Sebastopol, CA--A decade has passed since Craig Hunt first wrote about TCP/IP. In that time, Hunt reflects, many things have changed, yet some things have remained the same. As he comments in the just-released third edition of TCP/IP Network Administration (O'Reilly, US $44.95), "The Internet has grown far beyond its original scope. The original networks and agencies that built the Internet no longer play an essential role for the current network. The Internet has evolved from a simple backbone network, through a three-tiered hierarchical structure, to a huge network of interconnected, distributed network hubs. Through all of this incredible change one thing has remained constant: the Internet is built on the TCP/IP protocol suite."
TCP/IP is a set, or suite, of communications protocols that define how different types of computers talk to each other. The suite gets its name from two of the protocols that belong to it: the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP). According to Hunt, TCP/IP is the leading communications software for local area networks and enterprise intranets, and is the foundation of the worldwide Internet. As such, it is the most important networking software available to a Unix network administrator.
For the last ten years, Hunt's bestselling book has guided network administrators through setting up and running a TCP/IP network, beginning with the fundamentals, such as what protocols do and how they work. The book explains how addresses and routing are used to move data through the network and how to set up a network connection. The newest edition of the book offers the same basic setup information, updated for today's networks, then moves on to advanced routing protocols (RIPv2, OSPF, and BGP) and the gated software package that implements them. Hunt provides a tutorial on configuring important network services, including DNS, Apache, sendmail, Samba, PPP, and DHCP, and covers troubleshooting and security issues.
"This book is a practical, step-by-step guide to configuring and managing TCP/IP networking software on Unix computer systems," says Hunt. "It's a book about building your own network based on TCP/IP. It is both a tutorial covering the 'why' and 'how' of TCP/IP networking, and a reference manual for the details about specific network programs."
With coverage that includes Linux, Solaris, BSD, and System V TCP/IP implementations, "TCP/IP Network Administration, Third Edition" is intended for everyone who has a Unix computer connected to a TCP/IP network. This includes network managers and system administrators who are responsible for setting up and maintaining networks, but also includes any user who wants to understand how his or her computer communicates with other systems.
What the critics said about the previous editions:
"The book you reach for first..."
--Marshall Rose, ConneXions"...the definitive volume on the subject."
--Tom Yager, BYTE"...probably the best single Unix TCP/IP system administrator's handbook in print..."
--Anthony M. Rutkowski, SprintLink"The second edition of Hunt's superb book is even more useful and informative than the original edition...an extraordinary and outstanding revision of a classic and indispensable reference."
--Elizabeth Zinkann, Sys Admin"If you are considering setting up and running a TCP/IP network for the Unix system, there is no other book like 'TCP/IP Network Administration.'"
--fatbrain.com
Additional resources:
- "TCP/IP Network Administration, 3rd Edition" is also available on
Safari Books Online
- Chapter 9, Local Network Services
- More information about the book, including Table of Contents, index, author bio, and samples
- A cover graphic in jpeg format
TCP/IP Network Administration,
3rd Edition
By Craig Hunt
ISBN 0-596-00297-1, 725 pages, $44.95 (US), $69.95 (CAN)
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
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