Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing (formerly Sametime) is a market-leading real-time collaboration tool. It provides presence awareness, instant messaging, and Web conferencing. It is a good solution for organizations that want to provide online discussion and knowledge sharing to their users. However, Lotus Instant Messaging provides only limited functionality for the management of chat transcripts. When using this tool for knowledge sharing and management, users must find another effective way to manage chat transcripts.

Lotus Domino Document Manager (formerly Domino.Doc) is a solution for organizing and managing business documents. It is a Lotus Domino-based document management tool. You can use Domino Document Manager to share documents with users inside and outside your organization. One of the key features in version 6.5.1 is integrating Lotus Instant Messaging with Domino Document Manager because there are times when real-time collaboration on a document is necessary, especially for urgent review and approval of documents.

The integration includes two parts: First, users can use the Who is Online feature in Domino Document Manager to communicate with other users who can access documents when they are online. It significantly improves collaboration and efficiency. Second, users can save Lotus Instant Messaging chat transcripts in the Domino Document Manager Library as new documents. It makes the management of chat transcripts much more effective. After chats are saved in Domino Document Manager, it is important to preserve the integrity of the transcript to ensure that they are not editable.

In this article, we guide you through the steps of integration between these two products. First, we discuss installation and configuration. Then, we create a custom template and a custom document type for our chat transcripts. After that, we create a short Doc Event script to prevent anyone from checking out and editing the saved chat transcripts. Finally, we demonstrate the usage and result of the integration.

This article assumes that you are an experienced Lotus Domino Document Manager and Lotus Instant Messaging administrator.

Integration overview

As described previously, the integration between these two products consists of two parts. For the Who is Online feature, you must enable Lotus Instant Messaging for both the Domino Document Manager Library and for the File Cabinet, which contains the documents that you want to open. You can use the Who is Online feature to communicate with other online users of the document.

To save a chat transcript to Domino Document Manager, you must install the Lotus Instant Messaging server and Domino Document Manager in the same Domino domain. Also, enable Lotus Instant Messaging for both the Library and File Cabinet to which you want to save your chat transcripts. This can be an alternative to creating a discussion forum to discuss a document.

In the following sections, we describe the integration details, beginning with installation.

This article assumes that you have already installed Lotus Instant Messaging and Domino Document Manager in the same Domino domain. If this is not the case in your environment, refer to each product's installation documentation for instructions.

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Creating a custom File Cabinet template

Before we can integrate our two products, we need to create a custom File Cabinet template. In our sample scenario, we use a custom File Cabinet template to prevent others from checking out and editing saved chat transcripts.

1. In Lotus Notes, create a copy of the File Cabinet template (filecab.ntf).
2. Rename the template "File Cabinet Template Custom" and use cusfilecab.ntf for the file name.
3. Open the Database Properties box and on the Design tab, ensure that the "Database File is a Master Template" option is selected, and rename the Template Name to DominoDocFileCabinetCus.
4. Check the replica ID of the custom file cabinet to ensure that it is different from the original template.

Creating a new document type subform

The next step is to create a new document type subform in the custom File Cabinet template. This subform allows us to save the chat transcripts.

1. From the cusfilecab.ntf in Domino Designer, choose Create - Design - Subform and create a subform named Chat Transcript.
2. Create a table with one column and two rows.
3. In the top row, enter Chat Transcript Document as the title.
4. In the next row, enter the field label Topic, and then create a text field called Chat_Topic.
5. Save the subform.

Creating a new Doc Event

After you create the Chat Transcript document type, modify the Doc Event script to prevent anyone from modifying saved transcripts. In Domino Designer, go to the Script Libraries to open the Doc Events script library. Add the following code to the QueryCheckOut Subroutine:

	If (ddoc.DocType Like "Chat Transcript") Then
		Print "You can’t modify this Read-Only document!"
		Continue = False
	End If

Save the Doc Event. This Doc Event prevents others from checking out and editing saved chat transcripts.

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Enabling the Who is Online feature

Now we configure Domino Document Manager to enable Lotus Instant Messaging integration. As described earlier in this article, to make use of all the integration features, you must enable Lotus Instant Messaging in both the Domino Document Manager Library and File Cabinet.

