Streamline client deployments with customised installation packages

AusLUG2012
Streamline client deployments with
customised installation packages

Christian Petters
Systems and Data Services Manager
Meet.Share.Learn Statistics NZ
www.cubetoon.com

29th & 30th March, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

AusLUG2011
AusLUG2012

About me
• Christian Petters
• Systems and Data Services Manager at Statistics New Zealand
• Administration and Development using IBM products for almost a
decade
• Working with Notes/Domino, Sametime, LEI, Connections, …
• Living in New Zealand with two kids and one wife
• Born and raised in East Germany

Meet.Share.Learn 29th & 30th March, Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia

AusLUG2012

The Lotus Notes client installation process
There are two parts to the installation of a Notes client:
1. The Basic client installation using Windows Installer
2. Eclipse component provisioning
Windows Installer Eclipse provisioning

Additional components

Sametime components

Symphony components

Notes Basic client

Notes Standard
components

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The client installation process (cont.)

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InstallShield® customisations


Additional components
• Change the default target directory
Sametime components
• Add a scripting file to the program
directory Symphony components
• Change shortcuts
Notes Basic client

Notes Standard
components

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Eclipse customisations


Additional components • Add the IBM QuickNote Demo plug-
in
Sametime components

Symphony components • Replace Sametime 8.5.1 embedded
with version 8.5.2 IFR1
Notes Basic client
• Remove Symphony from installation
package
Notes Standard
components

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The Windows Installer process
• Windows Installer package (MSI) is a relational database
• Interlinked tables containing installation instructions, configuration settings,
program logic, registry keys, etc.
• Binaries are compressed into cabinet files (CAB)
• Transforms allow for the customisation of installation instructions

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The InstallShield® Tuner for IBM Lotus Notes
• Is used for the creation of transform files (MST)
• Customises the Windows installer set-up (Windows solution only)
• Gives you the control required for an enterprise wide Lotus Notes deployment
• Is FREE as part of the Lotus Notes license

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Locate the InstallShield® Tuner on the Web
• InstallShield® Tuner needs to be downloaded from IBM Passport Advantage
• Just log-in and search for it’s part number (C84T5NA)

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Download the InstallShield® Tuner

• Select tick box next to the
Install Shield Tuner product
• Select I agree
• Click on Download now

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Setup the InstallShield® Tuner
• Execute downloaded file, which will launch the installation wizard for the
InstallShield® Tuner

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Setup the InstallShield® Tuner (cont.)
• Confirm your details and installation options

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• Choose complete installation and click Next

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• Click Install and wait for the installation to complete.

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Preparing the “development environment”
• For the purpose of package customisation create three folders:
- LN853Source
- LN853Transform
- Sametime852IFR1 (will be used later)

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Unpacking the Notes installation package
• Execute the Lotus Notes client setup
• Select the second option (Unpack the files … and don’t remove), specify the path to
your LN853Source folder and click Next

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Unpacking the Notes installation package (cont.)
• This will extract the containing files from the package and launch setup.exe

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Cancel Notes set-up
• Cancel the setup at this point and confirm with Yes
• We do not want to run an installation but apply or customisations instead

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Downloading the Tuner configuration file
• Install Shield® Tuner is using a configuration (ITW) file
• Notes 8.5.3 package is missing that file
• You can get the Download from The Lotus Notes Client Install and
Setup Team Blog (http://tiny.cc/missingITW) or
• IBM Fix Central (http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral)

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Downloading from Fix Central
• Leave default (Browse for fixes) and click Continue

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Downloading from Fix Central (cont.)
• Select the Notes 853 ITWFile interim fix and click Continue to download the
file
• Store file in the LN853Source directory created earlier

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Using the InstallShield® Tuner
• Launch the InstallShield® Tuner from the Windows
start menu

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Using the InstallShield® Tuner (cont.)
• Confirm the path to the Tuner Configuration File (.itw)
• This is the file we downloaded a few moments ago

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Creating transform file
• We do want to create a new transform file

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Creating transform file (cont.)
• Confirm path to Lotus Notes 8.5.3.msi located in the LN853Source directory
• Define name and path to your transformation file in the same directory
• Select Response Transform and click Create

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Running the installation simulation
• You will see the usual Windows Installer dialogue
• This is just a simulation to capture the transform response
• Click through the options based on your preferences

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Running the installation simulation (cont.)
• Accept the License Agreement

