Does anybody use a mapped network drive to store users data directory. eg.
Client files on c:\prog’\lotus\notes
Data Files on H:\Lotus\Notes\Data
Subject: Data Directory on networked drive.
Not a good idea from a practical standpoint (and I believe unsupported by IBM). You will get into all kinds of performance issues (and I have seen some whoppers), especially for remote users. AND you will take away the beauty of Local replication for Mobile workers.
Subject: RE: Data Directory on networked drive.
I admit i don’t know much about notes but I’ve been using this config in a citrix environment for a couple of years(as per the the ibm red book) and just wondered whether the same config could be used on workstations.
Subject: Data Directory on networked drive.
We use client and data directory on hardrive, but names.nsf, and notes.ini on users home drives. Works fine for desktops.
Subject: RE: Data Directory on networked drive.
So you can live with the fact that if there are network problems, users lose productivity?
Subject: RE: Data Directory on networked drive.
I’ve rolled out notes around our remote sites using Replication and the prog’ files on hard drives and data dirs on networked drives. Works VERY well, even on NT4 with 64mb ram(poor I know). Users can then login at any PC(We have more users than PC’s) and their notes data is there…via their mapped Home drives. A notes consultant has said this is not recommended. I wanted some other feedback.
Subject: RE: Data Directory on networked drive.
I used to work for Yell
4600users spread across the UK at 9 sites.
We used regional servers, therefore the network connections were LAN speeds. Although a number of users would go to other sites and login.
Laptop users would obviously have local data directories. Plus other home users who had lesser connections had local data directories.
The performance for using between the sites was only noticible on badly designed databases or mailfiles not managed. Basically, large views. Not really noticed on general use. I think it struggled on a 4MB connection to Bristol, but I’m not a network guy so not sure if this was dedicated to Notes traffic.
You have to remember that the cache.dsk and/or user.id may be read on nearly every click. So, at times some users would experience pauses.
So, good network setup then its an excellent choice. Hot desking is made so easy. I have been to many other companies you install locally and it is a nightmare for support.
You can role out client templates without PCs being switched on. There are so many options. The files are backed up.
When Yell went to centralised servers on UNIX, they still accessed data directories on local servers, but accessed Notes databases in central location. That caused more slow responses than ever.
Notes was not slow, but sometimes the network was flooded with SAP traffic.
Subject: RE: Data Directory on networked drive.
Thanks for your responses.
Like Tommy I think installing and supporting notes on a client directly is a nightmare. We now have nearly 200 people throughout the country using this workstation setup for upto a year, have had no network problems and have gained the following benefits:-
-Hot desking is easy.
-Users PAB and data is backed up on remote servers nightly.
-Setup required for new users is quick and easy.
-Loss of PC doesn’t mean data has to be replicated again.
-Greater level of control for central IT.
-Dramatic reduction in support overhead associated with notes.
The other thing is since an IBM red book shows this as a preffered installation method on Terminal servers how can the same setup be unsupported on clients?
Subject: RE: Data Directory on networked drive.
Well for one thing you have no choice with terminal servers. Again, i believe I said i do not think they support what you are doing (I know we didn’t when doing a large email deployment). Call them and ask them.
Subject: RE: Data Directory on networked drive.
Following a support call the response from Lotus/IBM is this:-
'If you implement this configuration and you experience a problem, if you test with having DATA directory not on network drive, and
problem occurs, then we will support the issue.’
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=0&q=1086958&uid=swg21086958
I wonder whether the technote was originally written when we were all running 10mb networks with Hubs.
Anyway if a problem ever does arise where we need Support(hasn’t in 3 years so far) we can easily copy the data dir’ do a test and see.
Thanks for your comments.
Subject: Data Directory on networked drive.
You can do this, but as mentioned you may get performance problems if your network drive access speed is not great.
Doing this would of course cause problems for laptop users working remotely, unless you have a solution for synchronising their Notes client data folder onto their laptop and substituting a local path for the network drive - You could use Offline Files (in W2K and above).
Another approach would be to enable roaming support for your Notes users (a bit like roaming profiles in windows).
If you try network drives, watch out for folder names with spaces in them; I’ve seen Domino behave very strangely when it’s data folder path name had a folder with a space in it - Not sure if this problem exists in the client, but don’t tempt fate 