Review of Patterns for Performance and Operability: Building and Testing Enterprise Software (Hardcover)

I've been in IT for almost 20 years now and just about all of the books are pie in the sky theory and cut and paste methodologies that don't work in an actual deployment.
(Why didn't I give this book 5 stars?I would've like some "anatomy of a failure" type lessons learned.But I would've given it 4 1/2 stars if possible.)

This book eschews the theory and talks about what needs to be done to put a service into a production environment and keep it up and running.If you're looking for some great guidelines as to what needs to be done to get a product up and running, this is the book.

As a software test professional, I make a plea to my testing colleagues to get this book.There needs to be more focus on the non-functional aspects of putting a service into an operational state and so little testing is done these days with that in mind.

For developers, it provides a good list of tips for making a system much more responsive with regards to status and reporting in a production environment.Great reminders for Devs to build a system that works in the environment to which it will be deployed.

Get it!

Product Description
Applications that work perfectly in controlled settings often fail in production environments, impacting business operations; this can result from a failure to account for any number of unforeseen events in hostile production environments. This book explores a frequently overlooked aspect of software development: non-functional design and testing. In the real world, hostile production conditions and changing business usage can lead to unforeseen downtime or unacceptable system performance. Written by technologists and based on real field experience, the book examines common failure scenarios, defensive design patterns, and effective performance strategies. It illustrates approaches to plan and execute comprehensive testing to ensure compliance with critical non-functional requirements.

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Review of How to Manage a Successful Software Project: With Microsoft(r) Project 2000, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

This book covers a good range of basic project management issues.It has good chapters on why projects fail and why projects succeed, with very specific issues outlined.All in all, I found this book to be verypractical and hands-on, and one of the best I've seen for getting anoverview of the subject.Applicable to more than just software projects;it would also be useful for web project managers and producers.I amhoping an updated version will be coming out, because a large section ofthe book is dedicated to project management using Microsoft Project 4, nowoutdated.However, I would still recommend this book for anyone trying toget a good grip on this topic.

Product Description
The best techniques and guidelines to deliver IT projects on schedule and within budget With all the pitfalls and cost overruns that can cause a software project to come in late and over budget, managers must know the best practices in the field and how to implement them. This comprehensive guide provides you with all the tools you'll need to deliver successful IT projects, including proven techniques, guidelines, and checklists. The hands-on tutorial will teach you how to implement these techniques using Microsoft Project 2000. Armed with this book, you'll be able to build software that meets user requirements. Inside, you'll find a survival framework that shows you how to achieve the best possible results with your project. the framework presents all the methods, tools, and approaches for you to consider when implementing projects. You will also be introduced to the Iterative Project Development Methodology (IPDM), which you can use on a broad range of projects, including n-tier architecture, legacy applications, open systems, Web-based applications, and e-business solutions.

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