Open mic on_ibm lotus notes calendaring & scheduling, best practices and troubleshooting-14th_feb2013

®

Open Mic on
'IBM Lotus Notes Calendaring & Scheduling, Best
Practices and Troubleshooting'

14th February-2013

Chandra Shekhar Anumandla
IBM Software Group

© 2013 IBM Corporation

IBM Software Group | Lotus software

Agenda

Calendaring & Scheduling:
●
Workflow
●
Components.
●
Best Practices
●
Typical Scenarios
●
Troubleshooting
●
Q&A

02/14/13 @2013 IBM Corporation 2


C&S Workflow - Overview

[ Basic Workflow ] [ Meeting Workflow ]




C&S Workflow – Repeat Calendar
●
CalendarDateTime: This is added programmatically to each calendar document.
●
ApptUNID: Identifies each Calendar document. All instances contains the same ApptUNID
●
$Ref : Identifies the child instance document, matches with the ApptUNID in parent entry.




C&S Components

●
Freetime Database
●
Calendar Profile
●
Server Process
●
Scheduler task
●
Calconn task




Components – Freetime Database
●
Busytime.nsf on Server : Created by the schedule manager the first time a server starts.
Contains documents with the name of each person or room in the domain that has a
calendar profile.
●
Clubusy.nsf on clustered server: Each clustermate has a replica of this database.
●
Local Busytime.nsf: Gets created automatically when the Notes client is launched.
●
The calendar profile contains user or room name in key field $Name . In busytime, it is the
name of the entity the busytime record is for.

IBM Software Group | Lotusbusyinfo from profile document ]
[ Buser Profile document in busytime.nsf ]
[ Building
software
FREE TIME

PROFILE DOC



Components – Profile Document
●
Document that is used to identify the owner of a database, It is stored in memory and
does not appear in any view or folder.
●
Key field $BusyName identifies the room or user name system

Note: Use NotesPeek to view the data and fields stored in the calendar profile.




Components – Server task (nServer )
Server Task (nServer) performs lookup in Domino Directory ( person documents):
● Expand any Groups,

● Checks Full Name field to verify the calendar profile in db

● Checks Mail Domain field if same domain or different

● Checks Mail Server field if same server or another

● Checks Mail File field for name to locate it to fetch cal profile

● Checks Mail Address or Forwarding Address field

● Checks Calendar Domain field to determine if the user is on non-Notes calendar.

● Checks Calendar Server in Domain Documents, Adjacent, Non-Adjacent Foreign.

Example: Free time look-up in Single Domino Server.



Components – Schedule Manager Task
● The schedule manager (Sched) is the server task that Scans any database that has a
Calendar Profile and gather the busytime information and store it in the free time
database.
● The schedule manager searches the Domino Directory for certain fields within person
documents (User name, Mail Server, Mail file name & Calendar Domain) to add or update
the corresponding person documents in the busytime.nsf database.
● Schedule manager only writes to busytime on the home server.
● If any of the fields in the Domino Directory person documents are incorrect, schedule
manager will not populate or update the busytime.nsf, and this will affect free time.
If the calendar domain is non-Notes, the schedule manager will not create an entry for the
●

person in the busytime.nsf.
● Schedule Manager uses fields startdatetime. enddatetime & $busyname etc.. in the
calendar document.



Components – Calendar Connector Task
●
The calendar connector is the "fetcher" of busytime.
●
Invokes only if invitee not on same mail server.
●
Probing Technique.
●
Server Connection Documents.
●
Notes Named Networks
●
Topology
●
Adjacent and non-Adjacent Domains



Components – Calendar Connector Task
Example: Free time look-up in Two Domino Servers in Single Domain
●
The Calendar Connector checks for connection record in Domino Directory for the Chair’s
Home server A to the invitees' Mail Server B. If a Server Connection record is not found, then
Notes will probe the Network to match the name to a network address.


Example: Free time look-up in Two Domino Servers in Different Domains
●
The chair's home server checks Connection documents (Adjacent, non-adj or foreign domain
Documents) for 'DomainB' in the Domino Directory and finds the Calendar Server name is
Domino ServerB in DomainB.



C&S Best Practices
●
Quick view for availability of your Group.
●
Add other calendars to Notes calendar.
●
Adding Auto Alarms / Notifications
●
Event Announcement
●
Schedule Access Control
●
Calendar Delegation
●
Calendar Setting via Policy
●
Calendar Cleanup
●
Calendar Archiving.
●
Repair Calendar
●
Prevent Users Delete Calendar Entries



Best Practices – Quick view for availability of your group
●
You can use a Group Calendar to see whether members of a group are free or busy at certain
times. [ Bgroup Calendar ]

●
Creating Options

●
Display Time Options



Best Practices – Add Other Calendars To Notes Calendar
●
Notes user's calendar
●
Notes Teamroom calendar
●
Notes application calendar
●
Google Calendar
●
iCalendar feed
●
Activities




Best Practices – Adding Auto Alarms/ Notifications
●
Alarms Daemon: Lotus Notes client's add-in program.
●
EnablingAlarms: Preferences>Cal&ToDo>Alarms>AlarmNotification>DisplayAlarmNotifications
●
$EnableAlarms: Lotus Notes client's Notes.ini parameter (Value = 0 – Off; 1- On).
●
Location Document: Checks the mail file name.
●
Calendar Document: $Alarm, $AlarmMemoOptions, $AlarmOffset, $AlarmSendTo, $AlarmUnit


●
$Alarms view : A hidden view in the mail file.



Best Practices – Event Announcement & Schedule Access
●
Instead new Meeting option, You can use 'Event Announcement' to send single invitation
to large number of people, when you do not want receive any responses.
Steps: Open Calendar>New > Event Announcement.

