Recently received a memo from corporate that we will be migrating away from Notes for databases/systems and will be relying on Notes for e-mail and communications only.
Some of the systems I’ve developed could most likely be re-created in MSAccess or similar platforms, but I have no development experience in anything other than Lotus Notes, so this is probably the end of the line for me.
Has anyone had to migrate away from Notes database development to something different and new? Where did you start and how did you do it? Did you start with a course or a book? Were you mentored? Any advice would be appreciated…thanks!
Subject: Migrating away from Notes - Advice?
Search the forum - there are any number of great links and posts on the topic.
I’d spend time trying to figure out the ‘why’. What is Notes NOT doing that they think they can do with somethnig else?
If they’re thinking Access, they’re dead wrong - Access as a multi-user platform stinks. Try and create anything there that provides your entire user base with authenticated simultaneous use of an Access db and you’ll go nuts.
If they’re thinking broader, all I can suggest is that they really look at what’s required to do what Notes/Domino handles. If we look at the MS stack of products:
IIS - web server
SQL Server - db back end
Visual Studio - IDE
SharePoint - presentation layer for the stuff you’ll likely be trying to do with SQL Server
Workflow? Pretty complex to code and maintain.
Version changes? Every time anything changes on the MS side, you’re going to probably need to rewrite a ton of code to keep it working (compared to my 4.6 - 6.5 migration; about 50 fairly complex templates and I had to re-write 2 LINES of code…).
If you need to make the switch, go with the flow - ask for training from your managers in whatever toolset you’re going to be using and then just bang on it until it works (or find another Notes job…)
Best of luck.
Doug
Subject: Migrating away from Notes - Advice?
What is the business value that your company expects from migration? Hint: since the servers are staying for email, there really can’t be any business value gained in the migration – unless they expect the migration to allow them to extend the functionality of the applications faster, cheaper, better, or in ways that “can’t be done” with Notes/Domino.
So, my advice: be a friend to the migration team. Help them spec out what they need to do. Find out how they intend to enhance the existing applications. Then, beat them. Use the power of Notes and Domino to achieve their goals for their first several applications ten times faster than they can do it. Don’t gloat, but do make sure that management sees this.
And what the heck: learn from the migration team along the way. It can’t hurt, and it will help you stick around even if management doesn’t see the light. (Of course, you may not want to stay around if management sticks to a course that costs them more money to do less… but at least it will be up to you to decide.)
Subject: RE: Migrating away from Notes - Advice?
Thanks for the replies. The company currently runs MAPICS on an AS400 and will be moving to SAP for all business applications in the next 5 years. Lotus Notes has been used for e-mail for 13 years and will remain our messaging platform, but they want to get away from renegade designers (like me) creating custom applications, so all new requests for databases and custom systems will have to be run through a “gatekeeper” to determine if the app is worth the development resources. Since the company is worldwide with over 10000 employees, they don’t want individual facilities doing their own thing…so they’re making everyone conform. There will still be a Notes designer group, but the problem is I’m not in that group or location and can’t move.
Subject: RE: Migrating away from Notes - Advice?
Guess what? I used to work for a company which used both SAP and Lotus TOGETHER! When the company I worked for sold out the new company wanted to get rid of Lotus. They did an 18 month study and found there was not another application that could handle or process the information like Lotus and SAP together could do without having to completely restructure the processes and do some MAJOR re-development.
Front end development in Lotus is a lot easier and faster then in SAP.
See if you can’t convince you management to reconsider.
As for you not able to move to the Lotus group location, ask if you can development remotely. You can build a “TEAM ROOM” and post any question or new suggestion or install Sametime where all of your Lotus development team can use. I know several companies that do that. You can be the “go to” person for Lotus questions at your current location. Makes it much easier for the end users.
Subject: RE: Migrating away from Notes - Advice?
let me guess …
you have a new CIO who likes outlook.
I’m finding more and more that is the case. One new high up guy’s personal e-mail preference is more important than what really benefits the company.
“Let’s spend millions, make our environment a mess, because I want Outlook” I also find that before these migrations finally, (if ever) finish, the person that pushed for the migration is long gone. More than likely from bad decisions.
Bush’s White House migrated from Lotus Notes to Outlook and lost a years worth of e-mail. Serves them right, or was it an accident???
Anyway, has anyone thought of migrating the CIO??
Subject: That would make sense if they were switching email, but they’re not.
Sadly I see this happening more and more. Domino is not seen as a web platform it’s seen as a Mail server. Possibly confusion created by IBM for a few years in the market with Workplace catching up, also the competition did not sit still for the last few years so for some applications there are alternatives.
Subject: Migrating away from Notes - Advice?
My advice would be to try and find out why corporate is going away from Notes. If you have to, show them that you can access various types of databases with Notes (using DECS as an example if you have too) and the security that’s built-in (Encryption if need be).
The company I’m working for is trying to get away from Notes also. However, the new system they are trying to implement (Dymanic AX) is already 2 yrs behind schedule and they have spent big $$$'s on it. In less then 30 minutes I created a simple database in Lotus that was pulling information from the new system in a better format. I’m still fighting a battle, however, the walls are crumbling down and we are looking to go back to Lotus again.
I also had to start learning VB and VBA. There’s some good books out there to help you if you need them.
Good Luck!!
Subject: Migrating away from Notes - Advice?
It is a good chance to build additional skills on somebody else’s $$
Subject: Migrating away from Notes - Advice?
Advice? Don’t get away from Notes!!! ; )
MS Access is actually pretty similar to Notes, so it won’t be too hard to get there. VBA is similar to LotusScript and Access forms are also very similar to Notes forms. Get a good advanced book on MS Access and you should be fine.
You can also get the MSDN library for free, and it contains a lot of info and pieces of code. Brush up on relational database design as well.
Ben
A Notes developer that also does MS Access development