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• We want to remove IBM from the Program Files and Data path
• This can only be changed when running the simulation on a ‘clean’ system

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• We do want to include the Composite Application Editor but not Install IBM
Symphony or IBM Connections

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• Finally we want to launch parts of Notes when the operating system starts

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• There is one more attempt to make you believe that this is going to be a real
installation …
• Until you get the success prompt below

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Response transforms option
Response transform simulation Ensure that the initial transform is
also triggers a number of custom created on a ‘clean’ image
IBM actions Ensure that the source and
destination systems do have
They add additional information
similar specifications
to the properties table of the MST
Properties may be platform
and/or user related (red)

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Running the Prevalidation
• Prevalidation ensures that you are aware of any issues that have not been caused
by your customisations

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Running the Prevalidation (cont.)
• Choose Full MSI Validation suite and All Internal Consistency Evaluators (ICEs) and
start validation

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Running the Prevalidation (cont.)
• Be prepared for a long list of Errors (68) and Warnings (156)

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Customisation options
• Take some time to look at the options available
• There are some straight forward customisations like the Company name etc.

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Amending the installation path
• The installation directory needs to be customised in the Setup Properties as well
• Open Setup Properties section
• Click on the header of the value column to order by value
• Look for the lines with the installation path

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Amending the installation path (cont.)
• Customise settings according to you intended target directory
• Double click on the cell to edit values
• At this point in time the DATADIR and REDIR_DATADIR are still located within the Notes
Program directory even for multi user installations

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Building a multi-user package
• If you want your package to always deploy as a multiuser set-up you can pre-define the
package for that
• While in the Setup Properties, find the ApplicationUsers property

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Building a multi-user package (cont.)
• Double click the value and change it from OnlyCurrentUser to AllUsers
• This will permanently change your customisation to do a multi user installation

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Removing shortcuts
• Just click on a shortcut and hit delete to remove it

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Changing of shortcut targets
• Customise the target of a shortcut to enhance user experience
• In this example noteslaunch.vbs is launched instead of notes.exe

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Start
The Noteslaunch script
• Prepopulates the user’s notes.ini and notes.cfg files for
new users Is
New
no
• Downloads the user’s ID file from a central server User?
location
yes
• Launches Notes.exe once all files and settings are in
place Create
Notes.ini and
• This allows for a zero touch Notes set-up Notes.cfg

Retrieve ID file
from Network

Launch
Notes.exe

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Configuration set by Noteslaunch.vbs
Notes.ini
[Notes]
Directory=C:UserscpettersAppDataLocalLotusNotesData
KeyFileName=C:UserscpettersAppDataLocalLotusNotesDataCPetters.id
MailFile=mailCPetters.nsf
MailServer=CN=ServerName/O=Organisation
ConfigFile=C:UserscpettersAppDataLocalLotusNotesDatanotes.cfg
SharedDataDirectory=C:ProgramDataLotusNotesDataShared
DisabledPorts=SPX,COM1,COM2,COM3,COM4,COM5,LAN0
TCPIP=TCP,0,15,0 Notes.cfg
LAN0=NETBIOS,0,15,0 UserName=Christian Petters/OU/Organisation
SPX=NWSPX,0,15,0 AdditionalServices=-1
COM1=XPC,1,15,0 IM.Server=STServer/Organisation *
COM2=XPC,2,15,0 IM.Port=1533 *
COM3=XPC,3,15,0 IM.ConnectWhen=0 *
COM4=XPC,4,15,0 IM.Protocol=0 *
COM5=XPC,5,15,0
PORTS=TCPIP * Sametime settings are only required for
Location=Online Sametime basic set-up
th th
29 & 30 March, Melbourne, Victoria,
Meet.Share.Learn
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Adding additional files to the package
• Files and Folders section allows you to add files like noteslaunch.vbs or a customised
bookmark.ntf or pernames.ntf

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Adding additional files to the package (cont.)
• Just drag and drop the required files from the source to the destination view
• Destination Notes directory is ProgramFilesFolderIBMLotusNotes … even though we
customised that earlier
• The final mapping to the target directory is performed at installation time

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Adding additional files to the package (cont.)
• Note the component name of CST_COMPONENT
• CST_COMPONENT is being used for each custom component added to the package
• Components are numbered e.g. CST_COMPONENT1, CST_COMPONENT2, …

