Book review: Customizing ServiceCenter 2 by Mike Sanders

[tommy]

Mike Sanders second book about ServiceCenter has been out now for some time, the title is "Customizing ServiceCenter 2".

The book is as the first in a handy format and spiral bounded so it won't close when you put it down on the table.

The book has 242 pages.

The book starts of with some ideas and best practices for the art of developing in ServiceCenter.

I am very pleased that Mike has almost 100% described the way we at my work develop in ServiceCenter, that can only mean that we are on the right track.

In the next chapter will give you some tips for debugging SC,also an art that are diffcult for beginners.

Then we have a chapter similar to one in the first book, this is about techniques, here Mike give a lot of examples of how to do things. For example he shows how to do a login survey, how to use the calendar in calculations just to name a few. As in the first book
You can get lots of inspiration from this chapter.

Then the chapter I especially was looking forward to. The Database Engine, this chapter is the weakest in the book, not that it is bad or anything. Maybe my expectations was to high, but in any case the chapter explains a bit better than Peregrines documentation about how to use the Database Engine. I am yet to try the example from the book. Maybe that will help to understand the DataBase engine better.


The book end with 5 appendixes, you will get tips on screen design, tips on how to document requirements from users among other things.
Maybe the best and most valuable part of the book is the appendix with error messages, here Mike lists the most common error messages
seen in the SC log with tips on what the error us caused by. Really good and something Peregrine should have on the support web.

All in all I can definitely recommend this book.

So what are you waiting for? Go order the books at Mike Sanders website:

[debb]

If I am installing Service Center 4, would you recommend both books, or just the 2nd one?



thanks

Debb

[tommy]

I think that would depend on how skilled you already are.



In the first book some of the basic in sc are explained.



The second book go straight to the more technical bits.



The books compliment each other. The quick reference section overlaps.

[rfrieh]

We will be installing ServiceCenter version 5 and moving to it from Tivoli Service Desk this summer. Would these books be of benefit to me or will there be a new book coming out for ServiceCenter version 5?

[tommy]

The books cover some basics for SC3 and SC4 but has nothing specific for SC5.



If You are already comfortable with SC3 or SC4 I donøt think the books will be a big help in connection with upgrade to SC5.



My previous answer would also apply here.



As for new books. I don't know but I think Mike Sanders will come out with a SC5 book at some time but goto his website and send him an email because onlu he can answer that question for sure.

[gavster]

On one of my training courses at peregrine the instructor advised that there was a dictionary of the system language in a book somewhere but he cannot remember the name, I have customising SC 2 but it is not in there. Does any one have any ideas what this book is called and where i can buy it?

[Andy Horwood]

Hi Rick,

The customisation of Tivoli SD is vastly different to Servicecenter. TSD relies (in version 5 anyway) on object orientated coding and you can do almost any change in the process flow. Servicecenter breaks the customisation down into very manageable chunks however, the documentation that comes with SC misses out most of the complex bits. I would buy both of these books.

It's also amusing to see that TSD version 6 (released before Peregrine took it over) has had its look and feel ported over to Servicecenter