Lotus Notes 6x Client Installation Workshop

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Notes 6.x Client Installation Workshop

Overview

Introduction This workshop introduces you to the following IBM Lotus Notes 6.x

installation options: • Single User installation • Multi-user installation • Silent Installation and Scriptable Setup • Network Install

Disclaimer: This workshop should be performed on a test box, as it requires the installing and removing of software.

Objectives After completing this workshop, you will be able to…

• Install the three Notes 6.x clients (IBM Lotus Notes, IBM Lotus Domino Administrator, IBM Lotus Domino Designer) in a single user installation

• Configure Notes to re-run Setup by removing all but the first four lines from the Notes.ini

• Explain what is left behind when you uninstall Notes clients via the Add/Remove programs in Control Panel

• Explain the steps needed to perform a complete reinstallation of Notes • Install the Notes client in a multi-user installation • Run a scriptable setup • Run a silent install without a transform file • Use the InstallShield Tuner to create a transform file • Configure a silent installation and scriptable setup using the InstallShield

tuner, a setup.txt file, and a transform file • List the risks/challenges of a Network installation • Locate the instructions for performing a Network installation

Setup Requirements

You will need the following resources to complete this workshop:

• IBM Lotus Domino Administrator Guide • IBM Lotus Notes 6.5.2 (or later) client install files • Access to a IBM Lotus Domino 6.x server • IBM Software Support: Lotus

http://www.ibm.com/software/lotus/support

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Overview, Continued

Timing This workshop takes approximately five hours to complete.

Part Approximate Time Required Part 1: Single User Install 1 hour Part 2: Multi-user Install 1.5 hours Part 3: Silent Install & Scriptable Setup

2 hours

Part 4: Network Install .5 hours Total 5 hours

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Part 1 – Single User Installation

Overview We will begin our exploration of the Notes 6.x installation options by

performing the most basic/straightforward installation:

• Single User installation We will also cover two key procedures often used when troubleshooting issues with Notes clients:

• Re-run Setup • Completely uninstalling Notes, to be able to do a clean reinstall

Some Background Information

Install vs Setup The installation of Notes clients has two parts: Install and Setup.

• Install is the transferring of files from the source location (CD or server) to the client machine.

• Setup is the process by which Notes is configured for a particular user.

This distinction will become increasingly clear as we proceed through the workshop. Location of Files Typically, a CD with the software files is used to perform a Single User installation.


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Part 1 – Single User Installation, Continued

Exercise #1: Instructions

Using the following outline as a guide, install and setup the Notes 6.5.2 clients (Notes, Designer, Admin) via the Single User installation option. The general instructions are as follows: • Through Add/Remove programs, uninstall any existing Notes installations. • From the software source files being used, perform a single user installation

for all the Notes clients. • Once installation is complete, run Setup.

• You can start Setup by launching any one of the three clients. • You should have a registered user name and password to a Domino 6.x

server. • Confirm that each of the Notes clients is operational.

Re-Running Setup as a Troubleshooting Tool

When it is determined that an issue is limited to a particular machine, and possibly due to a problem with the current Notes installation, it is common to rename or copy certain key files (which are listed below) to a folder and then re-run Setup. Re-running Setup when these key files are effectively removed (either renamed or copied elsewhere) configures the Notes client with a new copy of the files: • Desktop6.ndk • Bookmark.nsf • Cache.ndk • Names.nsf (Personal address book) When a problem is resolved by re-running Setup, this indicates the issue lies in the earlier version of one of these key files. You can return the original files one at a time, until you identify which file is the problem. If the normal set of tools for addressing problematic databases (Fixup, Compact, etc.) doesn’t eliminate the problem in that file, you may need to get a copy of the file from a colleague or a backup program when manually “repopulating” the file is out of the question. To learn more about Compact and Fixup, refer to technote 7006573 which can be found at http://www.ibm.com/software/lotus/support


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Exercise #2 - Instructions

Re-run Setup for your Notes client. To do this… • Close Notes. • Rename the key files (In our case, we’re doing this so you can see that new

copies of these files are created. We do not have any data to preserve.) • Open the Notes.ini file and edit it to remove all but the [Notes] section plus

the subsequent 3 lines. • Save the edited Notes.ini. • Launch a Notes client and Setup will begin. • Complete Setup and confirm that new copies of the key files have been

created.

Background Information on Uninstalling and Reinstalling

When Notes is uninstalled via the Add/Remove programs in Control Panel, these things happen: • Notes program files are removed from the Notes directory. • Notes entries in the Windows Registry are removed. However, the Notes folder, the data directory, and all files modified after the install (such as those created or modified during Setup or subsequently by a user) remain on the system. When reinstalling Notes seems like an appropriate step to take (because the problem has been isolated to a particular Notes installation, and re-running Setup did not resolve the problem), you need to follow these steps to reinstall: • Backup key Notes files by copying them to a folder that is located outside

the current Notes installation • Uninstall Notes via Add/Remove programs (to remove Program files and

the Registry entries) • Delete the Notes folder and all folders within it (to remove all the Notes

data files)


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What Files Need to be Backed up?

Using all available resources, list below what files should be backed up when doing a clean reinstall of Notes. Note that the list is longer than when you re-run Setup. • • • • • •

Exercise #3 - Instructions

To prepare for the next section of this workshop, and to practice removing Notes entirely from a system, completely uninstall Notes. In this particular case, we do not need to back up any files before uninstalling.

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Part 2 – Multi-user Installation

Overview In this section of the workshop, we will explore the Notes 6.x multi-user

installation. A multi-user installation makes it easy for a small group of users to share a single machine while having individual Notes configurations. Each user has his/her own Personal Address Book (names.nsf), Desktop, Bookmarks, etc.

