New feature - File Server Roaming in Notes and Domino 8.5 - Anyone is planning to use it?

With my search about OffLine folder and running Notes on a network share, i've opened a PMR about this to know if it's still an issue in Notes 8.5. Is is, but the analyst brought me with this suggestion, it's a new feature of Notes 8.5. The roaming in Notes already exists but now it is a new set of files that can be added in the roaming.

Highlighting important information related to File Server Roaming in Notes and Domino 8.5
Doc #: 1329414

What is File Server roaming?

File server roaming is the ability to house a roaming user's files on a standard file server instead of a Domino server. This functionality has been requested by customers who have users who roam between multiple workstations but in a location without a "local" Domino server.

Did you know?
Anyone is planning to use it?

I'm gonna look in that directions, it seems vey interesting because it can be enabled via policies. It could also be enable in conjunction with the ID Vault

Original post
Offline folder - Running a Notes client data directory on a File Server

Offline folder - Running a Notes client data directory on a File Server

I know that in Notes 8 and down, running a client Notes.ini and/or Notes Data directory on a File Server is not a supported configuration

Is running Client Notes.ini and/or Notes Data directory on a File Server a supported configuration?

We are currently installed this way. If I want to remove this configuration and put all the Data files on the local drive, how would you handle this situation in your environment?
How can I back-up personal users' files (Names.nsf desktop, id)?

For our laptop users, actually, we have a batch script that copies network files to the local drive every time the users connects itself to the network.

Would it be possible to remove this batch and only use the Offline folder of Windows? The files would still be on a network drive.
Would it be useful to use .DIR files?

If I use the Offline folder via the My documents folder, would it be possible to modify the Notes shortcut to validate that a network connection eixst, if not launch Notes with the local data directory

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Blackberry - Unread documents - Lotus - Symantec Enterprise Vault

We have some problems with our Blackberry users. For some of them, documents that they i've read are turing back to unread on their device. Everything is synchronise with the Notes client.
In the advanced db option, here's the info







I've read technote 1159331from IBM and few others from RIM but nothing useful.
The only thing we see right now, is the interraction with our archiving process from Symantec. This process reads every mails to see if it can be archive. We wonder if it can modify in some sort, the documents.

Only a few days left for Notes-Domino 7 certifications

You have until april 30th to get certified for Notes-Domino 7, do it before loosing it!!

Answer - Archiving - View indexes - Size really does matter?

I've called IBM about this post Archiving - View indexes - Size really does matter

Like Graham said, the document size does not matter, those view sizes would be the same. The view is calculated based on number of documents, columns and sorting.

I've done a test. In this example, the Inbox is 88megs and the All documents view is 102 megs.



I did a test on a smaller db. I've removed almost every documents from the Inbox with this script (keeping only the last 90 days) : Link

My inbox's size have dropped to 700ko. It was 4,5 megs before. The size of the all documents's view hasn't change which is ok.

I will do the test on the biggest db (6,3gb) . On this db, the user have more than 25000 documents in his Inbox. I know that it's not recommanded (http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/notes-mail-files/)

Here's the script:

CleanUp agent

' CleanupInbox – moves older documents out of inbox
Sub Initialize
Dim s As New NotesSession
Dim db As NotesDatabase
Set db = s.CurrentDatabase
Dim dr1 As notesdaterange
Dim v As notesview
Dim dc1 As NotesDocumentCollection
Dim gracedoc As NotesDocument
Dim stime1 As New NotesDateTime("0/0/0")
Dim etime1 As New NotesDateTime("Today")

Set gracedoc = db.GetProfileDocument("inboxgracedays")
Dim graceval As Variant
Dim gracedays As Integer

' if no profile doc has been prepared, default is 90 days
If gracedoc.HasItem("gracedays") Then
graceval = gracedoc.GetItemValue("gracedays")
gracedays = Cint(graceval(0))
Else
gracedays = 90
End If

etime1.AdjustDay(-1*gracedays)

' create a daterange excluding docs newer than graceperiod
Set dr1 = s.CreateDateRange()
Set dr1.StartDateTime = stime1
Set dr1.EndDateTime = etime1