●
Schedule Access Control: You ( or any VIP user ) may control how much information about
your schedule others may see scheduling a meeting.

Note: Granting access your schedule information is different from granting access to your calendar.



Best Practices - Prevent Users Delete Calendar Entries
● Use the setting that removes, rather than deletes calendar entries,without the user
knowing.

● In the Mail Policy Setting, Mail> Basics :

● In mail Preferences>Calendar & To Do:


● Reduce the temptation to delete by removing the notices to the calendar from the Inbox.
● Use the calendar’s Notices tab of the mail policy.



Best Practices – Calendar Cleanup & Archiving
●
Using 'Calendar Cleanup' option, Keep always reduced the size of your mail file.
●
Often, you don't need to save old calendar and to do entries. Notes has a feature that
deletes past entries that haven't been modified in a long time.
Steps: Open Calendar > More > Calendar Cleanup :

Note: Calendar Cleanup deletes calendar and to do entries permanently.
●
Keep always reduced the size of your mail file using option 'Archiving Criteria'.
Steps: Open Calendar>Actions>Archive> Create Criteria:



Best Practices – Using Calendar Delegation
●
One of the most powerful tools in the Notes client is Calendar Delegation feature.
●
Calendar Delegation allows you to grant another Notes user access to your mail file,
enabling the delegated user to view and edit your calendar data, send invitations, notices
on your behalf, and act as a manager of your calendar data.
●
You can control Access to Your Calendar giving access to your PA / Secretary etc.. and you
can control the actions that each delegate is allowed to perform.
Steps: Open MailFile>More>Preferences>Access & Delegation:


Note: To delegate access to your Contacts, you must also enable the Contacts preference labeled
"Enable 'Synchronize Contacts' on the Replicator".


Best Practices – Repair Calendar feature
●
The Repair Calendar feature has been provided to help the customers to fix issues of
duplicate calendar entries.
●
The functionality works only if user is running 8.5 Notes client AND mail85.ntf template.
●
To turn off use Notes.ini paramter : CSEnableEventRepair=0.


Technote : The Repair Calendar feature in Notes 8.5



Best Practices - Using Calendar Setting via Policy
●
Display of working hours, days in the user's mail file preferences.
●
What kind of notices/meetings to display in Inbox
●
Your availability and schedule information settings
●
Automatic Responses settings
●
Whether to allow delegation rights for users on their mail files etc.




C&S Scenarios
●
Copying Repeated Calendar Documents to another Database.
●
Customizing Notes Calendar Messages
●
Can we use Notes Calendar as Company Calendar




Scenarios – Copying Repeat meeting to new database
●
When you try copy repeat calendars from one database to another, the workflow links may
break and it may lose the functionality.
●
The Work around is to create new replica database and replicate all the calendar documents,
instead creating new database.
●
If the new database creation is must then you must ensure this new database has same replica
ID on old database, programmatically AND also ensure both the databases have same calendar
profile of the user.
●
Another work around, you can try Action 'Copy To Database' Agent. ( Note: Ensure both the
databases have same calendar profile of the user ).



Scenarios – Customize Notes calendar messages or Notices
●
These messages are present in "Notice" form of mail template.
●
You can edit it as per your requirement. Example:




Scenarios – Can we use Notes Calendar as Company Calendar
●
It is not supported or recommended.
●
We can use any mail file but should have registered Notes ID, Person Document.
●
The mail file should not be used as a mail-in database.

Technote : Can the Notes mail file be used as a company calendar?




C&S Troubleshooting

●
Free Time Problems

●
Calendar profile Problems

●
Missing, Broken & Duplicate meetings

●
Debug Parameters




Troubleshooting – Feetime & Calendar profile issues

Free Time Problems
●
Tell sched validate User Name/OU/O
●
Tell Sched Check User Name/OU/O
●
Load updall names.nsf -t($users) -r


Calendar Profile Problems
●
Calendar profile issues can be resolved by Deleting the Calendar Profile document
Technote : Notes calendar free time displays wrong information
Technote : How to delete Profile documents manually or using LotusScript



Troubleshooting -Missing, Broken & Duplicate meetings

Missing, Broken & Duplicate meetings

●
Search the ApptUNID value in the hidden $ApptUNID view.
●
Check whether missing $Ref field? If so, Parent document
●
Examine the $CSTrack field, which maintains a history
●
If mail template customization may cause the meetings broken or corrupt.
●
Replication conflicts or notice processed from different replicas cause duplicates.
●
Use RemDupCE Tool or Repair calendarfeature.

Technote : The Repair Calendar feature in Notes 8.5



Troubleshooting – Debug parameters

Debug Parameters

• Client side Notes.ini Parameters:
CSReportErrors=1
CSScheduleDebug=1
Scheduler_Data_Debug=1

●
Server-side Notes.ini Parameters:
Console_Log_Enabled=1
CsScheduleDebug=1
CSReportErrors=1
Debug_Schedule=1
Debug_Sched_All=1
CsLogAutoprocess=1
Debug_Cs_Level=65535
Debug_threadid=1
Log_mailrouting=30

Technote : Notes calendar free time displays wrong information



References

●
List of common calendaring & scheduling messages in Notes/Domino 8.5
●
Lotus Notes Calendar and Scheduling explained!
●
What is the function of the "Create Group Calendar" option in TeamRoom databases?
●
The Repair Calendar feature in Notes 8.5
●
Troubleshooting & resolving common Notes/Domino Calendaring & Scheduling issues
●
Can the Notes mail file be used as a company calendar?
● IBM Software Group | Lotus software
How to recreate the busytime.nsf and clubusy.nsf databases on a Domino server
●
How to delete Profile documents manually or using LotusScript
●
Notes calendar free time displays wrong information



Q&A

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© IBM Corporation 2013. All Rights Reserved.

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