Windows 2000 & Windows Server 2003 Clustering & Load Balancing

Rating:
Summary: Clusters made easy
Review: I am not one to spend hours reading through 900 page books to learn something, so this book was just perfect for me. If you want to get 2000 or 2003 set up in a redundant fashion, this is your book. Augmented with Technet I was able to get everything done. This book only covers the fundamantals of clustering on both platforms so if you want to go into more depth in specific areas, then you should use this book with other resources, but if you simply need to cluster or load balance Windows 2000 and 2003, then this is all you need. Since the book is listed on Microsoft's site as a resource, I picked it up and I am glad I did.

Rating:
Summary: Alotta stuff missing entirely
Review: I bought this book (rather skimpy size) and win2000 clustering (bigger) book to try and tackle several clusters I am to build in 2003 EE. Thanks GOD I bought the 2000 book also. Much of the usable information came from the 2000 book, not the 2003 book. The 2000 book goes right at 2000 clusters, and covers them in detail. This 2003 cluster book spends half the paper rehashing 2000 clusters and then begins showing some of the differences in 2003. Half of the smaller 2003 book is about 2000 clusters. If you do not read the whole book, in order, you cannot build a cluster in 2003. 2003 clustering seems more like an afterthought than the main concern. I also am trying to build IIS6 failover clusters. This book mentions IIS clusters, not at all, nowhere. In 2000 clusters, IIS is a checkoff. In 2003 there is nary any clear documentation on it anywhere, especially this book. While SQL seems to be covered in the 2003 book there seems to be an absence of other program types.
This book lacks any detail on many subjects and omits critical ones entirely.
If you want a technical reference, how to book, this is not it.
Shame. Its currently the only one out there for 2003 clusters.

Rating:
Summary: Alotta stuff missing entirely
Review: I bought this book (rather skimpy size) and win2000 clustering (bigger) book to try and tackle several clusters I am to build in 2003 EE. Thanks GOD I bought the 2000 book also. Much of the usable information came from the 2000 book, not the 2003 book. The 2000 book goes right at 2000 clusters, and covers them in detail. This 2003 cluster book spends half the paper rehashing 2000 clusters and then begins showing some of the differences in 2003. Half of the smaller 2003 book is about 2000 clusters. If you do not read the whole book, in order, you cannot build a cluster in 2003. 2003 clustering seems more like an afterthought than the main concern. I also am trying to build IIS6 failover clusters. This book mentions IIS clusters, not at all, nowhere. In 2000 clusters, IIS is a checkoff. In 2003 there is nary any clear documentation on it anywhere, especially this book. While SQL seems to be covered in the 2003 book there seems to be an absence of other program types.
This book lacks any detail on many subjects and omits critical ones entirely.
If you want a technical reference, how to book, this is not it.
Shame. Its currently the only one out there for 2003 clusters.

Rating:
Summary: Good Planning Guide
Review: I bought this guide to plan out my new Load Balanced farm at work with 2003 (we are using 2000 now) and found this to be a really good read on planning and design. I liked the section on the rolling upgrade from 2000 to 2003 because thats exactly what we are going to do. This book gives you a decent perspective on overall design of high availablity and gave me quite a few things to thing about that I did not think about before, especially with the emphasis on Internet facing solutions using NLB. The troublshooting sections were also valuable as 2003 is really new and this book outlines over 30 problems you are most likey going to see. In sum, This book doesnt have it all, but it has a lot to offer and is an excellent source of info for managers planning on getting their clusters up and running through the design and implimentation then troulbeshooting phases. I also like the fact that this book has NO fluff. It is a short, concise, value packed read. If more of an emphasis was placed on IIS, then I would have given this book 5 stars but all the concentration on IGMP really made up for it since it is a PAIN to set up.

Rating:
Summary: a 400 page introduction
Review: I guess I'm in the minority here, but I found this book to be completely useless. I was tasked to build a new windows 2003 file and print cluster, so I bought this book to read up on how it was done. All I got out of it (and yes I read it all the way, except for the load balancing parts) was that the author knew alot about technologies, and that there were alot of things to check on when setting up the cluster. Thing is, the book never got detailed on how to do anything. After reading through it all, I then spent ten minutes at the microsoft site for clustering, and learned more there. They've got the kind of specifics I needed in less than a dozen short documents than this book had in 400 pages.

(...)

