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Clippings is the official newsletter for Lotus Certified Professionals.
This monthly newsletter is your ideal source for news, certification
and exam updates, and technical resources NOW brought to you jointly
by LotusUserGroup.org,
THE VIEW, and
IBM
Lotus Certification.
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| In This Issue: |
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Newsletter archive! The Clippings newsletter archive is available here.
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| SPONSORED BY: EXTRACOMM — THE LEADER IN DOMINO SOLUTIONS |
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Are you prepared to face the auditor? Can your internal controls ensure you'll pass a SOX, HIPAA, or other industry-sanctioned audit? Use SecurTrac to monitor and audit the life cycle of all objects in your Domino environment.
- Database Monitor
- Mail Monitor
- Domino Directory Monitor
- Notes.ini File Monitor
- Intrusion Detection Monitor
- User Activity Monitor
- Trusted by Fortune 500 Companies
For more information, click here.
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| PROGRAM MANAGER'S NOTE |
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IBM Lotus is pleased to announce a new promotion which is being run in partnership with Prometric. Launched in July and featured on both our private and public certification Web sites, the Double Take Promotion is an opportunity you do not want to miss. With this exciting new initiative, you may purchase a special voucher that allows you to retake an exam for no additional cost. To launch the program, all Application Development and System Administration core Lotus Notes and Domino 8 exams are included. This means, for a limited time, six of our most popular exams are featured as part of the Double Take program:
834: IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 Application Development Foundation Skills
835: IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 Application Development Intermediate Skills
836: IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 Developing Web Applications
847: IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 System Administration Operating Fundamentals
848: IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 Building the Infrastructure
849: IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 Managing Servers and Users
Double Take vouchers will be available for purchase from July 1 until September 30, and must be redeemed no later than December 31, 2008.
Visit this IBM Web site for more details.
Or, go directly to the Prometric Web site to purchase your vouchers today!
Thank you,
Sara Nicklin
Lotus Certification Program Manager
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| SPONSORED BY: GSX GROUPWARE SOLUTIONS |
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Perform comprehensive monitoring of your unified enterprise communications...and still be home for dinner.
Thousands of administrators at 2,000+ installations rely on GSX. Our products automate monitoring and maintenance tasks on:
- Lotus Domino
- Sametime
- BlackBerry
See how your messaging servers are performing. See your productivity improve. But most important, see your family again. Learn how.
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BEST PRACTICES FOR ARCHIVING AND EMAIL DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT, PART I OF III
by Rob Axelrod, Vice President, Technotics, Inc. |
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Welcome to a three-part series on a topic that is a thorn in virtually every messaging administrator's side: archiving and email document management. In Part I, we will talk about a strategy for getting the project underway, and in the following two articles we will cover the technical aspects of tool selection and processes around archiving and document management.
Since I spend a few days a month delivering seminars on messaging-related topics, I have a unique opportunity to get answers to questions about what other people do in their environments. To satisfy my own curiosity and to make people feel better about their own inaction, I usually ask a group of attendees at any seminar how many have implemented a solid document management and archiving policy. Invariably, the majority have not, though most have it on their short or mid-term objectives. Why do so few organizations have this in place?
The typical problem is that whatever policy is selected needs to be implemented by the IT group, but it must be crafted and championed by the Legal department. Document management and archiving delivers virtually no direct value to the users. Having your documents deleted or put into another repository does not directly increase your happiness in any way. For this reason, IT will seldom have the political clout to execute this type of project. By the same token, IT is highly motivated to get a policy in place since the top cost for most messaging deployments is disk space. Multi-gigabyte mail files consume budget and hurt the performance of the mail system. Unfortunately, neither of those problems compels your business users to champion your cause.
With all of this in mind, the first thing you need to do is articulate what it is that is motivating you to undertake the project. Once you have figured this out it becomes much easier to construct a roadmap for building support within the organization and identifying the right tools to get to where you need to be.
