The document discusses the challenges of managing IBM Lotus Notes clients, emphasizing the importance of transparency, standardized policies, and efficient configurations to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO). It introduces 'MarvelClient', a solution designed to enhance client management by offering features for inventory analysis, mass changes, and controlled environments, which collectively streamline operations and improve user experience. Additionally, it highlights the benefits of reducing helpdesk calls, optimizing server connections, and facilitating seamless upgrades, thereby addressing common pain points in Notes client management.

1. ... or how to start reducing the TCO of your IBM Lotus Notes clients
© 2007 - 2012 panagenda

2. panagenda solutions make IT efficient while lowering TCO
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MarvelClient and IBM Lotus Notes Client Management 2

3. MarvelClient and IBM Lotus Notes Client Management 3

4. PAN-MarvelClient-PF-100222.pptx 4

5. The Client Management Challenge
IBM Lotus Notes client management doesn‟t start now, it started years ago
• Clients have been upgraded 3 times since then
• Install directory and client type changes
• Shared workstations vs single client installs
• Outdated or wrong templates, id‟s etc
Meanwhile, new apps got rolled out and decommissioned
• Icons and bookmarks were added – but probably never REmoved
• Local replicas got created, abandoned, re-created – but probably never Removed
• Mapped drives, outside the data directory, inside the data directory
Meanwhile, servers and users changed
• Consolidations and name changes leave orphaned client pointers
• Name changes and moves leave wrong location and connection docs
• The impact of a wrong catalog.nsf or homer server are tremendous
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6. The Impact of Notes 8.x
17„000 files in Notes Program directory in 1„800 subdirectories
• 7„500 (largely undocumented) .properties files
• 1„500 jar files
• 1„200 HTML files
3„000 files in Notes Dataworkspace directory in 2„400 subdirectories, out of
which 1„850 are empty
• 900 (largely undocumented) XML files
• 100+ (largely undocumented) properties files
In total, that is
• 20„000 files in 4„600 subdirectories
• 8„500+ largely undocumented files
• Many (many many) subdirectories are plain empty, especially in Dataworkspace
• ... and around 100 NSFs/NTF„s
• ... and the good old notes.ini file
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7. Add to that over 80 Preference Dialogs
Each menu has 15 setting on average for a total of
12„000 settings!
• In your local address book
• In your notes.ini
• In your XML files7„500
Which does not include any plugins,
widgets, addons, that you or your
users may have added to the Notes
client install.
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8. The Policy Challenge
Policies depend on an already functioning/setup client
• In my experience less than 75% of users actually receive policies
They don‟t provide you with an inventory before making changes
• Client Management “in the dark”
They don‟t truly adapt to your users‟ unique situation
• LAN vs VPN, Citrix user, function outside the data directory
They aren‟t predictable
• Can happen anytime.... or not...
Most settings cannot be UNset once set
• Think about it...
They typically cannot repeat actions
• So if the user breaks something it‟s broken until they call for help
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9. PAN-MarvelClient-PF-100222.pptx 9

10. Transparency = Foundation of a Healthy Notes Environment
What is out there
• Client types, HW details, release version, available disk space, where links are pointing to, list of
databases, all existing replicas, memory present, configuration details, etc...
The difference between what was expected and what actually is
• Never requires guesswork, always shows up-to-date client inventory at all
Opportunities for improvements
• Reduce managed storage by deleting 40% of outdated local databases and templates
• Upgrade ODS for a client performance boost
How (non)healthy the client infrastructure is
• what needs to be fixed orstandardized
Icons, bookmarks etc that users have
• Typically shows that Notes is used much more than previously assumed (often prevents
migration to Microsoft),
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11. Sample views for enhanced transparency (1/4)
see panagenda MarvelClient Analyze database for further views and details
Client types
Install types
(note: Basic vs.
Std. Warning category)
„Our corporate standard install is 8.5.1
FP2. We had no idea about all the
different versions out there“ -
MarvelClient customer
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12. Sample views for transparency (2/4)
Network latency
Client startup times
 performance monitoring
(includes deep diving
possibilities)
Deployment consistency
(inconsistency and non-genericness of typical
SW deployment projects is a huge challenge for upgrades)
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13. Sample views for enhanced transparency (3/4)
Do users have databases outside of
Notes data directory?
(and if so, which)
 Archiving, compliance,
security, control
Who has which desktop icons and what servers do they
point to?  consolidation and configuration monitoring
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14. Sample views for enhanced transparency (4/4)
• More view examples:
Which databases inherit the design from which template
Which databases claim to be which templates
Size spreading of databases
Detailed and total size of all databases per user
Notes.ini settings
Notes.ini preferences „deciphered“
ECL Analysis
ID file monitoring (activation, expiry, key issuer, ...)
All Locations and Connections - even those pointing
to an IP rather than a hostname
CPU, memory, disk space, hardware present and used,
SW, potentially also processes ODS monitoring example 
Notes 7 and 8 clients with bookmark.nsf ODS 41 ...
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15. PAN-MarvelClient-PF-100222.pptx 15

