Level: Intermediate Jennifer Wales, IBM Certified Consulting I/T Specialist, IBM
16 Jan 2007 Enterprise customers, get best practices for upgrading your IBM Lotus Sametime infrastructure to release 7.5. This article walks you through the planning required for a smooth and efficient upgrade that emphasizes minimal impact to your user community.
For many customers, IBM Lotus Sametime has become a mission-critical application, and as such, the upgrade of your Sametime infrastructure should not be executed all at once, but rather in stages. We explain the four stages necessary for a successful Sametime upgrade: planning, preparation, pilot, and production. This article targets the enterprise-size Lotus Sametime customer, but can easily be adapted to smaller Sametime implementations.
The pre-upgrade stages are critically important for a smooth upgrade, and most of the work takes place in the steps before production. In fact, the actual upgrade, in which you follow a script that you have honed in previous stages, is typically the smallest part of the overall process.
This article is intended for existing Lotus Sametime administrators upgrading to Lotus Sametime V7.5 from previous releases (3.1 to 7.0).
Stage I: Planning
In the planning stage, you familiarize yourself with the new and enhanced features of Lotus Sametime V7.5 so that you can determine what you want to test and ultimately deploy into production. You may also want to develop a high-level upgrade plan that you fine-tune as you move through the remaining stages.
For information about the new features in Lotus Sametime V7.5, see the developerWorks Lotus article, "Taking a tour of the new features and technology in IBM Lotus Sametime 7.5."
There are a number of excellent resources to help you get acquainted with Lotus Sametime V7.5 listed in the Resources section of this article as well. It is highly recommended that you invest the time doing research because there are many ways to leverage Lotus Sametime V7.5, and this article cannot possibly cover every scenario a customer may encounter.
Stage II: Preparing
In the preparation stage, you do the following:
- Assess your current Lotus Sametime environment
- Perform interoperability testing
- Plan the deployment of new features
The length of this stage varies depending upon the size and complexity of your Sametime implementation.
Assessing the current environment
No one wants to spend time performing an inventory, but knowing what you have in place is quite important when planning a successful upgrade because it highlights what should be tested and what the upgraded environment must measure up to. Topics that should be included in your assessment are:
- Topology. Quantity and types of Sametime servers
- Directory. IBM Lotus Domino Directory or third-party LDAP directory
- Authentication Model. Lotus Domino single sign-on (SSO) or third-party authentication, such as Computer Associate’s SiteMinder or IBM Tivoli Access Manager
- Integration. Integration with other environments, such as IBM Lotus QuickPlace, IBM WebSphere Portal, IBM Lotus Domino Web Access, and so on
- Clients. Microsoft Windows Connect Client, Java Connect, IBM Lotus Notes-integrated Instant Messaging Client, Contact List Portlet, mobile clients, and so on
- Customizations. Custom coding using one of the Lotus Sametime toolkits or third-party applications
Interoperability testing
As with any upgrade, you must test it thoroughly in your environment before upgrading in production to minimize impact to your users. Ideally, your test environment should be broken down into a development or sandbox area in which you can test new technologies and a staging or pre-production area that serves as a test bed for software that will be released into production. Your staging environment should resemble your production environment as closely as possible with each server type and integration point represented.
To begin, in your development environment, set up a server with the latest version of Lotus Domino V7.x and Lotus Sametime V7.5, walking through a typical installation or upgrade. Next, install Lotus Sametime V7.5 Cumulative Fix 1 (CF1), which is available from the Lotus Support site. It contains important fixes for the server and includes the CF1 versions of the Lotus Sametime V7.5 clients for Windows and Linux. CF1 is highly recommended for all Lotus Sametime V7.5 installations.
For more information, including the fix binaries, refer to the Lotus Support technote, "IBM Lotus Sametime 7.5 Cumulative Fix Pack 1 (CF1)."
NOTE: If your company uses the browser-based Lotus Sametime client known as Java Connect, you must take additional steps to reinstall this client because it is not included with the Lotus Sametime V7.5 installation. For more information, refer to the Lotus Support technote, "Deploying Sametime 7.0 Connect for browsers on a Sametime 7.5 server."
