I'm very new to notes messaging! Coming from an all Microsoft environment and having served as exchange admin for several years, I'm having some challenges with managing Notes. After having a VP's HD fail and loosing his abbress book (names.nsf), I am considering implementing roaming profiles in my environment of 57 users. I was on IBM's site reading up on the process and kinda got the feeling that they don’t encourage this type of setup. Can anyone shine some light on this for me? What should I be considering, pro's and con's, and the best way to get started.
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Notes roaming profiles 1
- Thread starter dwuanei
- Start date
deftonesman
IS-IT--Management
Well my friend...its not a complete roaming solution. What do you intend to use it for?? Just simply to keep a backup copy of the names.nsf on the server?? Or do you actually want users to roam around?? Also, what type of setup do you have? What about disk space restrictions??Let me tell you what I did, I implemented windows 2003 server, with roaming profiles, roaming notes 6 and the multi-user client. Firstof all, this solution can roam with out using roaming, but just using the multi-user client..let me explain why.
With windows roaming, the entire users profiles roams, unless you put in a policy, but it should. Now, using the multi-user client, it uses the profile functionality, but, stores info under local settings, which doesnt get moved around, all you need to do is go into the registry, change the hklocal user, notes.ini location to application data, then..it follows you around, so no matter where you sit and log in using microsoft server with profiles, you can access your email because its your data and notes.ini is pulled down..but for this to work, you need have the multi-user client on all systems...you also have to deal witht he fact that the data directory gets copied, so this means, if you have notebook users with big mail files, everytime they log off and log in, they copy this to the file server..this is what stopped me..i had made a work around...but using scripts..anyways...now about roaming, what i found out..it sucks..i havent succesfully got it fully working with out having to run a bit of setup everytime i sit somewhere..mostly cause the notes.ini doesnt follow around...but its a great way to back up peoples names.nsf..but between you and I...you can find other solutions to do that...good luck...
With windows roaming, the entire users profiles roams, unless you put in a policy, but it should. Now, using the multi-user client, it uses the profile functionality, but, stores info under local settings, which doesnt get moved around, all you need to do is go into the registry, change the hklocal user, notes.ini location to application data, then..it follows you around, so no matter where you sit and log in using microsoft server with profiles, you can access your email because its your data and notes.ini is pulled down..but for this to work, you need have the multi-user client on all systems...you also have to deal witht he fact that the data directory gets copied, so this means, if you have notebook users with big mail files, everytime they log off and log in, they copy this to the file server..this is what stopped me..i had made a work around...but using scripts..anyways...now about roaming, what i found out..it sucks..i havent succesfully got it fully working with out having to run a bit of setup everytime i sit somewhere..mostly cause the notes.ini doesnt follow around...but its a great way to back up peoples names.nsf..but between you and I...you can find other solutions to do that...good luck...
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks Deftonesman,
But my setup is NDS/Netware 4x so its a bit different.. I guess all that I'm interested in is not so much users being able to roam (iNotes works fine) but being able to put the essential files in the Notes dir that stores users info (names.nsf, desktop, bookmarks etc)on the network where it can be backed up. Like I said, it's a small dept where no1 really has a need to roam. With this surrent setup, when HD's fail they loose important stuff like contacts in their address book.. any info is much appreciated.
Thanks again for your help..
But my setup is NDS/Netware 4x so its a bit different.. I guess all that I'm interested in is not so much users being able to roam (iNotes works fine) but being able to put the essential files in the Notes dir that stores users info (names.nsf, desktop, bookmarks etc)on the network where it can be backed up. Like I said, it's a small dept where no1 really has a need to roam. With this surrent setup, when HD's fail they loose important stuff like contacts in their address book.. any info is much appreciated.
Thanks again for your help..
- Thread starter
- #6
My environment is Netware and domino 5
WE use roaming profiles for Desktop users and local profiles for laptops.
Laptop users have a totally local setup, with replica databases.
Desktop users do not use local replicas of mail or address books (except for the personal address book which does roam)
On a users Netware home drive > A notes folder containing the data folder and the notes.ini file.
The only required files in the data folder are the names.nsf (personal address book) and the user.id file. All other files are automatically created when the user first opens notes.