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Changing the component target
• Ensures that dynamic folder mapping is working
• CST_COMPONENT is currently mapped to NOTES
• This equals to ProgramFilesFolderIBMLotusNotes

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Changing the component target directory
• Change property to the Notes program directory (PROGDIR)
• PROGDIR will be mapped at installation time depending on target path

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Running a Postvalidation
• We have applied all the changes we wanted
• It is time to run a quick post validation

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Running a Postvalidation (cont.)
• After the post validation is finished. Ensure that no additional errors have been introduced
by our customisation
• Note that some new notifications can be ignored as they are caused by IBMs installation
logic

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Creating a transformed package
• This step copies all necessary files to specified location
• Set ‘Network location’ to the LN853Transform folder created earlier today

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Creating a transformed package (cont.)
• Click the Package button to create the package

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• This will copy all required files and folders from the Source to the Target directory
• Additional files (like the Noteslaunch.vbs) are added as an additional CAB archive

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• Once completed you should see the following result

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Eclipse customisations

Additional components • Add the IBM QuickNote Demo plug-
in
Sametime components
• Replace Sametime 8.5.1 embedded
Symphony components
with version 8.5.2 IFR1
• Remove Symphony from installation
Notes Basic client
package
Notes Standard
components

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Customising Eclipse features
• Eclipse provisioning is initiated from Windows Installer
• Customisation is done outside of Install Shield® Tuner
• Installation manifest (Install.xml) contains instructions for the provisioning of features
and is located in deploy directory of the Notes package
• UpdateSite.zip referenced by Install.xml can be found in the package root

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Customising Eclipse features (cont.)
• The Installation Manifest on the example of the Roaming Service

…

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Including Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1
• A number of options are available to upgrade to Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1 during Lotus Notes
8.5.3 deployment
1. Chaining the Notes 8.5.3 and Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1 together
- more details on http://tiny.cc/ChainInstall
2. Customise installation manifest (install.xml) to include ST ST 8.5.2 IFR1
- Consolidate Notes and Sametime upgrade sites or
- Provision Sametime from additional update site
- We will discuss this option today

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Extracting Update Site Manager
• Update Site Manager is provided as part of the Notes 8.5.3 package
• UpdateSiteMgr.exe can be found in the NotesCustomizationKit_1_0.zip, which is located
in the Utility directory
• Open the zip file and extract the UpdateSiteMgr.exe to the LN853Transform directory

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Getting a list of components
• Open a command prompt
• Run UpdatesiteMgr.exe -L to get a list of components

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Removing Sametime 8.5.1 from package
• Use UpdatesiteMgr -r Sametime to remove Sametime 8.5.1 component
• Install.xml and UpdateSite.zip will be backed up as Install.xml.bak and
UpdateSite.zip.bak

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Removing Sametime 8.5.1 (cont.)
• The 8.5.3 Update Site Manager has a bug that leaves a few
Sametime features still listed in the install.xml
• Open install.xml in a text editor to remove the remaining features
• Save and close file

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Downloading Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1 add-on
• Download Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1 from Passport Advantage (CI3YGML)
• Find sametime.embedded.addon.win32_20111107-1901.zip in
sametime.embeddedwindows directory
• Extract content to Sametime852IFR1 folder

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Preparing Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1
• The Update Site Manager only supports installation packages that
have an updateSite.zip and an install.xml file
• The Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1 package comes with an
install.addon.xml and
sametime.embedded.addon.win32.20111107-1901.zip file

In Sametime852IFR1 folder rename
to

In Sametime852IFR1Deploy folder rename
to

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Preparing Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1 (cont.)
• There should now be 2 directories:

• LN853Transform directory
- includes UpdateSiteMgr.exe
- Sametime 8.5.1 references have been removed from updateSite.zip and
install.xml

• Sametime852IFR1 directory
- renamed update site to updateSite.zip
- renamed installation manifest to install.xml

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Adding Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1 to update site
• Run UpdateSiteMgr.exe to merge the features into one manifest and update site
- UpdateSiteMgr <Source> <Destination>
- Source being the path to the Sametime folder
- Destination the path to the Notes folder
• No news is good news – merging doesn’t report success

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Confirming results
• The Lotus Notes installation manifest is now extended to include Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1
components
• Individual components have been copied to updateSite.zip in the installer root

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Adding the IBM QuickNote Demo plug-in
• Using IBM’s QuickNote toolbar extensions demo
• We will manually add the component to the installation manifest
(install.xml)
• Update site will be provided as a separate file (AusLUG.zip)
• This is demonstrating an alternative way to add components to the
installation manifest