Here are some of the possible drivers you might include:
Legal Drivers
- Regulate industry where specific documents must be retained
- Limit liability by managing how many documents are retained
- Simplify and reduce risk around legal discovery
- Comply with SOX regulations
IT Drivers
- Reduce storage costs
- Improve server performance
- Reduce backup times
- Standardize procedures for archiving to reduce support costs
Once you have the high-level drivers determined, you are onto the really hard part: designing, documenting, and getting consensus on the document management policy. This is where almost every organization gets stuck. I have seen organizations go out and purchase great tools for document management and then take two years to implement even the most basic functionality because Legal couldn´t reach consensus on the policy and deliver it. Keep in mind that you will be able to deliver almost any functionality they want from a technical perspective; the key is that they give you VERY detailed requirements up front.
If the Legal department is reluctant to step up and champion the project, a good motivator is the fear of tremendous discovery costs. There are numerous white papers and articles on the Web about the phenomenal costs of discovery.
Once you have your policy designed then it is time to pick a tool. This is where we will pick up in Part II of this article, which will appear in next month´s Clippings.
This article is made possible by Sherpa Software. Please support this sponsor by visiting their Web site.
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| SPONSORED BY: GOOGLE |
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Tired of wasting time searching for content in Lotus Notes? With Google´s universal search, you can find all information within your company — including all Lotus Notes/Domino content — through a single search box.
Want to learn more? Attend the LotusUserGroup.org online meeting and our presentation on:
- An overview of universal search
- A live demo of the Lotus Notes connector
- Real examples of users who have improved productivity
- Live Q&A to answer technical questions
August 25, 2008 at 12:00 pm Eastern (GMT -5)
The meeting and presentation are free to LotusUserGroup.org members buts require pre-registration. Registration is now open.
Register now!
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| FROM LOTUSUSERGROUP.ORG |
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New Whitepaper from Mainsoft Posted on LotusUserGroup.org
Many enterprises with Lotus Notes have IT users who use Microsoft SharePoint for document management and team collaboration. These Notes users are challenged by the lack of an easy way to integrate SharePoint´s document sharing capabilities into their day-to-day, Notes-dominated work. Download Mainsoft´s whitepaper, “Integrating SharePoint with Lotus Notes: Strategic Coexistence” and find out how to achieve the benefits of an integrated collaboration environment without the hassles or risks of a migration. Mainsoft SharePoint Integrator for Lotus Notes is a client-side plug-in that lets Notes access SharePoint document libraries from a sidebar in Notes. Users can also store updated documents onto SharePoint sites and subsites, initiate a Lotus Sametime chat session from a SharePoint document, incorporate Notes emails into a SharePoint-based enterprise content management solution, and use composite applications that integrate data and business logic from multiple systems. Additional integration points, including federating team calendars and contacts in Notes, and offline access to SharePoint, will be available with the release of Lotus Notes 8.5.
Be sure not to miss this white paper from Mainsoft, hosted by LotusUserGroup.org. View the white paper today!
User group meetings can take on all sorts of different forms. Have you ever wondered, though, what it takes to put on a user group event the size of the UKLUG conference? Well to find out, we talked with Warren Elsmore who runs the upcoming UKLUG conference and who provided some insight into UKLUG, the conference, and what it takes to put it together. You can read the interview on our site.
And don't forget to register for the conference!
The LotusUserGroup.org Moderated topic forums are designed to give you access to the world´s leading experts on Lotus technologies, development, management, design, workflow, and everything else Lotus. Each week a different world-class expert monitors and moderates a forum on a particular discussion topic to answer questions that are posted, provides additional insight, and facilitates an atmosphere for Lotus professionals to share knowledge, experiences, and feedback.
Here are some upcoming Forums:
Mail Policy Settings for Better Client Security and Control
Aug. 11, 2008
Moderator: Susan Bulloch
Customizing IBM Lotus Symphony
Aug. 18, 2008
Moderator: Paul Bastide
Migrating Quickplace(s) to Quickr
Aug. 25, 2008
Moderator: Miki Banatwala
iPhone and Lotus
Sept. 8, 2008
Moderator: Rob Wunderlich
The topics are specific but the conversations can get pretty general and the participants' areas of expertise are broad. So, if you have something to say or ask, jump in and participate!
