Enterprise System Architectures: Building Client/Server and Web-Based Systems

By Mark Goodyear

Book Overview

Experts from Andersen Consulting show you how to combine computing, communications, and knowledge to deliver a uniquely new-and entirely indispensable-competitive advantage.

Lead, Follow, or get out of the way
Your company's ability to sustain a competitive advantage is in jeopardy. Your competitors can imitate and improve faster than ever. You need to find ways to help your company discover and deliver and astounding solution, control its costs, and move on the next astounding solution.

Web-based computing is the vital technology enabler for today's most important business opportunities, like E-Commerce. It is also the flexible foundation for future solutions. However, because of the complexities and difficulties it represents, it can be critical hurdle for IT shops and for an entire business.

Enterprise Systems Architecture: Building Client/Server and Web-Based Systems is your guide through these complexities as you integrate your technology capabilities with your strategy, people, and processes to deliver astounding solutions. It Introduces you to basic principles and concepts, provides an overview of state-of-the-art in client/server and Web-based computing models, and develops a solid business case for implementation.
Acquaints you with various technologies involved and describes a comprehensive network computing architecture.
Details crucial analysis, design, and implementation issues, including design specifics for architectures, applications, and network; rollout strategies; and ongoing management of distributed operations.
Explores emerging technologies and their likely impact on the future of netcentric computing.

Here you'll find detailed information on the architectures and frameworks for network-based computing ... strategies for designing and implementing solutions ... strategies and methods for security. It also provides a full framework for testing applications, and in-depth discussion of transition frameworks for these environments, detailed costs and frameworks for managing the client/server environment, and much more.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0849398363
• ISBN13: 9780849398360
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: CRC Press
• Length: 978 Pages
• Weight: 3.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A good read

I purchased this book to review it for a professor. She was considering switching textbooks for a class. I found the book enlightening on a subject that was new to me.

Complete roadmap towards best practices and processes

This book provides a macro view of a comprehensive architecture and then systematically decomposes it into its component parts. The scope of architecture goes well beyond the technical underpinnings by extending to processes and tools. The first section covers an overview of "netcentric" computing and ties it to business imperatives. "Netcentric" within the context is all encompassing and fits within e-business and the older client/server paradigms. Technical components are thoroughly dissected in Section II, and are placed into the framework of processes and services. I especially liked the operations architecture discussed because it is often overlooked. Another excellent chapter in this section covers transition frameworks, which addresses some of the thorniest issues faced by CIOs and operations managers as systems evolve to fit the e-commerce and extended supply chain models that considered contemporary. Section III thoroughly covers designing and implementing solutions, and is, in my opinion, completely on the mark in all respects. The chapter on testing is the best I have ever read - even in books devoted to testing. I had always been frustrated by the ambiguous use of the term "test cycle". The description and approach provided in this book clarified the concept and provided a clear roadmap for a sensible testing process. The final section covers special topics and does so in a thought-provoking manner. Each relatively short chapter compressed a lot of relevant information on the chapter's topic. It was akin to attending focused seminars on security, knowledge management and the other topics covered. This book is a desk reference, consultant's life saver and solid description of an architecture. It can easily serve as the specification document for an IT reengineering project and is nothing short of amazing for its completeness and thoroughness.

Comprehensive, complete and invaluable

This book is an A to Z compendium of how to design, build, deploy and maintain enterprise-wide architectures. As such it is one of those rare books that should be in every architect's and consultant's short list of resources. The book is divided into four sections. The first two sections lay the groundwork by providing an overview of network-centric computing solutions, then providing the foundation in the form of architectural frameworks. Section two, in particular, is valuable because the frameworks address both application delivery (development)and service delivery factors that need to be taken into account. I like this holistic approach because production support requirements are addressed early on - something that is lacking from many such books. Section three covers the design and implementation of an architecture in great detail, with a lot of emphasis on testing, release strategy and infrastructure requirements. Section four is devoted to special topics, such as security, knowledge management and collaborative computing, and data mining. Some highlights of this section include information delivery and "componentware". What I liked most about this section was the in-depth treatment of managing costs of a production client/server environment. This book has reinforced some of my previous ideas and experience, and has opened my eyes to factors that I had not carefully considered on past projects that involved application or service delivery. I like the coherent and comprehensive approach taken in this book for all aspects of enterprise architectures, and applaud the authors for addressing the hard part: production support of solutions. This book will travel with me to every engagement and will be the first general purpose reference to which I will turn for ideas and methods. If you are a consultant or practitioner in architecture, applications delivery or service delivery this book will be a valuable addition to your library and bag of tricks.