'dc1: collection of 'old' documents from inbox
(before or on Today - gracedays)
Set v = db.GetView("($Inbox)")
Set dc1 = v.GetAllDocumentsByKey(dr1)

'pull out expired docs
dc1.RemoveAllFromFolder("($Inbox)")
End Sub

'SetInboxGracePeriod agent – sets the grace period for inbox

Sub Initialize
Dim s As New NotesSession
Dim db As NotesDatabase
Set db = s.CurrentDatabase
Dim gracedoc As NotesDocument
Dim gracedays As Integer
Dim inputgracedays As Integer
Dim maxdays As Integer
Dim graceval As Variant
Dim gracevar As Variant
maxdays = 1000

Set gracedoc = db.GetProfileDocument("inboxgracedays")
If gracedoc.HasItem("gracedays") Then
graceval = gracedoc.GetItemValue("gracedays")
gracedays = Cint(graceval(0))
Else
gracedays = 90
End If
getInput:
inputgracedays = -1
gracevar = Inputbox("Days to retain in Inbox? (currently " &
gracedays & ")" )
If (gracevar <> "") Then
inputgracedays = Cint(gracevar)
End If

While (inputgracedays > maxdays)
Msgbox("Maximum of " & maxdays
& " days exceeded")
Goto getInput
Wend

If inputgracedays <> -1 Then
gracedays = inputgracedays
End If

Set gracedoc = db.GetProfileDocument("inboxgracedays")
gracedoc.ReplaceItemValue "gracedays",gracedays
Call gracedoc.Save(False,False)
End Sub

Steps for migrating from Exchange to Domino

From a post from Andy Donaldson, I though I share my steps to migrate from Exchange to Domino using CMT from Binary Tree . Sorry for the display, it is a cut and paste form a Word document. A few prerequists:

Install OutLook on the client that will run the tool
Define a profile in OutLook, it must be configured
Define OutLook as the default messaging client
Run in full Admin mode

We’ve used a dedicated computer to do the migration. We were not allowed to connected from server to server. The dedicated computer must have a lot of disk space. In our case, we have used a test server. In our case, the users were already registered in our NAB.

All the new user's mail files were locally replicated to our test server.

To facilitate this step, a view should ideally be created in the public address book. This view contains only the files to migrate users using a search criteria, such CompanyName = "ABC". If this is not possible, do all the same to the next step. It is based on the hypothesis that the Notes users are already created.

To quickly create replicas of local databases, you could add temporarly to the public address book a new action button.

Dim dbCheck1 As NotesDatabase

Dim replica As NotesDatabase

For i = 1 To coll.Count

Set doc=coll.getnthdocument(i)

Set dbCheck1= session.GetDatabase(doc.MailServer(0),doc.mailfile(0)+".nsf")

If Not(dbCheck1 Is Nothing) Then

If dbCheck1.isopen Then

Call workspace.AddDatabase( dbCheck1.server,doc.mailfile(0)+".nsf")

Directory = Localpath +doc.mailfile(0)+".nsf"

'* http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=475&context=SSKTWP&context=SSKTMJ&dc=DB520&dc=DB560&q1=4005&uid=swg21155739&loc=en_US&cs=utf-8&lang=en

On Error 4005 Resume Next

Set replica = dbCheck1.CreateReplica( "", directory )

On Error 4005 Goto 0 'This causes the error handling to revert to normal error handling

'On Error 4005 Goto Error_Handling 'If the application has a error handling section then revert to it instead

Call workspace.AddDatabase( "",repertoire)

End If

End If

Next

Etc.etc.

End Sub

The first goal is a huge gain of performance and processing time. Although the tool can run from server to server, this approach was more appropriate for our scenario.

Following the creation of local replicas, it is possible to start the creation of profiles in the database from BinaryTree knowing that we already know the destination PST files to be converted.

The last preparatory step is to adjust the user's profile into the bineryTree's CMT database

How to Create Profiles in "BinaryTree"

Open the binary db, click the button to launch the "Wizard"

Follow the steps below in red which will select the names of the persons to be converted

This step may be carried out before the day of migration based on the location of files (PST) provided

Once completed these steps, go to the "End User Migration" menu

For each user, we must specify the location of the PST file. Each person will have their own.

