Blog Host: Mathew Newman - director of consulting and education, ISW Development Pty Ltd. READ ENTIRE BIO

It's been a fun period. :-)

Even though my time "on station" is at an end, there are still heaps of questions to get through, so I will be working my way through them over the next couple of days. If you posted a question, and haven't seen an answer yet, keep checking back.

And for those of you with Sametime questions, remember I'm always available through the Sametime Ask the Experts on SearchDomino.com.

I hope that the topics I've written about have been interesting and relevant, and you've even found a couple of tips to help you out in your Domino environment.

There has been some good feedback, and even a couple of really interesting questions -- I especially liked the one asking a Domino guy how to move FROM the platform. I must admit, I've been involved in quite a few migrations, but it's always been in the other direction (why would you want to migrate TO Exchange anyway???).

As you've probably gauged by now, I LOVE working in the Notes environment. Virtually everything we do here, with the exception of accounting and graphic design stuff, is done in Notes/Domino.

The main reason would have to be the flexibility of the platform. At the end of the day, Notes is a database application, with inherent mail, calendar and scheduling, and more than enough security to lock out the undesirables. You're not tied into someone else's vision, for example, of what features should be in a mail client. You don't have to wait for Uncle Bill to say: "Look -- in this version you can see the return receipt indicators right in your inbox!" If you want them, you can build them yourself!

We've heavily customized our own mail over the years to build the features we want to see, Knowledge Centers for example, were born out of someone here wanting to share e-mail like they could in Outlook with public folders. There are many others, with products like HelpWorks, BusinessWorks and Address-IT.

So working in the Notes environment is one of my favorite things; another is participating in forums and events such as the Expert Answer Center's Experts on Demand.

Early on in my Domino career I quickly learnt that consulting is fun, and sharing your knowledge with clients is an important part of that process. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

"Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality." -- Dalai Lama

Another would have to be a quote from one of the greatest orators of all time:

"The empires of the future are the empires of the mind." -- Sir Winston Churchill

I like that one so much, it's included in my mail signature. Sir Winston said that over 50 years ago during a speech at Harvard University. We have come a long way since then, especially in the field of Information Sciences. Today it seems that almost all of the knowledge in history is available at the click of a mouse. Many people are now employed as "knowledge workers," that is, they work increasingly in information management, rather than in manufacturing, mining and the trades.

I'm just one of those people, who has an outstanding platform within which to work (and play).

So to those of you who are new to Domino -- and even those who aren't -- learn about your environment, enjoy the experience, participate in the community and pass on your knowledge.

See you in the "Ether"!

Notes rulez!
Posted by Mathew Newman Confessions of a Notes instructor!
16 JUN 2005 23:04 EDT (03:04, GMT)
This blog isn't about being a Domino geek. I'm going bask to basics.

Today I had the pleasure of being back in the classroom, facing a hostile "newbie" audience of end users with a distinct antipathy to Notes. Not that I blame them, a group of older gentlemen who had literally been on the workshop floor and promoted to office duties and, thus, facing the prospect of leaving their old tools behind and learning new trades: management and getting their heads around the Notes client.

At the introduction, most of the participants admitted to having a computer at home and using that product from the Dark Side. They were sort of used to e-mail and were expecting Notes to be the same as the product that they were familiar with.

They had been using Notes from a few days to a couple of weeks, and, frankly, they were struggling. Bad mouse skills, chicken-scratching on the keyboard, straining to read the options on the screen in from of them.

So we started off with a couple of jokes to lighten the mood in the room, and then I introduced the biggest concept of the day.

"Notes is EASY software."

"Yeah, right!" was the general consensus.

"No, really...Notes is EASY software, you just have to stop thinking the M-------t way. OK," I said, "try this..."

So we opened our mail databases, and then I introduced the best keyboard shortcut in the world. "Now press the Escape key on the keyboard. Whenever you want to get rid of anything on the Notes screen, just press [Escape]."

A couple of nods, and all of a sudden, you can see the body language changing. The guy in the corner struggling with his mouse suddenly perks up.

"Now, if you do get a little excited with the Escape key and close something you don't want to, remember that you can just click the [Go Back] tool on the toolbar or press the [Backward] button on your keyboard."

