Sun Certified Enterprise Architect for J2EE Tech. by Mark Cade, Simon Roberts

[Book Review Team]

<pre>Author/s : Mark Cade, Simon Roberts
Publisher : Prentice Hall PTR
Category : Java Certification
Review by : Ajith Kallambella
Rating : 7 horseshoes</pre>
Writing a certification guide poses some serious challenges to the author. Having co-authored a guide my self, I understand how tricky it is to decide how much to cover. A test like SCEA that covers such a broad ground makes the job even tougher.
The first ever SCEA guide met most of my expectations. It is concise, covers most of the exam objectives and most importantly, maintains the focus on the test without digressing over to J2EE trivia. Every chapter attempts to cover a set of objectives, and has a review section followed by some sample test questions. The accompanying answers provide explanation of correct, incorrect and not-so correct choices. The book also introduces a case study that introduces the reader to skills essential for solving part-II assignment.
I said the book covers "most" of the objectives. That's where it falls short of expectations. Any study guide should, at the least, cover all the test objectives. Some test objectives such as Legacy connectivity and Messaging have been totally left out which made me question the seal of approval from SunEducation! It is one thing not to cover an objective in detail, but totally dropping a couple of them is inexcusable. A good reader can easily point out some spottiness too - such as not including the state diagram for entity beans along with that of session beans.
In summary, they badly need to fill some gaping holes, and to the extent possible, work towards completeness.


More info at Amazon.com
More info at Amazon.co.uk

[Ajith Kallambella]

Review questions is one place where they can certainly improve the quality. More questions or perhaps a sample test (online/CD) will be very useful.

[Ajith Kallambella]

Here is the editorial review for the book.
Editorial Reviews
From Book News, Inc.
Written by the lead developers and assessors of the architect exam, this study guide for the Sun Certified Enterprise Architect for Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) exams provides background for designing J2EE technology architectures and preparation for the multiple choice, assignment, and essay elements of the exam. Key points, exercises and solutions, and a case study are included. Cade is a Java architect with 15 years of experience as a software engineer. Roberts has worked in the software development and training industries for 20 years.Book News, Inc.�, Portland, OR
From the Back Cover
The only study guide written by the lead developers and assessors of the architect exam.
The first officially authorized study guide for the challenging Sun Certified Enterprise Architect for Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition exams. Java platform experts Cade and Roberts provide expert guidance and background for designing effective J2EETM technology architectures�as well as comprehensive preparation for every exam element: multiple-choice exam, assignment, and essay. You'll find start-to-finish coverage of key J2EE platform architectural issues and every exam objective, including:

* Understanding the goals of system architecture
* Creating requirements and architectural documents that serve as blueprints for the entire development process
* Leveraging proven design patterns
* Identifying the right J2EE technologies and APIs for your application
* Maximizing security and accounting for firewalls in enterprise environments
* Providing legacy access: appropriate techniques and errors to avoid
* Using the Enterprise JavaBeansTM architecture Container Model to maximize scalability
* Evaluating the advantages and weaknesses of existing architectures

Endorsed as a study guide for the Sun Certified Enterprise Architect for J2EE Technology exam by Sun Educational Services.