In edit mode, in "Server Migration Info (1)
A-Select Microsoft Exchange (Point 2).
B-Enter the location of the PST file from this user. We need a format with double \ \ in the beginning.
C-select this option (Item 4)

To have better performance when running CMT, here's a few prerequists to look at:
A replica of the Binary db must also be created on the test server, to avoid transfers over the network.

In the preferences of the user’s client Lotus Notes in the Mail tab, disable the reception of new emails prevent transfers over the network.


In the location document of the Personal Address Book (names.nsf) of the client that will make the conversion, under the Server tab, you must blank the value Server \ Host messaging to avoid transfers over the network

In the Mail Setup tab, specify the local server instead of to avoid transfers over the network

Save the document and exit.


Launch of the conversion

Once the prerequisites of BinaryTree is completed for all users, you can click on "Server Migration". The system will then propose a list of all users for which you have chosen Microsoft Exchange.

Select the users you want, one or several.

You wait until the conversion is completed. When you're done, you can go and see if errors occurred during conversion. Event logs are located in each file of the database users BinaryTree CMT.

By default, the databases will be deposited in the Data folder of local Lotus Notes client under UnRepertoire \ MAIL \ xxx.nsf where xxx is the file name correspondance.

At the end of the conversion, you must close the Lotus Notes client

Once the migration is completed, you will have many local mail dbs that will need to be copy to your Domino Server. You could initiate a replication but it would be too long. So , you just need to do an OS copy of the local db to your destination server. Be careful of Technote 156522 from 1997, Duplictes of databases created at OS level do not replicate Link

How to Copy of local databases to the Domino server

• Close the Domino server which was started the initial replication (The mail server of the users).

By making a copy using the operating system, it does not change the replica ID of the bases.

• Restart the Domino server to the end of the copy.

The next 2 points are optional if there is a difference in the number of documents in the cluster following the launch of replications.

• Clear the history of replicates on these bases because of potential problems can arise when databases are copied via the operating system (See IBM Technote)
• Compare the number of documents from the 2 sides of the cluster if the history of replication is emptied.

Archiving - View indexes - Size really does matter

We are in an archiving process. The main server had about 2,4 terabytes of mails before the process. Now, the NAS server has more than 450go of data but we havn't recovered the expected amount of disk space. The archive process is doing single instance so it will only keep one copie of an attachment but we are still around 2,2go. I know there is new mail messages since the beginning of the process but it's not the only reason. I'm trying to find out why.

I'm beginning to suspect the view indexes. I've ran a script and many of our users keeps more than 1000 messages in their Inbox, the biggest one has more than 37000 (I know, i should teach them GTD :-). The inbox is one of the most sollicitated design elements in a mail file.

Best practices for large Lotus Notes mail files

With that amount of mails in the Inbox, could it explain (in part) the "missing recovered space"?

Example:
A- In Db1 ,1000 documents in my Inbox. Each documents are 1ko in size
B- In Db2,1000 documents in my Inbox. Each documents are 1Mb in size.

Which db will have the biggest view indexes? Will it be the same?

Does the view indexes depends on the document's size or only the type of columns (Sorting,etc)

If I have the same dbs but I move 900 documents from the Inbox to another folder, the view indexes will decrease? Am I right?

Ref: Size really does matter
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Support information for RIM's Blackberry Server (BES) for Notes/Domino 8

Technote 1266138 Link

Resolving the problem
A few statements:

• Blackberry Enterprise Server v 4.1 Service Pack 6 (4.1.6) is certified for Lotus Domino 8.0.x and 8.5. See the BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for IBM® Lotus® Domino® Compatibility Matrix for more details.
• For Wired Synchronization, Blackberry Desktop Manager 4.3.0 or higher will be required for Notes 8 support.
• RIM's next major release of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, code-named “Argon,” will also officially support Notes/Domino 8.0
• Notes/Domino 8.0, or any 8.0 templates, will not be supported in any BlackBerry Enterprise Server version prior to 4.1.5. Also, Notes and Domino 8.0 will not be supported in any BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.0.x version.
  