A couple more of the group lose the "grumpy faces." They're starting to get it.

"So now that you've gone back to your mail databases, it's time to read some Notes. Just press the Enter key."

Peck, peck, peck...

The guy who gave the loudest "Yeah, right" looks up and cries out, "Why didn't anyone show us this before?"

"I've got another one, " I say "Press the Backspace key to go back to the last message."

"Oh, that's great!" was the comeback. "But I've read all of these before!"

I am ready for him with this one. "Well, if you press the Tab key, instead of just going to the next message it will go to the ones you haven't read yet!"

"Bugger me! It even tells me I have read all my new messages and takes me back to the Inbox." At this point, I just agree; frankly this fellow is bigger than a linebacker and a little rough around the edges. I'm trying my best to make sure he isn't having any problems.

The guy with the mouse issues is suddenly very happy. He can't do the same thing as easily with his mail client at home. "All this double-click, close, double-click, close pisses me off. But this is good."

So we now launch full steam ahead into the session, a couple of simple Notes concepts and shortcuts later, and we have a room full of happy campers.

The Minties are flying around the room, the guys are relaxed and actually enjoying what they're doing. We go through all the basic Notes stuff -- titles, navigators, views, column headings, quick searching, selection bars, action bars and bookmarks.

They all like the selection bar. "Yeah, I can never remember whether I'm supposed to hold down the Shift key or the Control key while I'm clicking with O-----k, and I normally stuff it up, but these ticks are pretty simple."

"Right," I say. "Notes is EASY software."

By this stage, I'm not getting grumbles in reply, the feedback is really positive.

Now it's time to go though a couple of their corporate apps. "I've had real trouble with this one," pipes up one participant.

"Well, here's the good news, all the stuff we just went through in your mail database is the same in this one. Remember, every database you open in Notes works the same. Different databases just have different color schemes and document content, but they ALL work the same way. So your mail database was blue, and had what type of Notes?"

"E-mail" came the reply from everyone.

"And what type of documents are in this system?"

"Safety reports," says the guy having trouble with the app. "Spot on!" I reply, throwing another Mintie. "So this database is black, with yellow writing, but it still has all the same features of your mail database. The only real difference, besides the color scheme, is that this one contains safety reports."

"So what's this part of the database?"

"The title." Mintie for the chicken scratcher.

"And this?"

"The View." Mintie for the mouse man.

"And this?"

"The selection bar." Mintie for the guy who started with crossed arms.

"And this?"

"The Navigator." Minties go everywhere.

"And this?"

"The Action Bar." Another Minties shower.

"And how do I quickly get to reports for this site?"

"Just start typing the name!" The big guy gets two Minties, because he goes on to explain that once you're there, you just click the Twistie to see the site's reports.

So four hours after coming face to face with a group of guys who really did not want to be there. A complete change. Really positive atmosphere, questions flying around the room and one guy even asking how hard it is to create your own databases.

At the end of the session the big guy cornered me.

"Thanks, Mate, that was really good. Look, I just got broadband at home. Can I download this from somewhere and ditch me other mail?"

So I told him the URL, and he left with a handshake and a smile.

It's days like today that I really do enjoy this part of my chosen profession. My favorite software program, and sharing my knowledge to show another group of people just how powerful and EASY it is to use.

Writing this blog entry, at the end of the day and a few hundred miles away from where I started this morning, I have been able to relax and reflect on the day's events. And especially that last part.

Linebacker guy. Gruff and rough around the edges. Ex-diesel fitter. Nice bloke.

And, quite possibly, a Domino geek in the making.

Notes rulez!
Posted by Mathew Newman You might be a Domino geek if...you enjoy learning about Domino!
15 JUN 2005 15:35 EDT (19:35, GMT)
When was the last time you attended a training course? Any sort of training course?

Just like the training and education that made up most of your first 20-odd years, the ongoing learning that we undertake can not only help you professionally in your day-to-day tasks, but can also lead you into new areas, and even more specialist areas within your current field of expertise.

In just a few weeks, I will celebrate my 10th year as a professional instructor. During that time I have seen a huge change in the way learning/training is undertaken and delivered.

