47 down, 19 to go, and my empty head

Anthony Holmes  3 July 2009 06:25:41 PM

I started using the eProductivity application to apply the GTD methodology of time (and life) management on about 20th June 2009. One component of the methodology is to do a weekly review. I held off doing that until today.

Following the review I still had nineteen action items or projects outstanding, which felt a little dispiriting (it's a large number). However, on an impulse, I looked at how many I had completed. There were 47 things that I had dealt with an disposed of in roughly ten working days. That felt satisfying. Of course, 47 things / ten days / 8 hours = a bit longer than an hour and a half to do any 'thing'... which might sound less impressive. Except the number doesn't include:

a) all the things I didn't quite record properly, because I'd still getting used to recording each action item;
b) things that I just did immediately, and
c) things that happened... discussions with people in meetings or face to face discussions... that never got recorded.

So, I've got a real feeling that I completed a lot of things, and that a lot of them are things that might have slipped below my radar if I hadn't been using GTD/eProductivity.

And now that I've finished my Weekly Review, I've got a nice empty inbox and a nice empty head. Empty because I know that everything I need to do will be visible to me in a nicely ordered list when I next open up eProductivity. Slowly, I'm starting to develop trust: Trust that the eProductivity Tool really does have a list of the things I need to do, and trust that I've been using it conscientiously enough to rely upon it to be complete.

My empty head can now relax for the weekend.

• Comments [0]

Notes Shared Login and Sametime Login Options

Anthony Holmes  30 June 2009 10:33:20 PM

A while ago I blogged on the using Notes Shared Login to eliminate the need to enter a password when you start Notes after logging in to Windows. This mechanism is a great way to use the strengths of the Notes ID model for security whilst making life simpler for users.

One of my colleagues recently queried me about how this relates to Sametime authentication. Sametime doesn't use an ID, so the model there is a little different.

There are five scenarios.


1. Standard Notes Shared Login (without Sametime)

User Logs into Windows, ---> Enabled ID can then be used with Windows credentials to start Notes ---> Access allowed via NRPC to Domino servers for mail and applications called from the Notes client

2. Standard Sametime Login via LDAP/HTTP Password (with either Sametime Connect or Sametime embedded in Notes)

LDAP or HTTP password is stored on PC using the Sametime option to save the password.

Sametime started ---> Cached LDAP/HTTP password credentials provided to Sametime server. The user isn't prompted for a password unless their LDAP/HTTP password is changed elsewhere.

3. Notes Authentication to Sametime (using Sametime embedded in Notes)

The person's User.id is (after the user enters their Notes password) used to login to Notes. Sametime is configured to use Notes credentials.

When Sametime starts (with Notes) is started and the Notes password used ---> Sametime embedded in Notes (without user realising it) silently authenticates against the Sametime server via Notes protocols. LTPA token provided to embedded Sametime client that is then used to allow the user to authenticate against Sametime server by way of the Notes ID and its password.

4. Notes Authentication to Sametime combined with Notes Shared Login (using Sametime embedded in Notes)

User Logs into Windows, ---> Notes starts without prompting for the Notes password (through Notes Shared Login) and then Sametime embedded in Notes (without user realising it) also silently authenticates against the Sametime server via Notes protocols using the NSL enabled ID. LTPA token provided to embedded Sametime client that is then used to allow the user to authenticate against Sametime without being prompted for a password.

This is documented here: http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/stwiki.nsf/dx/notes-client-integration-with-sametime

5. Log in to Sametime using SPNEGO (with Sametime Connect)

SPNEGO is a standard that has Windows "extensions". It's designed to let Windows credentials be shared with other applications and with some other technologies gets called Integrated Windows Authentication.

The SPNEGO service allows the credentials supplied at the Windows user login to subsequently be used by other applications (without requiring the user to re-enter their user name and password). Sametime 8 can be configured to use SPNEGO.

Sametime embedded in Notes is not documented as having this capability. If Windows credentials are being used then it would make more sense to use Option 4 for Sametime embedded in the Notes client.

User Logs into Windows ---> Sametime Connect client can then be used with Windows credentials (by using Token based single sign on) ---> Access allowed using Active Directory (LDAP) credentials.

Configuring Sametime Server and Sametime Connect for login via SPNEGO is documented in the Sametime 8 Information Center. For example: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/sametime/v8r0/topic/com.ibm.help.sametime.802.doc/IMLU/st_adm_security_sso_spnego_t.html

• Comments [1]

Quickr Services for Domino browser JRE requirements

Anthony Holmes  29 June 2009 08:14:33 PM

I've spent a bit of time researching what releases of Java an end user needs when they are accessing Quickr Services for Lotus Domino.