Basic testing
Test the basic features in Lotus Sametime V7.5 that you want to use in your environment:
- Chat. Test Lotus Sametime V7.5 access from each client that you allow in your environment today.
- Meetings. Test Sametime meetings (instant and scheduled) on each of your standard desktops.
As you perform your testing, keep in mind the experiences that are different from what your users see today. This is useful knowledge to be shared with help desk personnel or included in upgrade communications.
NOTE: Sametime meetings rely on a supported configuration of browser and Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Beginning with Lotus Sametime V7.5, the Microsoft JVM is no longer supported, and all users must have the Sun JVM installed to successfully join a Lotus Sametime V7.5 instant or scheduled meeting. If your users have both the Sun and Microsoft JVM installed, you may want to consider configuring the Lotus Sametime V7.5 server to automatically find and to use the Sun JVM if it is installed in the browser, but not set as default. For more information, refer to the Lotus Support technote, "How to join Sametime 7.5 meetings with Microsoft VM as default JVM in Internet Explorer."
NOTE: In Lotus Sametime V7.5, the meeting room client applets can now be automatically installed on workstations without administrative rights. In previous releases, it was necessary to use the Secure Installer for Sametime Desktops (SISD) to deploy the Sametime applets to workstations without administrative rights. In release 7.5, because the DLLs required for applet retrieval are downloaded to the user's working directory instead of the Windows System directory, this additional step is no longer required.
Changes to the contact list in Lotus Sametime V7.5
The vpuserinfo.nsf database that contains the contact list and privacy information (also known as "Who Can See Me") has undergone changes in release 7.5. For example, to support new features within the Lotus Sametime V7.5 client, such as nesting of personal groups, the contact list is now stored in XML format as opposed to the binary format in earlier releases.
The first time a user logs into Lotus Sametime with a release 7.5 client, his legacy contact list is converted to XML. From that moment on, two versions of the contact list exist, one that is used by legacy clients and one that is used by the release 7.5 client. Legacy clients are essentially all clients except the new Eclipse-based Lotus Sametime Connect V7.5 and include the releases 3.0, 3.1, 6.5.1, and 7.0 Windows-based Lotus Sametime Connect, Java Connect, Lotus Notes-integrated Instant Messaging Client, Contact List Portlet, and third-party clients, such as NotesBuddy, Trillian, Adium, Gaim, Proteus, and WebMessenger.
NOTE: In the initial release 7.5, the legacy and new contact lists were not synchronized; however, this problem has been fixed in a client-side fix within CF1. The Lotus Sametime V7.5 CF1 client now retrieves and synchronizes the old and new contact lists after the user logs in. While running, the release 7.5 CF1 client monitors changes to the legacy contact list and can update itself in real time. Finally, all changes made to the contact list from the release 7.5 CF1 client are saved to both the old and new locations, ensuring that both old and new clients have a consistent contact list regardless of their saved format.
Contact list conversion
As part of the Lotus Sametime V7.5 upgrade, you must run a conversion utility on the vpuserinfo.nsf database to migrate user’s privacy information to the new format used by the Lotus Sametime V7.5 server.
During your testing, restore a copy of your production vpuserinfo.nsf database and test this conversion process. This is a critical database on a Lotus Sametime server, and you want to be sure it runs without error before the production upgrade.
When executed, the utility creates two files, vpuserinfo.nsf<timestamp>, which is a backup of the contact list, and vpuserinfo.nsf<timestamp>.log, which is a log file with conversion results (see figure 1).
Figure 1. Two files created by the conversion utility
After the conversion is complete, review the log file for failures, and verify that Upgrade finished!!! appears at the end of the log as shown in listing 1.
Listing 1. Sample log file
Starting Upgrade Tool...
Backup d:\lotus\domino\data/vpuserinfo.nsf
File name - vpuserinfo.nsf200611306094419
Backup completed
Upgrading...
1) CN=User One/O=Test
setting listId
Document saved!
