Rating: 
Summary: OK for Part I but not enough good for Part II exam.
Review: As you know the SUN Solaris sys admin cert is based on two exams: 310-011 and 310-012. I have passed the Part I and Part II exams this month and got cerified. I used this book, the original SUN book used during the instructor-led training and a website which offers free exam practice tests (suguru.com). For the first exam Exam Cram was perfect. But don't misunderstand me. This book is not for novice level. The scope of this book is practicing the exams not explaining you in depth the Solaris Operating System. I am a sys admin for more than 5 yrs so this book was wnough for me. However, the second exam (310-012) is not covered completely by this book. Infact there were a lot of questions about role-based access control (RBAC) features of Solaris 8 which are not covered at all in this book. Maybe because I was using the Exam Cram Solaris 7 which is outdated.
You need to read the answerbook (manual pages of Solaris) and understand fully the following features of Solaris before passing the exam: AutoFS and automount, Role-based access control, jumpstart, NIS, NFS. The questions are very tricky and I can't find the answers to a couple of questions in the instructor-led training book. So be carefull that the new version of this Exam Cram is covering all the topics I mentioned before buying it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book to get if you already know a little
Review: I teach a Solaris Systems Administrator course specifically designed to prepare people for the SCSA and SCNA exams.
While this book is useful, it is disappointing in several ways.First of all, it contains several 'silly' errors on the practice tests as well as throughout the book. Here's a simple example: Question 1 on the practice test asks:
"Enter the name of the directory where group account membership is stored?"
The answer given is /etc/group, which is, of course, a file. I found at least four incorrect answers on the practice exams alone. Some mistakes are bound to happen, but the number in this book is above my expectations. Secondly, the book does very poor job of updating the information within for the Solaris 8 exams. An example of this is in its discussion of naming services. In question 35 on the practice test, it mentions FNS as an option to /etc/nsswitch.conf (it's no longer supported, as far as I know) without mentioning ldap as an option (which has been added). Also, the book continues to cover NIS+, both in the text and in the review, even though this has been taken off the examinations. I wish Mr. Ambro had taken the time to update his Solaris 7 Exam Cram for Solaris 8 and proofread/review the book a bit better.
If he would like to get in contact with me, I can give him a more complete list of the things which I find questionable or incorrect in the text.
Rating:
Summary: A Decent Exam Cram.
Review: I would definitely recommend this book to anyone planning to take the exams in the nearest future, especially for the first one. It is exactly what it claims to be: an exam cram, not a study guide or reference. The author does not bother too much to explain the concepts in depth. PRO:
-Follows the objectives very closely in comparison to other books.
-Short and clear explanations.
-Format is close to excellent (fonts,tables,etc.). CON:
-Part II needs more depth on JumpStart,NIS and networking (especially RPC mechanism).
-Part II does not need NIS+, it's not an exam objective.
-Answers to practice questions need to be moved away from them, so people don't see correct choices before answering.
-Several simple proofreading errors. In the reviews some people are whining about READING this book and failing. First of all, this book is not for reading, it is for careful study and brushing up the day before the exam. Secondly, Darrell Ambro clearly says in the preface that along with this book you NEED the official Solaris 8 documentation and the list of exam objectives from Sun's website; also, he recommends as much practice and additional materials as possible. This is not a joke, take it seriously. As a matter of fact, you will most probably need some additional material. The book by Bill Calkins worked for me. I passed both exams with a good margin, but trust me, you can not be too prepared, especially for Part II. People who complain either didn't read the introduction or didn't believe the author, so they have only themselves to blame.
By the way, Sun has a couple of questions about AdminSuite on the second exam, but it IS NOT on the list, watch out.
Good luck.
Rating: 
Summary: Is it a good book or poor book?
Review: It seems that there are 2 different opinions about this book. I am a college teacher. I have been using this book as my primary textbook for a Solaris course. Keep in mind that the course do not specifically prepare for SCSA exams. It is just a solaris course. My feeling is that the book is acceptable as an introductory book on solaris. From the feedback of my students, if you have a lot of hands-on experience you might pass part I exam by using this book. However, there is no way anybody can possibly pass part II exam by using this book alone, highly experienced person or not.