Ten years ago it was all classroom-based, instructor-led training. Then a shift to seminar, lecture-based demonstrations, and more recently, organizations "dabbling" with computer-based learning environments.

Whether you have learned your Domino trade in the classroom, by attending seminars/conferences, utilizing offline or online CBT (computer-based training) or even the "deep-end" -- on the job -- one thing is probably true. You haven't learned it all...yet.

I'm one of the first people to admit that I don't know everything about Notes and Domino. One of the ways I pass a few quiet minutes each day is by reading the forums, and it never ceases to amaze me the things that you can learn from other people's issues or mistakes.

Frequently, you look at a question and think, "Read the help" or even "Search the forum; that's been answered before," but every now and then you get something a little out of the ordinary, something you haven't seen before or even a read about -- a feature or issue that you weren't even aware of.

Of course, there are normally loads of helpful attempts at rectifying these issues, and then you read something completely out of left field, and the person who posted the question replies with ... "Thanks, that fixed it."

These are the little gems that you store away in the memory banks for future reference, or copy straight into your own "tips" database...just in case.

The original Notes.net (LDD) and now sites like SearchDomino.com and the Expert Answer Center are wonderful examples of the Domino community, and how we work with one another to increase our own knowledge and understanding of the product that we (hopefully) enjoy spending some time with every day.

My one recommendation to every new administrator or developer to the Notes environment: Download the "Yellow" books, AND READ THEM!

They are the source of information for the thing that employs you and puts the bread on the table. The fine Loti who have written these tomes (try printing out the ND6 books -- they take up a shelf all on their own) have poured hours of knowledge and experience into their instructional pages, and even if you only gain an overall understanding about the product, you will be better off than just relying on forums to constantly pull you out of the deep end.

The forums are great for gaining assistance when you really have done your research and can't find a solution on your own, but they shouldn't become your only reference source for Notes and Domino.

Attend a course or two, do some training and your own study through the guides and other resources, and then become a valuable member of the community by making your own contributions to the forums based on your experience.

By doing those things, you will -- of course -- be on your way to becoming a Domino geek.

Notes rulez!
Posted by Mathew Newman You might be a Domino geek if…the latest "Domino is dead" article makes your blood boil!
14 JUN 2005 14:42 EDT (18:42, GMT)
You've read the article. It compares Exchange features to Notes ones, and the conclusion is: Exchange has a lower TCO, is easier to administer and is more scalable. In short Exchange is better!

If you've recently read an article like that and your blood is boiling, you really might be a Domino geek.

I love those articles, every time I read one, I just smile knowingly.

Unfortunately, some CIOs, CFOs and CEOs out there also read the article and believe it. Kinda makes you wonder, huh?

I'd love to spend some time with a few of those decision makers on the golf course or wherever (I play racquetball, too), and have a quiet chat.

When was the last time you read an article that really DID do a feature comparison, that added in the downsides and, in short, examined the facts and did a realistic comparison?

Today, I'm writing about why I LOVE Notes, and why it makes my day-to-day life so much easier than the "market leading" alternative (depends on whose figures you believe). To those of you who are reading this article from a non-Domino point of view, I make no apologies, read on -- you might yet see the path from the Dark Side...

I'm going to go down the "other" path and see what I'm missing in my day-to-day work environment by using Notes.

OK, so I've decided that I need e-mail. I obviously need an e-mail server. So I need Exchange (let's call it Product A). And then I need an e-mail client, so I'll install Outlook (Product B). Thankfully, Outlook not only has e-mail, but it also has calendaring, a to-do list and personal contacts. Great! I don't need additional products for those tasks. There's my e-mail sorted out, my day organized and my upcoming tasks planned.

Now I'm going to include instant messaging into the mix, so I can still receive immediate communications from associates in the next office when I'm on the phone or from my associates around the world who are as conscious about saving the company a dime on international phone calls as I am, so I'll install instant messenger software (Product C). Thankfully, our corporate network runs our own IM server (Product A), so we don't need additional software for that task.

A call has just come in regarding a booking that I need to schedule in our corporate planner. I instantly load Project (Product D) and connect to our Project Server (Product E) to enable me to block out my time in the system so no one can schedule me as a resource while I'm out seeing the client.

