Lesson 1: The Connector for Lotus Notes

The Connector for Lotus Notes, as its name implies, lets you connect an Exchange organization to a Domino/Notes network. Lotus Notes releases 3 and 4 and Lotus Domino releases 4.5, 4.6, and 5 are supported. The connector is based on the Exchange Development Kit (EDK) and requires a Lotus Notes client, release 4 or 5, to access a Lotus Notes or Domino server. A license from Lotus Development is required to use the client software.

This lesson outlines the basic features of the Connector for Lotus Notes as well as its dependencies. It addresses its components and explains how to configure messaging connectivity between Lotus Domino/Notes and Exchange 2000 Server.


At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Identify the main components of the Connector for Lotus Notes.
  • Prepare a Lotus Domino/Notes R5 environment for the Connector for Lotus Notes.
  • Configure and use the Connector for Lotus Notes.

Estimated time to complete this lesson: 120 minutes


Connector for Lotus Notes Overview

You can deploy the Connector for Lotus Notes on one or many Exchange 2000 servers to connect your organization to a Domino/Notes network. A particular server can run exactly one Connector instance to directly service one Domino server, which in turn may forward messages from Exchange users to other servers in the Domino/Notes environment. In other words, you can implement dedicated bridgehead servers to support an entire organization (see Figure 28.1). The concept of bridgehead servers is discussed in Chapter 16, "Message Routing Administration."

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Figure 28.1 Deploying the Connector for Lotus Notes

Connector Installation

You can install the Connector for Lotus Notes using Exchange 2000 Server Setup. On the Component Selection wizard screen, under Action for the Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes component, make sure you select Install. If you want to add the Connector to an existing Exchange 2000 Server organization, permissions of an Exchange Administrator are required in the administrative group where the target routing group exists. You also need the permissions of a local Administrator on the computer where you want to install the Connector. If possible, log on with an Enterprise Admin account. You can read more about the installation of Exchange 2000 Server in Chapter 5, "Installing Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server."

Application Programming Interfaces

The Connector for Lotus Notes must be able to retrieve and convert messages from Exchange 2000 Server as well as from Lotus Domino/Notes. On the Exchange side, this EDK-based connector relies on the Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), much as the Connector for Lotus cc:Mail does. On the Lotus Domino side, however, a direct server API is not used. Instead, the Connector uses the Notes client API. The disadvantage of this approach is that the Connector requires that a Lotus Notes client be installed on the connector server.

NOTE


For Lotus Domino/Notes R5, you need to install the Lotus Domino Administrator program on the server, which includes the Lotus Notes client.

Lotus Domino/Notes Dependencies

Before you configure the Connector for Lotus Notes, you must configure the Notes client on the connector server to access a Domino server. You must configure a special Notes ID (hereafter called a Connector ID) that has permissions to access Notes databases. Lotus Domino/Notes maintains databases for all kinds of information, including the address book and message queues.

NOTE


Do not include the Connector ID in directory synchronization. If required, edit the connector's Person document, and set the Foreign Directory Sync Allowed option to No, as demonstrated later.

EXCHANGE.BOX and EXCHANGE.BAD

In addition to the Connector ID, you must create and configure several databases. The Connector for Lotus Notes requires a connector database, known as gateway mail file, which should be created before configuring the foreign domain document for your Exchange 2000 Server organization. It is a good idea to name this file EXCHANGE.BOX. The EXCHANGE.BOX database is used to queue outbound messages to Exchange 2000 Server, and the MAIL.BOX database receives messages destined for Lotus Notes. MAIL.BOX is the Domino server's mail router mailbox. The connector also uses an EXCHANGE.BAD database for corrupted messages that cannot be processed.

Although the Connector for Lotus Notes is able to create the EXCHANGE.BOX and EXCHANGE.BAD databases automatically when accessing the Domino server for the first time, it is advisable to create at least the important EXCHANGE.BOX database manually to ensure that the configuration matches the requirements.

Directory Synchronization

For synchronization of address book information between Exchange 2000 Server and Lotus Domino/Notes, the Connector requires access to source and target name and address book files, such as NAMES.NSF, referred to as Domino Directory (see Figure 28.2). The Connector for Lotus Notes provides several ways to synchronize directories, which will be explained in Lesson 2.