Lotus Notes : April Fools' pranks

Hey admins! A funny one, just add this line (Or a similar message) to the QueryOpen event of the memo form:

Msgbox "You mail file is corrupt, your computer may be infected by W32/Conficker.worm" ,0+16,"Microsoft error 80004005"



Every time a person will create\read a memo, he will get this message

Disclaimer: Do this on a friend's mail file :-)

Troubleshooting Notes client

Have you ever encountered a problem where only ONE user have. He's the only one who's able to reproduce the problem. If you add the db on your workspace, you're never able to reproduce his issue. He's the only one to have a particular error message that doesn't even exist in your application.
I'm currently training a new guy in our team. So, here's my little troubleshooting steps that I gave him:

For example, if the problem occurs with his mail file

Clean up the workspace!!

• Remove all the mail file icons from the workspace
• Close Notes
• Delete the cache.ndk
• Reopen Notes
• Compact the workspace and re-add the mail file
  

Test again

Almost 100% of the time, you will get good result.
If it doesn't work, you may have , on rare occasion, to delete and recreate the bookmark.nsf file.

• Look also, if the client have the right version of the Personal Address Book. (Ex: Do he have the ($Policies) view).
• Look for any unused ports (Com1,Com2,LAN0). Disable them from the location documents and from the File\preferences\User preferences... (Ports tab).
• Look for any connections to old servers.

Microsoft must disclose its contracts with the state

that occurs when you learn that the Ministry of Education has just assign Microsoft a contract of 1.32 million without competitive bidding. (The Ministry of Education will pay $ 733 per license (1800 users) for the use of Microsoft Office 2007.)

In French
http://blogues.cyberpresse.ca/technaute/peloquin/?p=567

Integrating MS Project with Lotus Notes

Another project i'm working on. An integration between Ms-Project and Lotus Notes. Based on the example of John Head, I've worked my way in it. It's working very well.
Actually, I have a project management database that I export to MSP. The fields to export are pre-defined in my script but I want to make it dynamic via a configuration document to map the fields to export to the correct column in Ms-Project. It could then work with any Notes databases

Maybe it could be an interesting db for OpenNtf?

JYR

The deployment - How to scan 400 users's local Notes data files?

My db is finally done, I will deploy it to a few users next week.

How to scan 400 users's local Notes data files?
Random ReplicaID - Impact on servers? - Answer from IBM

From script, a way to differentiate a R5 bookmark file from a R6\R7 one?

Here's a few screenshots of the log.

Infos about the PAB ,the user and some disk space infos.

Infos about the PAB (Nb of documents, replace design done, ODS before an after, New repID, Adjust ACL)

Infos about the journal and Bookmark (Nb of documents, replace design done, ODS before an after, New repID, Adjust ACL)

Do I have to understand something?

I say this to my kids: If you call a friend and he's never available for you then it is probably because he don't want to play with you.

So, if I contact a supplier and I have no answers... Do I have to understand something?

From script, a way to differentiate a R5 bookmark file from a R6\R7 one?

Hi,

From my series :How to scan 400 users's local Notes data files?
Is their a way to differentiate a R5 bookmark file from a R6\R7 one via script?

For example, for the personnal address book, there is a new view called ($Policies).

Is their any such design element in R6\R7 bookmark.

I have a script and I need an element that would help me identify a wrong bookmark and do a replace design if so.

Thank you,

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Random ReplicaID - Impact on servers? - Answer from IBM

From this post

Random ReplicaID - Impact on servers?

I've opened up a PMR about this issue, here's the answer:

The short answer to your question is that Domino will have no problems whatsoever with a replicaID that was generated manually-- provided it conforms to the correct format.

The main reason we use the date/time method to create ReplicaIDs is simply to avoid the generating duplicate ReplicaIDs. Once the ID has been generated, we don't really make use of the time information it contains going forward, so Domino will treat a ReplicaID created during File > Database > New, or one that was programatically set to 12345678:ABCDEF12, the Client and Server will treat them similarly.

The only issues that arise are if you inadvertantly try using a replicaID that aligns with either an existing replicaID, or if you come up with one that is reserved for one of the known Domain replicaIDs (such as that of admin4.nsf, events4.nsf, etc....). But, the shear number of possibile replicaIds makes this an EXTREMELY unlikely scenario to even consider.

