Domino
A secure, enterprise-grade, application development platform
Digital Solutions | May 17, 2022
What Do My Kitchen, Bruce Willis, and Microsoft Power Platform Have in Common? (And Why You Need HCL Domino.)
About three weeks ago, my entire new and expensive kitchen went dark. I gave my wife a confident smile, said, "I got this," and went to the basement to flip a few breakers.
Digital Solutions | April 11, 2022
1-2-3: Free Your Apps with the New Releases of HCL Nomad
Not one, not two, but three new releases of HCL Nomad in just one week! This is a new track record delivered by our development teams op lease our customers.
Digital Solutions | April 5, 2022
New Ideas: Streamlining Our Ideation Process
The HCL Digital Solutions Product Management team has streamlined the product ideation process for HCL Domino, HCL Domino Volt, HCL Sametime, HCL DX, HCL Connections, and HCL Volt MX.
Digital Solutions | February 17, 2022
How Domino v12 Improves an Administrator’s Life
As someone who has spent almost 28 years working around HCL Notes and Domino administration, my mind was blown with the number of new features that were delivered when v12 shipped in May of 2021.
Digital Solutions | February 15, 2022
Workflows Made Easy for Citizen Developers
Workflows are key to streamlining key processes and repeatable tasks — which help keeping companies up and running efficiently — and minimizing the chance of errors
Digital Solutions | February 9, 2022
5 Reasons to Love the HCL Domino Notes Client
HCL keeps making improvements and investing in all our products, and HCL Domino has a strong and future-proof roadmap.
Digital Solutions | January 24, 2022
Why Domino Is Not “Alcatraz” (and Why Domino Should Be Part of Your Kitchen Plans). Also, I Need Your Opinion
If you haven’t done so, please read my first blog in a series about low-code called, “I Remodeled My Kitchen, and I Joined HCL. (One of These Things Was a Bad Decision.)” to see how Domino relates to me and my decision to get a new kitchen.
Digital Solutions | December 21, 2021
Your Questions about Domino’s Latest Release – Answered!
Last week, we hosted a webinar about the latest version (v12.0.1), and we have to say, our Domino customers are an engaged bunch! We had close to 200 questions asked in less than an hour and we’ve distilled them down to a Q&A, below.
Digital Solutions | December 15, 2021
Why You Need to Be on the Latest Version of Domino (v12.0.1)
This has been a big year for Domino! In June of 2021 we released v12, which includes mobile- and web-ready app capabilities, a low-code citizen development app builder, and cloud-native deployment options in addition to our on-prem install.
Digital Solutions | October 5, 2021
What’s New in HCL Domino Volt
The latest release of Domino Volt, v1.0.4, is available for customers to download from the HCL license and download portal and to try out in the Domino Volt Sandbox. New features include the data grid and rich text items on the palette, in-place editing of text in design, a new overall design, and a new Link design client and SAP adapter.
Digital Solutions | October 5, 2021
Domino v12.0.1 Beta 2
We are pleased to announce Domino V12.0.1 Beta 2 Program
Digital Solutions | September 29, 2021
Try Out HCL Nomad Web for Free in Our Sandbox
HCL Nomad Web allows you to run your Domino applications on a web browser or mobile device, without having to first install any software.
Digital Solutions | September 17, 2021
The Secret is Out: MarvelClient for HCL Nomad Web Is on Its Way!
Many of you have been asking about our plans for Nomad Web in the past weeks and months. Believe us, it was hard to not be able to share with you what we were working on. But finally, the day is here: We are excited to announce MarvelClient for Nomad Web! HCL and panagenda worked hard to deliver MarvelClient with the NEW release of Nomad Web (1.0.1) which was just published at our license and download portal. What Do You Get Out of It? As with Nomad and Notes on other platforms, you get some goodies straight out of the box, for free, forever. Get a rudimentary overview of your Nomad Web landscape Manage some core settings in the notes.ini, like User Preferences & application specific parameters and values Give your users a good start into Nomad Web with a one-time migration of their settings and desktop from existing Notes clients. (Not available with initial release, will be delivered with Nomad Web 1.0.2) But Wait, There’s More! While the free functionalities are a great first step, paid MarvelClient modules are also available to make your experience even better. Create an adaptive configuration that restores itself at every start. Ensure stable and reliable operation and prevent issues from occurring in the first place. Discover problems, plan a course of action, and monitor the effect of your changes with an in-depth analysis of your Nomad landscape Standardize settings and UI to provide the ideal user experience from the first start —tailored to every end-user’s needs Allow your end-users to seamlessly move between all instances of Nomad Web, Nomad Mobile, and Notes clients Automatically restore Nomad Web state in case of device loss, swap, or browser cache reset All of these functionalities together significantly lower admin effort, can reduce the volume of help desk tickets by 80%, and maximize end-user productivity. Let’s Talk about Migration Roaming. One of the exciting free functionalities is the one-time migration to Nomad Web. It makes sure that a user who launches Nomad Web for the first...
Digital Solutions | August 23, 2021
Introducing Domino v12.0.1 and HTMO 3.0.3 Beta Program!
After the successful launch of HCL Domino v12.0 in June 2021, we are approaching the next milestone: We’re happy to announce two new beta programs at once, HCL Domino 12.0.1 and HTMO 3.0.3 have both launched a Beta Program today! You are invited to join the beta program to test our latest release and provide feedback to development teams. We’re calling on our community to share open, effective, and thoughtful review and testing of our software product. Your input is essential to how we develop our products, and we will continue to listen to you every step along our roadmap. What you can expect from this first beta of Domino v12.0.1: HCL Notes Client Domino Online Meeting Integration The Notes Client 12.0.1 is providing native integration of online meeting platforms like Zoom, Webex, GoToMeeting, Teams and of course Sametime Meetings. So, from within the Notes calendar users can now more easily schedule online meetings on their preferred platform without having to install a plug-in. Improved Workspace Design with High Resolution Icons The new Notes client is finally allowing to use high resolution icons for your databases, which makes a big difference to the look and feel of your workspace! No need to stick to small and old style 32x32 pixel database icons anymore. We have already updated our standard templates with new icons, will you update yours? Advanced Properties Box You have asked for it, we have delivered: an all-new and resizable document property box: Thanks to Panagenda, the new "advanced properties" box allows to search for field names or values, it also provides the requested ability to copy to clipboard or export to a CSV file: What's new in Notes v12.0.1? https://help.hcltechsw.com/notes/beta/12.0.1/whats_new_01.html HCL Domino Designer We have already provided a 64Bit Notes client (in beta as of now), and based on your request are now providing a 64Bit Domino Designer client. Also, Domino Designer v12.0.1 provides the ability to include high quality icons for rendering and enables developers to optimize the database full...