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Figure 28.2 Connector for Lotus Notes architecture

The Connector for Lotus Notes requires the following access permissions in Lotus Domino/Notes:

  • Domino Directory. The Connector ID requires Editor access with Delete Documents privileges on the target name and address book. For the source address book, Reader access is sufficient.
  • EXCHANGE.BOX and EXCHANGE.BAD. The Connector ID requires Manager access with Delete Documents privileges on these databases.
  • MAIL.BOX. The Connector ID requires explicit Depositor access. Even though the default access for router mailboxes is Depositor, implicit Depositor access is not sufficient for proper connector operation.

Optionally, you need to add the Connector ID to the Administrators list in the Server document of the Connector's partner Domino server if you want the Connector to handle Notes database compaction. Furthermore, you may want to grant the Connector ID Reader access to the databases in the Domino/Notes environment if you want to support Notes Doclinks, as explained in Tables 28.1 and 28.2.

Message Conversion

The Connector for Lotus Notes must convert outbound messages into Notes format. Conversely, the Connector must convert content and recipient information into Exchange format for inbound messages. Most message attributes are mapped between both systems. The connector supports read receipts, delivery receipts, and nondelivery reports (NDRs), as well as message options, such as importance levels (low, normal, high). Some specific features, however, such as Notes Doclinks, require special treatment because they are not supported in Microsoft Outlook 2000.

Table 28.1 lists the characteristics of message conversion from Exchange 2000 Server to Lotus Domino/Notes, and Table 28.2 provides the same information for message conversion from Lotus Domino/Notes to Exchange 2000 Server.

Table 28.1 Message Conversion from Exchange 2000 Server to Lotus Notes

Object in Exchange MessageObject in Lotus Domino/Notes Message
Regular attachment, position identified by icon An icon positioned as in an Exchange message.
Object linking and embedding (OLE) Lotus Notes LinksTranslated back to Lotus Notes Doclinks if theconnector has Reader access to the document associated with the Doclink.
Exchange embedded messagesConverted to a regular attachment in rich text format (RTF), identified by an icon. Embedded messages in embedded messages and attachments in those messages are not supported.
Exchange message links Converted to OLE attachments and identified by an icon.
OLE object OLE attachment identified by an icon, as in the original message.
Regular attachment, position identified by icon An icon positioned as in an Exchange message.
Lotus Notes DoclinksDepending on connector configuration, Doclinks are converted to:
  • An attachment in rich text format (RTF), identified by an icon. The Connector must have Reader access to the associated document.
  • An OLE document link. Connector and recipient must have Reader access to the associated document.
  • A URL, identified by a URL shortcut.The recipient can launch a Web browser to access the database to which the link points.
OLE object OLE attachment identified by an icon, as in the original message.

Components of the Connector for Lotus Notes

The Connector for Lotus Notes consists of various essential elements, such as message queues in the Information Store, and a Windows 2000 service called Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes, which depends on yet another service called Microsoft Exchange Connectivity Controller. Both services will be installed as part of the Connector setup. As does every gateway connector, the Connector for Lotus Notes comes with address generators and details templates. The Notes client must also be listed as an essential Connector component.

In the Registry, settings for the Connector for Lotus Notes are maintained in the following location:

 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE      \SYSTEM           \CurrentControlSet                \Services                     \LME-NOTES 

TIP


The Connector for Lotus Notes service is set to manual startup by default. It is a good idea to change this to automatic using the Services snap-in from the Administrative Tools program group.

Message Queues

The Connector for Lotus Notes uses message queues in the Information Store, just as any EDK-based gateway connector does (see Figure 28.2). As usual, the message queues are labeled MTS-OUT for outbound messages and MTS-IN for inbound messages. Additional queues named BADMAIL, READYIN, and READYOUT also exist for configured connectors. They are required for message processing through the connector's worker processes.

Information Store message queues are not polled. The Information Store notifies the Connector service if messages have been placed in the MTS-OUT folder. Conversely, the Connector initiates communication with the Information Store if inbound messages must be placed in the MTS-IN queue. The Domino server, on the other hand, is polled periodically according to the Connector's polling interval setting. The default polling interval is 15 seconds.

Active Connector Components

The main executable (.exe) of the Connector for Lotus Notes service is called DISPATCH.EXE. However, this executable file does not perform the actual work. As its name implies, it dispatches the various tasks of message transfer and directory synchronization to other processes based on the settings from an EXCHCONN.INI file. EXCHCONN.INI will be created automatically as part of the connector installation and configuration. The actual worker components involved in information handling are MEXNTS, MEXOUT, NTSMEX, MEXIN, DXAMEX, and DXANOTES, which are implemented in separate executables and dynamic-link libraries that reside in the \Program Files\Exchsrvr\Bin directory.

