AusLug2012 - A performance boost for your notes client

AusLUG2012
A Performance Boost
for your IBM Lotus Notes Client

Florian Vogler | CEO & CTO | panagenda
Meet.Share.Learn www.panagenda.com

The mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work unless it’s open.

29th & 30th March, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

AusLUG2012

Agenda
Coming up next …

Who am I? … and about panagenda

Basics
• A summary of what a Notes 8 client comes with

Under the Hood
• What makes a Notes client START slow
(and what makes it faster)

• What makes a Notes client PERFORM slow (and again faster)

• Deep Diving

• A peek under the hood of Client / Server interaction

Meet.Share.Learn 29th & 30th March, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

AusLUG2012

About Florian Vogler
CEO & CTO – (hopefully) representative for the great work of my colleagues at panagenda

Born in Hamburg (DE), lived in London (UK),
Vienna (AT), Frankfurt (DE), Alicante (ES);
currently back in Frankfurt (DE)

Lotus Notes / Domino since 1992

Started to work with Notes at Raiffeisen Austria
• Administration and Development
• 35,000 user worldwide (today > 100,000)

Since 2002 core competency Client Management,
Notes / Domino infrastructure analysis and optimization

I enjoy working with many great companies in many different
countries (I travel *a lot*)


AusLUG2012

About panagenda
We network symbiotic relationships with our customers and partners for ongoing joint win-win
HQ: Vienna/AT, offices in Heppenheim near Frankfurt/DE, Boston/USA; 40+ BPs WW

Development of standard products

> 4 million licenses in over 70 countries

IBM Lotus Notes
Client Management

MarvelClient :: „99%“ manageability

(not „just“ IBM Lotus Domino)
Server Analytics, Monitoring & Reporting

GreenLight :: realtime, longterm, smart

Analyze Groups, Certifiers and ACLs

GroupExplorer :: better transparency, security & automation

plus: NameChanger (Name changes), DatabaseExplorer (Design Analysis), Notes2Web (Web transformation)


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Before we start ...

I Love Notes.


AusLUG2012

What the (or rather a used) Notes 8 STANDARD Client typically comes with

• > 20,000 files (Notes 6/7 used to have ~550) = +3,700%
• 17,000 files in Notes Programframework in 1,800 subdirectories
 7,500 (largely undocumented) .properties files
 1,500 jar files
 1,200 HTML files
• 3,000 files in Notes Dataworkspace – in 2,400 subdirectories, out of which 1,850 are empty
 900 (largely undocumented) XML files
 100+ (largely undocumented) properties files

• That is ...
 20,000 files in 4,600 subdirectories
 8,500+ largely undocumented files
 Many (many many) subdirectories are plain empty, especially in Dataworkspace

 ... and around 100 NSFs/NTFs (=0.5 %)
 ... and the good old notes.ini file ...


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+ over 80 Preferences Dialog Boxes!

• Each dialog has ~15 settings at average
 1,200+ settings
sprayed across addressbook (very few),
notes.ini (few),
and XML files (lots)

Plus: any plugins, widgets,
addons, etc. „you“ or the user may have
added to the Notes client install.


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+ what we should all be familiar with:

Physical nsfs 1, 2, 3, … n
(nsf)

Desktop


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What makes the Notes Client start slow (and how to make it faster)

• If you‘re not on 8.5.2 yet. 8.5.2 is a significant improvement. (EOM 7: April 30, 2011!)
• Note: preloading may be recommended – many users start Notes only once per day (=cold starts only!)

• Boot-Storm (up to 10 x longer start times)
• OS Indexing (up to 2-3 x longer start times)
• Antivirus Software
• Disable Antivirus scanning for at least *.n(s)* in Notes Data Directory. Period.
 almost 50% of the data volume in the entire Data directory change on a daily basis in most setups (replication, fti, checking for
background agents, ...), 8.5% in Dataworkspace

• Disc encryption (up to -50%)
• Database encryption (up to -50%)
• Port/Network-Encryption (-20%)


AusLUG2012

What makes the Notes Client start slow (and how to make it faster)

• Prehistoric Hardware
• At least 1 GB – 2 GB recommended if users use more than „just“ Notes (otherwise: Swapping drama)

• Old fixed disks

 Fragmentation
 Tons of startup programs/scripts – if the disk is busy-busy-busy, it‘s not Notes‘ fault.