Digital Solutions | August 18, 2021
New Tech Updates for HCL Domino, Notes, Traveler, Verse, and Connections
While you may have been on a summer vacation, we at HCL have been busy improving our products! Here is a small overview of what happened in the last couple of weeks and what you can expect soon from your most favorite collaboration platform. Group 3 Language Translations for Notes and Domino 11.0.1 Good news for many of our customers: HCL Notes 11.0.1 is now available in more languages. You asked for it (DOMINO-I-831 and NTS-I-842) - In addition to the 16 languages the Notes client was already providing, we are delivering the following language translations: Danish Finnish Norwegian Catalan Hebrew Hungarian Slovenian Thai Turkish Install kits for the HCL Notes Standard and Basic Client V11.0.1 in those languages can be found at our License and Download Portal under the Notes/Domino version 11.0.1. Of course, we are also providing the Multilingual User Interface (MUI) kit for those languages, as well as the Install Shield Tuner files to customize your installation. Group 3 language translations for the Notes Client v12 are being worked on. Level up for our Domino Rest API In June, we started the beta program for our new Domino Rest API. Now in August, it’s time for the next iteration. Shifting gears to Beta 2 will introduce several improvements customers were asking for: ODATA support was added for reading/writing from/to Domino, which is especially of interest for e.g., Salesforce customers who want to store data in Domino A new Domino server add-in task is provided to start/stop/reload the Domino Rest APIs and show its status from the Domino server console An installer is now allowing to install the Domino Rest APIs on a Domino Linux server. Previously only a docker container was provided For more details, about the new features please refer to the changelog of this project. Please note: The Domino Rest APIs are still in beta — the first eGA release is scheduled to be shipping with Domino v12.0.1 later this year. Customers interested in joining the beta program can find the required files available for download at our License and Download Portal. HCL Traveler 12.0 updated with Fix Pack 1 Fix Pack 1 for...
Digital Solutions | June 11, 2021
Announcing the Domino REST API Beta Program
Today, we’re announcing the start of the beta program for our new Domino REST API, formerly known as “Project Keep.” This is the latest addition to our ongoing Domino Early Access Program. The Domino REST API will introduce hundreds of new APIs that aperture to information on Domino — further extending access to your Domino data. It’s a modern take on the REST API for opening Domino access to a world of standards — and API-first developers. What is it? Domino REST API is a new feature that runs alongside the server and allows you to expose your Domino data in the form of standardized Open-API-based methods securely and easily. Using a browser-based admin UI, application owners can define which data will be made available for view or update on a REST API. It extends the Domino principles of reader/author document access definitions into the world of Internet protocols. It also includes Swagger UI which allows the visualization and interaction with APIs without having any of the actual implementation logic in place. The APIs are automatically generated from an OpenAPI (formerly Swagger) specification with visual documentation, making it easier to later implement the back-end code. What is special about the new Domino REST APIs? Secure by default, with fine granular controls per form, field and user basis Implements latest open standards HTTP/2-ready, for server-to-server or client-to-server communication API-first design with full interactive documentation Low barrier to entry as it runs on a Domino server and/or your Notes client Admin UI and Postman samples included State-of-the-art JWT access token integrated with your existing IdP infrastructure What can be accessed via the Domino REST APIs? You can access content like views, documents, and fields, as well as database design, agents, and ACL settings. And, of course, featuring DQL queries to quickly access the data you are looking for. Built-in declarative security ensures the API will only allow access to fields the caller is authorized to see or update. This can effectively prevent computed fields to be overwritten and limits participants in a workflow to update their fields only. How to participate The Domino REST API is now available as a...
Digital Solutions | June 7, 2021
HCL SafeLinx 1.2 is Live with Nomad Web
We are pleased to announce the release of HCL SafeLinx 1.2 for general availability. Starting today, customers can try out new features by downloading the package from Flexnet. In the past few months, we have been focusing on providing you a more user-friendly enterprise VPN platform with reverse proxy capabilities which aims to boost your middleware security at work. SafeLinx and Nomad web As part of the Domino v12 launch, this version comes with improved functionalities for Nomad Web Proxy: New resources container specifically for Nomad, inherited from the generic http access service but only providing attributes needed for NWP Modified initial configuration wizard to streamline NWP creation as part of initial setup Ability to serve the Nomad web application static files directly from SafeLinx (event driven), without the need for an additional http server Support for HCL Verse application integration when the Nomad app launches from a mail link SAML as an authentication option Configurable buffer size for NRPC flow Configurable attribute for querying the User CN to use in Nomad client configuration. Nomad-branded login screens Other new features of this release include support for Mac OS administrator, MS-SQL Linux, and My SQL (Linux and Windows), and a new splash screen. To see the full list, please refer to SafeLinx 1.2 release notes. Getting started: pricing and licensing For Notes/Domino Complete Collaboration (CCB) customers, SafeLinx is now available as a FREE entitlement and will be listed under supporting programs. CCB customers can use SafeLinx’s server component without the need for an additional VPN client to securely access their Domino apps from mobile. With this release, we’d like to provide our customers the opportunity to evaluate SafeLinx VPN for broader usage. Please contact your HCL Software representative or HCL Business Partner for more information on how to get SafeLinx 1.2. SafeLinx is also available as a standalone to non-Notes-Domino Complete Collaboration customers. Contact us for more details. Our team has put in many hours turning your ideas into reality and we’d love for our customers to continue submitting ideas and improvements in our Ideas Portal. (Make sure you select “SafeLinx” under the Workspace before submission.) Domino v12 Launch Missed the v12 live event yesterday? The launch is not over! We’ve just started rolling out the Domino Dozen which includes 12 days of...
Digital Solutions | June 3, 2021
Making a Smooth Upgrade to HCL Notes v12
The big day is coming soon! HCL Notes / Domino v12 will be launched globally on June 7th (it’s already available for download on HCL FlexNet since May 27th). For those customers planning to upgrade, we have some great news. Whether you have been keeping pace with the rollouts of new HCL Notes client versions, or are WAY behind, there is a path for a seamless and smooth transition to v12. The MarvelClient Upgrade solution empowers organizations to optimize their HCL Notes client management and standardize all client versions with a consistent configuration during the automated upgrade process. Common Upgrade Challenges What we have heard consistently from organizations around the world is that they want to reduce the complexity of their HCL Notes client installations and lessen the administration support tasks required. It is an ongoing challenge for IT support groups to keep pace with the upgrade cycles provided by their vendors. The following list is a showcase of some challenges that organizations face during an upgrade process: Creation of Notes Client Install Package (with standard configurations) Upgrade Package Deployment for Remote Users (with or without VPN) Installation / Upgrade Process Execution Trigger for Automation Migration of Notes Data Folder Automated Upgrades for Different Deployment Models (Laptops, Desktops, Citrix, VDI, different OS versions, etc.) The MarvelClient Upgrade solution handles all those requirements and more. The centralized tracking and reporting environment allows administrators to monitor the client deployments for all employees. And if any modifications are made through user error, they will be rectified and reset to the standard, supported settings on the next restart of the HCL Notes client. These automated, self-healing functions enable any organization to ensure a consistent environment for their users and reduce the number of IT support calls from HCL Notes client installation issues. In addition, the MarvelClient Upgrade automates the entire process. This makes it easy to perform regular upgrades in the future as new software versions become available. If your organization is preparing to upgrade HCL Notes/Domino in the near future, please access this best practices list to avoid common project pitfalls. Review of HCL Notes / Domino v12 We recently hosted a co-webinar with an expert from HCL on April...