Today I'm also going to update our Web site and add a new product so that clients can review our latest offering. So I fire up FrontPage (Product F), connect to my IIS server (Product G) and make the required addition with the new page and modify the navigation page resource so that it appears throughout the site.

What's that? New e-mail notification? OK, a client wants more detail on the new product from the Web page, so I fire up Word (Product H), connect to my file server -- a fast, new Win2003 server (Product I) -- find the document, customize it to suit their requirements (Product H) and e-mail it (Product B) to the client for their review. The client has also thoughtfully pointed out a minor error on the new Web page, so I edit it (using product F and G) and submit my changes.

I Web check the new addition (Product J) to make sure it looks OK.

Wow! I have competently navigated my way through six software packages, and it's still only lunchtime!

Now the big task for the day, that mailing I was asked for. I think that's in the CRM system, so I fire up our new whizz-bang customized Visual Basic (Product K) interface to the CRM DB stored on our SQL Server (Product L) and do a quick search. Nope. The data hasn't been transferred across from the local office data yet. That's OK, it must be in our local Access (Product M) customer database on the network (Product I) that we were supposed to send into IT so they could do the "upgrade" for us and include it in the centralized system (Product L).

Found it! Now, I get the right data (Product M), choose the "easy" link to merge it with Word (Product H) and create my mailing. Let's save some more money for the company. I'll e-mail (Product B) the document to those clients who like e-mail -- quick re-query (Product M) -- and back into Word (Product H) to create the mailing via e-mail (Product B).

No wonder I'm now happy dancing like the baby from Ally McBeal! I've just done a better job than Jerry Rice on a Sunday afternoon!

And I haven't even had my afternoon cuppa Joe yet!

Oh-Ohh! My e-mail's down. That's OK, I'll go next door to Janice, who also has Word (Product H) and Outlook (Product B) installed, so she can send out the mailing for me. Oh NO!! I forgot! Janice is on the same mail server I'm on, and if I have an e-mail problem, so does she.

Help desk time! No response. Not a problem. Open the help desk interface (Product K) to the central reporting system (on Product L) and log a job.

So what have I done today??

I've used e-mail, calendar and to-do, a word-processor, a file system, a Web page editing tool, instant messaging, a Web browser, relational database management system, a custom interface to another relational database management system, a project management utility, network resources and another custom interface to another RDBMS.

And who is this "Nick Burns" from IT, and why is he snorting through his nose something about "Workflow" as he smugly belly-laughs his way down the hallway? What the hell IS Workflow anyway????

Reality check time.

For me, all of the above tasks are performed in one interface (Notes), while working with just a handful of databases -- my mail database, the customer DB, my Web DB and the marketing library. Heaven help anyone who has to navigate through eight (that's eight) separate interfaces and applications to perform the same tasks!

That would be a network CAL, an Exchange CAL, an Office (Professional) license and a Project license, without even THINKING about the development effort to write the VB interfaces and DBs, not to mention the TRAINING involved in becoming proficient with the use of all of that software. And we haven't even begun thinking about the effort involved in making all of those apps work together to automate some of those tasks (Workflow).

Would someone PLEASE do the math?

How can an environment where there are at least five (that's FIVE) server products and eight (that's eight!) client products, with their associated administrative expertise and proficient client interaction lead to a system that has a lower TCO than a software application with ONE client interface, with ONE administrative environment?

I don't mind the flight from Australia to the U.S. It gives me time to think about issues like these. I would really like to talk to YOU about how we can make a single product a life FORCE for your business.

Time to do a REAL comparison...

Notes rulez!
Posted by Mathew Newman You might be a Domino geek if…you understand your replication topology!
13 JUN 2005 15:42 EDT (19:42, GMT)
Notes replication. The synchronization of data over time by distributing changes. If your compulsion to minimize replication conflicts means your replication topography resembles a spiders web, you might just be a Domino geek.

Last week I mentioned the Comms Rule and the Routing Rule. Today -- the Replication Rule!

The Replication rule is even easier than the Routing Rule and maybe just a little more complex than the Comms rule, but even so it's still pretty simple...