Here's my summary of how I think things work, although I must say there's a bit of room for doubt given some inconsistent numbering of the releases and the fact that the documentation sometimes refers to the JRE and sometime the JDKs.

*** If anybody thinks I've got any of this wrong, please let me know. ***


Quickr 8.1 (Domino edition) was developed with (and tested against) Java Runtime Environments Versions 1.5.0, 1.4.6.x, 1.4.5.x & 1.4.2.x running in the end users' browsers.

IBM's current approach is to test against the JRE that is current at the time that the Quickr release is being developed. This is consistent with the way in which we support Operating Systems.


After Quickr 8.1 was released, there were a series of updates to the JRE: 1.5.0.1, 1.5.0.2... 1.5.0.12, and then JRE 1.6 was released.

Quickr 8.2 was developed (and tested against) JREs 1.4.2.x, 1.4.5.x, 1.4.6.x, 1.5.0.x and something that confusingly gets named the "IBM Java SDK Version 6.0 SR7" which I assume means JRE 1.6.0.7.  ***But I wouldn't bet my life on it***


When a new version of Java comes out (or an update) IBM doesn't re-run the whole test suite for Quickr against a new JRE issued after the Quickr release. However, the practice is that if an issue is identified that is specific to the Quickr/JRE combination, IBM will investigate the problem and if a problem is caused by the Quickr code and it's reasonably possible to do so, there's a good chance that a Hot Fix will be released and that fix is likely to be rolled into subsequent Fix Packs.

The converse is also possible. There was an IBM Software Problem Report where an issue was reviewed where the browser could crash if a user clicks the back button or a link while the Drag and Drop applet in the Library folder is loading. That was determined to be an issue with the JRE, and the fix is to upgrade from JRE 1.5.0.1 through 1.5.0.11 to JRE 1.5.0.12 to avoid that problem.


The Quickr situation is different to that of "fat" clients because Quickr is accessing the JRE through a browser. I don't think there is any way to embed a particular JRE into a browser so that the JRE is used exclusively for a product (such as Quickr). With "fat" (non-browser) clients like Sametime Connect a specific JRE is embedded into the Sametime Connect installation. This JRE launches independently of any other JREs installed on the PC when Sametime Connect is launched.


References:

The specific version information is referred to in these two links.

Quickr 8.1

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=3264&uid=swg27011692#24

Quickr 8.2

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=3264&uid=swg27015852

• Comments [0]

Lotus Technical University 2009, Melbourne Australia

Anthony Holmes  29 June 2009 11:24:20 AM

Enrolments have opened for this year's Australian Lotus Technical University.

It's being held in Melbourne this year (which is very convenient for me).

It is running from 25th to 27th August 2009, and there is a discount for registering before 24th July.

The tracks are:

• IBM Lotus Domino
• IBM WebSphere Portal/WCM
• IBM Domino/Portal Development
• Social Software

Attendees get the opportunity to sit up to two certification exams for no additional cost: which is over $400 worth of value.

The sessions are a mix of presentations and labs. They cover strategic issues, best practices (to help you reduce your running costs) and deep dive technical.

There are two ways to enrol:

Online: http://www.ibm.com/training/au/lotus09 and click on "Register"

Fax: Fax the enrolment form in the PDF attachment to 1800 801 085 (AU) or 00 09 359 2444 (NZ).

• Comments [0]

Desktop Search and Notes

Anthony Holmes  24 June 2009 10:38:26 PM

When I installed Notes 8.5 on my Macintosh, I kind of assumed that it would match the Windows version in most features, with maybe a few missing. I didn't expect the Mac version of Notes to have features that don't appear in Windows.

Tonight I've discovered another piece of Mac/Notes niceness. You can index Notes databases with the Macintosh search system, Spotlight. The menu option for doing this appears under Actions; Desktop Search...




The Macintosh wins over Windows because the capability is visible and everything is already in place so that it 'just works' once you've completed the Configuration dialog)... But it's worth remembering that it is also possible in Windows to set up Desktop Search so that your Notes' content is included in your PC's more general indexing system.

The (IBM) preferred way seems to be to use Google Desktop together with a plug-in written by IBM and documented in the Lotus Notes 8.5 Information Center here. (The capability also exists with Notes 8.0.)

There is also some Microsoft documentation about making Notes' content visible to Microsoft Windows Desktop Search. The documentation mentions Notes 5-7 and Windows 2000/3/XP. I'm not sure whether it works with Notes 8/8.5.