Client is installed on all desktops, then notes shortcut is setup to 'start in' \\Homeserver\notes\data. We give all users a standard Notes.ini file, with all file links set to homeserver. The only personelised lines that need to be in from the start are
mailfile
Mailserver
Obviously the location documents have to be setup specifically for the user (in the per address book (names.nsf))
When the user runs notes for the first time, it creates the desktop file, bookmark etc, in the roaming folder.
Then a user can log into any desktop PC that has the notes client and access notes using their roaming netware homeserver.
We dont have many problems with roaming profiles. The only one that comes to mind is with the note.ini file, if there is one on teh local drive of the desktop, sometimes the client will ignore the profile and use that one instead. The easy fix is to get rid.
There are no size issues as desktop users have no replica databases. There is no need as They access the server databases directly. This saves on space all round. Only the laptop users actully need local replicas as they may need to access their mail via replication over dial in.
WE use roaming profiles for Desktop users and local profiles for laptops.
Laptop users have a totally local setup, with replica databases.
Desktop users do not use local replicas of mail or address books (except for the personal address book which does roam)
On a users Netware home drive > A notes folder containing the data folder and the notes.ini file.
The only required files in the data folder are the names.nsf (personal address book) and the user.id file. All other files are automatically created when the user first opens notes.
Client is installed on all desktops, then notes shortcut is setup to 'start in' \\Homeserver\notes\data. We give all users a standard Notes.ini file, with all file links set to homeserver. The only personelised lines that need to be in from the start are
mailfile
Mailserver
Obviously the location documents have to be setup specifically for the user (in the per address book (names.nsf))
When the user runs notes for the first time, it creates the desktop file, bookmark etc, in the roaming folder.
Then a user can log into any desktop PC that has the notes client and access notes using their roaming netware homeserver.
We dont have many problems with roaming profiles. The only one that comes to mind is with the note.ini file, if there is one on teh local drive of the desktop, sometimes the client will ignore the profile and use that one instead. The easy fix is to get rid.
There are no size issues as desktop users have no replica databases. There is no need as They access the server databases directly. This saves on space all round. Only the laptop users actully need local replicas as they may need to access their mail via replication over dial in.
terrywilson
MIS
We store each users lotus folder on their H drive; it works well for us but they Lotus are very clear in that this is unsupported.
Notes is installed onto the servers as client only, shared install and we have a notes template folder which we copied from a non-shared install, which we put into each users H drive when they are first created.
The path on the citrix servers is just set to look at h:\lotus\notes and it works very well for us.
Here are some links from Lotus that may interest you.
Notes is installed onto the servers as client only, shared install and we have a notes template folder which we copied from a non-shared install, which we put into each users H drive when they are first created.
The path on the citrix servers is just set to look at h:\lotus\notes and it works very well for us.
Here are some links from Lotus that may interest you.
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1
- #9
I've configured my logoff script to grab those essential Notes files, zip them and dump them on the network at every logoff/shutdown. Works well for us.
Files I backup: notes.ini, names.nsf, *.id, desktop5.dsk, bookmarks.nsf & user.dic.
Files I backup: notes.ini, names.nsf, *.id, desktop5.dsk, bookmarks.nsf & user.dic.
- Thread starter
- #10
you need to remember that using logoff scripts to update your roaming files is that if the PC or session crashes they dont get updated ! We have this problem all the time with WTS users whom never loggoff their sessions correctly so the script does'nt run and their notes files dont get updated.
Our desktop users have a full roaming profile. All User specific files are on their network share. They can then use any Desktop on the network, on any site.
All you need to do is have the icon point to the app on the C drive of the PC and 'start in' the network share. Then the Notes.ini file on the share has all its file pointers aimed at the share as well. As simple as that.
The only thing to remember is that when creating local replicas it will defualt to the local server (which will be set to the share) but the location can be specified duing the creation, (eg. placed on the local PC)
Our desktop users have a full roaming profile. All User specific files are on their network share. They can then use any Desktop on the network, on any site.
All you need to do is have the icon point to the app on the C drive of the PC and 'start in' the network share. Then the Notes.ini file on the share has all its file pointers aimed at the share as well. As simple as that.
The only thing to remember is that when creating local replicas it will defualt to the local server (which will be set to the share) but the location can be specified duing the creation, (eg. placed on the local PC)
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