And the Replication rule is: Replication ONLY occurs according to the schedule set in connection documents.

Of course, you could sit at the Domino console all day long typing "rep ....", but who wants to pass their days that way?

That's where Notes replication connection documents come in. Which databases, at what frequency, with which other servers?

Server-to-server replication is different within a Notes domain from mail routing. With mail routing, as long as the Comms rule is met, it works all by itself with little or no administrative intervention. With Replication, as long as the Comms rule is met, it only works by itself if a connection document is in place.

Replication connection documents allow you to choose individual databases, directories full of databases or even databases with a certain replication priority to replicate on a schedule.

The important thing to note is that this all occurs ONLY according to the schedule set in the connection documents.

No Schedule. No Replication.

Which leads me to the bane of a database administrator's life -- replication conflicts.

Most replication conflicts are a symptom of an inadequate replication schedule. The less frequently two Notes applications synchronize, the more likely there will be a replication conflict. Another simple Notes concept.

So get your replication connections under control and enjoy an easier administrative life.

Notes rulez!
Posted by Mathew Newman You might be a Domino geek if...you enjoy upgrading your server more than watching cheerleaders
09 JUN 2005 17:04 EDT (21:04, GMT)
One of the things that I get asked about most frequently regards hardware upgrades and replacements. Whether it's a rip-and-replace or a migration to a new box, if you really DO enjoy upgrading your server more than watching cheerleaders and Superbowl commercials...you just might be a Domino geek!

Rip and replace
This is where you really can't wait to "Adios" that old clunker and replace it with a new system (my C20 knows she's safe, I can see her cursor blinking at me in a very familiar way). Probably the easiest and least complex way to upgrade your Domino system is the scenario where the box that you can't wait to get rid of is going to be completely replaced with new hardware.

Step by step, you just need to do the following.

1. Install and configure the OS for the new system.

2. Tune the OS to get it running like a rocket ship.

3. Shut down the "old" Domino server.

4. Use the OS to copy the \Data directory from the old system to the new one.

5. Don't forget the notes.ini (or configuration) file.

6. Install the appropriate Domino server software, pointing the \data directory to the appropriate location from step 4.

7. Pull the plug on the old box.

8. Change the OS settings (host name, IP config and so on) on the new machine to match those of the old system.

9. Commission the new system onto the network.

10. Start Domino.

Of course, there are situations when you need to be mindful of copying everything from the old Domino server's data directory (some antispam or antivirus databases, old templates, redundant applications and so on), as implementing new hardware is often a good opportunity to do some initial examination, prior to the rip and replace to do some housekeeping.

To give yourself an even better chance to clean up your system, you might consider the situation where the hardware from which you intend moving Domino is still going to perform some role within your network. Migrating to a new box is the other scenario administrators quite often find themselves facing.

Migrating to a new Domino server
Every now and then you are in a position where a piece of hardware performs multiple roles within your organization, where Domino is just one of them. Often this is a result of a growing organization, where network admin, file and print, DNS, proxy, Domino and a multitude of other roles have been performed on one system. Often Domino is the first choice to move off the overworked system and onto its own dedicated piece of hardware.

It would be possible to use the same methodology as rip and replace; however, it can be easier to commission a new server and move your users over to the new box.

The first two steps to perform are the same as rip and replace, as one of your primary considerations is to ensure that the platform hosting Domino is performing to its expectations. That's where the similarities end, as your primary concern once the new system is up and running is to cause as little interruption to your users as possible during your transition.

1. Install and configure the OS.

2. Tune the OS.

3. Register the new server.

4. Install the appropriate Domino server software on the new hardware.

5. Commission the new server into the Domain.

6. Run a Decommission Server Analysis to compare the two systems.

7. Use the DSA to identify applications and configurations that you need to maintain within your environment.

8. Create or modify configurations on the new server, as appropriate.

9. Create replicas of all applications that are going to continue in operation (especially users' mail).

   And then the key step in the process to migrate to a new server on different hardware...

10. Implement Domino clustering (Place the old and new server into the same cluster).

11. Once clustering has been in operation for a few days, test the configuration regularly to ensure users are "failing over" to the new server.

12. Start migrating the "home" server (users, mail-in apps and so on) to the new system (either manually, or via agents).

