Multipule Users 1 computer

HCL Domino Domino Forum
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We have 6 remote users who share 3 computers. Our goal is to have each person be able to log onto and access Lotus on each of the 3 computers.

Here is our process so far:

  1. open notes, choose the ID from the list that corresponds to that person (stored locally on each computer)

  2. login with the password for the id they chose

  3. go into the location document and change the mailfile to that persons mailfile

  4. work

It is a few too many steps and we are looking to improve the process. Two questions:

A. Is there a way that they can login without having to browse for the ID file? Something like selecting the username/password from a dropdown. I really dislike the local ID file idea… what if they change the password on one computer and then attempt to access via another computer? Any suggestions on improving this? Will Roaming profiles help?

B. Changing the location document each time is really not going to work. Is there a way to put in a variable for the username into the mail file field rather then specifying the mailfile? Example: User John Doe (username jdoe) rather then putting in mail/jdoe you could put in mail/%username%? that way it could change for each user? Is there a more elegant solution?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Larry

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Subject: Multipule Users 1 computer

Larry,

Are you only looking to get them to connec to their mail? Are there any desktop setting you’d want to copy also?

Are the computers on any sort of network or strictly stand alone?

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Subject: RE: Multipule Users 1 computer

Thanks for the response!

The 3 laptops are connected to the internet, and connect to our domino server via vpn. They have local replicas of the applications they need to access regularly and are able to access them, as well as connect and replicate changes with the domino server.

I’m not 100% sure what you mean by desktop settings, but I think what you mean is other notes client settings?

Other then that there are no other settings in notes that we are making.

Thanks so much for your help.

Larry

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Subject: RE: Multipule Users 1 computer

Larry

How was Lotus Notes installed on those computer? single or multiple users?

Computers with multiple users should have Multi User installs (only the basic Lotus Notes client can do that. Not the full admin, designer and client installer).

Then all those users should have their own roaming Windows account.

So user1 logs in to Windows and their Lotus Notes will be ONLY for them. (you need to configure the first time only)

Now, this is to be only on 1 computer. Now if the users want to switch machines and see the same thing (Address book, desktop etc), they need to be Roaming.

I have never been able to set roaming properly therefore, I have created (someone else wrote it) a software that checks the server and if there is a copy of Lotus Notes for that user, it uses that. (it is totally transparent to the users and they can go to any computer they want since the changes are made at Logon time.) So Windows AND Lotus Notes are both full roaming. Nothing stays on the computer. Everything comes from the server.

Maybe you can setup roaming better than I can util I am ready to release the software or there is another solution available.

A dirty way would be to x-copy the Local settings folder including the Lotus folder back on the server (Windows will NOT roam the Local setting folder. you have to do it BEFORE the computer is turned off. That could prove challenging.

Jacques

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Subject: Multipule Users 1 computer

Wasn’t the concept of roaming users introduced in Notes 6.5? Or even before?

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Subject: RE: Multipule Users 1 computer

Yeah. You should eb able to setup roaming on the user’s and store their ID file in their names.nsf, this would take care of the problem (if bandwidth is an issue it would require replication of their names.nsf &, optionally, bookmarks.nsf, to a domino server).

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Subject: RE: Multipule Users 1 computer

Yes, it was introduced a long time ago.

Only problem is that every time you go from one computer to another, you have to reset the connectection (readd your ID password … basic setup)…

I had to find a way to go around that. Now it is all on the server and users can choose ANY computer in the office and they always get the same thing without resetting anything…

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Subject: Multipule Users 1 computer

I think that you may be on the right path with Roaming Profiles or the previous recommendation to use the Multiuser install. The multiuser install is nice because each user gets their own address book and environment. Of course, the downside is that they have to remember information about their own Windows account. In theory (at least) you could limit access to the ID file in this manner, too.

Even though the current setup isn’t optimal (especially since all users could get a copy of the others’ ID’s and be one lame password away from assuming their identity :-)) you can streamline it a bit.

As you know, you can associate a mail file with a location document. You can also associate an ID file to switch to with a location document.

So setup the first user and rename their location doc from “Office” to their name (e.g. Joe User). Under the advanced tab, find the “ID to Switch To” entry and point it to the location of their ID file.

For the second user, you just copy and paste the first user’s location doc, change the name of the location doc (e.g Joe User to Jane User), the user-specific information such as server and mail file, and the “ID to Switch to” field.

When a user launches Notes, they can just change the Location in the login dialog and it will automatically change to their ID, mail file, etc.

Since the location docs are stored in the shared address book created when the first user was setup, you can copy that names.nsf and the ID files to the other machines, saving you some setup time.

Again, it sounds like there are better, more secure options, but this may be helpful for now.

It just occurred to me that it may be possible to have the users store their ID file on a USB key. Another option - down the road at least - might be to use “Notes on a Stick,” essentially running the whole Notes client from a USB key. Search the forum for “Nomad” or “Wanda,” I think.

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Subject: RE: Multipule Users 1 computer

Thanks for the responses, I think Eric’s suggestions are the ones I’m going to try and go with, especially if I can automate any of the process (e.g. setup on one computer and use the thumb drive to copy the setting around.

One follow up question, I have a few dozen applications that each client will need access to, and because of our remote nature at this location it would be best if they had local replicas that they worked off of. I attempted with policies to automatically create replicas for everyone without having to setup a few dozen replicas for each profile and each computer. I attempted to create a setup settings policy and put the database names under the database tab into “Create As new replicas on user’s machine:”

I just cant seem to get it to take. Is there something I am missing? What is the syntax that goes into this box.

If i have 3 applications, and they are located (relative to the data folder) : app1.nsf, app2.nsf, /foler/app3.nsf

how would i list them in the field? I’ve tried all ways i can think of, and it just seems like i’m missing something small.

Thanks for all your help.

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Subject: Multipule Users 1 computer

Another option would be custom per-user notes.ini files. You can load a custom notes.ini by launching Notes as follows: C:\Notes\Notes.exe =C:\Notes\MyNotes.ini

Using this method you could set the mail file, id file, bookmarks file, and everything else for each user separately. Then put separate icons on the desktop for each user. So Joe clicks “Joe’s Notes” and Sue clicks “Sue’s Notes”.

One thing to be know about roaming Notes profiles is the workspace doesn’t roam. desktop6.ndk is not one of the files that gets copied to the server. Bookmarks do roam, though.