Preface
E-commerce has changed the face of computing forever. Mundane tasks associated with setting up networks, installing systems, and providing remote access have become much more exciting with a worldwide audience rather than your local departmental users. An e-commerce application may be used by a customer from across town or across the world.
The actions of system administrators and system architects have come under increasing scrutiny, as virtual shopfronts have replaced traditional ones. Imagine if a physical store was forced to close its doors because of a system failure! Virtual stores must remain open 24/7, 52 weeks each year, to provide the level of service that remote users expect and demand in the Internet era. With changing demands from customers come changing demands from management of system designers and maintainers: architectures are being questioned, and budgets must be continually justified in the context of revenues. Savvy Solaris™ sysadmins make it their business to understand their companies’ business, since their actions in building highly available systems can dramatically affect the success of any business.
Audience
This book is a guide for administrators setting up Solaris network services that reach far beyond their local area networks. While many of the principles and examples developed in the book apply equally to global and local networks, the extra security precautions and high service levels demanded by e-commerce tend to overshadow local services. ...