16. Fixing and Standardizing existing deployments
• Without transparency, it‘s virtually impossible to fix and standardize
You can„t predict the outcome of any sweeping changes/fixes
You don„t know what„s out there
You don„t know how well your deployed changes are working
You don„t know „what„s left“ to do
You don„t know how well you„re doing (can„t prove reasons/success to upper management)
• Fixing and Standardizing can mean many different things
One time changes such as adding a variable to the notes.ini
Enforced configurations such as local replicas for mail, or unchangable location documents
Roaming: standard configuration across multiple devices, done intelligently
Comprehensive, flexible, consistent, predictable control over many different things, such as:
 Icons, bookmarks, replicas, replicator
pages, locations, connections, toolbars, notes.ini, „Eclipse“/plugins/widgets, etc.
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17. Standardizing
Yes, we know “comprehensive, flexible, consistent, predictable“ is a lot in one
sentence!
However, all four are required for proper
client management:
• Comprehensive - to accomodate users installs and
situations of all types
• Flexible – to accomodate different types of users,
traveling on VPN, using Citrix etc
• Consistent – fixing a problem once is great but
preventing the issue entirely is even better
• Predictable – to ensure intended changes are
taking place while knowing when that will happen
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18. Fixing
• In most cases, fixing is just another word for:
Lack of transparency and standardization
Desperate symptom fighting
 „We don„t know what„s wrong, let„s re-image Notes“
Second most expensive form of client management = help on demand
 1000 similar problems remain 1000 support calls
persistent standardization significantly reduces number of individual
fixes/ number of help desk incidents
 Most expensive = do nothing
In short, fixing is not a way to manage or control IBM Lotus Notes clients but merely a one
time change applied to users
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19. Consolidations, Upgrades, Recertifications, Mergers etc
• Server consolidations: fewer servers = less cost
• Upgrading hard- and software and ODS on servers = gaining efficiency
• Leveraging new features by upgrading
• Recertifying domains, mergers and server expansions
• Load balancing and clustering servers = gaining efficiency and reliability
• During such projects, companies often face huge challenges on the client side
How do you repoint user links to new servers while being able to turn off old server immediately?
How do you re-point replicator page entries or history to new servers?
How do you prevent cutoff date problems with existing local replicas?
How do upgrade inconsistent environments in which I can„t predict what a change may cause?
How do you upgrade all local databases without impacting my bandwidth SAN/NAS?
How many help desk calls can be expected during such projects? How do you prevent them?
How do you ensure best possible client performance and implement maintenance?
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20. The Notes Client Management Problem
Work / Work /
Effort Audit Configure Benefit Effort Audit Configure Benefit
Time Time
Classic Helpdesk client management only panagenda MarvelClient transparently
offers one-by-one management resolves client issues and prevents them
1,000 helpdesk calls remain 1,000 management All actions can be permanently enforced
incidents
Benefits increase over time and can reduce
Repeated efforts lead to limited, over time
decreasing benefits helpdesk calls by over 80%
Provides Admin flexibility to
move/upgrade/rename servers/domain as they
=> Only reduces time
see fit
spent on each helpdesk call
=> Reduces number of helpdesk calls AND time
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21. PAN-MarvelClient-PF-100222.pptx 21

