Tips for Installing/Upgrading Traveler 8.5.1

HCL Notes/Domino 8.5 Forum (includes Notes Traveler)

Subject: Tips for Installing/Upgrading Traveler 8.5.1

Feedback Type: Suggestion

Product Area: Domino Server

Technical Area: Install

Platform: Windows 2003 server

Release: 8.5.1

Reproducible: Always

Before reading: I do not work for IBM, I work with Aussie business partner - ISW. I have been using Notes/Domino since V2, Certified Admin/Dev/Instructor since Notes 4, and provide these tips as a service to the Domino Community based on my experience of the past two weeks.

After installing/upgrading a number of customers with Traveler 8.5.1 (gee, iPhone's really are popular - aren't they!), here are some tips for implementing Lotus Traveler 8.5.1 on Windows.

Make sure you are working at the server's Console
Shut Down the Domino Server
Make a back-up copy of the Traveler databases - LotusTraveler.nsf and ntsclcache.nsf (If upgrading)
Check the Notes.ini file for correct references
Run the Domino 8.5.1 Installer and choose the appropriate Program and Data paths
Start the server
UPGRADE the Design of your Domino Directory (names.nsf) when prompted
When the server is FULLY initialised run a "tell AdminP process all" and wait a few minutes
Shut Down the Domino Server
Make sure the OS (ie: Windows) can resolve the FQDN of the Domino Server
Shut Down any back-up or Real-Time scan (eg: Anti-virus) applications
Wait a few minutes and run an "NSD - KILL" from the Domino program directory
Run the Traveler 8.5.1 Install
Start the Domino Server

They are the steps I now use as a process for the Traveler 8.5.1 install, after coming across a few impediments to a smooth implementation, no doubt I will come across a few more hiccups as I do even more upgrades/implementations in different sites with different configurations.

Some more detail:

Make sure you are working at the server's Console

If you're using RDP (or another remote admin tool) to manage your server, make sure you are working on the Admin console (RDP /admin or /console as appropriate) to ensure you can interact with the Domino Console during these steps.

DISCONNECT any other active Terminal User while doing the upgrade/install. If a Notes process (such as the Admin Client) is running while the install is happening you could get errors like "notes is already running in another process" reported. CHECK THIS, even if you are sitting at the server, logged-in to the machine as Admin (Task-Manager, "Users" Tab)

Shut Down the Domino Server

If you don't - your install won't work very well.

Make a back-up copy of the Traveler databases - LotusTraveler.nsf and ntsclcache.nsf (If upgrading)

Had a problem with one customer who did the install themselves, and then had to re-initialise all their Traveler clients because the install wiped the databases clean and users essentially had to start again from scratch.

NB: This isn't much of an issue if the users have to re-initialise, since they should have been synched and up-to-date beforehand - it's more the nuisance factor.

Before installing, copy the above databases to somewhere else, just in case. A temporary location like the Windows desktop is fine.

Once Traveler has been installed, run the Domino server's Notes client (nlnotes.exe) from the Domino Server's program directory, and open these databases to ensure you have all your records intact. If you don't, copy the files back after shutting down the client.

Check the Notes.ini file for correct references

This was a beauty. One of my customers was getting the "Traveler startup error: Addinmain: Can't create Java VM" error as reported in THIS THREAD... after being able to Install.

Another Customer was reporting "Unable to determine version of Domino".

The problem with both these customers was a duplicate of the "NotesProgram" variable in the Notes.ini file.

There were two references to "NotesProgram=" in the .ini files, in each case, the first reference was to an OLD location of the Domino server install (anyone remember when Domino used to go to "C:\Lotus\Domino" by default?), while further down I found the correct - current - reference to the program path.

Deleted the old incorrect duplicate entries, and moved the variables to the top of the ini file, so it read like this...

[Notes]
NotesProgram=D:\Domino
Directory=E:\Domino\data
KitType=2

NB: Your own ini files should reflect YOUR installation, NOT the example paths I have shown above.

NOW Traveler was able to

A. Run (In the first case), and
B. Install (In the second case)

Without ANY OTHER configuration changes. Watch out for that one!

Run the Domino 8.5.1 Installer and choose the appropriate Program and Data paths

This should be the same locations as your existing Domino Server install.

Start the server

Always a good idea to give the server a "dry-run" to make sure the base Domino server is happy and everything is working properly.

UPGRADE the Design of your Domino Directory (names.nsf) when prompted

You can choose not to upgrade the Design of your Domino Directory - but expect to have issues and console errors like "Traveler: unable to read memory size" and missing options like Traveler configs and policies if you don't!

When the server is FULLY initialised run a "tell AdminP process all" and wait a few minutes

This is just so the server can do things like "updating port information" if necessary.

Shut Down the Domino Server

Again, leaving it running while performing the install is just asking for trouble...

Make sure the OS (ie: Windows) can resolve the FQDN of the Domino Server

Pretty simple, if the "Fully Qualified Domain Name" of the Domino Server is different from the OS Full Computer Name, you need to make sure that Traveler can see itself. That is: If the Domino server thinks it's "traveler.yourdomain.com" and your host thinks it's "winserver.mydomain.local", Traveler will throw up errors like "cannot connect to server" for a variety of operations. See THIS THREAD for examples.

Read a MORE DETAILED explanation I wrote HERE.

Shut Down any back-up or Real-Time scan (eg: Anti-virus) applications

Back-up and Real-Time scan tools can potentially have hold of files the install is trying to read/modify/upgrade.

Wait a few minutes and run an "NSD - KILL" from the Domino program directory

Have had an issue with the Traveler Install throwing up errors along the lines of "notes processes already running".

Certain Backup and Anti-Virus applications like to have their Domino add-ins constantly running and "hooked" into the Domino sub-system. In one case, the back-up was holding onto the Domino program path and the Traveler install was not able to write while this was going on, in another Instance, another user had an RDP to the Domino server and was running the Admin client in a TS session, while another Admin was trying to run the Install - See "Make sure you are working at the server's Console", above...

Start a Command prompt, switch to the Domino Server's program directory and type: "NSD -KILL".

NB: This will cause restart consistency checks, etc on server start-up ... If there ARE any active Domino processes at the time your execute the command.

Again - See step 1: "Make sure you are working at the server's Console"

Run the Traveler 8.5.1 Install

READ THE CHOICES ON THE SCREEN!

Run, OK, Choose options, Make SURE you de-select "Traveler as the welcome page" at the last step IF you want to keep your current welcome/intranet/web log-in option as the default web-site for your Domino Server!

Had a customer who lost their web-site because they just went Next-Next-Next and didn't realise the last option screen replaces your Domino server's current default web-site with the Traveler site.

Start the Domino Server

"With a bit of luck and a fair breeze" that should be it!

OH - Don't forget to open your firewall and NAT the correct ports (DEFAULT: 8642, 80, 443) to the Traveler server if you want people to access Traveler from the "outside world".

Conclusion:

No doubt others will come across issues that I haven't yet seen, and this check-list is by no means the complete authoritative source - insert disclaimer here: "at your own risk", "no warranty", "accuracy of information", etc, etc - I am just writing about my experiences in the hope that it will help others and guide them to a successful Domino/Traveler implementation.

Have fun, Best Regards:

Mat.

Feedback number MNEN7X2QR6 created by ~Patti Brelukonyobu on 10/21/2009

Status: Open
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