IBM Domino Database Scanner & Analysis Tool

Completely Automated and Blistering Fast

NDDM – Notes Domino Application Scan and Analysis Solution

NDDM, short for ‘Notes Domino Decommissioning Method’, has been designed to help you understand the scope and magnitude of your IBM Domino database scan an migration project. We optimized NDDM database scanner during many Domino decommission projects we conducted over the past decade. Some highlights of NDDM are:

    • Years of Notes IBM Domino database and application scanning experience incorporated
    • Fully Automated Scan and Analysis 
    • Catered for large Domino Environments
    • Automatic placement of all Notes databases in buckets:
        1. Replace – Notes database is actively in use (content modified)
        2. Archive – Notes database content not modified, only read
        3. Delete – Notes database is not used at all
    • Extra functions
        1. Send out Questionnaire emails to top 5 users for example
        2. Notes application ACL close/read-only
        3. Notes application design string scan
        4. Determine Notes db for author and reader fields details
        5. Determine top 5 users in past x months to be used in the NDDM email survey tool
        6. Integrated with Pipeliner for batch Notes db archiving to SharePoint

 

Lialis NDDM will result in a reduced replace and archive scope – hence saving cost

The Fundamentals of the IBM Domino database scanner

The image below shows how NDDM scans the Notes Domino application server to gain IBM Notes Domino application insights.
For accurate Domino server migration scan results its important to exclude all non end users from the Notes database User Activity scan.

IBM Domino Database Scanner user activity scan

 

Analyzing the HCL Notes database scan details

The IBM Domino Scanner and Notes database User Activity and Content Scan will generate a lot of details. The final step is an automated analysis by NDDM based on algorithms of the User Activity and Content resulting in a very accurate advise on how the Notes database is really used. In other words the advised decommission Target (‘Replace’, ‘Delete’ or ‘Archive’).

IBM Domino Database Scanner target calculation

Since all scan tasks are carried out in parallel by all Domino servers NDDM is blistering fast.

 

Scan and Analysis steps

It’s simple– just kick off the process, sit back and wait for the results to come in

 

NDDM Demo

Interested in a short demonstration of IBM Domino Database scanner? Please click the video below.

You may download an evaluation version of NDDM here.

 

Feature list NDDM

This section explains in more detail the various components of IBM Domino Database Scanner associated with some screenshots.

1. User Activity Scan

The Notes Database User Activity Scan result is displayed below. NDDM allows excluding of certain names like Domino servers and Domino administrators from the scan, so you only get real end users in your output. In addition it gives you the option to scan top x users from a specific date to determine the usage in the last year for example. A bandwidth of one year is in our experience a good starting point for your analysis.

IBM Domino Database Scanner Notes database user activity analysed

2. Content Scan

The Notes database Content Scan reports when the last Notes Document has been created and modified. It also shows the Notes Forms used sorted on date used range. In addition, it supplies details on the parent child structure (response docs). This info is handy in the actual Domino migration phase for example because some platforms don’t support this function.

IBM Domino Database Scanner content scan

3. Find Notes databases design strings

NDDM holds a function to scan Notes database designs for certain design strings like “@SEND” or “.Sendto”. In combination with the content Memo form fields scan SendTo and CopyTo addresses found, its easy to identify the active Notes applications that send out emails with links to Notes applications. This comes in handy for example if you wish to do an e-mail migration impact analysis.

 

4. Deep Notes document link scan

NDDM carries out a deep Notes document link scan to determine which Notes document links are stored in the Notes database and where they link to.

Having an overview of these links is important later on in your project when certain Notes content must be moved to another platform.

5. Design element scan

IBM Domino Database Scanner design scan

This data can be used to combine Notes databases with similar design elements into groups. This will eventually reduce the replace and archive effort.

6. Target Calculation

Getting all this info out of your Notes databases is great but it still needs to be analyzed. To avoid a lot of manual work NDDM has a built-in target calculation algorithm function that automatically does most of the analysis work for you. In a matter of minutes NDDM classifies all your Notes databases in 3 decommission buckets: Replace, Archive or Delete.

If NDDM finds Notes replicas across multiple Domino servers the NDDM target algorithm logically assigns the Notes database replica with the most User Activity to the HUB role.

Apart from the automatic Scan and Analysis functions there are more NDDM features that allow you to run your Domino decommission project more efficiently. Such as:

7. Excel Export

With one mouse click you can export all scan and analysis details to Excel for further analysis. This is to ensure you haven’t missed anything and allows you to enrich the data generated automatically by NDDM. As always there are exceptions to the rules and algorithms applied, therefore we offer this Excel export option.

8. Change ACL in batch and revert

NDDM has an in-built function to batch-wise change the Notes database access (ACL) for end users (no access or read-only) and to easily revert the access changes made.

This is for example useful to find out if databases are really not used or only read (if users don’t complain that they no longer have the required access you can safely assume your target assignment is correct).

9. Survey and questionnaire tool for end user communication

Involvement of the Notes database users is important in your project to get buy-in. Once the decommission targets are clear you can optionally use the in-built questionnaire mailing tool to reach out to the top x recent users of a Notes database with targeted questions. This way you can verify the calculated target and adjust it when needed. Please see a sample mail questionnaire below:

The link in the email above links to the NDDM Database record document with the questions you have configured.

When end users open NDDM they will see a limited user interface with only the questionnaires assign to him or her.

 

NDDM Views and batch operations

Please find below images of all NDDM views and buttons for batch operations

 

Scanning Speed

Each HCL Domino server only scans the Notes databases that are in its disks. So The Domino server only scans himself. A Domino server can scan its own local Notes databases at very high speed. NDDM will instruct all Domino servers to scan itself, so scanning happens in parallel, each Domino server scanning itself. This way of scanning large amounts of data is many thousands times fast compared with a client based scan tool where a PC is scanning the Domino servers.

How to install, configure and use NDDM?

Please visit the NDDM help page for a detailed instructions how to install, configure and use NDDM in your Lotus Domino environment.

Doing a proper scan and analysis of your Domino estate is a challenging but crucial step. It simply allows you to reduce your Domino migration effort and saves you a lot of headaches in your project.

We can deliver you the NDDM solution and instruct you how to use it. If desired, we can also support you from start to finish to ensure a perfect analysis result.

Conclusion

In any IBM Notes and Domino server migration decommission project its crucial to gain a good understanding of the migration scope before you start. This will save you a lot of headaches and avoids unnecessary allocation of a large budget and project team. This is exactly why we offer NDDM.

NDDM allows you to automate the Notes Domino migration scan and analysis process. The algorithms, that are based on our vast experience, classify your Notes estate into clear categories which you can verify and adjust in Excel if you want. The built-in e-mail function and templates are handy to reach out to your end users; keeping them informed and providing them an opportunity to speak up in case they have a different purpose for their Notes database(s).

The going in position is always to migrate as little as possible since this is the most complex part in any Notes decommissioning project. With migrate we primarily refer to those Domino applications that need a new working solution on another platform (e.g. SharePoint). The NDDM output gives you the required insight to reduce the migration scope in a secured manner.

Once you have identified your achieve and migrate targets we can assist you in the actual Notes archiving and migration project (e.g. to SharePoint) using different tools and a proven approach.

Surely, NDDM takes a certain investment up front. However, eventually it will save you lots of effort, money and frustration in your project. Remember the saying; “don’t be penny wise and pound foolish”.

Interested to learn more? Please hit this contact button.

We hope to speak to you soon.