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A few words about trust
• All features and plug-ins need to be signed by a trusted certificate

updateSite.zip RCP directory

X

• Custom components have to be signed
• Signing certificate has to be added to the installation trust store
• Java trust store is located in the Deploy folder of the installation
package
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Creating a signer certificate
• Signer certificate and key store can be created using
keytool.exe, which is part of the Notes JVM
• I prefer to work in UIs, hence use Portecle
(http://portecle.sourceforge.net)
• Launch Portecle application form above website or
download the Java app

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Creating a new keystore
• CTRL+N or File, New Keystore creates a new key store
• For the purpose of signing our jar files we want to use JCEKS format
(Sun’s Java Cryptography Extension Key Store)

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Generating a key pair
• Create a new key pair using Tools, Generate Key Pair
• Self signed certificates are good enough for your own deployments

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Generating a key pair (cont.)
• Confirm default Algorithm and Key Size

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Defining certificate details
• Populate at least the common name
• Ensure validity matches your requirements or use time stamped certificates

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Defining key label and password
• Provide meaningful label for your certificate

• Enter a new Password for the key

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Success
• Our key pair has been created successfully
• Next steps are to
- Save the key store to disk for signing
- Export the key for import into package trust store

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Saving key store to disk
• Select File, Save Keystore As …

• Define a password to protect the key store

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Saving key store to disk (cont.)
• Define path and file name for the key store file and save
• This key store with the containing codesigner certificate will later be used to sign the
JAR files in our AusLUG update site

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Exporting the public key
• To import the certificate to the installation trust store
• Right click on our certificate and choose Export

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Exporting the public key (cont.)
• Confirm Export Type and Export format
• Save certificate on disk

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Opening the installation trust store
• Open the installation trust store and import the codesigner certificate
• Select File, Open Keystore File … and select .keystore.JCEKS.IBM_J9_VM.install from
your LN853Transform directory

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Opening the installation trust store
• Enter the keystore password, which is ‘changeit’

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Importing the codesigner certificate
• Select Tools, Import Trusted Certificate and choose the codesigner.cer file created
before

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Importing the codesigner certificate (cont.)
• Since we are working with a self signed certificate we receive an invalid trusted root
warning

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Importing the codesigner certificate (cont.)
• Confirm certificate details with OK and accept the certificate as trusted
• Enter an alias for the new certificate and click OK

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Success
• Your codesigner certificate has now been added to the installation trust store

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Save and close installation trust store
• Select File, Save Keystore to save the changes to disk and close Portecle application

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Sign plug-ins and features using jarsigner.exe
• Jarsigner.exe is part of the Java Development Kit (JDK), which can
be downloaded from www.oracle.com (Downloads)
• Below instructions assume that the Update Site has already been
exported from Eclipse
• Sign jar file using:
jarsigner -keystore StorePath -storetype jceks JarPath Alias
• Use -verbose option to output progress
• Use -signedjar option to create a copy of the signed jar
• Repeat step for all plugins and features in the update site

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Create AusLUG update site
• Select all items of the update site and combine it to a ZIP file named AusLUG.zip
• Copy AusLUG.zip to LN853Transform directory

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Add feature to the installation manifest
• Edit the LN853TransformDeployinstall.xml installation manifest
• Add the following lines to the end of the install.xml, after the last </installfeature> and
before </install>

• Save and close install.xml

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Customise advanced RCP settings
• Customise Java heap size settings to improve client performance
• Find jvm.properties file in Deploy directory of the installation package

• Xmx defines the maximum size of the JVM heap
• Xms sets the initial size of the JVM heap
• Increase Xmx to 1024m, but no more then 50% of total RAM
• Increase Xms to 256m, but not larger then Xmx
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Define plug-in preferences
• Edit plugin_customization.ini in Deploy folder to set Eclipse preferences to
ensure they are effective immediately at first startup

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Define plug-in preferences (cont.)
• To hide the Getting Started screen add
com.ibm.rcp.jfaceex/overrideAutoStart=com.ibm.rcp.gettingstarted.
GettingstartPerspective

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Define plug-in preferences (cont.)
• Set default dictionary to en-GB:
com.ibm.collaboration.realtime.spellchecker/ dictionaryLanguage=en-
GB