----------------------------
2) Test Jennifer1
setting listId
#Test Jennifer2#Test Jennifer2
#Test Jennifer2#Test Jennifer2#0
1 item(s) replaced
Document saved!
----------------------------
3) Test Jennifer2
setting listId
#User One/Test#CN=User One/O=Test
#User One/Test#CN=User One/O=Test#0
1 item(s) replaced
Document saved!
----------------------------
Upgrade finished!!!
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The time it takes to complete this procedure varies depending upon the size and quantity of privacy documents in your vpuserinfo.nsf database. During the testing, time the conversion process so you know how much time to factor into your production upgrade. For our vpuserinfo.nsf sample, the conversion took just over an hour to complete. During your production upgrade, you want to make a note to move or purge the vpuserinfo<timestamp> and log file after the conversion process has been validated.
For details on how to run the conversion utility, refer to the Lotus Support technote, "Migrating privacy data after upgrading to Sametime 7.5."
Integration testing
The remainder of your integration testing depends upon your particular environment. The point is to make sure that you spend the time to test the individual integration points that are part of your Sametime implementation. It is far easier to debug an issue in this phase of your upgrade than in the middle of the night when you are likely performing the production upgrade.
When integrating Lotus Sametime with other IBM or third-party products, be sure to check with the vendor for compatibility confirmation. IBM’s Lotus Software Support Web site is an excellent source of information for known issues and workarounds and is worth your time to research when preparing for integration testing.
If your Sametime infrastructure supports custom-developed applications based on one of the Lotus Sametime toolkits, notify your developers that a new release of Lotus Sametime is available and provide them with access to the latest toolkit information and to your development environment. In most cases, the custom applications will continue to function in Lotus Sametime V7.5, but should be tested outside of production to minimize impact to users.
Planning for new features
When you've finished testing your core Sametime features, it’s time to experiment with the new release 7.5 features that you want to deploy as part of the upgrade. Lotus Sametime V7.5 includes a number of enhancements, some of which require configuration on your part and some that do not. Two new features with specific configuration requirements are Policy Administration and Business Cards.
Policy Administration
This new Lotus Sametime V7.5 feature allows for the enforcement of various rules and roles for your Sametime users. At a minimum, you want to review and set the default policies that are granted to all your users (see table 1). You can optionally add more policies if you need more granular control of the options for individual users and/or groups.
Table 1. Policy settings
| Service | Setting | | Community Services | Allow File Transfer (Yes / No) | | Maximum allowed file transfer size (in MB) | | Use exclude file types list (Yes / No) | | Exclude file types from transfer (three letter extension of each file type comma separated) | | Allow telephony for contact lists, instant messaging, and instant meetings (Yes / No) | | Instant Meetings | Allow users to create Instant Meetings (Yes / No) | | Allow Sametime IP audio and video (No, IP audio, IP audio and video) | | Instant Messaging | Save Chat (Yes / No) | | Allow client to client voice chat (Yes / No) | | Allow users to connect to external communities (Yes / No) |
For more information, refer to the IBM Lotus 7.5 Sametime Administrator's Guide and IBM’s Lotus Software Support Web site.
Business Cards
This feature provides the ability to display contact information (including photo) in a business card format within Lotus Sametime Connect V7.5. The business card can be configured to show name, company, title, telephone, email address, address, and photo accessed from a Domino Directory or LDAP directory.
You can set up the business card by using the Web-based Administration tool (choose Configuration - Business Card Setup) as shown in figure 2.
Figure 2. Setting up Business Cards
For more information on Business Cards, including how to add photos to your LDAP or Domino Directory, refer to the Lotus Sametime Administration Guide and the Lotus Support technote, "Business card photos in Sametime with LDAP and Domino."
Stage III: Pilot
In the pilot stage, you perform an actual upgrade in an isolated environment. Up until now, you have worked on the upgrade process in pieces; now is the time to fine-tune your upgrade plan and to validate the end-to-end process. Enlist the help of pilot testers to validate the upgraded server and to provide feedback on anything that should be communicated to users before the actual upgrade. The outcome of this phase should be in-depth upgrade instructions that you can follow during the production upgrade.