Rating:
Summary: Great for exam 1, adequate for exam 2
Review: The book was excellent prep for the first exam. While it did prepare me adequately for the second exam, I felt the material could have been covered in more depth, especially the section on NIS. If you know the material in the book, however, there is no reason not to pass both tests.
Rating: 
Summary: From The Author
Review: The Solaris 8 System Administration Exam Cram is intended as a study guide for Solaris system administrators and power users who wish to obtain the System Administrator certification. The material should be considered intermediate to advanced and assumes the reader has some basic Unix knowledge. This book describes the aspects of Solaris 8 system administration that are identified as the certification exam objectives. Although the material concentrates on these objectives, it also includes some other related and useful information. Both Part I and Part II exam objectives are covered. I hope this study guide helps you prepare for and pass the two exams required for certification. As with any certification preparation, nothing beats hands-on experience. If you don't have system administrator access to a system, get yourself a free copy of Solaris system (from Sun's web site) and try out the commands and operations as you study them. Also I reference other resources that provide different explanations or additional details. Make use of these printed and on-line resources as needed. The material is presented in the Exam Cram format developed by The Coriolis Group. The book begins with an Introduction and Self-Assessment that provide guidance and references relating to the certification process and preparation. Related exam topics are grouped into chapters. Each chapter begins with a listing of the material covered and ends with a 8-10 question sample test followed by a list of additional resources. Both parts end with a full length practice exam. Both the publisher and I have worked hard to make this book as complete and accurate as possible. Whether you purchase my book or not, good luck with obtaining the Solaris 8 System administrator certification!
Rating:
Summary: Update of a Good Study Guide
Review: The Solaris 8 System Administrator Exam Cram updates the previous version (Solaris 7) of this study guide with all the new topics added to the Solaris 8 exams. It was a good study guide and so is this one! I passed both exams, but they were not easy! Several people complain that Darrell Ambro didn't rewrite the whole study guide for Solaris 8. So what! All that means is that Sun did not completely change their exams betweem versions 7 and 8. This book still covers all the old requirements along with all the new requirements.
Rating:
Summary: Good Coverage of Topics
Review: This book appears to be an update of the Solaris 7 Exam Cram. In the Introduction, the author states that about 25% of the test objectives have changed between Solaris 7 and Solaris 8. If you already own the Solaris 7 Exam Cram you might feel that you have been cheated by buying this book, but on the other hand it's nonsense to expect a 100% of a study guide to be re-written when only 25% of the topics have changed. I've compared the contents of the Solaris 8 Exam Cram with the test objectives for Sun's system administrator certification and as far as I am concerned, they are all covered and in a well-organized and concise fashion. I have used Solaris for 6 years (2 of those years as a system administrator), but while thumbing through the book I see topics on the exams that I have never heard of before! This book is labeled on the back cover as intermediate to advanced level. And it is. Those new to Solaris or have little to no sys admin experience should not use this as a starting place. Also I took the author's advice and got myself a copy of the system. As I read about each topic or command, I get on the system and use it. The Solaris 8 System Administrator Exam Cram is exactly what it claims to be. A study guide for experienced system administrators that want to take the certification exams. No more, no less. It's a road map for the information/knowledge you need to know for the exams. The rest is up to you.
Rating:
Summary: Good brief book for experienced guys....
Review: This book covers both tests for the Solaris 8 Sys Admin cert. It has a practice test for each exam I & II (a good thing). It identifies the areas and the depth of proficiency needed for the exams. Take heed, Exam II coverage needs a little a more work (I felt). I blew the first exam out of the water and skimmed the surface on Exam II. Use this book as a road map to focus your study.
Rating:
Summary: Not for newbies
Review: This book is ok. I've read worst. The book tells you enough to take the exam, but this book is not enough to help you administer a solaris server or workstation. I've been working with solaris for over a year now and this book did not cut it. The book was one of the first books I purchased to help me when I first started and it [was awful]. I recommend reading more than one book. Solaris 8 System Administration from Bill Calkins and Unix unleashed. I personally have both and the official Sun Solaris training guide that I recieved when my company sent me for training. The training book was awesome...Good luck.
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