The six active connector processes and their relationships are as follows:

  • MEXOUT (LSMEXOUT.EXE) obtains outbound messages from the MTS-OUT queue, looks up Active Directory to replace target recipient information with corresponding Lotus Notes addresses, and places the messages into the READYOUT folder. From there, MEXNTS (LSMEXNTS.EXE) obtains the messages and converts them from Exchange to Notes format before it writes them into MAIL.BOX on the Domino server.
  • NTSMEX (LSNTSMEX.EXE) downloads messages from EXCHANGE.BOX, converts them to Exchange format, and places them into the READYIN folder in the Information Store. MEXIN (LSMEXIN.EXE) obtains these converted messages from there, verifies the validity of the recipients, and places the messages into the MTS-IN queue.
  • DXANOTES (DXANOTES.DLL) is the process that checks the Domino Directory for address updates. This component also transfers Exchange address information changes into Domino/Notes. DXAMEX (DXAMEX.DLL), on the other hand, is the process that performs the same tasks on Active Directory. The general directory synchronization agent (LSDXA.EXE) controls both DXANOTES and DXAMEX.

Connector Directory

When you examine the \Program Files\Exchsrvr directory on the Connector server, you can find a \Conndata directory with further subdirectories. These subdirectories contain control files used during directory synchronization. Control files are schema definition files and mapping rule files, which determine how attributes in one directory are mapped to the other directory.

The most important control files and their purposes are as follows:

  • AMAP.TBL. In the \Dxamex subdirectory, it defines the Exchange mailbox attributes to be synchronized.
  • AMAP.TBL. In the \Dxanotes subdirectory, it defines the Lotus Notes attributes to be synchronized.
  • MAPMEX.TBL. In the \Dxanotes subdirectory, it determines the attribute mapping from Exchange 2000 Server to Lotus Notes.
  • MAPNOTES.TBL. In the \Dxamex subdirectory, it determines the attribute mapping from Lotus Notes to Exchange 2000 Server.

You can customize these control files in Notepad to change the attribute mapping. Stop the connector services before editing these files to ensure that the directory synchronization is not active. More information about directory attribute mappings is available in the Exchange 2000 Server product documentation.

Configuration Objects in Exchange System Manager

When you install the Connector for Lotus Notes, a configuration object will be created in the configuration naming partition of Active Directory. In Exchange System Manager, you can find a corresponding object for the Connector under <Organization Name>/Administrative Groups/<Administrative Group Name>/Routing Groups/<Routing Group Name>/Connectors. Underneath this Connector object in turn is the Queues container, which provides access to the MTS-IN and MTS-OUT message queues of the Connector.

The Message Transfer Agent (MTA) receives outbound messages to Lotus Notes from the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) routing engine and transfers inbound messages to the routing engine for further delivery. Consequently, the MTA needs to maintain an internal message queue for the Connector for Lotus Notes in addition. You can view this queue in Exchange System Manager, provided that the Connector for Lotus Notes service is started. Open the <Organization Name>/Administrative Groups/<Administrative Group Name>/Servers/<Server Name>/Protocols/X.400/Queues container, such as Blue Sky Airlines (Exchange)/Administrative Groups/First Administrative Group/Servers/BLUESKY-SRV1/Protocols/X.400/Queues, and verify that a queue for the Connector for Lotus Notes exists. Message queues are covered in Chapter 20, "Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Maintenance and Troubleshooting."

Exchange Connectivity Administrator

The Connector for Lotus Notes comes with an Exchange Connectivity Administrator program (LSADMIN.EXE) that allows you to examine the state of the individual connector processes (that is, MEXNTS, MEXOUT, and so forth). The Connectivity Administrator provides valuable features for tracing connector activities. Make sure that the Microsoft Exchange Connectivity Controller and Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes service are started, and then launch this utility directly from the \Program Files\Exchsrvr\Bin directory. You can read more about this utility later in this lesson.

Configuring the Lotus Domino Server

The preparation of the Connector's Domino server is perhaps the most complex task during configuration. If you plan to connect to Domino/Notes R5, make sure you have installed Lotus Domino Administrator on the Exchange 2000 server. As outlined earlier, the Connector requires this software, and you can use it to check the Connector prerequisites outlined earlier.