Digital Solutions | June 2, 2021
Licensing Update: Domino V12 and Key CCX Enhancement
Over the past year, HCL Digital Solutions has been on a journey to consolidate our customers’ HCL Domino licensing around our modern, per user, licensing model – HCL Domino Complete Collaboration Business Edition (a.k.a. “CCB”) including unlimited Guest Users, and the additional external user capability under the HCL Domino Complete Collaboration eXternal User (a.k.a. “CCX”) entitlement. The majority of our customers are now licensed under this model. With the upcoming HCL Domino V12 release, we are further enhancing the CCB/CCX entitlements as described below. Additionally, with the release of HCL Domino V12 we are aligning all Domino products on consistent license terms, which will be available imminently and include the compliance rules outlined in “HCL Domino Support Update” from February 3, 2021. CCB Recap: Simplifying HCL Domino Licensing CCB is the key step in our journey to provide one license model for HCL Domino, eliminating the uncertainty of server capacity and sub-capacity (PVU) licensing and ambiguous entitlement rules. A simple “Per User everything model” - use any client and any protocol for any server capacity to run all applications – including enterprise e-mail. Transparent license compliance management by simple user counting. Adding additional capabilities to the core Domino environment under CCB entitlements from V12 – for example HCL Nomad for Web Browsers and HCL SafeLinx. CCB entitlements are needed for all employees and contractors of your enterprise needing access to your Domino CCB servers – covering all B2E (Business-to-Employees) scenarios. All CCB entitlements include unlimited external web user access as needed for most B2C (Business-to-Consumer/Citizen) scenarios: Guest: unlimited anonymous browser users can freely access your Domino based websites. Known Guest: unlimited registered users with credentials to log-in and access applications limited to being a “Reader” with permission to “write public documents” (controlled by Domino application access [ACL] – see Known Guest Use Cases later in this blog post). For B2B (Business-to-Business) or advanced B2C scenarios, where the external users need to fully engage in applications beyond the access permitted for Known Guests, we introduced the CCX entitlement as an add-on for CCB licensing. (See “Introducing CCX, External User Entitlements“ from September 23, 2020. Extending CCX entitlement to address additional use cases CCX users have full functionally to use Domino or Domino Volt [see below] applications and workflows but cannot create applications themselves. CCX users do not have a personal mailbox but can use task/functional mail for workflow routing or applications generating mail. The CCX Authorized User entitlement is always assigned to a unique person or role,...
Digital Solutions | May 27, 2021
Customer Success Case Study for Nolte Küchen, GmbH
A new customer success story was recently released by panagenda and was subsequently published by the HCL marketing team. The story outlines the dramatic improvements of the HCL Notes client management and improved upgrade processes for a German manufacturing company, Nolte Küchen. Below is a quote from their team lead who manages the Notes and Domino environment for the company. “With panagenda's MarvelClient solution, a version upgrade for our entire organization took a fraction of the time — weeks instead of months — that it used to take.” —Dr. Dirk Kirchhoff, Nolte Küchen The company has been a long-time Domino shop, first deploying the collaboration and communication platform in 1997. However, by 2010, they had a sprawling set of inconsistent client deployments across the organization. This was causing issues with IT support troubleshooting and making subsequent client upgrades a nightmare. After deploying the MarvelClient solution the IT group was able to successfully identify the non-standard HCL Notes client configurations on all computers and quickly implement a fixup campaign to push out a common install. Helpdesk calls were reduced, and client performance improved for all users. As stated by their team lead, “MarvelClient suddenly provided us with full visibility into the current Notes client environment and highlighted the potential problems cause by a mixed bag of inconsistent installs.” To download a copy of the customer case study from panagenda, click here. The case study has also been published on the HCL website for your reference. Enabling a Smooth and Speedy HCL Notes Client Upgrade For those customers who have not upgraded their HCL Notes clients in years, and are subsequently out of practice with the processes and procedures to ensure a smooth experience for their end users, we can help. The MarvelClient Upgrade solution empowers organizations to optimize their HCL Notes client management and standardize all user installs with a consistent configuration. If any client settings or modifications are made through user error, they will be rectified and reset to the standard, supported configurations on the next restart of the HCL Notes client. These automated restore functions enable any organization to ensure a consistent environment for their users and reduce the number of IT...
Digital Solutions | April 27, 2021
HCL Domino Volt: April Release with New Integration Possibilities
It’s been exactly a year since the official launch of HCL Domino Volt, and it’s been a fun ride! In the last year, we’ve gained more than 400 new customers and have seen consistently high attendance on all our webinars and workshops. In fact, the launch webinar in April 2020 took the top spot with the largest number of registrations across the Digital Solutions portfolio in the entire year! We’re thankful for our customers, partners, and everyone who has contributed to the success of this product. The fun continues this year with our current April release. Domino Volt is on a quarterly release cycle and this marks our fourth release so far. Starting today, customers can access v1.0.3 on the HCL License Portal and we’ve provided updated documentation here. Before I dive into the details of this release, I’d like to share two important events: New release webinar: Tomorrow, I’ll be hosting a webinar about this release at 10 AM ET. You can read more about the release below but wouldn’t it be cooler to see it in action? Join my webinar and come with questions! I’m anticipating a lively Q&A session. Global launch of Domino v12: Domino Volt will be available for Domino customers on v11 and v12. Join us for this exclusive event to learn about this major release. There will be a dedicated session on Domino Volt during the live event on June 7. Following the live event, we will be unrolling 12 days of exciting Domino content. I won’t reveal much here but there will be an exciting announcement you don’t want to miss! What’s New with Domino Volt New integration with HCL Link: I’m excited to announce that HCL Link is now included as part of Domino Volt. This addition will greatly expand and simplify your integration options. Administrators can set up connections to relational database, SaaS services like Salesforce and ServiceNow, REST services, Excel spreadsheets and more. Domino Volt designers can then use these connections and easily integrate them into their apps. More ways to use your Domino investment: Create, update, and delete...
Digital Solutions | April 15, 2021
The Countdown to the Newest HCL Domino and Sametime Begins! Join Us for Our Global Launch.
[et_pb_section admin_label="section"] [et_pb_row admin_label="row"] [et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"]I am thrilled to announce that registration is now live for what will surely be a true, blockbuster event on June 7. This exclusive virtual event celebrates our latest versions of HCL Domino v12 and HCL Sametime. The first 1200 registrants got a free gift (we blew past that number in a couple of days!). I personally love the amazing video that helps capture the excitement as we could down the days to these “breakaway” releases. (An agenda will be released soon. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest.) The launch event will include thought-leading sessions, demos, customer speakers, and more. And, it kicks off an exciting collection of Domino content delivered in a series we are calling the “Domino Dozen” (once you’ve registered for the launch, you will have access to this program). Each day, for 12 days following the launch, we will drop a new, essential Domino-related treasure. These pieces will include webinars, panel discussions, and technical deep dives, early access to special programs, thought leadership pieces, and more. Also, join us for the closing keynote and happy hour on June 23 — we are calling it “Nerdi Gras” as a hat tip to the days of Lotus past. We will be releasing a party kit soon, with downloadable favors, so you can join in the fun. For those of us who’ve been on this Domino journey with us for so many years — and for those of you who we will be welcoming as new customers — we can’t wait to celebrate. Join us.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column] [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section]
Digital Solutions | April 2, 2021
HCL Domino v12 Beta 3 Has Arrived
What a blast! In our webinar hosted this week, we announced Beta 3 is now available for download on Flexnet for all Domino customers. Watch the replay here. This will be the last beta drop before the v12 release so don’t miss your chance to participate and help us shape the future of Domino! In this third iteration, we are unleashing another set of great features. See the full list here or read highlights below. We’ve also included a Q&A received during our webinar and a special shoutout to all our customers and partners who covered our beta in blogs and tweets below! Notes Client Highlights New 64bit Notes Basic Client For the first time ever, we are releasing a 64-bit Notes Basic client for beta testing. Many of our customers have been voting for this and we’re pleased to deliver. (See this idea from Cormac.) Our main intent for this release is to engage customers, business partners, and third-party vendors to try out 64-bit Windows Basic version and test existing extension integrations. Our plan is to provide several iterations of this 64-bit client in beta and once we feel that we have addressed most of the known and reported issues, we will release the Standard 64-bit client. More Improvements for the Workspace In Beta 2, we introduced a new Notes client user interface for the workspace. Thanks to all your feedback, we have addressed several improvement requests such as reducing excessive spacing between icons and adding the ability to change the font color of workspace database icon (which is also policy controlled). Now you can also partially or completely collapse the workspace navigator and easily identify multiple replicas with the added a visual indicator. Read more here: Updates to the new Notes V12 workspace design Collapsible workspace sidebar Apple M1 Support Good news for customers planning to use Apple’s new M1 hardware with HCL Notes. Beta 3 now also supports those type of CPUs. Domino Server Password Synchronization A new secure method to synchronize password changes from Active Directory to Domino allows customers to reduce the number of passwords that users have to remember. Password changes from Active...
