10 Solaris Books That Separate Experts from Amateurs

When Richard McDougall and Jim Mauro developed Solaris Internals, they responded to the complex challenge of understanding the Solaris 10 and OpenSolaris kernel architecture in depth. Drawing from their extensive experience at Sun Microsystems, this book teaches you how key components like virtual memory, process scheduling, networking, and file system frameworks operate under the hood. It goes beyond surface-level explanations, guiding you through integrated Solaris tools such as DTrace and MDB to observe kernel behavior in real time. This is a technical deep dive tailored for system programmers, developers, and administrators who want to master Solaris internals rather than just use its features.

Solaris Performance and Tools offers a detailed exploration of Solaris 10 and OpenSolaris performance tuning and troubleshooting, authored by engineers deeply embedded in the Solaris ecosystem. Richard McDougall, Jim Mauro, and Brendan Gregg bring their extensive experience at Sun Microsystems and as Solaris consultants to explain key utilities like DTrace and the Modular Debugger (MDB). You’ll learn how to analyze CPU usage, disk I/O, memory, network activity, and kernel behavior using these advanced tools, with clear examples illustrating complex system profiling techniques. This book suits system administrators and developers aiming to optimize Solaris systems or diagnose intricate performance issues effectively.

This personalized book on Solaris kernel architecture provides a detailed examination of Solaris kernel components and their behavior, tailored to your specific expertise and objectives. It delivers a structured framework for understanding core OS principles, including process management, memory handling, and device interactions, while adapting to your professional context. The content emphasizes kernel mechanisms, synchronization, and resource scheduling, cutting through irrelevant material to fit your Solaris environment and goals. By focusing on kernel internals and performance tuning, it offers a tailored approach that balances foundational theory with practical implementation strategies, ensuring relevance whether you’re a system administrator, developer, or engineer working with Solaris platforms.

Brendan Gregg, a performance specialist at Joyent renowned for his expertise in DTrace, leverages decades of hands-on experience to guide you through dynamic tracing across Solaris and other UNIX systems. This book equips you with concrete skills to write DTrace scripts, analyze system performance, and diagnose kernel-level issues with precision. You'll find detailed explanations of DTrace commands alongside downloadable scripts that jump-start practical application, making it ideal if you're involved in system administration, development, or performance analysis. Specific chapters on integrating DTrace into source code and security problem identification further broaden its utility beyond standard debugging.

What if everything you knew about Solaris virtualization was wrong? This book challenges conventional wisdom by presenting a thorough, updated look at Oracle Solaris 11 virtualization technologies, moving beyond simple theory to practical application. Drawing from the authors' deep Oracle expertise, you’ll explore diverse virtualization options like Solaris Containers, Logical and Physical Domains, and Virtual Box, each explained with real-world context including deployment on SPARC systems and integration with Oracle software suites. Chapter breakdowns guide you through mixing technologies to optimize workload density or migrating legacy Solaris workloads, making it a solid resource for system administrators and architects aiming to maximize performance and efficiency in Oracle environments.

Unlike most Solaris books that skim over practical deployment, Michael Jang and Harry Foxwell dive into the nuts and bolts of managing Oracle Solaris 11 from the ground up. You’ll learn how to install Solaris on multiple architectures, configure storage with ZFS, enforce security through user roles, and create isolated zones for virtualization. The book details network services like DNS and DHCP, plus how to set up Apache Web servers and file sharing with NFS and Samba. This makes it a solid resource if you’re a system administrator or IT professional aiming to master Solaris 11’s full capabilities.

This tailored book provides a detailed exploration of Solaris virtualization technologies, focusing on Solaris Containers and Logical Domains within Solaris 11. It presents a structured framework that addresses virtualization management strategies, resource allocation, and performance optimization specific to the Solaris environment. The methodology adapts to your particular operational context, enabling effective deployment and troubleshooting of containerized applications and domain configurations. By cutting through generic advice, the book offers a personalized framework that integrates Solaris-specific virtualization techniques with your unique infrastructure needs. This focused approach helps deepen understanding of Solaris virtualization's intricate layers and enhances practical system management skills.

When Allan N. Packer first applied his extensive experience in server systems performance at Sun Microsystems, he crafted a detailed manual that goes beyond simple Solaris database tuning tips. This book teaches you how to optimize leading databases like Oracle, DB2, Sybase, and Informix specifically on the Solaris platform, with actionable insights on data layout, CPU and memory configuration, and system sizing. You’ll learn a systematic monitoring approach to identify bottlenecks and practical critiques of database benchmarks, equipping you to improve both performance and cost-effectiveness. If you manage Solaris servers running critical databases, this guide offers expert strategies grounded in years of real-world consultancy.

When Jim Mauro first discovered the intricacies of Solaris kernel architecture, he realized how essential deep technical understanding is for optimizing system performance. Drawing on his two decades in UNIX systems and role at Sun Microsystems, this book unpacks core kernel functions, data structures, and algorithms critical for anyone working close to Solaris internals. You’ll find detailed explanations on process management, resource allocation, and system availability that go far beyond surface-level operating system overviews. If you work with Solaris kernels or need to monitor and enhance Solaris systems, this book equips you with the precise knowledge to navigate and improve these complex environments.

When network administrators face the challenge of migrating from legacy NIS/NIS+ systems to modern directory services, this book offers targeted solutions grounded in real-world Solaris environments. Michael Haines, a longtime Sun Microsystems engineer, leverages his extensive experience to unpack the complexities of deploying secure LDAP naming services on Solaris. You’ll find detailed guidance on migration planning, security enhancements like the Solaris secured LDAP client, and performance tuning through benchmarking—all illustrated with practical examples including PAM framework extensions. This volume suits system administrators and IT professionals tasked with Solaris directory services management, especially those seeking to deepen their understanding of LDAP integration and optimization.

What if everything you knew about Oracle Solaris system administration was challenged by a guide that cuts through the noise? Michael Ernest, drawing on decades of deep technical consulting and teaching experience since the mid-1990s, breaks down complex Solaris 11 administration topics with clarity and precision. You dive into practical skills like managing boot environments, mastering ZFS file systems, configuring Oracle Solaris Zones, and using the Services Management Facility (SMF). Chapters end with focused drills and practice questions that sharpen your expertise, making this book especially valuable if you’re preparing for the Oracle Certified Associate exam or need a reliable on-the-job reference.

When Tim Read first joined Oracle’s Solaris Availability Engineering group after a long tenure at Sun Microsystems, he recognized the growing need for a detailed, practical resource on Solaris Cluster technology. This book offers a deep dive into Oracle Solaris Cluster 3.2 and Geographic Edition, guiding you through planning, deployment, and maintenance with precise technical insights. You’ll gain mastery over designing clustered systems that meet rigorous availability requirements, integrating virtualization, and implementing disaster recovery strategies. It's ideal if you're an IT architect, system administrator, or manager focused on ensuring high availability in complex enterprise environments.