Creating a Lotus Notes ID for the Connector

To access a Lotus Domino server, the Connector for Lotus Notes requires a certified Notes ID file. In other words, you must create a Person document for the Connector in the Domino Directory. Specifying no password for the Connector simplifies the configuration but introduces a security risk on the Domino/Notes side. Take appropriate steps to secure the Connector ID file to prevent unauthorized access to the Connector's private security keys. If such configuration is inappropriate, you can define a password and specify it later in the Connector's configuration (in the Notes .ini file settings in the General tab). In an isolated test environment, it is certainly safe to go without a password.

NOTE


To create a Connector ID, you must be a Domino/Notes administrator with the UserCreator role or Editor access in the Domino Directory. Keep in mind that each user ID requires a software license.

To create the Connector ID file (it is assumed that you have installed Lotus Domino/Notes R5 on the Exchange 2000 server)

  1. Launch the Lotus Domino Administrator program from the Lotus Applications program group, and enter your administrator password. If a Welcome To Domino Administrator R5 screen is displayed, click Close This Page. In the Administration window, make sure your Domino/Notes domain's address book is displayed (for example, Bluesky-inc-10's Address Book).
  2. In the Administration window, make sure you are in the People & Groups tab. Click the People button to open its shortcut menu, and then select the Register command. Enter the certifier password for your domain, which was created during the initial configuration of Lotus Domino, and then confirm all dialog boxes until you reach the Register Person—New Entry dialog box.
  3. In the Register Person —New Entry dialog box, select the Advanced check box, and then click Registration Server to select the Connector's Domino server (if the local server is not the one you want to work with).
  4. Under First Name, specify a name (such as LME-NOTES) and define a Last Name for the connector as well (such as BLUESKY-SRV1). Verify that the Password Quality Scale is set to Password Is Optional (0).
  5. Click on the Mail icon, and then, from the Mail System list box, select None (see Figure 28.3).

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    Figure 28.3 Creating the Connector ID

  6. Click on the ID Info icon. If needed, you can select a different certifier by clicking the Certifier ID button. The Security Type can be North American (for highest security) or International (for medium security). In the Certificate Expiration Date box, you can change the expiration date of the Connector ID.

    NOTE


    A Connector ID file created with the North American security type cannot be used on a computer with international settings.

  7. Clear the In Domino Directory check box to prevent the storage of the Connector ID in the public address book. You must select the In File option to save the Connector ID file to disk (for example, A:\EXCHANGE.ID). Although it is possible to save the Connector ID to the hard disk, you should save it to a floppy because the file must be accessible to the server that will run the Notes Connector. If you want to specify a different location or filename, click the Set ID File button under the In File option.
  8. Click the Add Person button first, and then click Register to complete the process of creating the Connector ID. In the Domino Administrator dialog box informing you that the person was registered successfully, click OK.
  9. In the Register Person dialog box, click Done. Press F9 to refresh the view. Verify that the Connector's Person document is listed (for example, BLUESKY-SRV1, LME-NOTES).

NOTE


During user ID configuration, when you click on the Other icon, you can create a new Windows 2000 account for each new user ID. This is not required for the Connector for Lotus Notes.

Updating the Connector's Person Document

The Person document identifies the Connector for Lotus Notes as a valid Notes user. It lets the Connector access Domino/Notes databases to perform message transfer and directory synchronization. As mentioned previously, the Connector's Person document must not be replicated to downstream Lotus Domino/Notes domains or synchronized with the Exchange 2000 Server directory because the Connector is not an actual user.

To update the connector's Person document using Lotus Domino Administrator

  1. In the Administration window, in the People & Groups tab under People, double-click the Connector's Person document to open the LME-NOTES BLUESKY-SRV1/Bluesky-inc-10 document. (The title of this dialog box might be different if you have used different names.)
  2. From the Actions menu, select the Edit Person command. After that, in the Person document, click on the Administration tab, and then set the Foreign Directory Sync Allowed option to No (see Figure 28.4).

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    Figure 28.4 Updating the Connector's Person document

  3. Click the button next to the Notes Client License field, and then, in the Select Keywords dialog box, check the Lotus Notes Desktop entry. Click OK.
  4. Click Save And Close. If prompted, provide your administrator password to complete the operation.

