Recently posted book review for Mastering VMware vSphere 4: Install and Maintain VMware vSphere 4, Create and Manage Virtual Networks, by Scott Lowe, Sybex, 2009, reposted here:
In case the potential reader of this text is wondering to what extent VMware vSphere 4 is covered, the subtitles explain a majority of the content: "Install and Maintain VMware vSphere 4" and "Create and Manage Virtual Networks". The reason this reviewer is calling out these subtitles is because some of the other reviewers here have questioned why certain aspects of the product are not covered. This text is already 650-pages in length. While the subject matter covers well installation, maintenance, and network creation (and other reviewers are correct when indicating VMware documentation and white papers are better than average when covering these topics), this book also includes a well written introduction to vSphere 4, as well as other topics such as creating and managing virtual machines, migrating and importing virtual machines, managing virtual machine resource allocation, ensuring high availability and business continuity, and monitoring performance.
This text is a well written introductory guide (meaning that although it covers some advanced topics, it is written with the beginner in mind), and although (as other reviewers have indicated) many will quickly outgrow this effort, Scott Lowe provides a great one-stop shop for getting going with vSphere 4. What the potential reader will need is highly dependent on how deeply they will get involved with the product (and technologies offered as part of the product). As a consultant architect, my reading was initially focused on the non-core portions of the book that concentrate on creating and managing virtual machines, migrating and importing virtual machines, and managing virtual machine resource allocation, although other portions of the book were later read as well. Combined with the introduction where vSphere 4 is explored and product editions and licensing are explained, this reviewer was able to begin discussing (with quick turnaround) the environment with fellow consultants and client staff after a reading of this text.
VMware documentation and white papers will need to be read in conjunction with this text once the basics are understood, although in some aspects the explanations provided in this book cannot be found elsewhere. While the bulk of the material found here is otherwise available from alternative sources, the organization that Lowe provides is superb. For example, Table 1.2 ("Overview of VMware vSphere Product Editions") is complete, listing all editions of vSphere and the options available with each, while the white paper ("VMware vSphere Pricing, Packaging and Licensing Overview") that Lowe notes at the bottom of the table, although a good reference, is fragmented in the opinion of this reviewer, and a search of the VMware website separates the edition comparison across dedicated pages for small and midsized businesses and large businesses.
One aspect of which the potential reader needs to be aware is the sparse coverage of automation in Chapter 14. Although vCenter Orchestrator, PowerCenter, PowerCLI, and ESX shell scripts are introduced, the coverage of these areas is very raw. And although the author correctly indicates that ESXi does not have a Linux-based Service Console that can be accessed, he limits his advice on porting the scripts that he shares to run within the vSphere Management Assistant (vMA). Lowe freely admits in the concluding pages of this chapter by writing that there is "much, much more to writing shell scripts than the tiny snippets I've shown you here", and anyone experienced in writing UNIX shell scripts should already know that entire books have been written on the subject. This reviewer especially appreciated closing "The Bottom Line" sections provided at the end of each chapter (and answers in Appendix A to questions intended to deepen skills and understanding by working out exercises). Well recommended to anyone needing an introduction to virtualization that is specific to VMware vSphere 4.