13. Leave the configuration operating for an appropriate length of time.

14. Pull the plug on the old system (or just shut down Domino).

15. Remove the new server from the cluster.

Another point to highlight is the amount of time to leave step 13 in the above process active. This should obviously be long enough for you to move the user's home severs and also to cater for fail-over "tests" to make sure users' bookmarks and replicas are going to be redirected to the new system. The longer you are able to maintain the configuration, the less likely you will encounter staff who were on leave, on the road or otherwise offline during the process.

Additionally, since you're configuring a new system and moving users, it might also be a good opportunity for you to implement policy-based user administration, if you haven't already done so.

And finally, don't forget to modify MX or other DNS records that were pointing to the old system that Domino was responsible for (e.g., mail routing, Web and so on) during your transition period.

Whether it's rip 'n replace or migrate, it's not a hard process to perform, all thanks to the flexibility of the Domino system.

Notes rulez!
Posted by Mathew Newman You might be a Domino geek if…Mat asks you what the mail routing rule is, and you remember!
08 JUN 2005 06:18 EDT (10:18, GMT)
My favorite database, where it lives and now for the fun part: shifting tons of data via e-mail. Shifting e-mail about in Domino is a pretty simple operation. Which means it's mostly easy to troubleshoot. Whether I'm in the classroom with a group of admins, running a seminar or just onsite doing some consulting, I always try and "imprint" a few little gems to help make my client's life easier. One of those things I try to get people to remember is the mail routing rule.

You might be a Domino geek if ... Mat asks you what the mail routing rule is, and you remember!

Most of the time I just get a wry grin, a nod of the head and a nervous "ummm...."

But every now and then, I come across a geek in the making. "Oh! something about connections and DNNs and domains right?"

Confession time. There are actually two rules, although the first applies to any inter-Notes communication.

The Comms rule
Remember yesterday's blog: "...to Domino, the OS is simply a platform. Something to request memory, disk space, network transactions and processing power from..."

And the Comms rule is...If the OS can't see it, then neither can Domino.

That's pretty simple, huh? You would be surprised how many calls I've handled that come down to this basic premise. Admins and help desk staff tearing their hair out for hours tweaking server, connection, location and configuration documents, trying to track down that elusive connection "glitch."

"Can you ping your destination?"
"Huh? I called you with a Notes problem."
"Can your OS 'see' the target you're trying to connect to?"
"Oh…didn't try that!"

In a majority of cases where a connection to or from Domino fails, the first place to look is not always the Domino system itself. Hardware -- and that other black art, networking -- are most often at fault when it comes to connection problems. Thankfully I have a colleague, Scott, who is a Dark Lord when it comes to networking. He was telling me the other day how he was reconfiguring our network so that it will make us our lunchtime toasties all by itself and deliver a mocha latté with cream -- or something like that. :-)

"Will it affect how I connect to anything?"
"Well, No, but it will be better!"
"Cool!"

Always give credit where credit is due. I can type PING and TRACERT and even VFYTCPCNN all by myself. But if I really have a networking issue, I go straight to the master.

So you've verified that the OS can "see" the destination you are trying to get to, now for the real fun stuff. The Mail Routing Rule.

Ready?

The Mail Routing Rule
Mail routing within a domain is automatic between servers located within the same Domino Named Network (DNN) and according to the schedule set in connection documents for servers in different DNNs or domains. In addition, routing to servers in other domains requires a Domain document.

Commit that to memory, and troubleshoot your way through any mail transfer problem. Honestly.

With the introduction of ND6, there are, of course, some new documents to consider (Internet site documents), but even taking these into account, the mail routing rule still applies.

Want to control when mail routing occurs between two servers? Then we want a connection schedule. So we must have to put them in different DNNs.

Want to get mail to the Internet? Well, that's another domain, isn't it?! So I need a Domain document. And because the Internet is another domain I need a connection document, too.

So the next time you're thinking, "How do I get Notes mail from us to Gee-Wizz Corp.," consider the Mail Routing Rule. It works.

