sms 2003 recipes
After reading Pro SMS 2003, I was curious if SMS 2003 Recipes would be able to supplement it and fill in some of the pieces I felt were missing. Though the same topic is covered in both books, each have a different format and place stronger emphasis on different topics.
SMS 2003 Recipes is written in the usual cookbook-style format: Problem, Solution, Discussion. For the most part, the chapters reflect the different menu items in the SMS console. I have mixed feelings about this. I like it because it ensures coverage of all items in SMS -- slowly, but surely, explaining each item and option. On the other hand, this style doesn't reflect the natural movement of an SMS administrator. However, this book was designed to be a quick-reference book and not a step-by-step tutorial.
I really liked how most of the recipes included VBScript solutions. Scripting is an integral part of any serious System Administrator's job and by supporting that idea, it shows that the authors have some serious real-world experience.
My absolute favorite chapter was Chapter 17 - Building a Virtual SMS Lab. It details where to download the trial software required to build a simple SMS environment. After the lab is running, you're able to follow along with all the other chapters. With virtualization becoming more of a commonplace, chapters like this should be essential to books. I think this should have been the first chapter of the book rather than the last (and it should have also been included in Pro SMS 2003).
If you're brand new to SMS, this isn't the best book to read. Topics such as design, theory, and basic SMS tasks and concepts are not covered. Instead, you would be better off with Pro SMS 2003. However, if you've finished that book, I think this is the next logical step to learning SMS. While there are still some missing pieces -- like WQL and WMI -- it covers each part of the SMS console in great detail. I give it a 9/10.