Digital Solutions | March 16, 2021
HCL Domino v12: The 4 New Security Features You’ve Been Waiting for
While no platform is immune to the possibility of hacking, the question I would pose is: Has your Domino infrastructure ever been hacked? Didn’t think so. It’s probably boring to say that the most straight forward answer is HCL Domino is rock solid on security. When set up correctly and optimised, HCL Domino is the most secure platform of its type. It’s true though. Reliable and secure is a good thing. A very good thing. The HCL Domino v12 beta is out now. If you haven't already tried it, it's free for all existing licensed Domino customers. It's waiting there in flexnet for you to download and try it out! It's the first time a beta of this type is in existence and it has multiple interactions (we're currently on beta 2; beta 3 is scheduled for the end of March. Register here to join us for the beta 3 webinar. What I really love about it is the almost instantaneous feedback from the beta forum, from those in charge of development. Domino v12 is scheduled for full release in Q2 of this year. (June 2021 timeframe is given at the moment). Read an overview of what’s coming here. Here's is a list of all the NEW NATIVE security features coming in Domino v12 and there's a whole host of them: Automating certificate management Time-based one-time password (TOTP) authentication Enforce internet password lockout based on IP address TLS 1.0 is disabled by default Support for PEM-formatted TLS host keys and certificates Two new curves supported for TLS 1.2 ciphers that use ECDHE for forward secrecy New template signing ID uses 2048-bit keys NRPC port encryption supports forward secrecy using X25519 Import internet certificates that contain unsupported critical extensions Suppress key rollover alerts during ID vault synchronization New Query Vault command options Support for SameSite cookie Also note native support for DKIM is planned in the 12.0.x timeline. (Again natively, you can achieve DKIM with third party mail gateways). We could argue about which are the best and more important ones here, but I'm going to concentrate on the 4 new security features in Domino v12 that...
Digital Solutions | March 1, 2021
The Low Down on HCL Domino v12 Beta 2 and Beta 3
A month ago we released the first beta drop of HCL Domino v12 and we’re excited to see such a high level of engagement among our customers, ambassadors and business partners. Two weeks ago, we announced the drop of Beta 2 and hosted a webinar with an overwhelming number of live questions — 118 to be exact! If you missed the webinar, you can catch the replay here. We also picked the most popular questions about our beta program and v12 , and have published those — along with the answers — here. To keep up with this exciting momentum, please join us at our next webinar about beta 3 on March 30, at 10AM ET. Register here. Beta 3 will be the last beta drop before the v12 release, so don’t miss your chance to participate and help us shape the future of HCL Domino! In fact, don’t wait for the next beta drop. All existing customers are automatically entitled to download the software packages from Flexnet today. We look forward to your feedback. Beta Q&A Still have unanswered questions about the beta? Submit them in the beta forum. Q: Is there a way to tell if issues raised in the beta forum are included/fixed in beta 2 or 3? A: The list of SPRs fixed in beta2 can be found in the release notes. Please see here. Q: When can we expect the 64-bit standard client? A: Our plan is to start with the basic Notes client first in v12 beta 3, and then release the 64-bit standard client in a beta post v12 GA. Q: Is the C-API toolkit updated and available as part of this beta? A: We released the C-API toolkit for v11 and will update for v12 post release. Q: Is two-factor authentication available? A: Yes, feel free to try it out today! Q: If I load the beta on my system, will upgrading to v12 Prod work? A: When going from the beta version to the GA version, we recommend uninstalling the beta and installing v12 as a clean new install. Q: Is there a backlog of undo/redo? A:...
Digital Solutions | February 3, 2021
HCL Domino Support Update
HCL Digital Solutions would like to take this opportunity to clarify the requirement for offering Support subscription for the various HCL Domino Programs. This blog covers two such cases related to partial renewals that are not permitted. Specifically, HCL Digital Solutions does not permit: 1. Partial renewal of HCL Domino Programs under Non-Expiring (“Perpetual”) License. I.e., Licensee cannot renew a lesser quantity than the entitled volume to obtain Support. 2. Separate renewal of Client-only or Server-only licenses where both are needed for a production environment and must be on Support for all users. Here are the requirements for the HCL Domino Programs that can subscribe to Support (1) for Perpetual Licenses beyond the initial 12 months: All-inclusive Per User Licenses (i.e., all server entitlements included with the per user license) HCL Domino Complete Collaboration Business Edition (CCB/CCX) HCL Domino Volt User HCL CEO Communications User HCL Collaboration Express User HCL Messaging Express User To receive Support for any above Program, each User must be under Support. Licensee cannot have some Users on Support and others not, which precludes any partial Support renewals of Perpetual Per User Licenses. 2. Stand Alone Server Licenses HCL Domino Utility Processor Value Unit (“PVU”) HCL Domino Utility Express Processor Value Unit (“PVU”) To receive Support for either of these Programs, all PVUs as entitled must be under Support. This precludes any partial Support renewals of Perpetual Utility Server and Utility Server Express Licenses. 3. Client and Server Licenses HCL Domino Enterprise Client Access HCL Domino Enterprise Processor Value Unit (“PVU”) As stated in the License Information (LI), each of these parts are interdependent and form one logical Program. Specifically, the HCL Domino Enterprise Server License Information mandates the corresponding Client License for any productive use (for all in-market versions). From the HCL Domino Enterprise Server V10.0.1 License: “Use of the Program by any means of Authenticated Access requires an entitlement to HCL Domino Enterprise client access, or a subscription to either HCL SmartCloud Notes or a HCL Connections Cloud S1.” (2) Further, the most recent Domino v9.0.x and Domino v10.0.x Support Update [KB0085697] documents the packaging and Support dependency for HCL Domino Enterprise Client and Server side as one Program, why these cannot...
Digital Solutions | January 20, 2021
Start Your Engines! HCL Domino v12 Beta is Here! Are You Ready?
If you joined us at Digital Week 2020, you’ve probably heard about the preview of Domino v12. (It was the most popular session of the event!) Now that the release of v12 is around the corner, we would like to provide all current customers an exclusive preview. Today, we’re officially launching the first public beta of Domino v12! We are inviting you to join this beta program and take part in shaping the future of our product, helping us deliver the best-ever product experience! All existing Domino customers are automatically entitled and will be able to download the required software packages from Flexnet today. (See below for Q&A.) The goal of the Domino v12 Beta Program is for our community of beta participants to conduct an honest, constructive, and thoughtful review and testing of the Domino v12 beta software, which includes HCL Domino V12 , HCL Notes V12 , HCL Domino Designer & Admin V12 and HCL Traveler V12 In the first phase of the beta program, we are delivering the following components: Domino on Docker Domino for Windows, Linux, AIX Traveler for Windows, Linux, AIX Notes Standard for Windows Notes Standard for Mac Designer and Admin Client At a later stage of the beta program, we will be providing Domino and Traveler for IBMi. In v12 Beta 1, we are supporting English and 15 language translations: Arabic Brazilian Portuguese Czech Dutch French German Italian Japanese Korean Polish Russian Swedish Spanish Simplified Chinese Traditional Chinese Beta participants, please let us know how you think about the product by submitting your feedback in our beta forum. For general input and new ideas or feature enhancement requests, please use the Domino ideas forum here. v12 Beta 1 Highlights Domino Reduce your total cost of ownership by using DAOS tier 2 objects across servers A wide range of security improvements including: - Two Factor Authentication (TOTP) - Automated SSL/TLS certificate management with built-in support for Let’s Encrypt - Implementing IP based blocking of failed authentication attempts based on this idea - And many more Automate your Domino server installation and initial...