Enabling Lotus Instant Messaging integration in the Library

This task can be done when you create a new Library or edit an existing Library. For simplicity, we create a new Library.

1. In the Notes client, open the Domino Document Manager Site Admin database (ddadmin.nsf).
2. In the left panel, click the Create Library button to open the Document Manager Master Library Creation page.
3. Complete the necessary fields, such as the Library Name. Ensure that you change the File Cabinet Design Template field to cusfilecab.ntf to use the custom File Cabinet template that you created.
   
   
   Figure 2. Master library
   
   
4. Because we access Domino Document Manager from the Domino Document Manager Desktop Administrator, we must complete the "Name of the HTTP Host" field.
5. In the Sametime integration section, select the "Enable Sametime integration for this library" option, and then input your Lotus Instant Messaging server host name in the Sametime Server field. It should be the fully qualified host name.
   
   
   Figure 3. Lotus Instant Messaging integration fields
   
   
6. Complete the other fields according to your requirements, and then click the Finish button.

Now we have finished the creation of a Library with Lotus Instant Messaging enabled. You can edit the System profile of a library to enable or disable the Lotus Instant Messaging integration after the Library has been created. However, to enable the change, you must run the ChangeSametimeServer agent manually.

Enabling Lotus Instant Messaging integration in the File Cabinet

The next step is to enable Lotus Instant Messaging integration in the File Cabinet. In the Library that we just created, we create a new File Cabinet using the custom template.

Creating a new document type

Before we create new a File Cabinet, we create a new document type. The new document type is based on the Chat Transcript document type subform created earlier. The Chat Transcript will be the default document type.

1. Open the Domino Document Manager Library in Lotus Notes, click the Library Administration button, and then click the Create Document Type button.
2. In the Type Name field, enter Chat Transcript. (This field is case sensitive.)
3. Ensure that the File Cabinet template is cusfilecab.ntf.
4. Leave everything else as default and save the new document type.

Creating a new File Cabinet

Using the custom File Cabinet template that we created earlier, create a new File Cabinet in the Library. Enter the Title for the File Cabinet and add it to any File Rooms you want.

Under Allowable Document Types, select Chat Transcript as the default document type.

If you create a File Cabinet in a Library that has Lotus Instant Messaging enabled, the "Enable Sametime integration for this File Cabinet" option is checked by default.

If you create a File Cabinet in a Library that does not enable Lotus Instant Messaging integration, you cannot create a File Cabinet with integration enabled. In other words, you can only enable Lotus Instant Messaging integration in File Cabinets with Libraries that have enabled integration.

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Using the Who is Online feature

When Lotus Instant Messaging integration is enabled, a Who is Online tab appears to the right of the Revision History tab when you open a document.

The icons and general capabilities in Domino Document Manager are the same ones found in Lotus Instant Messaging. However, the list of Lotus Instant Messaging users is limited to those persons who have Manager or Editor access to the document in Domino Document Manager. This provides you with a subset of online users and allows you to collaborate with them within the context of the document.

When you open a Review Copy or Review Comment form, a Who is Online box also appears.

NOTE: If your Lotus Instant Messaging server is configured to use an LDAP directory other than the Domino Directory, you cannot access the Who is Online feature from the Notes client, but you can access the feature from the Web browser client.

To look for an online user from the Notes client and to initiate a chat from the Library, open a document that you want to discuss, and then select the Who is Online tab. The window opens with a list of online Lotus Instant Messaging users. Double-click a user name to initiate a chat.

To look for an online user from the Web Browser and to initiate a chat, select the profile by clicking the Information icon of the document that you want to discuss, and then select the Who is Online item from the Document menu. The window opens with a list of online Lotus Instant Messaging users. Double-click a user name to initiate a chat.

You can send messages to a user, invite a user to join a meeting, and perform other Lotus Instant Messaging operations.

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Enabling the Save Chat Transcript feature

To save current chat transcripts from the Lotus Instant Messaging Connect (Sametime Connect) client directly to Domino Document Manager, you need to install the Domino Document Manager Desktop Enabler on the same machine with the Lotus Instant Messaging Connect client. Desktop Enabler lets you access the Doc Manager Neighborhood through Microsoft Windows Explorer. You can access Domino Document Manager binders and documents directly from Windows Explorer.

