Instruments that extend the book
Pick the tool for the job
Map the AI stack know where to focus
The AI OSI ecosystem explorer maps the full artificial intelligence stack across seven layers and ninety-six sub-layers — from hardware and compute at the base to AI applications and governance at the top.
The learning priority index tells you where to spend attention next based on your current role, your organization’s AI maturity, and the decisions you’re responsible for making.
Seven-layer AI stack
Hardware · networking · data · model · platform · application · governance — the complete picture.
Ninety-six sub-layers
Each layer breaks into sub-layers so you know exactly which piece you're dealing with.
Learning priority index
Ranked guidance on where to spend study and attention next — based on role and organizational context.
Know which authorities cost the most to carry
The GRC compliance burden index gives a ranked view of which governance, risk, and compliance frameworks impose the highest operational cost — so compliance spend goes where it earns back, not where it lands by default.
For the IT administrator managing compliance across multiple frameworks, this index replaces guesswork with a ranked, comparable analysis.
Ranked by burden cost
Frameworks ranked by the actual operational cost they impose — not by prominence or reputation.
Return-on-compliance view
See where compliance investment earns back — in risk reduction, customer requirement, or legal mandate.
Side-by-side comparison
Compare frameworks across a consistent set of burden dimensions — not vendor-provided summaries.
Burden ranking — sample view
Four honest indices across the major providers
“Vendor-provided comparisons are not neutral. This tool is not neutral either — but its bias is toward the administrator’s outcome, not the vendor’s revenue.”
Fit index
How well each provider matches your organization's workload profile, team size, and existing stack.
AI readiness index
Evaluated across model availability, AI tooling depth, and enterprise AI governance support.
Lock-in exposure
How deeply each provider's proprietary services trap your workloads — and what exit costs look like.
Cost honesty index
How well published pricing reflects actual invoiced cost — including egress, support, and tier traps.
- Fit
- AWS
- Azure
- GCP
- OCI
- AI Ready
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The reference pack behind the chapters
The AI and IT inside look is the companion pack of reference documents that sits behind the handbook chapters. Where the book gives the framework, the inside look gives the working detail.
Each document is a standalone reference — open the one you need, use it alongside the relevant chapter, and close it when the job is done.
Chapter-by-chapter companions
Each document maps directly to a chapter or section in the handbook — no hunting for context.
Standalone working surfaces
Each PDF is a standalone working reference. Open the one needed, use it alongside the relevant chapter, and close it when the job is done. The appendices are sized for working use.
Extends both volumes
Companion documents cover material from both Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the handbook.
- Volume 1
- Volume 2