• Grown Data directories

 Virtually 100% of all NTFs (Laptops: 90%) can be removed by
 Cleaning up old Notes 4+5+6 templates
 using ini:SharedDataDirectory= (also with Single User install!)

 Up to 70% of all NSFs still have an old ODS (see next slide) ...

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ODS? What‘s that?

• ODS = On Disk Structure
• ODS 16 = Notes 2
• ODS 20 = Notes 4 (or templates)
• ODS 43 = Notes 6 & 7
• ODS 51 = Notes 8.5

• The difference between ODS 43 and 51 = up to 80% LESS FILE I/O; average 50% less.
Also helps with slow local fixed disks, not just SAN/NAS! – Think servers, too!

• Unfortunately the ODS is not automatically updated when upgrading clients
• Except for names.nsf, bookmark.nsf, and desktop*.dsk/ndk (provided you upgraded „properly“ ... uh-oh)
• Upgrade to ODS 48 requires Notes >= 8 and CREATE_R8_DATABASES=1 in notes.ini
• Upgrade to ODS 51 requires Notes >= 8.5 and CREATE_R85_DATABASES=1 in notes.ini


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ODS continued

• Fortunately, in Notes 8.5 you can use
• NSF_UpdateODS=1
• This will do a one-time upgrade of all local databases in the background

• USE WITH EXTREME CARE IF YOUR DATA DIRECTORIES ARE ON A NETWORK DRIVE!
 Loadbalance!

• Note that end users cannot access databases during compact (mailfile replicas!)
• Note that names.nsf and bookmark.nsf are upgraded at next client startup ( Splash screen)

• Impact examples
 Startup time of a Notes 8.5.2 client with three ODS 20 databases in Notes data: 10 seconds
After ODS upgrade: 2 seconds
 After upgrade of all NSFs from previously mostly ODS 41 to 51 = 60% less File I/O on SAN/NAS!
 Removing 70% of all old files in Data directories on SAN/NAS = 45% less managed storage (backup)

• Unfortunately, you have little to no clue on „what is out there“ = which databases where and with which ODS
(we can help with that – after this session ;-))


AusLUG2012

What makes a Notes Client PERFORM slow (or badly/wrong)
It doesn‘t get any easier ...

ODS of databases (again)
Hardware (again)
Install types (Basic vs. Standard, Data directory on Network vs. fixed disk)
• Desktop, Laptop, Citrix, local, network, „XP User/Roaming Profile“
Notes.ini and Network (more later)
• Port-Settings (e.g. compression) – not turned on in many companies, or worse: turned off on server, on on client …
• EXTMGR_ADDINS = (not just) Local Virus Scanners
Disable Notes „plugins“ like Norton or McAfee – they increase Network traffic by 200 – 250%!
Connection documents
Locations
• Mail-/Homeserver, path to mailfile (Alarming!)
• Catalogserver (otherwise Homeserver)
 Catalog.nsf on Home- or Catalogserver …


AusLUG2012

The catalog.nsf problem …
... or „the Asian connection“

User in Cairns

Sends Doc|DB-Link to user in Melbourne

Unfortunately, the user in Melbourne does
not open the database from onsite server
but from the one in Cairns

... er even Albany *ouch*


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More of what makes a Notes Client PERFORM slow (or badly/wrong)
The 95+5% problem ...
or why Managers often don‘t like IBM Lotus Notes as much as they could / should

90-95% work „somehow“
• Training, Helpdesk, IT skilled end users, ...
• Still huge Potential for cost savings (e.g. 80% less helpdesk calls)

The remaining 5-10%, however, require 75+% of all subsequent efforts (manual / individual)
• E.g. sending a Notes 8 upgrade package to all clients 
fixing all „problem“-clients requires 75% of the entire project time & efforts

NOTE: Virtually 100% of all VIPs are part of the „5-10%“
 High frustration on Management-Level
 High willingness to Migrate
(away from Notes; not originally to another product!)


