Rating: 
Summary: Recommended for ALL IT Managers!
Review: An excellent source for comprehensive information of IT Systems Management. Leveraging his diverse experience, Rich Schiesser offers wide ranging, yet detailed sections ranging from technology topics to managing IT employees. A good touch is his use of worksheets to help you put his effective ideas to work.
Rating:
Summary: Recommended for ALL IT Managers!
Review: An excellent source for comprehensive information of IT Systems Management. Leveraging his diverse experience, Rich Schiesser offers wide ranging, yet detailed sections ranging from technology topics to managing IT employees. A good touch is his use of worksheets to help you put his effective ideas to work.
Rating:
Summary: IT Systems Management: Designing, Implementing, and Managing
Review: As a "newbe" to the Information Technology World coming from a customer service background. I was starting on the ground floor as to my IT technical knowledge and it showed. I found the information in the book, the writing style and the layout of the book to flow in a logical and reader-friendly fashion. It has been a kind of... can't put it down... need to know more...experience. Vital, valid, and technical enough to give me a real jump-start in relationship to my peers. The information is presented in such a way that one concept builds on the prior and establishes a real foundational knowledge of effective System Management in the IT World and tracks its rapid evolution. It has been useful in enhancing my understanding of System Management in the IT industry from a historical perspective, the current state - issues - challenges being faced, and the pivotal future of the IT Industry. The author is candid in sharing his personal experiences in the industry. He provides useful tips for managing the hurdles. It is a must read. Thanks for the book.
Rating:
Summary: IT Systems Management: Designing, Implementing, and Managing
Review: As a "newbe" to the Information Technology World coming from a customer service background. I was starting on the ground floor as to my IT technical knowledge and it showed. I found the information in the book, the writing style and the layout of the book to flow in a logical and reader-friendly fashion. It has been a kind of... can't put it down... need to know more...experience. Vital, valid, and technical enough to give me a real jump-start in relationship to my peers. The information is presented in such a way that one concept builds on the prior and establishes a real foundational knowledge of effective System Management in the IT World and tracks its rapid evolution. It has been useful in enhancing my understanding of System Management in the IT industry from a historical perspective, the current state - issues - challenges being faced, and the pivotal future of the IT Industry. The author is candid in sharing his personal experiences in the industry. He provides useful tips for managing the hurdles. It is a must read. Thanks for the book.
Rating: 
Summary: a reference and framework
Review: I did not really learn anything new from the 500 page "IT Systems Management", but Schiesser created an ITIL-like framework from which I can logically organize and reflect on my past experiences and better understand my future experiences. Schiesser starts by giving a brief but comprehensive history of computing and systems management. In Part 2, he presents a discussion on "people", organizational, and political issues which would be valuable for any new IT manager, although less so for experienced ones. Finally, on page 109, in part 3, "Processes", he finally begins the meat of the book. Schiesser defines systems management as twelve processes: Availability, Performance and Tuning, Production Acceptance, Change Management, Problem Management, Storage Management, Network Management, Configuration Management, Capacity Planning, Strategic Security, Disaster Recovery, and Facilities Management. He discusses each of the above areas, devoting a chapter for each. Some chapters provide more insight than others. Most of the points are obvious for a weathered IT manager, but it does provide value in compiling all the obvious points in one place. And, as mentioned earlier, it provides a framework for thought about managing a data center and or an enterprise. Schiesser uses a lot of paper with lists of things: characteristics of process owners, resources to consider, steps to developing..., issues, challenges, etc., etc. He also includes assessment worksheets for each process - in duplicate versions: one with weights and one without. That is within the text --- he lists them again in the appendix. I think over half the book is assessment worksheets ... and a lot of white space. If he was adamant about listing all of these worksheets, I think the reader would have been much more appreciative of an included CD so they could actually use them without hiring a typist. Appendix A is a FAQ, which is an excellent idea to address random thoughts about each chapter, but it was much too short at ten pages. I would much rather have an expanded FAQ rather than hundreds of pages of assessments. He concludes the book with Part 4 "Technology" - a title I thought was a misnomer. This part includes a chapter on "Developing Robust Processes", with sections like "Helpful Ground Rules for Brainstorming" and "Understanding the Differences between a Formal and Informal Process", which I thought were inappropriate for the subject of the book and too cursory to be of any use. This chapter is followed by another cursory presentation of technology to automate processes, a chapter discussing integration of the 12 processes, and finally special considerations for client-server and Internet computing. "IT Systems Management" is a good *overview*. IT managers with a few years in the industry will appreciate the framework presented in the 200 pages of part 3, but should not expect any earth-shattering revelations or new insights. For a more detailed presentation of the subject, look into the ITIL books.
Rating: 
Summary: Review of IT Systems Management
Review: I have been in the IT industry for over 20 years and find the book IT Systems Management a comprehensive writing of the various areas within IT and the Operational areas. It references each area with practical theory and examples. I would recommend it to anyone in the business and especially anyone starting out or finding themselves in a new IT Operations area. It is a great spring board for seeing the various methods, allowing you to try what works for you and follow it through to implementation. It is also a great overview of the types of things you will want to be aware of and exposed to.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for the IT managers
Review: I have had a rare chance to read this book a couple of times now and every time I read any particular section I get more out of it that I got from it before. This book is a must read for all the aspiring IT managers and for those of us who are "seasoned" IT managers. The completeness of this book is another factor that makes this book an awesome add on to your technical library. Thanks Rich for this incredible book. -Soumil
Rating:
Summary: A must read for the IT managers
Review: I have had a rare chance to read this book a couple of times now and every time I read any particular section I get more out of it that I got from it before. This book is a must read for all the aspiring IT managers and for those of us who are "seasoned" IT managers. The completeness of this book is another factor that makes this book an awesome add on to your technical library. Thanks Rich for this incredible book. -Soumil
Rating: 
Summary: THIS BOOK IS NOT PRACTICAL BOOK
Review: I start to read this book , and I'm sorry to say that this book
is not that much for your real life,
it is just explaining deffinitions, thoeries ,but when you try
to practice that in your real life working , you 'll stop and say
how is that will be done , it just like some books that we
study during our university life not for the practical work,
I...
Rating:
Summary: THIS BOOK IS NOT PRACTICAL BOOK
Review: I start to read this book, but I'm sorry to say this book is not
good for your real life of work, it contains deffinitions ,theories , but when you think how is that
could be done in real life , you may get lost
it just one of the books that good for the unversity study not
practical life.
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