Notes rulez!
Posted by Mathew Newman You might be a Domino geek if...your AS/400 9404-C20 is not a boat anchor.
07 JUN 2005 06:07 EDT (10:07, GMT)
Yesterday I wrote about my favorite content system, my jokes database. Today it's where the database lives and how it is accessed.

One of the great things about working with Notes (and Domino) over the years is how easy it is to upgrade to the latest version of the software, regardless of the platform it's sitting on. Other vendors (you know who I mean) make moving to the latest version of their software a major data migration, where the old system becomes virtually obsolete and can't even access data that it previously managed and "owned."

You might be a Domino geek if…your AS/400 9404-C20 is not a boat anchor.

OK, you can pick yourself up of the floor now and stop laughing.

Just imagine: a machine that weighs half a ton, with less processing power and memory than my current mobile phone ("cell" for our U.S. friends), running a Domino server (well…Lotus Notes server, anyway <grin>).

And it's relatively happy running day after day, replicating a small (yep -- very small; the C20 only has a 640 MB HDD) application with my Domino 7 server.

Lotus Notes 3 Server and Domino 7, replicating data you ask. Why?

Because it can. And because I am a Domino geek.

And every now and then it's fun to run up my MasterSport 386 laptop (16 Mhz, 2 MB, 90 MB HDD) and compare where the Notes interface has come in the last 15 years. Yes, I really AM a Domino geek!

Which brings me to the main point of today's musings. Domino platforms and versions.

Most of us use the product from Redmond, some are lucky enough to work for companies using "high availability" mainframe systems, and some of us are on the bleeding edge. At the end of the day, we're all running the same product on a different platform.

One of the things I am constantly explaining to customers is that to Domino, the OS is simply a platform. Something to request memory, disk space, network transactions and processing power from.

Implement Domino clustering. Eight clicks. Hardware configuration or platform required ... who cares? It's Domino clustering. The servers are running, they have their own configuration and platform. I just want clients connecting to them to suffer virtually no downtime, by making them aware that they have an alternate access option if required.

But what about the on-disk structure? Again, not an issue. The ODS of a database is local to its Notes version. Thus I can have a database replicating data from 7 to 6 to 5, all the way down to 3. Server-to-server or client-to-server -- doesn't matter. To Notes it's just data. Check the forums, there are still loads of people who don't understand the role of the ODS in a Domino environment.

So what is the difference between versions and platforms?

Mostly it comes down to design components, the interface and speed.

Compose a sexy (yes, I did use the word "sexy" in a computing context) interface comprised of layers, outlines, pages and framesets, and you'll confuse anything but a 6 or 7 client. Anything including navigators and layout regions is just plain ugly in Notes 3 (not to mention the errors). But the data is still there and can still be read through the document's properties.

Compare a Notes 4 full-text search in my Jokes database to the same search under ND7, no comparison. "Little Johnny" results come up at least 4 times faster on the ND7 server. And that's an objective comparison on the same hardware.

How hard is it to plan the upgrade? Mostly it comes down to hardware considerations and design options.

Your hardware

If your hardware meets at least the minimum specs listed by IBM/Lotus, your server will do it's job. That's one thing I like about IBM/Lotus HW requirements. If they say you need this, then that's pretty much all you need. Most of us have been spoiled (corrupted/jaded??) by other vendors' software where the minimum specs are something more like, "Well, you can start the software with that configuration -- but I wouldn't want to actually use it."

One of my servers here (a pretty heavily hit Web server) was purchased in 1998. Netfinity 3000 (PII, 396MB memory -- 27GB of SCSI HDD). It started life as a 4.6.something box running on Win NT, and today it's running 6.5.4 on the same version of Win NT and it's been through almost every Domino point release in between.

Before you say, "but Windows NT isn't...," what do I care? It has drivers for the hardware that's in the box. It can run TCP/IP and antivirus/-spam. And when the OS starts, it only uses 36 MB of memory. It's just a platform for Domino.

I'm not advocating that you rush out and deprecate your OSes on your Windows boxes. There's probably a pretty good reason that you are on the latest version of that system. My main consideration when it comes to that box is whether I will gain any performance improvements by running a newer OS. In my case, running an OS with much lower hardware requirements itself means that more of the system resources are available for Domino.

You may not have that luxury when planning your own upgrades.