22. Architecture Overview
Single .dll or .so or .dylib
 deployed via built-in mail function,
mail post-open script, Altiris,
SMS, ZENWorks etc
Two Notes.ini entries
 EXTMGR_ADDINS=mc.dll
 MC_DB=%notes_homeserver%!!
panagenda/config.nsf
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23. MarvelClients’ 7 Modules Deesigned to Reduce Lotus Notes TCO
Module Function Benefit
Inventory of current issues, impact
Analyze Gaining Insight into your Notes client infrastructure
assessment for new projects
Migrate Mass Changes for consolidations, cleanup, mergers Automatically redirects all client pointers
Manage Client configuration and Eclipse management Up to 80% fewer helpdesk calls
Intelligent server connectivity for travelling users, Increased end user satisfaction with
Realtime Citrix users and consolidated environments „Notes just works“
80-90% smaller client profiles
Roaming Full client roaming with 90% less data requirement
80-90% less network & server load
„Throttled“ package deployment and automated Touchless and intelligent upgrades while
Upgrade client upgrade, including of components also standardizing client installs
Zip/Unzip 25% smaller mail files
Automatic attachment compression and file blocking
File Blocking 40% less network load
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24. Module 1: ANALYZE – Finally, Transparency over the Notes Client
See Notes client machine configuration, spot problems, predict the
impact of planned projects and identify client performance issues.
For the first time, organizations can see how and where
Notes client are installed, who doesn‟t have the latest hotfix,
or who is not standardized, all without a single desktop visit.
MarvelClient Analyze collects over 200 configuration points
from all Notes clients, occasionally used non-work PC‟s,
Citrix users, floating laptops etc.
The result is a powerful knowledge in a single database,
essential to resolving support issues, performance problems
and potential security risks.
Know who has which icons, bookmarks or replicator entries
pointing to servers that were turned off years ago. Spot long
startup times or users with outdated location. Identify who
has un-encrypted and outdated databases on a public
network share, outside the Notes data directory.
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25. Module 2: MIGRATE – Mass Changes Made Easy
Typical MIGRATE Project Most Common Request for MIGRATE
•Recertifying, renaming, moving or consolidating
Consolidating Servers servers and/or single databases have a massive effect
on Notes clients. With no native tools available to
cope, companies end up with many support
calls, unhappy end users and an unnecessarily high
Cleanup of existing,
outdated client info TCO of IBM Lotus Notes.
Example of a SMALL environment: 1„000
Mailfiles, 500 application replicas
Re-certifying users or servers 1,500 moves to 1,000 users =
1,500,000 change instructions (including delegates)
Large Example: 100,000 Mailfiles, 50.000 replicas
Domain mergers 150,000 * 100,000 =
15,000,000,000 (billion!) change instructions
MarvelClient Migrate can transparently process
10„000 instructions per second while preventing
support calls!
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26. Module 3: MANAGE – Total Control to Fix AND lock down Notes
Define “the perfect Notes client” for any user group, hardware type, Notes
version, geography, department etc and then automatically setup and enforce that configuration
without costly and error prone manual setup
 Makes touchless new client setups fast, automated and easy
 Automatically configure Eclipse plug-ins, widgets, location and connection
documents, notes.ini settings, local replicas, bookmarks, preferences, profile
docs, signatures, dictionaries, full text indexes, ECLs, toolbars and more
Since all MarvelClient actions can be set to execute once, a __ number of times or
persistently, not only are Notes clients deployed perfectly, they remain perfectly configured
, 365 days a year
 Over 80% support call reduction is easily achieves as help desk calls are prevented entirely
Our cleanup feature identifies local duplicate replicas, outdated unencrypted data, rogue local
archives and other security threats
 Take control of your environment by removing or moving data or just disabling security
threats
Manage ID files in a reliable and secure way with our “ID Vault” like storage facility
 ID files, certificates etc are transparently uploaded, downloaded and unlocked as needed
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27. Back-up
Module 4: REALTIME – Dynamically Redirect & Restrict Based on Conditions
MarvelClient Realtime ensures that mobile users always connect to the best available servers. Perfect
for Citrix, Realtime also restricts and prevents local database creation and/or deletion.
Functions Optimal Server Connectivity
• Optimal server connectivity by automatic
Locations of company servers
and dynamic redirection of all client Locations of a mobile Notes user during travels
pointers to appropriate servers
• Differentiates between LAN, WAN, VPN;
works on the fly without Notes client
restart
• Redirects icons, bookmarks, location and
connection documents, replicator entries
based on geography, connectivity or any With REALTIME,
mobile users are automatically
other condition. connected/redirected to the right servers
to optimize connection speed.
• Dynamic restriction of database creation Without REALTIME,
or deletion Notes automatically connects the the
user to his home server, no matter
• Reliable prevention of harmfull actions how disadvantages this may be for
the connection speed.
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28. Back-up
Module 5: ROAMING – Bandwidth Friendly Notes Backup, Restore, Roaming
MarvelClient Roaming grants true admin flexibility while
efficiently moving data end users depend on.
Just 2 MB network storage needed or up to 4 MB
including Eclipse settings
One-step upgrades by roaming data from (for
example) Notes 6 single-user into Notes 8.5.2
multi-user clients
Fast and comprehensive client backup during
Notes shutdown
Issue new machines with the appropriate client
data
Save up to 95% network traffic and disk storage
while roaming from Notes to Citrix, Notes to
Notes or just within Citrix
Makes Notes clients with data directory on
network drives efficient and manageable
Network independent while the Notes client is
running
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29. Back-up
Module 6: UPGRADE – Reliably Upgrade, Patch or Standardize
Our configurable SmartFile Downloader ensures
upgrade packages are deployed in a network
friendly “throttled” way, over time
Transparently deploy Notes client
versions, embedded Sametime versions, eclipse
components, new features such as
Connections, hot fixes, language
packs, templates etc
When software packages are locally available, end
users are asked to upgrade and offered to
delay, similar to the IBM SmartUpgrade interface
Unlike traditional Windows login
scripts, SMS, ZENWorks, Altiris etc, MarvelClient
Upgrade is Notes aware and can move, change
and standardize Notes client installs as part of any
upgrade
Works hand in hand with our Roaming module to
fix and standardize Notes install locations and
types
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30. Module 7: ZIP/UNZIP – Save 40% Disk Space on Top of DAOS
MarvelClient Zip/Unzip reduces storage and network costs without end user effort.
•Automatic compression when
attaching files leads to:
Average compression = 30 - 40%
Reduces Mailfile-sizes by 20 -
30%
Reduces DAOS footprint by
30 - 40%
•Automatic decompression when
detaching, viewing and editing files
•means there is no end user training
or effort required.
•Drag & Drop support and standard
Zip-compatible
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31. Module 7: ATTACHMENT BLOCKING – Intelligent and Efficient File Handling
MarvelClient Attachment Blocking ensures that files are blocked BEFORE entering the network, thus
saving both network traffic and storage cost.
Internal Internal & External
•More than 100 digital „fingerprints“ Senders Network Recipients
allow for tamperproof file blocking
Fingerprints include files of type
cad, avi, mp3, mpeg, exe, dll, id, nsf,
...
Users cannot bypass blocking Blocked attachments never
even reach the network or
by simply renaming an .exe file to servers
.txt
•Block files directly on clients before Attachment
Blocking
they„re sent to the server to be
rejected by the firewall Rules for blocking can be fully customized by
• Sender
• file content pattern
• file name pattern
•Saves 100% disk-space and network • file size
• ...
traffic for each attachment blocked • or any combination of these criteria
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32. PAN-MarvelClient-PF-100222.pptx 32