I will be ok with my script

How to scan 400 users's local Notes data files?

How to scan 400 users's local Notes data files?

We have a bunch of users (approx 400). They all have the same particular settings. So for that reasons, a few years ago, it was decided to have a ghost image of a single configuration that was duplicate accross those 400 users's computer. One of those files were the names.nsf, bookmark.nsf. ..(NSF,same replica ID).

Everything was working fine ...until lately. Some of those users(12) were converted to roaming users because they were given a new Blackberry.

When you activate a roaming profile, some files need to be replicate to the mail server.
General information and FAQ about Roaming User feature of Notes/Domino 6.0.x and 6.5.x

What happened? Every local files of those users were replicated to the server.

What happens when a database with the same replica ID as another one is put on a server?....It replicates!!!! So now, we now have 12 users, who shares the same names.nsf db (Remember the ghost image, with the same db). They all have the contacts of each others.
As long as those files were local, it was not a problem but now they are on a server.

What's next?

First, we need to fix the issue with the 12 users. easy.

Second, the thoughest part.

I need to scan every computers (400) for their local files (names and bookmark) and what's more fun, some of them don't have a journal.NSF needed in a roaming process.
So, my plan for Local files

1-Scan private address books, for names.nsf.
A- Look if they have the right version (Not old R4 template because they miss the ($Policies). This view is required to apply policies to your clients) , if not do a replace design from the master template

B- Scan all the documnts because a few years ago, a problem was present with some documents (The form name was incorrect over the Notes version Person, Business Card-Carte de visite.)

C -Try to compact the local address book, ...but it will fail (Address book : "could not be compacted at this time. The compact will be performed later.)
Replicas are not successfully generated during roaming upgrade process

D-Assign a new random replicaID


2- Scan the bookmark file
A-Assign a new random replicaID

3- Check for the existence of the journal.nsf db,
if it exist, assign a new random replicaID.
If not, create from the master template

About Random ReplicaID - Impact on servers?
http://jyriver.blogspot.com/2009/03/random-replicaid-impact-on-servers.html

Whoooooo, it will be fun!!!!

Abbreviations for BlackBerry Enterprise Server debug logs

From a post of my friend Gregg Eldred it had reminds me of this post about troubleshooting our issue

Abbreviations for BlackBerry Enterprise Server debug logs

BlackBerry Enterprsie Server 4.0 to 4.1 (Last Updated 13/12/2007)

ACNV = BlackBerry Attachment Conversion
ALRT = BlackBerry Alert
ASRV = BlackBerry Attachment Service
BBUA = BlackBerry User Admin Service
CBCK = Backup Connector
CEXC = Exchange Connector
CMNG = Management Connector
CNTS = Notes Connector
CONN = BlackBerry Synchronization Connector
CTRL = BlackBerry Controller
DISP = BlackBerry Dispatcher
HHCG = BlackBerry Configuration Tool
MAGT = BlackBerry Messaging Agent
MDAT = BlackBerry Mobile Data Service
MDBC = BlackBerry Database Consistency Service
MNGR = BlackBerry Manager
POLC = BlackBerry Policy Service
ROUT = BlackBerry Router
SYNC = BlackBerry Synchronization Service


Log file names are generated in the following format:

.txt

where

* Server-Name is the name of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server
* Abbreviation is the abbreviation for the log name (from the table above)
* Agent-Number identifies the log created for each agent (01 - 05)
* Date is the date the log is created
* Log-Iteration is a number assigned to a log each time the BlackBerry Enterprise Server is started. When the BlackBerry Enterprise Server is restarted, a new log is created, and the Log-Iteration number increases (for example, 0001, 0002, and 0003).

For example, a third log file for the BlackBerry Messaging Agent #2 is created on January 5, 2006, after the BlackBerry Enterprise Server named BES01 is restarted twice. The log file name is BES01_MAGT_02_20060105_0003.txt.

OR

A BlackBerry Policy Service log file is created on December 31, 2005 for a BlackBerry Enterprise Server named RIMBES that has not been restarted. The log file name is RIMBES_POLC_01_20051231_0001.txt.

From Link