AusLUG2012

Agenda
Coming up next …

Who am I? … and about panagenda

Basics
• A summary of what a Notes 8 client comes with

Under the Hood
• What makes a Notes client START slow (and what makes it faster)

• What makes a Notes client PERFORM slow (and again faster)

• Deep Diving

• A peek under the hood of Client / Server interaction


AusLUG2012

Widly unknown²
How to speed up your Notes client for daily working – for Admins/Developers only!

• Search for the file jvm.properties underneath [LotusNotesProgramDir]frameworkrcp
 Open it in a text editor
• First line to look for is: vmarg.Xmx=-Xmx256m
• Change it to e.g. vmarg.Xmx=-Xmx1024m (Maximum is ½ of physical memory; do NOT change it to more than
1024m irregardless of how much memory you have)

• Change vmarg.Xms=-Xms48m to ¼ of what you changed Xmx to;
e.g. is you changed vmarg.Xmx to -Xmx1024m then use
vmarg.Xms=-Xms256m

• NOT recommended for production / normal end users; for admins & developers only!


AusLUG2012

Deep Diving: Client Clocking

CLIENT_CLOCK=1
CONSOLE_LOG_ENABLED=1
Debug_Outfile=c:debug.txt

Debug_Console=1

;DEBUG_TCP_ALL=1 (use only if needed)

Fileserver/local disk Performance Debugging is a pain / not possible, really;
(try DEBUGGINGWCTENABLED=16386 in Notes >= 8.5)


AusLUG2012

Client Clock=1 leads to a debug file of the following format:

NOTE: Take a look at Notes RPC Parser on OpenNTF
Also, see http://www.domiclipse.com/domiclipse/web.nsf/d6plinks/FRUX-7L5ULC

AusLUG2012

What happens when you delete cache.ndk (for just 1 database!)

After deleting Cache.ndk Keeping / NOT deleting Cache.ndk

100 users =
150 MB vs. 3.7 MB
(2,5%; -97,5%; +4000%)

1000 users =
1.5 GB vs. 37 MB

Excluding Fileservers!

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Adding to Client Clocking ...

Network Latency has major impact
on perceived client performance
for users that (try to) work
on serverside databases!


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Latency times and their meaning for end users
Response times turn into painful delivery times:

• „# RPC Calls *
(Latency Up +
Latency Down)

• 30 Calls *
(60 + 60) =
3.600 ms!


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Summary

• Configurability and connectivity are both a
– if not the – major strength and weakness of LN/D

• Weaknesses can be cured with Knowledge and Tools

• The < the knowledge, the more important the tool(s)
•  don‘t just reinstall
•  don‘t give up
•  if you fight for the Notes client,
it will pay you back with much more than just email (*hint*)
• Every symptom has a root cause – cure the root cause, not just symptoms!


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Timeout

Spending 60 minutes
on Performance Improvements
can be compared to
a walk on the tip of the iceberg –
we have worked on
a MANY more business cases
and solved a MANY more problems
than those mentioned just now.

If your problem was not mentioned in this session –
be it a Client, Server, Design, Admin
or other challenge:
we would love to hear from you.


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Sponsor Break – Sneak Peek during Social Evening
http://panagenda.com/giftoftransparency

• Efficient Client-Analysis is impossible without additional tooling

• FREE 4 weeks license of panagenda GreenLight – our server
monitoring and reporting solution – includes Database Analyzer for 1
year for one of your servers

• FREE one year license of panagenda MarvelClient Analyze
• The results speak for themselves on „just“ the clientside
• The results can also be used together with GreenLight

• For groups and databases, wie also have GroupExplorer and
DatabaseExplorer
• Whether we may help you is up to you


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Thank you for listening – Questions? Answers!

Q&A
Client, Server and Application monitoring and optimization done right!
includes „Meet the 30 most important Domino server statistics“
Friday 8:30-9:30 am, Room „Console“


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Contact me – I look forward to hearing from you!

panagenda GmbH

Doblhoffgasse 7 / 6a :: 1010 Vienna :: Austria
Web: http://www.panagenda.com
Email: office@panagenda.com
Fax: +43 1 89 012 89 – 15


AusLug2012 - A performance boost for your notes client

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