Rating:
Summary: Some glaring windows 2003 errors
Review: I had high hopes for this book however there are some glaring errors that make me wonder if the author truely tested the 2003 cluster environment. For instance in setting up MSDTC he tells us to use comclust.exe which is the 2000 way. This does not work on windows 2003. Also the book doesn't address the fact that sql 2000 will not install on 2003 as a virtual server without errors, and that a client alias work around is necessary, along with sql SP3a. All of this was a fact even on the beta and rc2 version of windows 2003 he used for the testing. If find it hard to believe the author has ever done a real sql 2000 cluster on windows 2003 outside of a testlab and without named instances(which are fundamental to production sql cluster, especially active/active).

Rating:
Summary: Some glaring windows 2003 errors
Review: I had high hopes for this book however there are some glaring errors that make me wonder if the author truely tested the 2003 cluster environment. For instance in setting up MSDTC he tells us to use comclust.exe which is the 2000 way. This does not work on windows 2003. Also the book doesn't address the fact that sql 2000 will not install on 2003 as a virtual server without errors, and that a client alias work around is necessary, along with sql SP3a. All of this was a fact even on the beta and rc2 version of windows 2003 he used for the testing. If find it hard to believe the author has ever done a real sql 2000 cluster on windows 2003 outside of a testlab and without named instances(which are fundamental to production sql cluster, especially active/active).

Rating:
Summary: Complete and Accurate. No BS. Something for everyone.
Review: I have been impressed by Mr. Shimonski's work in the past and this book does not disappoint. It could be considered complete information for the first-timer. Still it includes gems from Robert's professional successes that justify the purchase for anyone considering implementing or cost-justifying a high-availability solution. Mr. Shimonski is not afraid to name his favorite products, web-sites, and tactics, a practice more IT authors should consider.

Rating:
Summary: Exceptionally Well Written
Review: I ussually keep opinions to myself of what I read and what helps me the most, every book has a different spin on technology. This spin however, I liked a lot. I think this book is well written and has a lot to offer. I currently work on a 22 server farm, and we need to cluster a set of servers. We also have mandatory orders to upgrade to 2003. I thought this book would be perfect as it covers both aspects which are the upgrade from 2000 to 2003 as well as learning how to cluster and load balance both 2000 and 2003. There is also a section that shows how to upgrade a 2000 cluster. Since we are starting from scratch, this book helped us to completely plan our deployment. Now, we just need to act on the plan. If you are looking to cluster or load balance 2000 or 2003, then this is your book. For good clustering info on just 2000, I used the Windows 2000 Clustering and Load Balancing Handbook by Joe Lamb. The two of these books were all I needed.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Publication
Review: In the sea of Windows Server 2003 titles surfacing, It is nice to see that at least one book, has come out by ONE author speaking from experience. I have noticed in the other books I have read, many others are having the same problems I am, the books are rushed out so 40 people write them and most of these folks have no production experience on the product so the books are pretty much a rehash of other stuff. They are rushed out, and we suffer. This book is nothing like that. The author has helped me understand exaclty what I wanted to know: how to plan a Windows 2003 upgrade from 2000 so that I can use my clusters and load balancing. Here are my favorite highlights about this book -> written from experience. You can tell the author works in the field as 90 percent of what is written comes from real life examples. You can tell that the author is not biased towards Microsoft technologies. The author tells you when he is working on something in production, he tells you when he is working in a lab. He clearly tells you the good and the bad. Another great thing is that this book is written on both the techie level and the managment level. I am a manager of a medium network, and I needed what was in this book which was tons of project planning guidance, what to buy, how to test it and so on. My last nice thing to say is that I loved how this book also took a focus on hardware for once. Too many authors write with no valid expeience so you miss all the hardware gotchas out there that people like me (in the trenches everyday and weekends) has to deal with. Not this one. You will know from when you start this book to when you put it down (thanks also that its only about 400 pages) how to design, cost estimate, implimenent, test and monitor your clusters. I loved the fact that I picked up tips on how to get free pre-sales support to help design my cluster with the vendor, it saved me some cash too on consulting which also helps. Ok, now here are the cons. Wish there was more of a focus on IIS. Another reviewer also mentioned this, so I will also say that as well because that would have put this book on my shelf forever. I agree and wish there was more on IIS. Other than that, the book gives you exaclty what it says it will, to help you plan and deploy a Windows 2003 cluster and load balanced solution and you will know how to upgrade your 2000 boxes without destroying them in the process. No stone is left unturned as the author makes certain you do not miss anything there is to know and there is even a section on how to back up your system so you dont kill it in the upgrade process.