Perl for System Administration: Managing multi-platform environments with Perl
Perl for System Administration: Managing multi-platform environments with Perl by David N. Blank-Edelman
- Binding:
- Paperback
- Number of Pages:
- 430
- ISBN:
- 1565926099
- Product Group:
- book
- Publisher:
- O'Reilly Media
- Publication Date:
- July 11, 2000
- BooksForGeeks.com ID:
- 1413
Perl's cross-platform compatibility is less of an advantage to sysadmins than you might think. Most useful Perl programs need to access files and file access conventions are quite different across Unix/Windows/Mac platforms. The author deals with such issues early along with the oddities of installing Perl on different platforms and the need for sysadmins to write clean, robust and secure programs. Recent Net exploits underline the last point.
The content is, though, far from theoretical. One of the first script examples shows how to recursively walk a file tree using Perl alone and then an even better way using Perl's File:Find module. Having created a filewalking script, Blank-Edelman then explains the various platform gotchas you need to consider when filewalking on different platforms because of differences in the way each file system works.
This relentless attention to the underpinnings of different operating systems is the real strength of Blank-Edelman's book. He writes as someone who not only does this stuff every day but likes getting his hands dirty, and--unlike the famous fictional sysadmin, BOFH--enjoys explaining how it all works.
His approach is especially valuable when dealing with the complexities of database management, e-mail and security. For example, in the latter section, to locate a misbehaving user, the author uses Perl to interrogate a Cisco Catalyst 5500 switch though the story following - a strange but amusing partial routing failure - hammers home Perl's flexibility and development speed.
Blank-Edelman assumes you already know Perl, but once you've read Perl for System Administrators you'll know enough about the glistening innards of network OSs to use it reliably and securely for network admininstration. It helps that it's also a great read. --Steve Patient
Reviews for Perl for System Administration: Managing multi-platform environments with Perl
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GREAT
Rated out of 5 stars, November 12rd, 2001
This is an excellent book. When I bought it I expected just another perl book about this or that topic, instead I got a book packed with excellent tutorials covering everything I need and more. I have not finished reading it yet and I keep going back to old chapters just to remind myself that this and that is possible. Also has the best SQL tutorial I have ever saw. BUY IT! -
Not for system administrators or programmers
Rated out of 5 stars, November 12th, 2000
As a systems administrator managing many thousands machines in a network - I though this book would be helpful to some 'maybe' unknown system administration duties.The scripts published incorprorate no design framework, nor larger code reuse concepts for the admin to use at a later date. Concentrates on CPAN modules, when most sites are behind firewalls - some modules don't really help.
No use of -w or -T. No clever use of perl to aid the systems administrator - the book is really for the 'noddy' user with a UNIX workstation at home to play around with (linux/bsd). Don't even expect the book to be full or useful system administrator tips/scripts.
I must add that its sections on SQL and LDAP were useful.
Generally a very poor offering.
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Another pearl of a Perl book from O'Reilly
Rated out of 5 stars, August 12th, 2000
As the administrator of 3 web servers, I need to automate admin as much as possible. This book really helped me to script common admin tasks, and introduced me to some really useful concepts I hadn't considered (like using XML and LDAP for example). Bristling with readable code examples, and serving the Unix and NT communities alike, this book fills a gap on my Perl book shelf.