Digital Solutions | January 12, 2021
HCL Domino Volt: Zero to Hero in 30 Days
You’ve all heard the HCL Domino Volt tagline, “Build enterprise apps lightning fast.” But what do we really mean when we say “fast”? We recently hosted a webinar to show you what you can build in 30 days or less. You can catch the replay here or read the recap below. You’ll also find responses to our live Q&A during the webinar below. If you don’t already know, HCL Domino Volt is a low-code capability for business users and citizen developers to easily build powerful, secure, and enterprise-grade workflow-based applications. From business-process apps to customer-facing mobile apps, you can create solutions for any industry, across different use cases. What Can You Do in 30 Days? So, let’s imagine that you have a solution or app in mind but have little to no knowledge of HCL Domino Volt. How do you go about using it to build an app? Assuming you have a day job and can only squeeze in 1-2 hours a day, this is what a timeline could look like for you: Day 1-3 (3 days): Learn how to use HCL Domino Volt. Sign up for a free sandbox account and get access to a list of training resources. Day 4-9 (5 days): Pick a use case and define the requirements. What are you trying to solve and build? Does your app need workflows and approval processes? How will those be mapped out? Your requirements might also require refinements and iterations along the way. Day 10-17 (7 days): Build the app! Refer to our documentation and wiki pages along the way use our forum to participate in our community and ask questions. Day 18-25 (7 days): Share, test, and refine the app. Building your app is an iterative process. This is where you’ll build the app, share and gather feedback, and work towards a finalized version. Day 26-29 (3 days): Style the app. You can either use the current themes provided or add custom themes that align with your organization’s branding. Or use CSS or HTML to...
Digital Solutions | December 8, 2020
HCL Domino Volt: The December Release is Here!
While the holiday season is upon us, we’re not slowing down! Including the launch earlier this April, we’ve had three releases of HCL Domino Volt — with many more to come in 2021. Starting today, customers can access v1.0.2 on the HCL License Portal and updated documentation here. To learn more about building apps with HCL Domino Volt and what new features are in the latest release, please join our webinar next week, “Zero to Hero in 30 days,” where we’ll demonstrate apps built across different use cases, industries, and skill levels. You will learn what you can realistically deploy in 30 days. Highlights of this new release include: Improved user experience Standardize the look of your apps More ways to use HCL Domino to get things done Improved usability: With a new properties panel and no modal dialogs, we’ve eliminated extra steps and hidden settings. These changes have made the tool more intuitive and requires fewer clicks to get things done. Standardize the look of your apps: Drive brand consistency and standardize the look of your apps. You can now add custom themes that align with your aesthetics and your organization’s branding. Users will be able select the themes you add when designing their apps. Leverage Domino to get things done: The following features provide more ways for you to get things done by leveraging Domino’s capabilities: ‘Contains’ search operator (uses full text indexing): Quickly find information you need by searching for data by text string. It works with data view and services. Sort by app-specific fields (uses DQL): Easily analyze data you’ve collected by sorting your fields in the data view. Name-picker item on the palette (uses Domino directory): Easily find and select people and groups in the Domino directory and assign them to roles or to receive notifications. Workflows and other improvements Map internet email to role and notifications: You now have the flexibility to use any internal email address when assigning roles and notifications, not just Notes addresses. Email attachments: Now you can include files that have been attached during the form fill process in email notifications. Application history: You...
Digital Solutions | November 5, 2020
Remotely Debugging Java Applications with Domino 11
For Domino customers on v9 or 10, you might be familiar with debugging a Java agent remotely on IBM JVM using the following server ini’s and set Port 8000 in Debug Configuration from the Designer client: JavaEnableDebug=1 JavaDebugOptions=transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=n,address=8000 This will work up to Domino v10 but not on Domino v11. In fact, doing so will cause it to crash! This article is going to help developers looking for a way to debug Java agents remotely on Domino v11. The pre-requisites are: Domino v11 or above on Windows Server 2016 / 2019. HCL Domino Console. Notes, Designer and Administrator Client v11 or above. Java agent to be debugged. Any Web Browser to run Java agent. Domino v11 uses OpenJDK. With the above ini's enabled, both the JVMs would attempt to bind to same port (8000) and the second process that attempts to bind to this port would fail and crash. To overcome this problem, the idea is to remove the Port 8000 from the Debug and attach it to some other random Port. First, you will need to add the below ini’s to the server’s notes.ini. JavaEnableDebug=1 JavaDebugOptions=transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=n Note that we are not binding the Debug to Port 8000 by omitting address=8000, as compared to ini which was set on earlier version of Domino. The JVM will then pick a random port. To know the random Port number, simply quit and load http or run your Java agent from web browser and check the console from HCL Domino Console Program. You will need to restart http task after adding those ini’s to make it work. Note down this Port number somewhere as you would need it in next step. (The server console in the Administrator Client doesn’t show the Port number information.) With your Port number, you are going to bind to the Debug from the Designer client. Go to Tools menu > Debug Server-side Javascript > Manage Debug Configuration You should land on the Debug Configuration window. Here you need to mention the Port number which you noted down from the HCL Domino Console...
Digital Solutions | October 14, 2020
New October Release: Domino Early Access Program
Last month, we introduced the HCL Domino V12 Early Access Program, where we provided customers the chance to test new product features early in the development cycle. Today, our engaged development team has provided a new code drop named "October 2020", now available for download on Flexnet to all current customers. We are looking for YOUR feedback on the features provided below, please: Start testing the Early Access Code - details on how to get started can be found here Vote for the ideas referenced or leave a comment Join the discussion and provide feedback in our forum here. What’s Provided in this Release Time-based one-time password (TOTP) authentication When users log on to a Domino Web server, you can now require that they provide time-based one-time passwords in addition to their user names and passwords. These one-time passwords are generated by authenticator apps like Authy, Google Authenticator or similar. DAOS Version 2 DAOS Version 2 (DAOSV2) is a new version of DAOS that provides a more reliable way of tracking DAOS objects on a server. Certificate management improvements A number of enhancements and improvements related to certificate management are provided: Disable TLS 1.0 by default now Support for PEM-file format, in additon to *.kyr file format (Note: This feature is intended as a test bed for future work supporting PEM-formatted keys and certificates) Support for using CertMgr to import third-party CA keys and certificates - based on this idea (Thanks Martin!) Support for replacing keys generated by the Let's Encrypt CA Domino directory enhancements There are a number of improvements around the Domino directory design (pubnames.ntf) to improve usability for administrators. Some of which were long standing requests. If you like what you see, please vote for the idea(s)s referenced below: Mail-In Databases and Resources view - based on your input from this idea (Thanks Michael!)The Mail-In Databases and Resources view now displays the internet addresses of mail-in databases that have them and also includes a Go to...
