Network in a Box
Lotus positions the Domino/Notes software combination as a system for
developing and deploying both client and server applications that structure
information flow in an enterprise. One box's label reads Lotus Notes:
Groupware and E-Mail for the Net; the other box's label is Groupware and
E-Mail for the Net: .domino, Powered by Notes. A closer look reveals Client
on the former label, and Server on the latter.
Domino 4.5 Server
You can run Domino Server on both Intel
and Alpha systems. You can also use Domino with IBM OS/2, AIX, HP-UX, Sun
Solaris, Novell NetWare, and Windows 95.
Domino 4.5 Server and Notes 4.5 Client are on the same installation CD-ROM,
which Lotus includes in each package. The Domino package includes an extra
CD-ROM labeled SMTP/MIME MTA, release 1.05. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
(SMTP) is used to transfer email between networks on the Internet. MIME supports
mail messages that contain graphics, video, and audio attachments. Messaging
Transfer Agent (MTA) is the software that lets Domino and workstations exchange
mail over the Internet. You must purchase one copy of the Domino 4.5 Server
software for each server you install it on.
Notes 4.5 Client
As with Domino Server, you can run Notes
4.5 Client on a variety of platforms: Intel and Alpha NT systems, Win95, Windows
3.x, IBM OS/2, AIX, HP-UX, Sun Solaris, and Mac OS.
Notes ships with more than a dozen templates that let you create
personalized forms and databases. For example, the Approval Cycle template lets
you route a document or customized form to a list of people. Another common
template is the Discussion template, which you can use like an intranet bulletin
board for informally storing and sharing information. The most commonly used
template is the customizable Personal Address Book template.
Lotus provides client licensing options for Notes 4.5 Client, Notes 4.5
Desktop Client, and Notes 4.5 Mail Client. These licensing options differ in
which databases and templates the user can access. The Notes 4.5 Client license
lets the user access all built-in templates and databases, create blank
templates, design custom applications, and register new Notes users. The Desktop
license does not permit access to administrative and design features. The Mail
license is more restrictive, but it allows the use of mail, communication, and
documentation databases. Licensing requires one copy of the client software for
each user.
Besides the installation CD-ROMs, the Notes 4.5 Client package also comes
with CD-ROMs for Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE). Lotus
provides both Netscape and IE to let customers control the mix of browsers for
accessing the Internet or intranets.
Domino/Notes Partnership
How does Domino 4.5 Server compare with Notes 4.5 Client? Each part needs
the other to function fully. Domino 4.5 Server provides an integrated server
platform for building and deploying interactive applications on corporate
intranets and the Internet. Browsers, including non-Notes clients, can access
server-based data and applications. Domino 4.5 Server features include editing,
search engines, Web attachments, authentication, user and Web site directories,
HTML service, and HTTP support. Domino 4.5 Server also boasts an advanced
messaging service for a variety of mail clients (SMTP/MIME MTA), with a built-in
calendar and scheduling capability. Domino 4.5 Server contains network
administrative tools such as database management, directory assistance, NT logon
and user management, custom installations, and automatic database replication
and synchronization. Enhancements under the Advance Services option include
clustering, billing, and partitioned servers.
Notes 4.5 Client provides integration with the Web, browser integration,
information control and management, application capabilities, data encryption,
the Personal Web browser for offline surfing, support for Netscape plug-ins,
HTML 3.2 support, Java execution, and the calendar and scheduling feature. Lotus
focuses the Notes 4.5 Client capabilities on improving group productivity and
personal time management.
Domino/Notes Scenarios
For an excellent description of product usability, read "Domino/Notes
Release 4.5 Reviewer's Guide," at http://www2.lotus.com/domino.nsf?opendatabase.
You access the guide by selecting product info,
reviewer's guide. This guide includes excellent examples of the power of Lotus'
groupware product.
In one example, an employee uses Domino/Notes' Internet capabilities to
research a subject. Then, she uses the messaging functions to forward
information to her coworkers, and she uses the scheduling resources for her
presentation. With the Web tools, she adds graphics and links and constructs a
corporate intranet Web page for all users, whether they have Notes clients or
Web browsers.
In another example, an employee develops an interactive Web page so that a
customer can query product shipments. Queries access backend databases with
enabled security features. This example shows how a company can free employees
from handling telephone inquiries.
The last example illustrates the Domino/Notes Internet applications, which
let any Notes client or authorized Web browser create a site. The products
includes application frameworks that let the user simply fill in the blanks for
home pages, policies and procedures, discussions, document libraries, FAQ's,
white paper databases, and so forth.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that Domino/Notes is an enterprise groupware package with
numerous and powerful capabilities. I highly recommend that you gather as much
information as possible and be prepared to redesign your system's network
resources. As with any major project, implementing Domino/Notes requires you to
complete the real work up front; the rest is just routine maintenance.