After migration from v5 to v6 of several servers, I had some problem with the NAMES.NSF which returned to an old v5 structure. It turned out the bug came from a replication of the PUBNAMES.NTF from a server still in V5. To avoid this pb, I put the NTF in ReadOnly but that generates numerous error messages. Why the NTF need to replicate and why an old model is allowed to replace a new one ?
Subject: Why the NTF need to replicate ?
Sounds like you may need to get some control over the replication of your servers. What is your topology?
Subject: Why the NTF need to replicate ?
to disable a template from replicating, there’s a database property specifically for that. When upgrading a pilot server to a newer version than your other servers, for example, youcould select all your templates and use the Replication tool in the Database menu on the Files tab of the admin client to disable replication on all of them if you wanted.
Subject: RE: Why the NTF need to replicate ?
Yes that’s a good trick. Thanks.That’s my new procedure :
Upgrade the principal
Disable replication of NTF
Upgrade other servers
Enable replication (if needed for any other reasons)
Subject: Surely Template from OpenNTF can help…
http://www.openntf.org/Projects/pmt.nsf/ProjectLookup/Surely%20Template
As you know, Lotus Domino ships will a great collection of templates - everything from the Domino Directory template to the various mail templates and so on. The unfortunate side of this is that the various templates on every Domino server installed have the same replica IDs - this means that every Domino Directory template on every Domino server has the same replica ID by default. This is a Bad Thing, and can cause much grief and gnashing of teeth, especially to the uninformed when replicating with external servers (who may have modified their version of the template) or with servers of different Domino versions (Domino R5 doesn´t like using a Domino 6 template).
Enter Surely Template.
Subject: Why the NTF need to replicate ?
An old one should never replace a new one unless someone changed the design elements in the old one. The latest one should win.
Templates normally replicate between servers so that all are the same. Once you upgrade one server to R6, all your addressbooks should become R6 address books (yes, this works on an R5 server).
When Lotus/IBM greatly changes a template (like mail) to use features that are not backwardly compatible, they change the template name (i.e. R5-mail, R6-mail).
Subject: Why the NTF need to replicate ?
Thanks for your answers but it’s a bit more thorough… The topology is very very simple : 2 servers in one case 3 in the second case with upgrade of the principal first. I know that in theory the latest structure impose itself but all servers were fine (names.nsf in v6) in the evening and all were bad next morning (design downgrade at 1:00). An old NTF was to blame. Beside having the same version of the NTF on all servers, is there any other reason for replication ?