Getting Started with Domino

HCL Notes/Domino 8.5 Forum (includes Notes Traveler)

Subject: Getting Started with Domino

Feedback Type: Question

Product Area: Domino Server

Technical Area: Documentation

Platform: Linux server

Release: 8.5

Reproducible: Not applicable

UPDATE:

I am posting this update to my initial email. Since my posting I have received phone calls from 3 channel partners, a senior member of IBM and posts inside of the forum. They have answered almost all of my questions including references to RedBook (plug "IBM Redbook" into Google), licensing ($102 per client, no server costs) and someone responded that the training classes are good but not usually necessary.

For those coming from Exchange you should consider, after learning from my own experience and trying several distros, doing the initial installation using IBM's recommended configuration which is SLED or RHEL. CentOS and OpenSUSE do not seem to work without some minor configuration changes. Also note that there is a separate administrator console you should download to manage the server from another machine. This confused me coming from Exchange because Exchange installs the management tool with Exchange. The console is not exactly intuitive but includes an impressive help section.

I am still interested in hearing from other Domino administrators not directly affiliated with IBM or its partners. My phone number is (602)410-3210 if you have time to chat.

Thanks!

Greetings,

I am a consultant who normally works in Microsoft world. Very recently one of my clients indicated an interest in Exchange but balked at the cost. Exchange did not really meet his needs either. I mentioned to a fellow technician that I would be interested in setting up a Domino Server but I have no idea what the process is like. My fellow tech responded that Domino is more expensive than Exchange and I should not bother.

Thankfully I did my due diligence and found that Lotus Domino Messaging Express may actually meet my client's need. I started by using the 'Request a Quote' button on the website followed by 'Call Me', 'Email Me' and last 'Live Chat'. IBM has failed to respond to every inquiry after 4 days of waiting.

Is this normal? If I can't get a response from the sales team then what kind of response can I expect from their support staff? It would seem that recommending this product would be 'the blind' leading 'the blind' into the darkness without any light at the end of the IBM support number.

The Live Chat Representative told me the cost for a user license on Lotus Domino Messaging Express is $102 including the Lotus Notes client. He could not give me any idea on what to expect for the cost of the Domino Server itself and said I would need to speak with someone from the sales team. Of course.. he took my contact information but still no follow-up from IBM. Does anyone know what the cost is to install the server software on any of the dual core processor machines? (E7000 series processors). The server is only being designed to support 8 people.

I also found various websites outlining how to install/setup Domino but no step-by-step information on how to configure R8 to accept/process email, examine the database structure, provide access to users outside the LAN or maintain the database structure. Lord knows the average Microsoft Exchange server book is 900 pages and kills many, many trees. Is Domino so simple and intuitive that it does not warrant a single book? The closest thing I can find to Domino Server is a book published for R6 back in 2003.

One last question. Has anyone attended the Domino training classes? There is a 'fundamentals' class for $500 and another 'Administration' class for $1000. Are these classes worth attending?

Any help you can provide would be appreciated. My number is listed below in case you don't have time to write a dissertation and wouldn't mind passing along some experience.

Thanks!

Best Regards,
Dave
(602)410-3210

Feedback number WEBB7NKU2W created by ~Frank Quettooburikle on 01/23/2009

Status: Open
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