What is a Virtual User Group meeting? Think about all the things that a live user group meeting contains — a presentation, some time for networking and questions, and perhaps a snack. Well, we can´t vouch for the snack, but we are providing the presentation and the networking. LotusUserGroup.org´s Virtual User Group meetings include a Webcast presentation, followed up by a week long moderated discussion forum/chat online.
Don't miss our next Virtual User Group Meeting and Presentation:
Searching Lotus Notes with Google
August 25, 2008 — 12:00 pm Eastern (GMT -5)
Why is it that you can find the “number of steps in the Statue of Liberty” in under a second, and yet you can waste so much time finding that old presentation stored in a Lotus Notes database somewhere? With Google´s universal search for business, you can find all information within your company — including all Lotus Notes/Domino content — through a single search box. Join us for our next Virtual User Group Meeting and hear an overview of Google´s universal search, view a live demo of the Lotus Notes connector, learn how users gain improved productivity, and more.
The presentation is free for LotusUserGroup.org members, but requires pre-registration. Register today!
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| GURU GUIDANCE |
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LotusScript has a limited featureset. Technically, every programming language does. We know that; we live with it, we work around it. Sometimes we write our own libraries to fill in the blanks, and sometimes we borrow other people´s code.
If you´re programming on a Windows machine (which is likely), there is actually a whole world of additional functionality available to you that you may have never tapped into before. Windows — and all the pieces and parts that make up a Windows machine — has a huge number of ActiveX components that provide all sorts of features and functions that could make your life easier. And you can often call them directly from LotusScript.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I´m not going to try to differentiate between OLE, ActiveX, and COM in this article, because frankly I´m not sure I completely understand the differences between those technologies. They´re all closely related, if not the same thing. For our purposes it doesn´t matter too much, so they are all going to be considered the same thing.
Determining What Components and Classes You Can Use:
The easiest way to determine what ActiveX components and OLE classes you have on your machine is to:
- Create a LotusScript agent
- In the left pane of the agent in Domino Designer, switch to the “Reference” tab
- Change the drop-down option to “OLE Classes”
This will list all the OLE (ActiveX) libraries you have available for your own use. Keep in mind that not all of the things in the list are going to be usable in LotusScript, because some of them might be graphical UI controls or components that rely on other components or whatever, but at least it´s a start.
The libraries in the main list all have one or more classes within them (as you see when you expand a library), and the classes have properties or methods you can set or call.
From here, we need to figure out what´s actually going to be useful. The library names are usually somewhat descriptive, and once you start drilling down into the classes, properties, and methods you can start to understand what a particular component might do. From there, Google is your friend. Find the name of the class you're interested in and do a search for that class name. If you don´t get a good result set, try “VB classname.” I know that sounds like a horrible thing to search for, but the VB and VBScript method for calling and using an ActiveX component is often identical with the LotusScript method for doing the same, and there are usually a large number of examples of using VB[Script] to call these things.
Calling a Component or Class in LotusScript:
Once you´ve found a class that looks interesting, and you know what methods you´d like to call, the way to call the class/component in LotusScript is very easy. You just use the CreateObject() function to create an instance of the class, and call a method using the appropriate parameters.
As an example, my machine has an ActiveX/OLE library called the “Microsoft Speech Object Library,” and within that library there's a class called “SpVoice (SAPI.SpVoice.1)”. In order to call the “Speak()” method within that class, I write code that looks like this:
Run that code, and your computer will talk to you (if you also have that component on your machine).
Notice that I used “SAPI.SpVoice.1” as the object name, which was the class name in parenthesis next to the short class name. If there is a class name in parenthesis, this is almost always the name you want to use. Also, I knew what types of parameters were required in the method call because they were shown in the OLE class list. Of course, figuring out what those parameters are supposed to be usually requires a little research (Google again).
