Technology by the Book

Computerworld - From configuring and using Linux on mainframes to finding ways to use XML with older, critical business applications, the books reviewed below provide context, background and practical advice. If, like most IT managers, you're short on time and must be selective in your reading, we suggest that you take a look at these selections.

• Linux on the Mainframe, by John Eilert, Maria Eisenhaendler, Dorothea Matthaeus and Ingolf Salm, Prentice Hall, 2003, $49.99, 464 pages, softcover. Need a business argument for considering Linux on the mainframe inside your company? Then check out this book, which provides useful advice along with reasons to consider mixing Linux with IBM zSeries or S/390 mainframes. Written by four present or former IBM Lab employees, the book details benefits of running Linux on mainframes, including server virtualization, high reliability and excellent scalability. It also covers security, systems management, performance and capacity planning, and file-system selection. One of the best pieces of advice in this guidebook for both decision-makers and hands-on techies is to start with a small project to prove its ROI and then expand the deployment as needed.

• OOoSwitch: 501 Things You Wanted to Know About Switching to OpenOffice.org From Microsoft Office, by Tamar E. Granor, Hentzenwerke Publishing, 2003, $49.95, 311 pages, softcover. The free, open-source OpenOffice.org productivity application suite has been available for some time and continues to gain loyal users, but for many IT departments, it introduces more questions than answers. To make OpenOffice.org a more appealing option, Granor has written this detailed and helpful manual, which is filled with step-by-step instructions on how to replace costly Microsoft Office deployments with open-source applications while maintaining office productivity and adequate features. A well-written index and table of contents help readers find clear instructions on using OpenOffice.org. Granor is also honest about listing areas where the software still has to catch up to Microsoft's king-of-the-hill suite, such as in the translation of heavily formatted documents.

• Using XML With Legacy Business Applications, by Michael C. Rawlins, Addison-Wesley, 2003, $49.99, 624 pages, softcover. If your existing business applications are still useful but lack new features such as XML, don't chuck them and start over. Instead, follow this how-to guide for adding XML capabilities by using file conversions and other means. Rawlins provides many examples of ways to integrate XML and non-XML applications so they can communicate to complete needed tasks without having to replace applications. Don't mistake this for an XML tutorial, however. Rather, the book is aimed at Java and C++ developers who