What else will the box need to do?

If it's running DNS or domain authentication, and Domino, you need to consider the OS roles in planning your hardware requirements. If you add file and print into the mix, you're going to have to up the ante on the configuration. Throw in firewall, antivirus/-spam software, and we up the ante again.

How many users is the box going to manage. A system running 10 users will perform quite differently as the same system running hundreds or even thousands of users.

The other main consideration when upgrading are design elements. It's pretty pointless implementing ND6+ design elements if your audience is still running 4.6.7. When it comes to your upgrade, once you have considered the hardware required, the next thing is to have a good hard look at the clients.

Just a note here. Even if your audience is on Notes 4 or R5, your older clients CAN still benefit from the performance improvements of a newer and more powerful Domino server version.

Your database designs

It's no good redesigning your corporate welcome page with captioned tables if your audience is still on Notes 5.

So the idea here is two-fold.

1. Make sure your existing apps still run as required on the new system. ALWAYS test existing designs extensively BEFORE putting the new GUI into production.
2. DON'T implement the new templates for your existing apps until ALL of your clients have been upgraded.

1. Carefully investigate the tasks your hardware and OS are going to perform.
2. Determine the system requirements for running that configuration like a rocket.
3. Now add ON TOP OF THAT the system requirements for your new ND version.
4. Test the functionality of your existing apps on the new version.
5. Now test those apps again.
6. Roll out the server, without any new design elements.
7. Upgrade your clients (if necessary).
8. Check to make sure the clients are ready.
9. Implement the new design interfaces.

I can vouch for that one. The Domino install just laughs at me every time I try to put ND7 on my C20.

And Notes still rulez!!!
Posted by Mathew Newman You might be a Domino geek...
06 JUN 2005 07:05 EDT (11:05, GMT)
OK, so I like Mike's blog titles, and thought I'd borrow a theme from Jeff Foxworthy.

When Dana McCurley invited me to be the next featured expert for the Expert Answer Center, I started thinking about a theme for my blog.

I could have expounded the virtues of Domino, written about my latest problem with a Radicati report or even tried to pass on years of experience with Notes in a few short sentences a day.

I've decided to concentrate on how a software product affects me and a few close people around me, almost daily.

Today, it's how I store my information.

You might be a Domino geek if…you have a database that contains every joke you've ever received via e-mail.

If you've ever played with Notes, you know how it works. A document (Note) is stored in an unstructured database, and you present this list of documents to users via a view (document list). The really neat thing about this list of documents is that they can have nothing in common with one another, except for a title, a creation date and an author. Since these databases are customizable via a design client, you can even change the way the application works and how it looks.

So I can take an e-mail and copy and paste it into the database, and it displays in the list of other documents with the e-mail subject, the date I received it and the name of the person who sent it to me.

Over the years, I've added functionality into the jokes system so I can pull in the content of documents (Word, AmiPro, WordPro, etc.) and it automagically finds from the document properties the creation date and the author and then uses the file name as the document title.

Using similar code, I can input a URL and in comes the content, the page title, the date I found the Web page funny and the Web domain as the author.

After years of using the jokes system, most of the people I know don't send "funnies" to me personally anymore, they e-mail straight into the jokes database.

"Why have a jokes database?" you ask. Well, it's like a good book. It sits on the shelf and every now and then you can pick it up and flick through it. The jokes database to me (and to a few people I know) is one our favorite places to visit. If you need cheering up or are just looking to "invest" some time, you browse through the jokes database. You'll always leave feeling better.

The jokes database is just one example of why Domino is such an outstanding platform for document management, whatever that content happens to be.

An application like my jokes database is a fantastic example of Notes collaboration. Administratively, it's not hard to create and maintain.

1. Create the database (a discussion, document library or journal template is ideal).
2. Set the ACL (you don't want people to access these amusing documents who aren't supposed to).
3. Create a mail-in database document (now it can receive e-mail, just like any user can).
4. Create a Web document (so your audience can find it easily via a browser).
5. Populate with content.

4 1/2 GB of data, literally thousands of documents and finding "little Johnny" jokes is just a quick search and a few seconds away.

Notes Rulez...
Posted by Mathew Newman