Digital Solutions | September 23, 2020
Licensing Update: Introducing CCX, External User Entitlements
This year, HCL Digital Solutions has delivered a modern, per user, licensing model for Domino – HCL Domino Complete Collaboration Business Edition (a.k.a. “CCB”). CCB has helped facilitate the growth in the Domino customer base and new user adoption and we’re proud to announce the completion of CCB licensing with the introduction of an eXternal user entitlement – the “CCX” Authorized User. CCB: Simplifying HCL Domino Licensing CCB is a key step in our journey to provide one license model for HCL Domino, eliminating the uncertainty of server capacity and sub-capacity (PVU) licensing. A simple “Per User everything model” - use any client and any protocol for any server capacity to run all applications – including enterprise e-mail (HCL Verse). Transparent license compliance management by simple user counting. Adding additional capabilities to the core Domino environment under CCB entitlements – like HCL SafeLinx 1.1 which is now entitled for all CCB users. We recently added a Guest user entitlement to permit web applications to run on CCB licensed servers – vastly improving the value of CCB. (This blog post contains updates to the announcement, “HCL Complete Collaboration (CCB) Guest Licensing” from July 29, 2020) More capabilities will be provided using a simple “add-on” scheme for CCB licensing, which now includes: Domino Volt: can be licensed to all CCB users at renewal or new CCB license sale Sametime Premium v11.5: special price add-on to all CCB users , as soon as Sametime 11.5 goes eGA in November. (Sametime Premium stand-alone will also be available at full price.) CCX: per user add-on for external users, from the end of September. Introducing CCX CCX is an add-on to a CCB entitled Domino environment extending applications to external users at an attractive per user price. We now distinguish between internal users - who must be...
Digital Solutions | September 15, 2020
Project Eleven: Get the Most Out of Domino with Easy Direct Upgrades
HCL is fully committed to enabling you and your organization to maximize the value you get from the Domino and Sametime platforms today and in the future. In the latest release of Domino v11.0.1, we’ve delivered innovative new capabilities such as low-code app dev and integration with Microsoft Active Directory. We’ve also launched a brand new Sametime meetings solution over the last two years. The response from customers and business partners has been unanimously positive! Today, we’re excited to announce, “Project Eleven,” a new program designed to help every Domino and Sametime customer running on releases prior to v11 have a smooth upgrade experience. As part of the HCL Digital Solutions Academy, Project Eleven’s goal is to enable you to: Go straight to Domino v11.0.1: HCL now supports direct upgrades from any of Domino version prior to v11. Whether you’re on v8, v9, or older, you can go straight to v11.0.1 with no additional steps necessary. Experience the latest version of Sametime risk-free: Secure meetings and data privacy are the most important features in today’s environment. Sametime meetings runs on Cloud Native technologies allowing you to auto scale as needed. Experience our brand new, highly secure, scalable video meetings and enterprise chat risk-free. Augment your skills today: Attend our online training sessions and get best-in-class support and training from a technical advocate in your local language. We’re rolling out more than 40 webinars and workshops and new articles, cookbooks, and help guides. Speak to a technical expert: Schedule an appointment with one of our highly skilled technical advisors to understand your options and create an upgrade plan that’s right for you. Check out the new Project Eleven webpage to find all the resources you need to make your upgrade worry-free.
Digital Solutions | September 8, 2020
Introducing HCL Domino Early Access Program
We’re proud to announce the HCL Domino Early Access Program, a new program that gives our customers and business partners a chance to test new product features early in the development cycle. This program provides a preview of features and functionality that may be shipped with a future version of HCL Domino and gives us the ability to incorporate your valuable feedback. At this stage, we are providing early access to features that contribute to HCL Domino v12. The Early Access Program aims to get feedback on specific features, with a more formal traditional beta program planned at a later stage to receive feedback on the overall release quality and language packaging. The Early Access Program is feature-driven and iterative, meaning new iterations and code drops will be made available as soon as it is declared ready for testing by our development team. New code drops can be provided in just a few weeks after the previous one, on short notice, without sticking to a fixed release cycle. Based on your feedback we may proceed, improve or adjust the feature, or in some cases withdraw the feature from the code stream. The following graphic illustrates this concept: Each code drop is provided in the form of a Docker image which enables us to ship new iterations faster and to minimize the time to upgrade from one code drop to the next. You can expect us to deliver code drops at a fast pace as we want participants to have exclusive access to our latest product feature set. Please note that only the newest code drop will be available for you to download. How to Participate HCL Ambassadors who have registered Domino v11.0.1 Beta Preview will automatically be added to Domino Early Access Program. Customers and partners with a current Notes/Domino entitlement will also have access to the Early Access Program as of today. There is no need to register separately to participate. For overall...
Digital Solutions | September 3, 2020
New Release: HCL SafeLinx 1.1, – Secure VPN Services for Cloud or On-Premise
At HCL, we understand that securing your network is a topmost priority. HCL SafeLinx provides remote users with secure web-based and client-based access to enterprise applications and today, we’re excited to announce that the latest release of HCL Safelinx 1.1. For Domino customers using HCL Nomad, SafeLinx v1.1 enables you to securely access your Domino apps on a phone, tablet, or desktop browser without the need of an additional VPN. Introduction of HCL SafeLinx SafeLinx uses standards-based protocols to enable secure access from mobile computing devices outside the firewall to business applications and data on your organization's internal network. SafeLinx supports an extensive list of standard Internet Protocol (IP) and non-IP wireless bearer networks, server hardware and operating systems, and mobile security protocols. Remote users can connect to your internal network from a range of desktop, notebook, and handheld mobile devices and operating systems. Top Product Features Client and clientless access Network choices: Supports a worldwide selection of wireless and wireline network technologies, enabling a worldwide scope of connectivity. Cellular, LAN, satellite, dial-up, radio (IP, non-IP) Authentication: Multiple strong authentication options (Radius, Secure ID, LDAP, Active Directory, Certificate) Encryption DES, Triple DES, RC5, AES and FIPS 140-2-certified Network Optimization and Scalable and Reliable Customer Benefits Supports all major platforms: Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, and Android Best enterprise VPN with reverse proxy capabilities Mobility clients and Distributed Administration - Gatekeeper Dedicated mobile app for Android and iOS Two-way secure authentication Supports seamless, non-disruptive cross-network roaming Quick and easy deployment of servers and agents What's New in HCL SafeLinx 1.1? This new release includes improved functionalities of VPN and reverse proxy and support for TLS 1.3. View documentation on SafeLinx 1.1 here. For all Notes Domino Complete Collaboration cCustomers, SafeLinx v1.1 is now available as a free entitlement and will be listed...
Digital Solutions | August 19, 2020
Domino Document Deletion Logging: How to Solve for Missing Documents
As a Domino Administrator you might have been asked by your users, “Where is this specific email!?” It has been a long-standing issue with older versions of Domino when an important document goes missing in an application used by multiple users, with no way to identify who/what/when/how a certain document was deleted. Fear no more! Domino document deletion logging is now a feature that was made available starting from Domino v10. You now have the ability to explain what might happen to the document they are looking for. So, how can you implement it? It’s as simple as running compact task on a database, literally! A new compact task option is available to enable logging of data about deleted documents in databases that you specify. Here are the key requirements for such feature. Use Domino v10 and above. Have transaction logging enabled. Run compact task against the database that you want to monitor: load compact <database path> -dl on "<comma separated list of items>" where <database path> is a specific database or a directory of databases, relative to the data directory, for example, mail or discussion.nsf. <comma separated list of items> is a list of fields to show in the logs to help you identify deleted documents. The fields must be one of these types: Text, Text_List, RFC822_Text, or Time. Suggested fields for mail documents are Subject, SendTo, From, and DeliveredDate. If you have custom fields on a document, you can use them as well. The data is logged to a deletion log file called delete.log, which is located under the server Data directory, IBM_TECHNICAL_SUPPORT folder. When documents are deleted from a database, entries are added to that file. When the server is restarted, a new deletion log file is created. Old deletion log files are renamed to delete_<servername>_yyyy_mm_dd@hh_mm_ss.log; for example: delete_Server1\Renovations_2020_01_10@06_28_45.log Deleting a document from a database adds an entry to the current deletion log file with the following data. This data is provided in a CSV-compatible format. Data in deletion log entry ...