I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't a couple of other options available from other indexing companies.

I can't see any documentation about a similar capability in Linux (integrating a full Linux system index with Notes' content)... but maybe there is something out there?

• Comments [1]

Macintosh and Lotus Notes Templates: where they live

Anthony Holmes  23 June 2009 10:26:31 PM

This took me longer to work out than I expected. So, for anybody who wants to ask the question "Where do Notes templates live in Lotus Notes on a Macintosh and how do I use them?" here is some information.


I'm using the eProductivity application. In order to use it, I apply their template to my Mail File design so that I can use the the Getting Things Done methodology.

On Windows this was a matter of copying the eProductivityMailTemplate.ntf file into my c:\program files\ibm\lotus\notes\data directory and then applying the change to my mail file by opening my mail and replacing the design with File; Application; Replace Design... Because I knew what I was doing under Windows, it only took me a couple of minutes. It's also simple to do the same thing on a Mac, but it took me quite a bit longer to work it out.

Making the Replace Design... Menu Option Visible

On my Macintosh, my first hurdle was that there was no File; Application; Replace Design... menu option. Immediately I (wrongly) assumed that because the Macintosh didn't have a Domino Designer client, maybe it also couldn't replace a database's Design.  Wrong!  It can. I had just forgotten that with Notes 8.5 (on Windows, Macintosh and Linux), the Replace Design option isn't visible until you select View; Advanced Menus.

Finding the Template Folder and adding another Template to it

As soon as I made the Advanced Menus visible, I could choose File; Application; Replace Design... option and see the standard templates. But I needed to add the eProductivityMailTemplate.ntf file. I needed to physically copy it into the 'correct' folder so that it would be visible as a template. From my Windows background, I assumed that this would simply mean that I needed to add it to my Macintosh Notes Data folder. On the Macintosh this is Users/username/library/Application Support/Lotus Notes Data. Wrong! Although that's where your databases (like names.nsf, bookmarks and your local mail file replica) reside, it's not where your templates live.

Instead, it resides deep inside something that looked to me like it was a single file (but it's actually a file archive containing many files). Inside the Applications folder there's a file called Notes (or Notes.app if you are displaying file extensions). If you Right Click on Notes and select Show Package Contents you can then start navigating through the contents of the archive. Go to the following location:

/Applications/Notes.app/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/Data

(I guess with other languages, the English.lproj bit will have a different name.)

There you will see the 'out of the box' IBM supplied templates. Whilst you are looking at the Package Contents, you can drag a new template and drop it in. You'll get a prompt to enter your Macintosh Administration Account password before the new template will be added.

• Comments [0]

Escape: Windows vs Mac and Linux

Anthony Holmes  18 June 2009 02:30:41 PM

Ever since Notes 8 arrived I've liked the way that it renders HTML emails perfectly, and the way that the internal browser is as good as a 'proper' browser. That's because it is: when you click on a link in Notes and it opens a web page as a Notes document window, it's rendered by the OS's standard browser: for Windows this is Internet Explorer.

One tiny thing has always bugged me: When you press "Escape" to close a window in Notes, any of your document windows will close except for ones that are actually a browser page. It's a simple inconsistency in behaviour. I've always assumed that there must be a  technical issue that means that this wasn't possible.

So I was surprised the other day when I went to close one of those "Notes window rendered by a browser" windows, and (without thinking) I pressed the Escape key: and it closed (!) I realised that I was using Notes on my Macintosh. I then went and tested the same thing with Notes running under Linux and, lo and behold, the "Notes window rendered by a browser" window also closed with the Escape key.

On the Macintosh the HTML content in Notes is rendered by Safari. On Linux it is rendered by Firefox. I assume that both of those browsers can be made to respond to an Escape key.

I admit: this is a very trivial issue, but I thought I'd blog about it in case there was somebody else in the world who was worried about it.

• Comments [1]

It takes a long time to re-learn life habits

Anthony Holmes  18 June 2009 03:20:12 PM

Some personal background about why I think it takes time and commitment to change deeply ingrained personal habits

Two years ago I did a course on diabetes management called DAFNE. The course covers how to juggle eating, activity, sickness, with the insulin doses needed to manage diabetes. The raw material in the course could probably be read in less than an hour. The course itself takes FIVE DAYS, with a half day review at six and twelve months. Before starting the course I seriously doubted that the full five days was needed. I had a suspicion that the health professionals who put the course together merely worked in a slower world than me. Possibly five days was needed for people who didn't study much?