Configuring the Router Mailbox for Connector Access

As mentioned earlier, MAIL.BOX is used to place outgoing messages from Exchange 2000 Server into the Connector's Domino server. Consequently, the Connector for Lotus Notes requires explicit Depositor access to place items in this database, even though the default access for router mailboxes is Depositor. You must have Manager access to administer the access control list (ACL) of MAIL.BOX.

To assign the Connector Depositor access using Lotus Notes Administrator

  1. Open the File menu, point to Database, and then select the Open command to display the Open Database dialog box.
  2. If Local is not the server you want, select the Connector's server under Server (such as Bluesky-srv1/Bluesky-inc-10). Type MAIL.BOX in the Filename box, and then click Open (see Figure 28.5).

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    Figure 28.5 Configuring the router mailbox for Connector access

  3. Open the File menu one more time, point to Database, and then click Access Control. Click Add, and, in the Add User dialog box, click the button next to Person, Server, Or Group.
  4. In the Names dialog box, in the upper left list box, make sure your domain's address book is selected (for example, Bluesky-inc-10's Address Book), then select the Connector ID (for example, BLUESKY-SRV1, LME-NOTES). Click Add, and then click OK.
  5. Make sure that the Connector ID is selected in the Access Control List dialog box, and verify that Depositor is listed in the Access box (see Figure 28.5). Click OK.

Creating Connector Databases

It is now time to create the mail database for the Connector using the Lotus Domino Administrator program. It is best to name it EXCHANGE.BOX. If you would like to use a different name, do not forget to configure the Connector in Exchange System Manager accordingly. The purpose of EXCHANGE.BOX was covered earlier in this lesson; the Connector configuration is discussed later.

To create the EXCHANGE.BOX database in Lotus Notes Administrator

  1. From the File menu, point to Database, and then select the New command. This will display the New Database dialog box.
  2. Select the Connector's Lotus Domino server under Server if Local is not the Connector's server, and then type a descriptive name in the Title box (such as Outgoing Mail to Exchange 2000 Server).
  3. Most important, under File Name, you must change the name of the database file to EXCHANGE.BOX (see Figure 28.6).

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    Figure 28.6 Creating an outgoing mail queue to Exchange 2000 Server

  4. Select the Show Advanced Templates check box, and then select the Mail Router Mailbox (R5) entry (MAILBOX.NTF) in the list of available templates underneath the Template Server button. Click OK.
  5. The About Outgoing Mail to Exchange 2000 Server—Design document appears. At this point, you need to grant the Connector ID Manager with Delete Documents permissions—basically, the Connector needs all available permissions for EXCHANGE.BOX (see Figure 28.6). You can manage the ACL in a way similar to that described for the MAIL.BOX database.

NOTE


In addition to EXCHANGE.BOX, you may create and configure a database called EXCHANGE.BAD to allow the Connector for Lotus Notes to archive corrupted messages that could not be processed. However, the Connector for Lotus Notes is able to create databases automatically.

Registering Exchange 2000 Server as a Foreign Domain

Within Lotus Domino/Notes, an Exchange 2000 Server organization is treated as a foreign domain. This means you must maintain a foreign domain document in the Domino Directory.

To create the foreign domain document for Exchange 2000 Server using Lotus Notes Administrator

  1. In the toolbar of the Domino Administrator window, click Administration to display the Administration window, then select the Connector's Person document (for example, BLUESKY-SRV1, LME-NOTES) from your domain's address book.
  2. Open the Create menu, point to Server, and then select Domain to open a new Domain document.
  3. Under Domain Type, make sure Foreign Domain is specified, and then, under Foreign Domain Name, define a name for your Exchange 2000 Server organization (it is best to use the name Exchange, as shown in Figure 28.7). Optionally, you can supply a Domain Description to detail the nature of this foreign domain.
  4. Click on the Mail Information tab. Type the fully distinguished name of your Lotus Domino/Notes server in the Gateway Server Name box (for example, Bluesky-srv1/Bluesky-inc-10), and then, under Gateway Mail File Name, type EXCHANGE.BOX (see Figure 28.7).

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    Figure 28.7 Registering Exchange 2000 Server as a foreign domain

  5. Click Save And Close to create the foreign domain document.

You can set additional parameters under Administration and Restrictions. Those settings might be important for your Lotus Domino/Notes organization, but they are not essential for the operation of the Connector for Lotus Notes.