33. MarvelClient Benefits
MarvelClient saves up to 90% of time for common administration tasks, reduces storage and network
costs by 20-50% year after year, reduces project cycles for upgrades, consolidations - and much more
Administration Project Duration Cost of Data Storage End User
Effort and Effort & Transfer Experience
Examples: • Automatic attachment • „Self Healing“ clients
• Setting up new • Migrations compression • Willingness to invest in
employees
• Upgrades • Intelligent restrictions Notes further
• Change of department for sending • Less down time and
• Deleting databases • Consolidations attachments frustration
• Recovering databases • Efficient Notes client
• Re-certifications • Up to 70% faster
• Distribution of new data roaming with only 2-4
bases • Mergers MB Notes startup times
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34. MarvelClient in Summary
MarvelClient significantly reduces operational cost, storage cost and network cost for IBM Lotus Notes
environments while granting companies the flexibility to upgrade, migrate or change as needed
without negatively impacting end users.
This not only reduces Notes TCO but also enables companies to effortlessly invest in new Notes
features and versions.
100% successful initial setups and ongoing
Fastest client configurations
change up to 10,500 links per second
95% less network load compared to Notes
What other products do in minutes, we do in Data on network drives
seconds
70% faster Notes client startup times
Most used & proven
80% less help desk calls
Based on longest client management
experience in the market 70% shorter projects for
migration, consolidation and
4 million licensed and used modules recertification on clients
Large consolidation and migration projects
50% less mail network traffic
• 120,000 users; 200,000 replicas from 200 
40 Domino servers
25% less disk space for mailfiles
• 140,000 users; 250,000 replicas from 1,300 (40% smaller DAOS footprint)
 90 Domino servers
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35. Questions?
Francie Tanner
Technical Director, Americas
panagenda Inc – Client Management, Server Monitoring & more
60 State Street, Suite 700 Boston, MA 02109 (USA)
Skype: francietanner Cell: +1 264 584 1060
Fax: +1 415 449 5940 E-Mail: francie.tanner@panagenda.com
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