As it turns out, the five days WERE useful, even for a smarty pants like me. (In fact, the course taught me maybe I'm not really so smart after all.) Although most people in the class could quickly recite the rules that DAFNE taught, when presented with real life scenarios, we kept needing to remind each other about how to apply it in practice. Taking it slowly wasn't just useful: it was necessary.

All this is a long winded way of explaining that I'm entering in to a new process of trying to learn and implement a new set of habits. It's going to take a lot of careful learning and painstaking reinforcement. This time I'm trying to change the way I deal with my work life.

Starting with eProductivity

After repeated procrastination, I'm setting aside time to learn and implement the productivity habits of David Allen's Getting things Done. I'm going to use the tools provided with Eric Mack's eProductivity.

I read about the GTD principles two years ago. I feel like someone trying to quit smoking: I only changed my habits for a while, and then fell back to my old ways of working. I'm now going to try it again.

In my job I get asked questions. Any individual question can be answered in many ways. Somebody might ask "what are the benefits of upgrading" and I might answer them face to face. I might send them a link to the Notes/Domino 8.5 Reviewer's Guide, and I might prepare a 15 page document that specifically addresses their requirements. In any week I might have 10-60 questions float past me. And I am very conscious that some of the harder questions get pushed to the back burner: sometimes for a couple of days, sometimes forever.

I need a better way to rate the relative importance of each question and rate my responses.

Last time around I tried to re-organise my life using standard email and To Dos. This time around I'm using the eProductivity application.

Initial time requirements

If you are thinking of adopting the eProductivity application, I recommend that you dedicate half a day to reviewing the requirements. Listen to David Allen's introduction, look at the screenshots and make sure you are uninterrupted whilst you watch the video. I'm never very good at watching a video that relates to a work/product topic. I'm going to sit through it a second time after I have installed the software, because I'm sure I'll need to watch some bits of it more than once to take it all in.



IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER  

I'm using a licence provided to me by Eric Mack. That may colour my opinions. I hope that I'm objective. But studies show that doctors who get provided with pens, lunches, conferences and/or five star holidays in resorts etc., by pharmaceutical companies change their prescribing habits. So please bear that in mind.

• Comments [0]

Importing Outlook Contacts into Lotus Notes 8.5

Anthony Holmes  15 June 2009 01:36:58 PM

The Notes 8.5 client now has a nice way of importing contacts that have been exported from Outlook.

With many other mail systems (such as Gmail and Apple's mail) the standard for exchanging contacts is vCards. However, as at Outlook 2007, it seems that Outlook can only import single vCards, and it can't export multiple vCard addresses (although add on programs allow this). So, to get around that problem, IBM lets you follow another path.

Part 1: Exporting from Outlook

Within Outlook, choose File; Import and Export...

Choose Export to a File... and press Next >



Choose Tab Separated Values (Windows) and click Next >



Select Contacts and press Next >



Choose the place where you want to save the export and give the exported file a name (ending in .txt).

On the next screen, press Finish


Part 2: Importing to Notes

Open your personal address book (Contacts).

Choose File; Import Contacts

 

You are then presented with a dialog that lets you inspect any or all of the contacts you are importing:



Note: In the image above, all the green rectangles contained my contact details. (I've blanked them so I don't tell the entire world my details. This screen is extremely useful: you can look at any contact before you import it and see how it will import. You can see if there is any data that won't map nicely, and take action to import it (through "Map Fields"). The default configuration works very well.

Once you click Import the records are imported.

The final message tells you that your contacts have been imported and that you can examine them by looking in your Your Contacts view and clicking on the Modified Date column. If you happen to be looking at your contacts in the Business Cards display, you'll need to change to the List display. To do this select View; Show; List.

• Comments [0]

Shared Login and the Mac

Anthony Holmes  29 May 2009 05:30:26 PM

A while ago I blogged about the Notes 8.5 Shared Login capability that ensures that your ID file is usable if you have logged into Windows with appropriate credentials (without requiring a separate password). My recollection from the documentation was that the feature wasn't available on the Mac and Linux versions of Notes: which is unsurprising, since it uses key Windows capabilities.

So when I got a Macintosh recently, I was surprised to see that it offered to store my password in the Macintosh Keychain. Kudos to both Apple for building this capability into the  OS and the people who produced the Notes version for Mac for taking the time to use it: it's a feature that 'just works'. No more prompts when starting Notes on my Mac either. Perfect.

(That only leaves Linux.)

• Comments [2]