topic to emerge in the text (the book would be
10,000 pages if it did). But if you want a book that connects all of the
dots in the modern data center, then this book is for you. With coverage
of all data center technologies and the vendors that provide them, this
book is sure to accelerate the preparation and architectural work needed
in any virtualization migration project.
Chris Wolf, Senior Analyst at Burton
Group, and virtualization columnist and book author
Asks and Answers All the Right
Questions - We knew we were running out of space and power in our data
center, and a blade environment might be the solution. But how do you even
begin amassing the information to make the right decisions to solve our
dilemma? I consider this book necessary reading for anyone considering the
plunge into blade technology. Not only did it address my questions and
concerns, it introduced me to potential problems and solutions I hadn't
even considered! Now I feel confident that I have a valuable tool to aid
me throughout the design and implementation stages of our conversion from
stand-alone servers running at 5% utilization to blade chassis running
multiple virtual servers at 50% utilization. The authors clearly know and
address the benefits and pitfalls of this relatively new technology. I
especially enjoyed the case studies. They allowed me to see what
difficulties other companies in similar situations faced, and how they
solved their problems. If there is another book out there that details
these issues in a vendor non-specific format, I haven't found it.
Curtis Hotzinger, Network
Manager, Large Public School District
Excellent for Beginners - I found the book
to be an excellent source of information on various virtualization topics
- hardware, software and vendors. It provides introductory information
for those trying to better understand the concepts of virtualization and
blade hardware. In addition, there are comprehensive chapters - Assessing
Your Needs, System Software Considerations and Differentiating &
Selecting, all of which are useful for those trying to evaluate their
virtualization options. I have recommended individual chapters to others
such as the chapters on Benefits of Blades & Virtualization and Power &
Cooling. Finally, the case studies are very useful in assessing how other
companies (perhaps like yours) have deployed virtualization. Excellent as
a reference source.
Ray Brady, co-leader of a VMware users group
Relevant for Investors Too! - A
great read on a complex subject. Virtualization is taking the information
technology world by storm. For investors, the question is where to invest
besides the pending/probable VMware IPO? This book has answers! And they
are in clear english prose. No technobabble, no sidetracks down dark
ratholes.
The first 2/3 of the book is an excellent technology bible. It clearly
explains the why and how of virtualization technology and relationships
with it and other technologies. The last 1/3 presents case studies and
examines a wide range of suppliers. This was particularly valuable as the
case studies explained the economics of Virtualization and why customers
are willing to spend money on it. Investor ought consider starting with
the case studies, shifting to the technology and finishing with the
vendors.
Gerard Hallaren, Demandside Investor
Click here to
listen to a podcast on Virtual-Strategy-Magazine about the book
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