NOTE


Incorrect settings in the foreign domain document can prevent Domino/Notes from routing messages to the outgoing Exchange database (EXCHANGE.BOX). For test purposes, use the Notes client to send a test message to testuser@Exchange, and then open the EXCHANGE.BOX database to verify that the message was routed to it correctly. Do not read messages in EXCHANGE.BOX. The connector does not process read messages, which would consequently remain in the message queue.

Granting Access to the Domino Directory

To support directory synchronization, the Connector for Lotus Notes requires special access to the Domino Directory.

To support directory synchronizations from the Lotus Notes Administrator program

  1. Make sure the Administration window is displayed.
  2. Click People, and then open the File menu, point to Database, and select Access Control.
  3. Assign the Connector ID an access level of Editor with the right to Delete Documents using steps similar to those outlined earlier for the MAIL.BOX database (see Figure 28.8).

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    Figure 28.8 Granting access to the Domino Directory

Performing Routine Maintenance

It is advantageous to allow the Connector for Lotus Notes to compact database files because they become fragmented as messages are created and deleted in the EXCHANGE.BOX database. To allow the Connector to run the compaction utility automatically, add the Connector ID to the list of Administrators in the Connector's Server document. You can do this when you display the Administration window in Lotus Domino Administrator.

To add the Connector ID to the list of Administrators in the Server document

  1. Select the Connector's Person document, open the View menu, point to Server, and then select the Other command to display the Other dialog box, where you can select the Server/Servers entry. Click OK to switch to the list of Lotus Domino servers in your network.
  2. Double-click the name of the Connector's server to open the associated server document.
  3. Open the Actions menu, and select the Edit Server command to switch the document into edit mode (alternatively, you might just double-click on a document field).
  4. Click on the Administration tab, and add the Connector ID to the list of Administrators (see Figure 28.9) by clicking the small button next to the Administrators field, which displays the Names dialog box (where you can double-click the Connector ID and click OK).

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    Figure 28.9 Adding the Connector ID to the list of administrators in the server document

  5. In the Lotus Domino Administrator program, click Save And Close to save the changes.

Assigning Permissions for Regular Databases

The Lotus Notes environment is now ready for the Connector for Lotus Notes. It might be advantageous to allow the Connector Reader access to Notes databases if the security policy of your organization allows you to do so. Otherwise, the Connector cannot convert Notes Doclinks to .rtf attachments or OLE documents. These kinds of attachments will contain only an error message. The steps for granting the Connector Reader access are the same as those for granting it Depositor permissions for the MAIL.BOX database.

NOTE


If it is not feasible to grant the Connector ID Reader access to Notes databases, convert Doclinks to URLs instead of .rtf attachments or OLE documents.

Configuring the Lotus Notes Client

Now that you have prepared the Domino/Notes environment, you can finalize the configuration in respect to the Connector's Notes client. It is a very good idea to check whether you can log on to the desired Domino server using the Connector ID file. Provided that you worked with the Lotus Domino Administrator program on the Connector server, close all Notes client applications, and then launch Lotus Notes from the Lotus Applications program group. Enter the administrator password if prompted, and then open the File menu, point to Tools, and select the Switch ID command. In the Choose User ID To Switch To dialog box, select the Connector ID file created earlier, click OK, and verify that you are logged on successfully by opening the address book, for example. Close the Notes client.

IMPORTANT


The Lotus Notes client uses a NOTES.INI file that must point to the Connector ID file being used (KeyFilename parameter). This file is typically in the \Lotus\Notes directory. To avoid connector problems, do not select another user ID on the Connector server through the Switch ID command.

System Path Configuration

It is vital to include the Notes client directory in the system search path on the Connector server. You can do this using System from the Control Panel. Click on the Advanced tab, click Environment Variables, and then, under System Variables, double-click the Path entry. Append the Notes client directory path to the search path separated by a semicolon (for example, ;C:\Lotus\Notes), and then click OK three times to close all dialog boxes. Close the Control Panel, and reboot the server to make the system aware of the search path modification. Otherwise, you will not be able to start the Connector for Lotus Notes service successfully using the Services snap-in.

IMPORTANT


Do not simply copy the NNOTES.DLL from the \Lotus\Notes directory to \Winnt\System32. Although the Connector service will start, the system will not function properly. A glance at the state of the Connector processes in the Exchange Connectivity Administrator will indicate that the LME-NOTES-DXANOTES, LME-NOTES-MEXNTS, and LME-NOTES-NTSMEX processes have problems initializing the Notes interface. Without these processes, there can be no message transfer or directory synchronization. To solve this problem, you must stop the Connector for Lotus Notes one more time, move NNOTES.DLL from the \Winnt\System32 directory back to the \Lotus\Notes directory, add this directory to the system search path, and then reboot the computer.

