docs@glassfish.java.net

Tech Overview for TP2?

From: Dixie Pine <Dixie.Pine_at_Sun.COM>
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:02:30 -0800

Greetings,

I see that I have an item on tomorrow's GFv3 doc meeting. Here's what
I'm thinking.

*Technical Overview*

In reading the GFv2 Admin Guide, I notice that since removal of the GUI
tasks (into the Admin Console online help), much of the material left in
the AG is overview material, that is, general explanation. i looked
around for a Tech Overview to see if the general AS material was in it,
and there isn't a Tech Overview in the GF AppServer collection.

As my Admkin Guide stands, I am awash in overview for every chapter.
Plus, I would prefer to use my Chapter 1 to talk about the following:

    * What admin needs to already know and/or be familiar with
    * Main administratve task areas
    * Tools the admin will use (Admin Console and its online help,
      asadmin commands, man pages, more?)
    * Relationship of admin-developer-deployer
    * Explain how best to use the Admin guide and related docs in the
      collection

If there were a Tech Overview, I could assume that that admin has
already read it. I could tell him to go read it if he doesn't know
anything about, say, general developer stuff or what an AppServer is.
I'd rather jump straight into the admin's JNDI-related tasks rather than
house pages of JNDI overview material that other docs might also leverage.

Once Upon a Time...
I see a Tech Overview as being the story of AppServer. One chapter would
be all architecture (so reader can skip it). User overview--who does
what, who uses what stuff and what docs. Some nice screen captures to
show pretty stuff, tools, update center, whatever. Lots of links to
helpful info. Maybe a glossary. When such material is gathered into a
single Tech Overview (or whatever we want to call it), all GF docs could
refer to it. I know I have many pages of material to contribute from the
Admin Guide, though not necessarily for TP2.

If we decide to create such a doc, we could start with the TP2 version,
which would be fairly short. Maybe. Somehow users are going to need to
understand what TP2 is, what to do with it, and how the documentation is
set up.

Anyway, that's my suggestion, open for discussion at tomorrow's GFv3
planning meeting.

Dixie
/From the Administrator Side./