Some ActiveX/OLE Calls that May Be Useful:
Just to get you started, here are a few ActiveX/OLE calls that you may find useful, or that will at least give you some ideas to start researching.
First, here is some code that will get the HTML of a Web page for you:
That uses the same XmlHttp request object that Internet Explorer uses for AJAX requests. And you can use it in LotusScript! Just watch out if you decide to make asynchronous calls, because your code might be out of scope by the time the Web page comes back.
Next, here is some code that will give you the name of your computer:
That´s not too glamorous, and you may have seen DLL calls that do something similar, but the interesting thing is the Wscript.Network class itself, which is part of the larger Windows Script Host library. From this library, you can do things like read, write, and delete registry entries, map network drives, and do all kinds of file and folder operations. Heck, you can even do a SendKeys using that library!
Here´s a last little code snippet to whet your whistle:
Yes, that´s right: regular expressions. This code will find and print all the tags within angle brackets in the searchString above. There´s also a very handy Replace() method you can use in the RegExp class.
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| EDUCATION NEWS |
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Lotus certification is pleased to announce the publication of the fourth ND8 Application Development elective exam: Exam 838: IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 Developing Composite Applications. This can be found here.
Certification path for IBM Certified Advanced Application Development 8 — Lotus Notes and Domino 8
Attain the title “IBM Certified Application Development 8 — Lotus Notes and Domino 8”
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Pass exam 803: Using LotusScript in IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 Applications
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Pass exam 804: Using JavaScript in IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 Applications
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Pass exam 805: Using Web Services in IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 Applications
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Pass exam 838: IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 Developing Composite Applications
To learn more about the exam preparation, which includes the resources currently available to help you prepare for this exam, please follow the links above.
The IBM Education Pack is a prepaid electronic debit account that automatically saves you up to 10 percent every time you train. Use it to pay for public classes, IBM Technical Conferences, onsite training and e-learning. It´s easy to use — no paperwork, no multiple P.O.s, no hassles. Purchase an IBM Education Pack today!
Administering IBM Lotus Quickr 8.1 Services for IBM Lotus Domino (QR700)
Administering IBM Lotus Quickr 8.1 Services for IBM WebSphere Portal (QR800)
Help Desk Basic Troubleshooting for IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8 (N8360)
Developing IBM Lotus Domino 8 Applications: Intermediate Skills (D8530)
Creating IBM Lotus Domino Web Services Using Lotus Script (Online) (D8625)
Developing Composite Applications for IBM Lotus Notes 8 (D8550)
Developing Composite Applications for IBM Lotus Notes 8 (Online) (D8555)
IBM WebSphere Portal Version 6.1 Administration 1 (WP711)
IBM WebSphere Portal Version 6.1 Administration 2 (WP721)
IBM WebSphere Portal Version 6.1 Administration 1 & 2 (WP731)
IBM WebSphere Portal Version 6.1 Application Development 1 (WP611)
IBM WebSphere Portal Version 6.1 Application Development 2 (WP621)
IBM WebSphere Portal Version 6.1 Application Development 1 & 2 (WP631)
Also look for new certifications on WebSphere Portal 6.1 in the Fall.
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| RESOURCES/PUBLICATIONS |
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See below for information on a new developerWorks article on WebSphere Portlet Factory written by a subject matter expert at IBM Software Services for Lotus.
Creating Complex Portlet Personalized Pages Using the IBM WebSphere Portlet Factory Customizer Builder
In this developerWorks article, Ying Du describes the steps for using the WebSphere Portlet Factory Customizer Builder to create an edit mode model in WebSphere Portlet Factory that allows the user to customize the portlet´s behavior. Included with the step-by-step instructions is a sample portlet in the Downloads section of the article.
For a complete list of technical materials authored by members of the Lotus services team, see the Resources and Reference page on the IBM Software Services for Lotus Web site.