Digital Solutions | August 18, 2020
Best Practices for Upgrading to v11: Webinar Replay and Q&A
Last week, our team of global support advisors hosted a webinar on best practices for upgrading to Domino v11.
Digital Solutions | August 11, 2020
Low and Behold: Why Low Code Development Matters. Insights into a modern way to build applications
Low code is a software development platform that gives non-coders and coders alike the chance to develop applications through visual interfaces instead of traditional hand-coded programming. In plain English, it’s the power to create processes without the technical experience or hand coding background application development once needed. (It’s like suddenly being able to sing, dance, and generally dominate like Beyoncé without having to undergo 25+ years of endless practice and constant performing.) Comparing application development to pop stardom may not be the most common way to highlight the potential benefits of low code. But by not requiring a background in coding expertise, low code allows a wider audience to create applications, making for a faster and potentially more innovative environment that companies can benefit from. (It’s like turning lemonade into even better lemonade. Ok that’s the final reference to Queen B, promise). But we’re just getting started diving into the upside of low code. Develop Business Software at Incredible Speeds Low code development should be fast. Unlike the laborious line-by-line hand coding process that is traditionally associated with software programming, low code can go from concept to reality in a flash. Low code allows developers to execute apps up to 60-70% faster than handwritten code, bypassing the time-consuming steps of repeatedly writing, testing and debugging code until it works correctly. Low-code development can give designers drag-and-drop features through a visual user interface, making it easy to build intuitively while cutting down on complicated obstacles that only expert coders can spot and fix. By making the process more visual and less repetitive, low code brings a newfound velocity to a typically slow undertaking. Increase Enterprise Productivity When you increase the speed of app building, and you save designers and developers time, you open new space up for productivity throughout the entire enterprise. But it’s not only the efficiencies that companies benefit from. Those closest to a problem can fix it without a drawn-out drama that drains weeks of time and energy from the IT department. Solving...
Digital Solutions | August 7, 2020
Domino Volt New Release: Your Questions Answered!
Last week, we hosted our new Domino Volt July release webinar covering the latest features and enhancements. We had several demos on how to directly access your Domino data, workflow enhancements, service catalogs, PDF integrations and more. For IBM z and IBM i customers, we covered the latest integration with Z and I Emulator (ZIE) to turn green screen apps into REST endpoints that Domino Volt can use to build new workflows and apps. We received a lot of great questions. You can find those questions — and the answers — below. Or catch all the excitement in this replay here: Want more Domino Volt? Try v1.0.1 in the updated Domino Volt sandbox. Register for a free sandbox account. For those who already have a sandbox account, new sample apps have been uploaded here. We recently launched a Domino Volt roundtable series, where we introduce different important topics and host open discussions with our customers and partners. Join us for the following sessions: Domino Volt App Integration Strategies: Learn about integration techniques and options within Domino Volt. August 12, 2 pm ET. Register now. Domino Volt Deployment Topologies: Learn about different deployment options to fit your needs. August 27, 2 pm ET. Register now. DOMINO VOLT FEATURES Q: What additional resources are needed on a Domino server to handle Domino Volt? A: Domino Volt requires Domino V11.0.1 or greater. That’s is all! Q: If an app is built in Domino Volt, can it be modified in Domino Designer? A: You could add additional views, agents, or other elements as long as you do not change or delete things that Domino Volt created. Q: Where do you upload the PDF for fill-in? A: In settings, there is a File section where you can load PDFs as well as images, CSS, JS, etc. as needed in the app Q: Can a signature from a Domino Volt form be printed in PDF? Or even pictures from your smartphone? A: The PDF fill capability in Domino Volt does not support adding an image or picture to a PDF. Q: Can you deploy your...
Digital Solutions | July 29, 2020
Licensing Update: HCL Complete Collaboration (CCB) Guest Licensing
Since July 2019, it has been HCL Digital Solutions’ mission to help our customers and business partners by introducing contemporary licensing and making license management easier for all our products. Today, we are taking the next step towards consolidating all of our Domino licensing on a "per user" license model – the HCL Domino Complete Collaboration offering a.k.a “CCB.” Effectively immediately, customers with HCL Domino Servers deployed under CCB Authorized User entitlements can be accessed by a Licensee’s entitled CCB Authorized Users and Guest Users. A “Guest User” can be an anonymous web user (no authentication), or an authenticated web user with a predefined maximum level of Domino application access (ACL) as “Depositor.” In addition, HCL Domino servers under CCB may participate in mail routing (SMTP), directory lookup and authentication (LDAP) for non-HCL Domino programs and permit access to free/busy time calendar information. HCL made the following changes to the CCB license based on customer requests to facilitate: • A read-only external website for guest users • Data collection using surveys generated by Domino Volt 1.0.1 and its anonymous user support available today. • Removing the need for a separate Utility Server license for Guest Users with complex PVU reporting requirements. • Clarifying licensing for mail and calendar interoperability in multi-vendor scenarios involving our partner’s solutions. In August, HCL plans to update the formal License Information found here. In the meantime, you may refer to this blog or you can request a formal Product Notice for compliance. If you have any questions about this announcement or have any licensing questions, please contact your HCL product specialist or Business Partner. Uffe Sorensen & the Domino Product Team Disclaimer – HCL’s statements regarding its plans, directions, and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice at HCL’s sole discretion. Information regarding potential future...
Digital Solutions | July 23, 2020
Going Inline with Domino Views
I have spent many years working deep within the Notes Indexing Facility (NIF). I’m not done, because there is more to be done and harvested from the rich functionality well-bundled from day one by the earliest Domino developers. It can be a challenging area because so much variety of data flows through the code and onto the glass. If one is not careful, you will make one user story a delight while another becomes quite less so. One of the most problematic operations in NIF is its handling of updates. Someone could say “Well, what is the problem? Other database products have no issue updating their indexes, why is Domino any different?” The answer lies in the ease with which views and folders are created in Designer. It is a very common story that views constantly grow in number and complexity. So, I often reply to the question of the difference this way: “If you went to your MySQL or Oracle or DB2 or MongoDB administrator and asked for 200-1000 indexes on your database, what would they say?” Of course, they would laugh you out of the room, as they should. Yet, that number of indexes is quite normal on a Domino database and it is why they are updated lazily, on a scheduled or as triggered or forced. There are a variety of update/refresh rules and I will not go into them here. Some of the costliest issues with NIF are due to excessive queueing for updates. Most of the APIs and documentation call it “refreshing” when a user opens a view and wants to see the latest updates, which is completely reasonable. The trouble what when a large number of users (well, threads) do that at once, they each compete for the right to update the view in...