NOTE: You cannot initiate a chat from the Desktop Enabler. You can only use it to save chats to Domino Document Manager.

Installing the Domino Document Manager Desktop Enabler

Follow these steps to install Desktop Enabler:

1. In the Notes client, open the Library database that you created.
2. In the left panel of the Library Administration database, click the Download Client Software button. The Download Lotus Document Manager Desktop Enabler software page opens. Click the Download Client button, and then save the file to a convenient location.
3. Exit the Notes client, and then run ddsetup.exe to install the Desktop Enabler.
4. Repeat these steps for any machine on which you want to save chat transcripts to Domino Document Manager.

After you install the Desktop Enabler on your local machine and reboot, a shortcut called Doc Manager Neighborhood appears on your desktop. Double-click the icon to access Domino Document Manager. You can also access it in the left panel of Windows Explorer.

Open Domino Document Manager to create a connection to the Library to which you want to save the chat transcripts. In the Library Connect dialog box, complete the Library Address and Library Display Name fields. The Library Address field indicates the Library database to which you want to connect. It should include the fully qualified path. The Library Display Name field is a label.

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Saving chat transcripts in Domino Document Manager

After enabling Lotus Instant Messaging integration and installing the Domino Document Manager Desktop Enabler, we can now save chat transcripts from the Lotus Instant Messaging Connect client to Domino Document Manager. This functionality is available only from the Lotus Instant Messaging Connect client. You cannot save chat transcripts from the Who is Online feature in Domino Document Manager. To save a chat to a Domino Document Manager Library, initiate the chat from the Lotus Instant Messaging Connect client.

Follow these steps to save a chat transcript in Domino Document Manager:

1. In the Lotus Instant Messaging Connect Client, choose Meeting - Save As.
2. In the Save As dialog box, open the Doc Manager Neighborhood and navigate to the Library where you want to save the chat transcript. If you haven’t made the connection to the library, you are prompted to build the Library connection. Follow the instruction described previously to make the connection. Provide a user ID and password if required.
3. Navigate to the appropriate File Room, File Cabinet, and binder. Change the name in the File name field if needed.
4. Click the Save button. The Check In dialog box appears.
5. In the Check In dialog box, specify the title of the document. This title appears in Domino Document Manager.
6. Click the Properties button to make sure that you select the Chat Transcript document type.
7. In the Check In Options section, select one option, and optionally provide a comment.
8. Click OK when done.

If no error message occurs, the transcript was successfully saved in Domino Document Manager as a document.

After the chat transcript has been saved in Domino Document Manager, you cannot check it out because the custom Doc Event that we added earlier prevents users from modifying chats. If you try to check out a transcript, you receive an error message saying that you are unable to check out the document. However, you can view it.

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Troubleshooting

Sometimes when you want to save the chat transcript to the Library, the system informs you of an internal error. It is likely an incorrect host name, such as a server name with an additional suffix. In this case, make sure that the fully qualified Internet host name on the Basic tab, net address on the Network Ports tab, and host name on the Internet Protocols tab of the Server Configuration document are all correct. For more detail, refer to the Domino Administrator help.

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Conclusion

In this article, we covered the steps for the integration between Domino Document Manager and Lotus Instant Messaging. We hope that this article gets you started saving chat transcripts in Domino Document Manager and sharing documents in real-time with Lotus Instant Messaging users.

Resources

• To learn how to further extend the functionality of Domino Document Manager, see the developerWorks: Lotus article, "Integrating IBM Workplace Web Content Management and Lotus Domino Document Manager."
  
  
• For more information about Domino Document Manager, see its product page.
  
  
• For additional information about Lotus Instant Messaging, see the Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing product page.
  
  
• Get involved in the developerWorks community by participating in developerWorks blogs.
  
  

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Table of contents

• Integration overview
• Creating a custom File Cabinet template
• Enabling the Who is Online feature
• Using the Who is Online feature
• Enabling the Save Chat Transcript feature
• Saving chat transcripts in Domino Document Manager
• Troubleshooting
• Conclusion
• Resources
• About the authors
• Comments

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