• To hide the Sametime Meeting shelf add
com.ibm.rtc.meetings.shelf/hideUI=true

• To disable Sametime location prompt add
com.ibm.collaboration.realtime.location/showProfWindow=true


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Install package using msiexec
• We are using a batch command and Microsoft’s Windows Installer to install our package
• Installation options are displayed when you run msiexec without any options

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The msiexec syntax
• In our case we are using
msiexec /i “Lotus Notes 8.5.3.msi” TRANSFORMS=“Lotus Notes 8.5.3.mst” /qb-

• This will:
- Install an application package with the name of Lotus Notes 8.5.3.msi (/i)
- Apply our transformation file during installation (TRANSFORMS=)
- Display a basic user interface during installation with no modal dialogue (/qb-)

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Create install.bat
• Open you Windows Explorer and browse to your transform directory (LN853Transform)
• Right click at the folder and create a new Text Document

• Rename it to install.bat

• Edit the document

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Working with relative paths
• The %~dp0 macro allows use to determine the path of install.bat
• Important for deployment using SmartUpgrade

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Performance considerations
• You can never change a first impression
• The installation is the first thing users are going to see from the new
version of Lotus Notes
• The faster you get the package installed on the user’s machine the more
likely (s)he is going to recommend the update to others or to accept the
changes

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Performance considerations
• Remove backup files from package
- install.xml.bak in Deploy directory
- updateSite.zip.bak in installation root
• Remove language dependent mst and ini files
- 0xnnnn.ini files
- nnnn.mst files
• Shrink size of the update site
- run UpdateSiteMgr.exe –r Symphony if you don’t install it
- run UpdateSiteMgr.exe –r Activities if you don’t install it

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Testing your package
• Building a deployment package is a development job
• You need to test, test and test once more to ensure that your
customisations apply in a way you intended them to apply
• Individual components can be tested independent from each other
• Run a full test on a number of different machines
• Run a pilot with a subset of users

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Deployment options
• There are various ways to deploy packages
• Every organisation has their own preference and tools (e.g. Symantec
Altiris, Novell ZCM, Microsoft SMS, Log-in scripts, etc.)
• If you haven’t got any deployment solution in place already or even if you
do I recommend to start looking at the SmartUpgrade functionality
• Unfortunately there are only seconds left for this session, otherwise I
could tell you a bit or two about SmartUpgrade (starting with version 8 it
is working pretty well)

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Reference links:
• Windows Installer reference
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/windows/desktop/aa372860%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
• Puttin’ on the Bits Blog, The Lotus Notes Client Install and Setup team blog
http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/installblog.nsf
• The New Domino Admin (Marc Champoux), My first source of information when I started
to customise Notes installation packages
http://www.thenewdominoadmin.com/blog/?tag=install-shield-tuner
• Andy Donaldson’s installation instruction, which apparently inspired Marc (TNDA) in first
instance
http://blog.macian.net
• Customizing the Notes install kit documentation
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/domhelp/v8r0/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.h
elp.domino.admin85.doc%2FH_CUSTOMIZING_NOTES_8_INSTALL_FOR_ISV_OR_THIRD_
PARTY_ECLIPSE_FEATURES_9460_OVER.html
Meet.Share.Learn th th
29 & 30 March, Melbourne, Victoria,
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Questions ?

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Thank you for listening!

Contact me at
Email: info@cubetoon.com
Web: www.cubetoon.com
Twitter: cubetoon
Linkedin: nz.linkedin.com/in/cubetoon

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For copy and paste:

SET THISPATH=%~dp0
msiexec /i "%THISPATH%Lotus Notes 8.5.3.msi" TRANSFORMS="%THISPATH%Lotus Notes
8.5.3.mst" /qb-

jarsigner -keystore C:ChristianAusLUGjceksstoreAusLUG.jceks -storetype jceks -verbose
C:ChristianAusLUGWorkspaceAusLUG_UpdateSitefeaturescom.cubetoon.AusLUG_Quick
Note_Demo_1.0.0.0.jar codesigner

<installfeature default=“true" description="AusLUG Demo Feature" id="Quicknote"
name="Quicknote" required=“true" show="true" version="1.0.0.0">
<requirements>
<feature download-size="28" id="com.cubetoon.AusLUG_QuickNote_Demo"
match="perfect" shared="true" size="28" url="jar:${installer.root}/AusLUG.zip!/"
version="1.0.0.0"/>
</requirements>
</installfeature>
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Streamline client deployments with customised installation packages

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