Configuring the Connector for Lotus Notes

Compared to the preparation of the Lotus Domino/Notes environment, the actual Connector configuration is very straightforward. In Exchange System Manager, right-click the Connector's configuration object under <Organization Name>/Administrative Groups/<Administrative Group Name>/Routing Groups/<Routing Group Name>/Connectors (for example, Blue Sky Airlines/Administrative Groups/First Administrative Group/Routing Groups/First Routing Group/Connectors), and then select Properties. You need only provide the fully qualified name of the connector's Domino server and specify the correct Notes INI File Location (and Password) in the General tab via the Modify button. Click on the Address Space tab to define a NOTES address space in the form of *@* (see Figure 28.10). You also need to activate the NOTES proxy address generation in a recipient policy to assign your Exchange users valid address information. Make sure that the Domino server is available, start the Connector for Lotus Notes service, and you are ready to exchange messages.

The Connector for Lotus Notes tabs and their purposes are as follows:

  • Address Space. To define message routing information for this Connector and determine the Connector's scope (that is, Exchange Organization or Routing Group). You can read more about address spaces in Chapter 16, "Message Routing Administration."
  • Advanced. To specify the name of the Notes Router Mailbox (if it is not MAIL.BOX), set a Notes Letterhead to format text and graphics at the top of messages that are sent to Notes users, determine the Delivery Order (Priority, FIFO, Size), configure automatic maintenance of Lotus Notes databases, identify Routable Domains in Lotus Domino/Notes that can be reached through this connector, and restrict outbound message sizes. In many cases, organizations will find a delivery order according to priority or FIFO (first in/first out) appropriate.

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    Figure 28.10 A minimal Connector for Lotus Notes configuration

  • Delivery Restrictions. To specify users and groups that are allowed or denied message transfer through this connector to Lotus Domino/Notes.
  • Details. To provide an Administrative Note for informational purposes.
  • Dirsync Options. To set the frequency of directory synchronization, specify source and target address books in Lotus Domino/Notes, and to trigger manual address updates.
  • Export Containers. To specify the organizational units (OUs) as recipients containers that you want to export to the Domino Directory, and to determine whether to export contact objects and groups.
  • General. To specify the fully qualified name of the Connector's Domino server, identify the Notes INI File Location and Connector Mailbox (default, EXCHANGE.BOX), set the polling interval, determine the Notes Server Language, and define how to handle Notes Doclinks.
  • Import Container. To specify an OU in Active Directory where recipient objects should be created for Notes users in the Domino Directory, and to determine the type of recipient objects to create if Notes users do not have Windows 2000 accounts. You can read more about the configuration of export and import OUs in Lesson 2.
  • Security. To specify users and groups that are allowed or denied administrative control over this Connector to Lotus Notes. (This property sheet is only available if you have set the ShowSecurityPage Registry key, as outlined in Exercise 2 of Chapter 5, "Installing Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server.")

Examining Connector Processes

You can use the Exchange Connectivity Administrator to verify whether the connector processes are operating properly. Double-click the Process Manager reference in the Overview window. All connector processes should be listed in the Process Manager window in idle state.

For further details, check the application event log using Event Viewer. It may be a good idea to increase the level of event logging for the Connector for Lotus Notes beforehand to obtain the most detailed information. In Exchange System Manager, display the properties of the Exchange 2000 Server object (such as BLUESKY-SRV1), switch to the Diagnostics Logging property sheet, select the LME-NOTES entry, and then set the desired logging level for all categories (None, Minimum, Medium, or Maximum). When you are confident that your Connector operates correctly, decrease the level for all categories to None to avoid unnecessary entries in the event log. With a diagnostics logging level of None, only critical events are traced. The application event log is briefly discussed in Chapter 12, "Management Tools for Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server."

Testing E-Mail Connectivity

Operational Connector processes are a positive indicator that the Connector configuration is okay. To ensure that the message routing really works, send test messages from Lotus Notes to Exchange 2000 Server and vice versa. Use your new NOTES proxy address to specify an Exchange recipient in Lotus Notes, for instance Administrator/First Administrative Group/Blue Sky Airlines@Exchange. To find your proxy address, launch Active Directory Users and Computers, and display the E-Mail Addresses tab for your account.