A Common Point of Confusion

Some individuals mistakenly think that a multi-user installation allows any user with a valid Notes ID to simply walk up to a machine and start using Notes. This "kiosk" approach is not obtained through the Notes multi-user installation. As you will see firsthand, the multi-user install requires a full Notes setup for each user who will be using Notes on that machine. Typically, it’s a good fit when a few Notes users share a single machine but not when many users share a machine. For a kiosk approach, and lots of users, Domino Web Access (DWA) is generally a better fit.

Exercise: Perform a Multi-user Installation

Perform a multi-user installation of Notes using the general steps listed below. • Create a second Windows account. Instructions are on the next page. • From the source files being used, run the multi-user Notes installation.

• Note that the multi-user option is available via the “Notes client only.” • Run Notes Setup for the first user (you will need a registered user name and

a Domino server to access). Notes will link this user to the current Windows account.

• Log off the current Windows account and switch to the other account (which you created earlier).

• Run Notes setup for the second user. Confirm Notes is configured for that user.

• Switch back to the other user from Windows (Ctrl-Alt-Delete). • Using Windows Explorer, locate the Notes\Data folders for these users.

• Hint: You may have to configure Windows Explorer to display hidden files.


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Part 2 – Multi-user Installation, Continued

Create a Second Windows Account

Below are the steps to create a second Windows Account. Note that the name specified for the Windows Account does not have to match the name of the Notes user who will be using the account.

Step Action

1 Go to Control Panel => Users and Passwords. 2 Click Add. 3 Enter the following information for the additional account:

User Name: Other Account Full Name: Other Account Description: <not required>

4 The password must be the same password typically used in the classroom.

5 Choose Standard User (FULL ACCESS). 6 Click OK.

No Switching Users via Location Documents

With the multi-user installation there is no longer a need to create multiple Location documents when switching users. In fact, problems can result if you try to switch users by switching Location documents within a multi-user installation. In a single user installation all the core data files remain the same; however, in a multi-user installation these files are distinct for each user and are located in different directories. Switching the user via the Location document actually breaks part of the current Notes configuration because that “new” user can’t access the current set of files (personal directory, etc).

Cleanup Completely uninstall Notes and all data files from the system in preparation

for the next installation exercise.

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Part 3 – Silent Installation & Scriptable Setup

Overview The silent install and scriptable setup options provide administrators with the

means to install and setup Notes for the users with pre-defined configurations while minimizing user involvement.

InstallShield Tuner

The InstallShield Tuner is a key tool to configure silent installations and scriptable setups. We’ll begin by walking through the steps to install and use the InstallShield Tuner.

Background Administrators can use silent installations and scriptable setup as a way to

install Notes so that their users are not prompted to enter any Notes instant messaging information. Some would like to suppress the prompt while configuring Notes instant messaging (defining the Sametime server name, etc.), and some want to suppress the prompt while disabling Notes instant messaging. The approach used to silently install Notes differs depending on whether you want to enable or disable instant messaging.

Exercise 1 – Configuring Instant Messaging

Your objective for this first exercise is to configure a silent install/scriptable setup for your users such that… • The user starts the install via a command line prompt. • During install/setup, the user will need to enter his/her user name and

password. • Instant messaging is configured (though it may not be possible to have a

valid configuration if no Sametime server is available within the Domain at the time of the exercise).

Guidelines… • You will need to register at least one new user for this exercise • Resources for Silent Install and Scriptable Setup include…

• Technotes: 1177390, 1109400, 1210650, 1153969 which can be found at http://www.ibm.com/software/lotus/support

• IBM Lotus Domino 6.x Administrator Guide • Redbook: Distributing Notes Clients Automatically (Chapter 1)


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Part 3 – Silent Installation & Scriptable Setup, Continued

Exercise 2 – Disabling Instant Messaging

Your objective for this first exercise is to configure a silent install/scriptable setup for your users such that… • The user starts the install via a command line prompt. • During install/setup, the user will need to enter his/her user name and

password. • Instant messaging is disabled. The guidelines are the same as the previous exercise.

Discussion You should be able to answer the following:

• What file is needed to script the configuration of Notes instant messaging?

• What file is needed to script the disabling of Notes instant messaging?

• What other options did you try out?

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Part 4 – Network Installation

Overview In a Network installation (also called a shared installation or a shared network

installation), the Notes program files are installed onto a server and each user “shares” those files. Each user’s Notes data files (Bookmarks, Desktop, etc) are stored locally on his/her own machine. The one benefit of a Network installation is saved disk space; however, there are also some significant risks. These risks are generally viewed to outweigh the benefit (particularly because disk space is not all that expensive), and this install type is not implemented that often. Thus, we are not going to configure this installation type in this workshop.

Advantage As noted above, the one advantage of a Network installation is a savings in

disk space on users’ machines.

Drawbacks The risks/challenges of a Network installation include…

• Any sort of Network issue that affects users’ access to the program files

will make Notes unavailable to all users (as there is no option to work locally).

• Any problem with or corruption of the program files will affect all users working from that server.

• It’s not possible to upgrade a Network installation. The older version must be uninstalled and then the new version installed from scratch.


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Part 4 – Network Installation, Continued

Activity Locate the topic in the Domino Administrator Guide that explains how to

perform a Network installation and use it to answer the following questions:

Question Answer 1. What command does the Administrator type to install the program files on the file server?

2. How is the installation performed for users?

3. What rights must users have to the program files on the server?

4. Is the network installation option supported on the Macintosh platform?