Upgrade considerations
Be sure to check the Lotus Sametime 7.5 Release Notes for the required hardware and software levels. In general, hardware that is running Lotus Sametime today should be able to run Lotus Sametime V7.5. On the client side, Lotus Sametime V7.5 is not currently supported on Windows 2000. Due to customer demand, however, IBM is planning to release a hot fix in an updated version of Lotus Sametime Connect V7.5
to provide support for Windows 2000.
Sequence considerations
Consider the following when determining the sequence of your upgrade:
- Clients may be upgraded at anytime, but you should understand the limitations of upgrading them first with an older backend. For example, Policy Administration and Business Cards do not work in Lotus Sametime Connect V7.5 unless the server infrastructure is also at release 7.5. If your Sametime server infrastructure is currently release 3.0 or 3.1, you may want to consider upgrading the Sametime servers to release 7.5 before you deploy the release 7.5 clients because the majority of IBM's interoperability testing was performed on the later releases of Lotus Sametime.
- Server upgrades include both Lotus Domino and Lotus Sametime components and must be done together because Lotus Sametime has a dependency on the version of Lotus Domino. If your infrastructure also includes the standalone Multiplexer (Mux), upgrade the backend Sametime server first, and then sequentially upgrade the standalone Muxes that support them.
- If your infrastructure includes a SIP connector, you must migrate it to the new IBM Lotus Sametime Gateway before upgrading your server infrastructure to release 7.5. For more information, see the Sametime Gateway Installation and Deployment Guide available from the IBM Lotus Sametime Gateway 7.5 Information Center.
Coexistence in a mixed environment
Generally speaking, you should attempt to upgrade your entire Sametime infrastructure at the same time. However, depending upon the size of your environment this may not be possible, and you may be forced to coexist in a mixed environment. If so, isolate the design of the Lotus Domino and Lotus Sametime databases that replicate within your Sametime environment so that the legacy design is not introduced into the upgraded server and vice versa.
Upgrading from release 3.0 versus 3.1, 6.5.1, or 7.0
As mentioned earlier, Lotus Sametime V7.5 is dependent on a supported version of Lotus Domino to function. If your Domino server is not running release 7.x, you must upgrade it before installing Lotus Sametime V7.5. The Sametime portion of the upgrade process varies depending upon the release you run. For Lotus Sametime releases 3.1, 6.5.1, and 7.0, you can upgrade directly to release 7.5. The installation process detects the previous installation and allows you to upgrade and preserve existing Sametime data, including meeting, contact list, and server configuration information.
If you upgrade from Lotus Sametime V3.0, you must uninstall Lotus Sametime prior to installing release 7.5. You may also want to uninstall or reinstall Lotus Sametime if your server has been upgraded several times in the past.
Stage IV: Production upgrade
With all your preparations completed, now is the time for the actual upgrade. Send out a communication to your users with the schedule of events, what to expect, and how to report problems. Back up your environment and perform the upgrade using the detailed plan that you have developed and fine-tuned in the previous stages. Your planning and preparation should ensure that the upgrade to Lotus Sametime V7.5 proceeds quickly and without issues.
Conclusion
With more than 150 new and enhanced features, Lotus Sametime V7.5 represents a significant upgrade in real-time collaboration capabilities. Companies interested in moving to this new technology should plan appropriately to ensure a pain-free upgrade with minimal impact to the user community. This article detailed the four stages recommended for upgrading to Lotus Sametime V7.5 and highlighted key areas to consider in your upgrade planning. If all the project stages are carried out thoroughly and completely, the upgrade should proceed without incident; and if problems are encountered, the groundwork laid should enable a quick resolution.
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About the author  | | | Jennifer Wales is an IBM Certified Consulting I/T Specialist in the Lotus division of IBM Software Group. She has 19 years of professional IT experience in the network integration business with roles ranging from systems consulting to project management. She specializes in the design of complex and demanding multi-system solutions based on Lotus technologies. Her areas of expertise include IBM Lotus Domino server architecture as well as IBM Lotus Sametime instant messaging. |
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