Telecom/1996-04-telecom-walnutcreek.iso/book.reviews/gigabit.networking

Text File | 1995-01-02 | 3.9 KB | 84 lines

Date: 25 Nov 93 12:28 -0600
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "Gigabit Networking" by Partridge


BKGIGNET.RVW  931028

Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
P.O. Box 520   26 Prince Andrew Place
Don Mills, Ontario  M3C 2T8
416-447-5101  fax: [phone]
or
Tiffany Moore, Publicity  [e-mail]
John Wait, Editor, Corporate and Professional Publishing [e-mail]
1 Jacob Way
Reading, MA   01867-9984
800-822-6339  800-527-5210
617-944-3700
5851 Guion Road
Indianapolis, IN   46254
800-447-2226

"Gigabit Networking", Partridge, 1994, 0-201-56333-9, U$46.25
[e-mail] [e-mail]

As the preface states, most improvements in computing are incremental,
and only appear significant once the aggregate change brings new
capabilities and applications.  So it is with this book.  The data
communications professional may feel a vague sense of disappointment
that the changes and new technologies are not as esoteric as expected.
Basically, the concepts are the same as they always have been.  The
scaling imposed by improvements in communications and processing
speeds, however, make some concepts more important, and render many
current "standards" obsolete.  This is amply demonstrated in chapter
two with an illustration of trying to run Ethernet over high speed
fiber, and finding that the minimum packet size is a substantial
portion of the size of this review.

Chapter two is possibly the most interesting for computing
professionals covering as it does the what, why and how of fiber
optics and high speed (or, rather, high bandwidth) communications.
There is a terse but generally clear explanation of multi-mode and
single-mode fiber.  Partridge does not deal with variable index fiber,
considering it to be a special case of the attempt to deal with
dispersion in multi-mode.

The "gigabit" networking of the title encompasses a host of advances
in the speed of communications, networking and processing.  These are
the latest "hot" technologies, and a glance over section headings will
find the latest in buzz- words, phrases and acronyms.  Most, such as
SONET, ATM and FDDI, are of the type that everyone recognizes, but
almost nobody "knows".  If you are suddenly called upon to work in
these areas, this book is a very valuable introduction.  First it
defines and explains the various protocols and technologies (while
giving useful technical details).  Secondly, it provides directions
for further readings in all the various areas.  (A welcome change from
many such works is the fact that not only the individual sections, but
also the full bibliography is briefly annotated.  As well, an effort
has been made to ensure that books listed are available.  The very
costly CCITT standards references, in particular, seem to be
studiously avoided.)  Thirdly, the work provides a context and
perspective for the various improvements.  As it notes, a mismatch in
communications speed versus processing power means that one or the
other will be wasted.

An initial look at some of the pages of mathematics may scare off
non-technical readers.  This would be a shame.  While the book is
undoubtedly technical, it is also eminently practical.  Most sections,
if read carefully, are accessible by the intelligent reader with
limited background.  As noted above, this work deals with some of the
most sought-after technologies under development.  Non-technical
managers and CEO's would do well to gain the background and
perspectives that this book provides *before* making costly decisions.


copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BKGIGNET.RVW  931028
Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of TELECOM Digest
and associated newsgroups/mailing lists.

DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer [e-mail], [e-mail], Rob Slade at 1:153/733
DECUS Symposium '94, Vancouver, BC, Mar 1-3, 1994, contact: [e-mail]