Automating Upgrades to 8.5.1

HCL Domino Domino Forum
1

I am trying to streamline our client upgrade process from Notes 7 to Notes 8.5.1. We operate in a Citrix environment, and the current process I have is the following:

Current Process

  1. Let Notes create the files\folders needed during first login

  2. Copy the users names.nsf and bookmark.nsf and a default, empty notes.ini

  3. Walk the customer through the Notes client config

Desired Process

  1. Let Notes create files\folders needed during first login

  2. Copy the user’s existing names.nsf, bookmark.nsf, notes.ini

  3. Script required changes to INI for new paths.

  4. Open Notes - no config required

The desired process is so close to working. The only “problem” I am experiencing is that the user’s bookmark.nsf database is not being updated when opening Notes 8. Even though this is the same file as in the current process, simply using the existing INI is somehow preventing this database from being updated. Does anyone have any ideas on what might be preventing bookmarks.nsf from being updated?

Also, is either process, we are manually replacing the design on the customers address book after first login. Is there a way to automatically upgrade this database as well?

Thanks all

Matt

2

Subject: Wrong approach … some alternatives

As soon as Lotus Notes starts the appropriate directories and files (names, bookmark, headline, log, etc…) are created or upgraded.When you copy old user data into the directory AFTER Lotus Notes 8.5.1 has been started for the first time, you have to ensure that the data is ALREADY latest design.

The design of a database is not updated EVERYTIME a Notes Client is started, but only when the Notes client realize that it is a) a new installation or b) it is an upgrade.

Responsible for this are various notes.ini parameters.

So, to solve your problem you must guarantee that the appropriate files are at the right place BEFORE Lotus Notes 8.5.1 is started for the first time (except new users).

This can be achieved by various OS mechanisms.

To further automate the configuration, you should use scriptable setup and ID Vault.

3

Subject: Where are you moving the files from / to ?

In a standard upgrade, it is not usually necessary to move the files. Where are you moving them from / to?

Anyway - if you move the files before you first launch Notes, the database designs should be updated.

I presume your users are not set up as roaming users and you don’t want to go that route (which would store the files on both your Domino server and your Citrix / file server).

4

Subject: Flaw in my process descriptions

thanks you both for your replies. I found an error in how I described my migration process.

We use Notes in a single install mode in Citrix., WINDOWS is actually setting up the initial files/folders and copying the users’s existing files into their data folders. It should have read like this:

Same issue as before, I just presented the Notes setup/startup process wrong. Does this change your suggestions?

Current Process

  1. Let Windows create the files\folders needed during first login

  2. Copy the users names.nsf and bookmark.nsf and a default, empty notes.ini

  3. Launch Notes, and Walk the customer through the Notes client config

Desired Process

  1. Let Windows create files\folders needed during first login

  2. Copy the user’s existing names.nsf, bookmark.nsf, notes.ini

  3. Script required changes to INI for new paths.

  4. Open Notes - no config required

( I know we now have the ability of using multi-user installs in citrix. We are sticking with a single user for a short term solution while we are still on Windows 2003. No need to reinvent our model on old platforms).

5

Subject: Official Recommended Procedure from IBM

I was referred to this from a PMR a few weeks back- it works for me on a plain-old Terminal Services (no Citrix) install:

Appendix I: Lotus Notes install

IBM has invested significant development time in improving the Notes 8.5.1 Client install on Citrix XenApp; for example, we now have a Citrix-aware install in 8.5.1 that is command-line driven.

Installing Notes

To install Notes 8.5.1 on a clean system, first do the following:

Set this property for each user on the Active Directory server:

Property: “Active Directory Users and Computers” - “Terminal Services Profile” tab -Terminal Services Home Folder

Setting: “Connect W: To \fileservername\directory%USERNAME%”

Also, ensure that you have updated the Terminal Services Profile tab in ActiveDirectory with the file server mapping that you intend on hosting the data for eachuser.

1.Log on to the Citrix server (directly, not remotely) as Administrator.

2.As Administrator, map w: to \fileservername\directory\Administrator (using WindowsExplorer or the “net use” command).

3.Open a command prompt, browse to the location of setup.exe, and type this command:

setup /v"SETMULTIUSER=1 MULTIUSERBASEDIR=w:\MULTIUSERCOMMONDIR=c:\Notes\common CITRIX=1"

4.During the installation, select the Multi-user Install.

5.Step through the install, selecting the defaults or customizing, if desired. If prompted to set Notes as the default Mail Program, select Yes.

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Subject: I would use Multi-User installation and Scriptable Setup to achieve this

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Subject: Scripted Setup Did it

Scripted setup did the trick! Thanks!