In the Lotus Notes client, check to see if the message has been delivered to the EXCHANGE.BOX database on the File menu, under the Database option, by selecting the Open command. Once the message is received in Outlook 2000, reply to it, and verify that the reply is received in the Lotus Notes client. It is a golden rule of successful Connector administration that message paths should be tested in both directions.

Lotus Notes Proxy Address Generation

Lotus Notes users see Exchange users as recipients in just another Domino/Notes domain, as identified by the foreign domain created for the Connector. By default, all Exchange users reside in one huge foreign domain called Exchange. As usual, the Recipient Update Service generates the proxy addresses for each mailbox- and mail-enabled account automatically, using a proxy address generator, as soon as the address type is activated in a recipient policy. The Notes proxy address generator is NTSPXGEN.DLL, which can be found in the \Program Files\Exchsrvr\Address\Notes\i386 directory. The recipient policies and the Recipient Update Service are covered in detail in Chapter 13, "Creating and Managing Recipients."

Placeholders in Address Generation Rules

The default format for NOTES proxy addresses is <Display Name>/<Administrative Group Name>/<Organization Name>@Exchange (for example, Carl Titmouse/First Administrative Group/Blue Sky Airlines@Exchange). That is a huge address that is difficult to handle. If possible, customize the NOTES proxy address generation. In Exchange System Manager, open the Recipients container, select Recipients Policies, and then open the desired policy (such as Default Policy). Click on the E-Mail Addresses tab. Double-click the address entry next to NOTES to customize the address generation rule. For instance, remove the reference to the administrative group from the address definition, thus creating addresses in the form <Display Name>/<Organization Name>@Exchange (for example, Carl Titmouse/Blue Sky Airlines@Exchange). Keep in mind that user addresses must be unique in their names space, in this case the organization Blue Sky Airlines, also known as the foreign domain Exchange.

You can use the following placeholders to customize the NOTES address generation (they differ from SMTP, MSMAIL, CCMAIL, and X.400 addresses in that & is used instead of %):

  • &d    The user's display name
  • &g    The user's given name
  • &i    The user's middle initials
  • &m    The mailbox alias
  • &s    The user's last name (surname)

NOTE


If you enable directory synchronization and then examine e-mail address information in Active Directory Users and Computers, you may find secondary proxy addresses assigned to Notes recipient objects that refer to globally unique identifiers (GUIDs). These GUIDs are used to identify synchronized recipients. You should not delete these secondary NOTES addresses.

Implementing Multiple Connector Instances

You can configure multiple recipient policies to generate NOTES addresses according to different formats. For example, you may assign Carl Titmouse the address Carl Titmouse/Blue Sky Airlines@E2KEastCoast, while the Administrator may have the address Administrator/Blue Sky Airlines@E2KWestCoast. This corresponds to an Exchange 2000 Server organization with two foreign domains. Correspondingly, you need to create two foreign domain documents in Lotus Domino/Notes—one for E2KEastCoast and one for E2KWestCoast. You can point both to the same EXCHANGE.BOX database or to separate databases of different connectors. In this way, multiple connector instances can share the message traffic to Exchange 2000 Server.

NOTE


When implementing multiple connector instances, carefully design the directory synchronization topology to avoid the creation of duplicate address information.

Configuring Downstream Domains

Just as an Exchange 2000 Server organization can have multiple administrative groups, a Lotus Domino/Notes network can have multiple domains. Those domains may transfer messages indirectly to the Exchange 2000 Server organization through another domain in which the Connector's Domino server resides. These Domino/Notes domains are called downstream domains. A particular connector will allow all users in all domains to communicate with each Exchange user, but additional configuration is required to support message transfer in the opposite direction. You must identify downstream domains in the Advanced tab of the connector object. Click the Add button under Routable Domains, and type the domain in the Add Routable Domains dialog box. You can identify Domino/Notes domains that are referenced in Connection, Foreign Domain, and Nonadjacent Domain documents. Make sure you exclude those foreign domains created for Exchange 2000 Server. Beyond that, correct address space information must be assigned to the Connector for Lotus Notes to allow for proper message routing.



MCSE Training Kit Exam 70-224(c) Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Implementation and Administration
MCSE Training Kit Exam 70-224(c) Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Implementation and Administration
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2001
Pages: 186

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