No overview of collaborative computing technologies is complete without a discussion of the latest developments in groupware. Groupware is
software that helps individuals and teams work together by enhancing
communications and information-sharing across organizations. Groupware is
typically integrated with the operating system it runs on and provides
capabilities such as email, document management, calendaring and scheduling, application development, workflow management, and centralized directory services. Many updated groupware products also provide capabilities for Web development and browsing.
A leader among groupware products is Lotus Development's enterprise-class system: Domino 4.5 Server and Notes 4.5 Client. This overview of Domino/Notes will provide background information about the products for readers who have never used Lotus Notes, readers who want to upgrade from an earlier version of Notes, and readers who want to migrate to the Lotus Domino/Notes system from other products that provide groupware capabilities. I'll describe the different versions of Domino 4.5 Server and Notes 4.5 Client that Lotus offers, and I'll delineate the differences between Domino 4.5 Server and Notes 4.5 Client.
Background Information
At the end of last year, Lotus reorganized its trademark Notes product,
which gives end-users a platform for communication, project collaboration, and workflow coordination, and gives systems administrators centralized systems
management and administration. With version 4.5, Lotus has increased the
functionality of the Notes server product with an integrated Web server for
improved messaging, collaboration, and application development. Lotus calls the
new Notes server product with extended services and solutions for the Internet
Lotus Domino 4.5 Server, Powered by Notes. The client product in version
4.5 is Lotus Notes 4.5 Client.
The Domino/Notes software combination is an enterprise-level management
tool that consolidates many of the functions available through Microsoft's
Exchange Server and Internet Information Server (IIS). Lotus promotes Domino/Notes
as an alternative to these Microsoft server options by offering a rich set
of functions in one package. Highlights of the Domino feature set include
integration with Windows NT (e.g., you can run Domino as an NT service, monitor
Domino statistics via Performance Monitor, direct Domino events to NT event
logs, and give users a single logon) a secure Web server, services to build
interactive applications for the Internet and intranets, a messaging service,
database collaboration, flexible security, and Simple Network Management
Protocol (SNMP) management tools.
Domino Server's Three Flavors
You can choose among three flavors of Domino 4.5 Server: Domino 4.5 Server
for single processor systems, Domino 4.5 Server for multiprocessor systems, and
Domino Advanced Services. The first flavor targets single-processor machines in
workgroups and departments. The multiprocessor version takes advantage of
symmetric multiprocessing machines (SMP) for overall increased capability.
Domino Advanced Services lets you add clustering for failover and load
balancing, server partitioning for turning one server into six servers, and
server usage tracking and billing for network information monitoring. Advanced
Services requires an additional license agreement. You select Advanced Services
when you install Domino 4.5 Server, as shown in Screen 1.
Available with each flavor of Domino 4.5 Server is Mail Access, which you
license for each registered user. Mail Access lets Notes 4.5 Client users and
non-Notes mail clients use mail services for sending and receiving mail from the
Domino Server. Screen 2 shows a typical client address book with directories and
toolbar options.
Planning for Domino/Notes
Because of Domino/Notes enterprise capabilities, planning for a first-time
implementation of Domino/Notes or a migration to Domino/Notes from other
groupware products is not simple. You must clearly define system usage,
applications, databases, and network topology before implementing the Lotus
groupware.
The Lotus interface is unique, and users unfamiliar with earlier Lotus
releases may experience a long learning curve to master the product. The Domino
4.5 Server interface is a command prompt window. The Notes Client interface is a
GUI.
New Domino/Notes users can expect to dive through a mountain of
documentation: release notes, installation guides, a migration guide, a
deployment guide, an administrator's guide, an application developer's guide, a
programmer's guide, a database manager's guide, a network configuration guide,
and an Internet guide. Clearly, unless you are upgrading from a previous version
of Notes, the magnitude of the installation and configuration of Domino/Notes
is equivalent to building an enterprise network from scratch.