Digital Solutions | July 22, 2020
The Art of the Possible with HCL Domino Volt
We recently hosted our first HCL Domino Volt roundtable session, a series where we introduce HCL Domino Volt topics and host open discussions with our customers and partners. In this session, we covered several use cases for Domino Volt apps. We focused on visually enhancing out-of-the-box components with pure CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) and JavaScript. If you missed the live session, you can catch the replay here or read the recap below. Domino today is used by over 15,000 customers globally to develop applications that run their business. With the introduction of Domino Volt, our mission was not only to protect the investment of our Domino customers but also accelerate their ability to deliver business solutions faster and increase the value of Domino. By providing our customers and partner with new application development capabilities that extend throughout the organization, we empower everyone to build solutions while still taking advantage of Domino’s security, reliability and low TCO. In just 3 months since our launch, over 80 new customers have taken advantage of Domino Volt to accelerate their delivery of applications to the business. Here at HCL, we believe in drinking our own Champagne (or "dogfooding" as the software industry calls it.) We recently launched an internal hackathon to see if our team could build apps to solve our business challenges as well as other real-world challenges facing our customers or community. More than 20 teams with more than 50 members across the globe participated, and none had prior Domino Volt experience! Some of the submissions were from sales team members who had no development experience at all. They were only given two weeks to design, develop, test, and deliver their apps — on top of their day jobs! We were thoroughly impressed with the apps submitted. Using CSS, the teams got...
Digital Solutions | June 25, 2020
Licensing Update: Reporting PVU Compliance for HCL Domino
Since July 2019, HCL Digital Solutions has been committed to introducing modern licensing, license management, and support lifecycle practices for all our products. We know this is a journey over multiple years and we know that managing license compliance is complex. Specifically, dealing with virtualized servers and sub-capacity licensing for products on a Processor Value Unit (PVU) metric. While we intend to replace Domino PVU-based licenses with a simpler approach in the foreseeable future, we know that our customers want to know how to document their compliance with the IBM or HCL capacity-based licensing terms. Today, we are announcing that we will be consolidating our PVU compliance rules across all our products, starting with the Domino family – see “Reporting” section below for reporting methods accepted. Importantly, this announcement has no impact on any customer’s entitlements or license payments. DEFINITIONS What is Processor Value Unit licensing? A Processor Value Unit (PVU) is a unit of measure used to quantify licensing of software on different processor technologies and configurations. HCL defines a processor, for purposes of PVU-based licensing, to be each processor core on a chip (socket). Each processor core has a specific PVU capacity dependent on physical implementation as can be seen in IBM’s PVU Table by Processor Vendor, Brand, Type and Model Number here. What is Sub-Capacity licensing? A program can be deployed using either Full Capacity or Virtualization Capacity (Sub-Capacity) licensing. For Full Capacity licensing, (“bare metal”) customers need PVU entitlements to cover the entire physical server hardware where the program is running. Where Sub-Capacity (Virtual Servers) licensing is permitted, customers need PVU entitlements to cover all activated processor cores made available to the Virtual Servers used by the Program. This is normally a lower PVU count than bare-metal licensing. Likewise, Sub-Capacity licensing applies to BYOSL deployment on Public Cloud environments. REPORTING All Domino customers are required to maintain a record of their total PVUs allocated to the product. The report must be presented to HCL on request (per HCL...
Digital Solutions | June 24, 2020
Sharing Domino Data: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Formatted Text?
We know that there can be sticky challenges in sharing Domino data — the fidelity of Notes Rich Text has long been an issue when sharing data outside of the platform. The standard starting point is the Notes Rich Text field renderer/editor and Notes Rich Text Item storage format. They become hard constraints that any solution needs to fit within, a box outside of which we should not think. At HCL Labs, we take a more radical approach. When new members were recently brought on board, they were instructed to not just think outside the box but to set the box on fire! This may result in approaches that don't suit everyone. But the mandate we were given for Project Rosetta, an internal proof of concept, was to find an innovative solution for fidelity of formatted content for use outside of Domino with only one must-have: the data must be stored in Domino, in some format. Jason Roy Gary, Digital Solutions CTO, covered the outcome in the DNUG launch event and the recent OpenNTF webinar. You can catch the 10-minute presentation between 40:27-50:44 here or read on for more details. Terms of Reference One of the early actions was to be very specific about terminology. For a Domino audience, the phrase "rich text" is inextricably coupled with the Notes editor and a specific storage format. As a result, we have made a conscious effort to refer to handling "formatted text". I would strongly encourage anyone else discussing this to do the same, to avoid false assumptions. Two radical options remained on the table throughout: that Notes may need a different editor/renderer for this content and that existing content may require a one-off conversion, if that content wants to leverage the benefits. There were also two key expectations we acknowledged: This was not intended to replace Notes Rich Text and not all existing Notes Rich Text should be converted. If the content...
Digital Solutions | June 23, 2020
Announcing HCL Domino Connector for SAP Solutions
We’re pleased to announce the release of HCL Domino Connector for SAP Solutions. This connector now simplifies integration between HCL Domino applications and various SAP enterprise solutions, specifically, CRM, HR, ERP, and finance applications. The Domino Connector helps organizations save time by enabling the use of LotusScript to easily access SAP data without specialized or costly SAP training. The SAP connector easily installs over HCL Enterprise Integrator giving your Notes application team easy access to your SAP data. Additionally, with the 32-bit connector installed on Notes clients, you’re able to perform SAP tasks, retrieve SAP data, and initiate SAP actions. Learn more about HCL Domino Connector for SAP Solutions by viewing documentation here. Using this connector, you can: Facilitate data transfer and real-time access to SAP enterprise applications from an HCL Domino v11.0.1 server or HCL Notes v11.0.1 client. Use one or more HCL Domino servers to centralize connectivity to SAP applications. Use server-based Domino application development tools, such as HCL Enterprise Integrator software, to enable SAP solution access without programming. Integrate SAP solution information and business processes into web enabled HCL Domino applications. Access remote enabled RFC's, BAPI's, and transactions. Run agents from your Notes client, as well as use the LotusScript debugger to troubleshoot applications. HCL Connector for SAP Solutions supports: 64-bit Linux and Windows systems SAP 4.6c to ECC6, which allows you to take advantage of SAP's capabilities HCL Domino v11.0.1 SAP RFC SDK Client 7.2 Have an SAP solution to integrate with your Domino app? Contact sales to find out more about this release and how to purchase your connector.
Digital Solutions | June 3, 2020
HCL Digital Solutions Academy
We are thrilled to announce an ambitious new program called the HCL Digital Solutions Academy that seeks to empower our community of partners, developers, admins, customers and other key stakeholders to learn and understand everything our products are capable of. How to stay current about each new release, make the most of new capabilities, learn best practices, understand how they can power new opportunities and solve challenges, and, ultimately, transform business. We will be creating and sharing content in a regular cadence — through webinars, demos, articles, social media, events, and email — under the umbrella of the HCL Digital Solutions Academy. Our software helps people get real work done. We help people solve challenges, fix disparate systems, automate the everyday, and realize the “power of the possible.” At HCL we truly extend our relationship beyond the contract, and help people achieve the business outcomes they are looking to us to help them do. We are building out a rich roster of content created and delivered by multiple teams within HCL — development, support, product management, technical advisors, etc. — but we don’t want to stop there. We want to invite you, HCL Masters, Business Partners, and customers to help us develop this program and grow our content catalog. Please send us a note with feedback or ideas for content you would like to see or help deliver as part of the HCL Digital Solutions Academy. The content we will be sharing with you includes webinars, workshops (hands-on labs), technical videos (10-15 minutes each), podcasts, and learning journeys. And before you ask, the answer is yes! We want to bring back technical certification! Certification is very close to my heart, just like it is for many of you. In fact, I strongly believe that being a certified developer and administrator in our HCL Digital Solutions...
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