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| EVENTS |
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WebSphere Portal and Lotus Messaging Collaboration & Portal Technical Conferences
Lotus Technical Conferences hold the key to unlocking the value of IBM Lotus Software. Lotus technical conferences are designed to give you a forum where you can learn about new technologies, network with peers and hear about new products and services directly from IBM technology experts. Lotus conferences are essential for skills development. Who should attend a Lotus Technical Conference? IT professionals, including business executives, technical staff, developers, content managers and IBM Business Partners who want to explore current and emerging technologies. Register to build your skills at a conference in Australia, China, India, Germany, and in the United States, Tennessee.
Lotus technical conferences are designed to give you a forum where you can learn about new technologies, network with peers and hear about new products and services directly from IBM technology experts. Lotus conferences are essential for skills development. Who should attend a Lotus Technical Conference? IT professionals, including business executives, technical staff, developers, content managers and IBM Business Partners who want to explore current and emerging technologies. Register to build your skills at a conference in Malaysia, Australia, China, India, Germany, and in the United States, Nashville, TN.
Sydney, Australia, 16-19 September 2008
Beijing, China, September 24-26 2008
Berlin, Germany, 06-08 October 2008
Nashville, TN, USA, October 13-16, 2008
Mumbai, India, Sept 8-11 2008
If you´re a Lotus developer, architect, or administrator, you´ll want to attend our powerful one-day seminars where you can grow your skills with in-depth training that focuses on a specific skill set. Seminars are planned to address:
- Portal administration
- Portal development
- Domino development for the new millennium
- Performance management and upgrade strategies for Notes Domino 8
- Social networking
- Web content management
Madrid, Spain, October 2008
Milan, Italy, October 2008
Additional WW dates coming soon!
Reserve your seat and be a part of the premier events that deliver No marketing, No fluff. Get in-depth technical training that you can put to use on the job right away to tackle your toughest Notes and Domino issues and challenges! One registration gets you into your choice of over 70 new and updated expert know-how sessions, one-on-one consultations, hands-on labs, networking opportunities, and more at THE VIEW's annual Lotus Developer2008 and Admin2008 Europe.
Take advantage of a special announcement savings of up to €595 when you register by 12 Sept. for Lotus Developer2008 Europe and Admin2008 Europe.
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| INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER |
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Lotus Education is seeking the expertise of a handful of professionals who have experience with ILO training. Whether you participated as an instructor or a student, we would like to hear your opinion. What did you find most advantageous about this method of learning? What were some of the challenges? If you have never taught ILO, is it something you have considered doing? If you have taught ILO, did you enjoy the experience?
As a member of the Certified Instructor Community for Lotus Software, any thoughts or opinions you have on ILO is beneficial to Lotus Education as we shape our coming practices and policies to best leverage your expertise and experience.
We welcome you to post any comments you may have in the LE Instructor Forum or email us here.
Americas
Kevin Wilmeth
ASEAN
Ernese Norelus
Australia/New Zealand
Kerry Trevethan
Europe
Ralf Beckhaus
Greater China Group
Jin MJ Ma
India
Pradip Sharma
Japan
Yuki Yoshimura
Korea
Tae-Hyung Kim
Regional administration of the Instructor Program allows the diversity of our geography to be taken into account when designing and implementing enablement programs, promotions and teaching requirements.
Most of these are located on the Certified Lotus Instructor Private Site. Only Instructors with an IBM ID can access this site.
IBM Certified Instructor Program for Lotus Software
IBM Certified Lotus Instructor Day 2008
Sneak Preview: Upcoming Courses and Instructor Certifications
Purchase Instructor Guides
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| Masthead & Subscription
Information |
LOTUS EDUCATION
LOTUSUSERGROUP.ORG
Editor: Scott Treggiari
For information from LotusUserGroup.org:
Clippings@LotusUserGroup.org
LotusUserGroup.org supports the worldwide community of Lotus technology professionals. We provide support and tools to encourage:
- Communication and collaboration to facilitate the sharing of e ideas and experiences among Lotus professionals
- Technical expertise in Lotus software
- Growth of community via local and virtual user groups
- Collaboration between community members and the Lotus software organization and other vendors/business partners
Membership in LotusUserGroup.org is free. Click here and register to become a member
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