IBM Redbooks are technical books developed and published by IBM's International Technical Support Organization (ITSO).
IBM Redbooks are ITSO's core product. They typically provide positioning and value guidance, installation and implementation experiences, typical solution scenarios, and step-by-step "how-to" guides. They often include sample code and other support materials that are also available as downloads. They are available as hardcopy books, in IBM Redbooks CD-ROM collections, and on the Internet. IBM says that it has approximately 500,000 downloads per month.[1]
Redbooks are created through the ITSO residency process and are generally published 60–90 days after residency completion.
Draft Redbooks are Redbooks under development. The objective of making the draft versions available is to speed up access to books that are not yet published. Usually they are technically complete but are less polished and have not undergone the formal review that takes place for completed IBM Redbooks.
Redpapers are shorter technical documents that are only Web-published. They can be the result of ITSO residencies and may also be contributed from other sources. They reflect working experiences on the specific topic.