Replication: Your Domino Intranet on Steroids
John Roling
6/21/2006
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People typically think of their intranet as an internal Web
site that they can only access through a Web browser. They believe it's only available while connected to their company's network and that it may have static information, discussions, documents and even some applications. But one constant generally remains: You have to be connected to the network to access the information.
Lotus Notes and Domino, however, shatters that perception.
Notes and Domino have a feature called replication. Replication is simply the ability to take Notes and Domino databases and make local copies on an end-user's workstation. This means that much of the information on a Domino-based intranet can be made securely portable on a per-user and per-application basis.
Replication considerations
But there are two things to keep in mind. The end-user needs to have a Lotus Notes client, and the application they want to replicate needs to be designed with both the intranet and the Notes client in mind.
This is where some people tend to dismiss Notes and Domino as an intranet platform. They think of it as a fat client with proprietary databases. But, if designed with a little thought, a Domino application can work equally well within a Web browser and a set of intranet pages as it can in the Notes client.
Ultimately, that means that someone who has never seen Notes and uses a Web browser exclusively can access everything on your typical intranet. Those end-users with Notes clients just get an additional benefit with the ability to replicate and work offline.
The fact that Notes has a client application shouldn't be considered a detriment for intranet usage. If anything, it's one of the most striking benefits of a Notes and Domino intranet platform.
Applications that work well
If you buy off-the-shelf software applications for Notes and Domino, much of it is designed to work in both a Web browser and the Notes client. It allows you to roll it out in the typical intranet context, but still make it available to those that use Notes. Even many of the applications that ship with Domino are already built for this type of use.
Some examples include the Document Library and Discussion databases that were discussed in an earlier article. Those two applications in particular were designed to work pretty much the same whether you're using a Web browser or the Notes client.
Take the Document Library application. Say you are using it to store all of your human resources documents. Making a local replica allows you to have those documents with you at all times. You could be on a plane, at a hotel or at home. With a replica, all you have to do is open Notes and open the database. All of your information is there just like it would be on the intranet pages themselves.
The Doc Library is an example of when you have static information. But what about something dynamic like the Discussion database? Replicas of that application work equally well. You can still read and respond to the discussion threads on your local replica and when you connect back to your company's network you can replicate your changes back to the server.
Obviously, not everything can work well as an offline replica, but for the ones that do, it becomes very convenient, and almost indispensable for end users.
The thing about offline data is that most intranet technologies from other vendors do not do it well out-of-the-box. Domino has replication built right into the core product, and has since the product's inception. It's a value-add that many people don't even think of when considering Domino for their intranet platform.
So, when choosing off-the-shelf applications for your Domino intranet, check to see if they work equally well in Notes and a Web browser. Any applications written for both immediately increase their usefulness by allowing offline, all-the-time access. Also, if you are a developer in your environment, keep this ability in mind when creating your applications. With minimal extra work, you can make your apps functional in an offline mode as well. All the heavy lifting is done by Notes and Domino.
Security considerations
When you talk about technologies that allow you to take information with you on your laptop, security is a concern. You wouldn't want an application that housed all of your sales reporting data to be easily read if your laptop was stolen.
Notes and Domino combat this by allowing you to encrypt local replicas of databases with simple, medium or strong encryption. It encrypts the database using your Notes ID file, so only you can open it. Now, the encryption is only as strong as your Notes ID password, so you need to make sure you have a password that is not easily cracked.
Domino administrators and developers can also set limitations on what can and cannot replicate to a local machine. For example, the application could be set up so you as a sales person may only replicate your own sales documents. This type of selective replication can be for security, speed and even ease-of-use purposes.
Final thoughts
I know that the Notes and Domino faithful will think I'm preaching to the choir when it comes to replication. Still, it's an important technology that regular users take for granted, and non-users may not know exists.
Today's collaboration technologies need to be as flexible as possible, and out-of-the-box Notes and Domino give you the tools for a full-fledged intranet. They also give you the tools for secure, portable, offline solutions that fit seamlessly into your intranet.
That's an important distinction, and one you should consider when purchasing and implementing your intranet.
About this Series
This series of articles on intranet solutions with IBM Lotus Notes/Domino is intended to help readers understand the fundamental methodology and capabilities of the product and how to utilize it to deliver a feature-rich, secure, and functional corporate intranet solution. It will include implementation strategies, case studies, industry-tested tips and tricks, and, with your input, true value to the administrator or developer who wants to utilize IBM Lotus Notes/Domino technologies to deliver winning intranet solutions.
If you have any questions on the series, Lotus Notes/Domino, or if there's something you'd like to see addressed, visit the Intranet Journal Discussion Forum.
About the Author
John Roling is the Senior Groupware Administrator for a North American trade-show exhibit company and a certified Lotus Notes Administrator, Developer and all-around geek. You can keep up with him at his blog or drop him an e-mail at jroling@gmail.com.
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