This is a short version of the migration manual focused only on migrating Notes databases to SQL.
Please refer to the extended version of the manual here if things are unclear.

Domino server

It is highly recommended to install a new dedicated Domino R12 server on Windows and replicate the Notes databases that need to be migrated to SQL to this new server. Make sure to configure push-only replication to the SQL migration Domino server so that the source Notes databases always remain safe and cannot be altered by the SQL migration server.

Do not run the SQL Server on the same machine as the Domino server.

Make sure the Domino server has below Notes.ini settings present:

HTTPJVMMAXHEAPSIZE=256M
HTTPJVMMAXHEAPSIZESET=1

Make sure your Notes client has this Notes.ini setting: JavaMaxHeapSize=512mb.

Store a copy of the Notes2SQL software (LNXtract.nsf) on the Domino server. The file name and Notes db title is not relevant, but we suggest to remove the version details from the file name and database title).

For document locking please make sure the Domino server holding LNExtract.nsf is listed as Administration server (Master Lock Server) in the ACL.

Subsequently, sign it with the Domino server or Notes Admin ID and set the ACL properly (Domino server and Domino admin must have manager access with delete and the role Admin attached).

The Notes2SQL conversion agent needs at least “Sign or run restricted LotusScript/Java agents” access on the Domino server. Therefore the Notes2SQL NSF must be signed with a Notes ID that has this access.

The agent may run for a long time depending on the size of the database that you convert. We advise to have the “Max LotusScript/Java execution time” set it to 240 minutes.

Setting the Agent Manager to 5 concurrent agents (with running 90% busy before delay) is sufficient to run 4 parallel migrations to SQL. In our experience, increasing this number further may cause issues.

Configuration of the Notes2SQL software

The application cockpit is displayed in the image below. If you don’t see this please check the Notes database properties and make sure the launch is set to Open designated Frameset: Frameset.

Select General Settings to configure the SQL server connections.

Conversion Type: Set it to SQL

Export Folder: A folder on the Domino server, not used when migrating to SQL

Grace Period: Set it to 3

Overwrite Deletions: Set it to yes

Map All Fields: Set it to Yes

Map All to Text: 

Disabled (recommended): Notes fields are mapped to appropriate SQL data types (e.g. DateTime → datetime, Number → numeric types). Enabled: All fields are migrated as text columns, regardless of their original Notes data type. Use this option only if strict typing causes issues or if the target system requires text-only storage. Rich text fields are not affected by this setting.

Debug: Disable it

Daily status email: leave blank

SQL Server Settings: 

To connect to SQL Server, the following information is required: SQL Server IP address or DNS name. Login credentials of a user with SQL database administration privileges. The tooling uses these credentials to create databases, tables, and indexes during the migration. When the test connection does not give an error the connection is working, if you get an error the connection to the SQL server is not working.

Enable migration agent

Then click the big red button to start the IBM Domino conversion background agent for the conversion of the Notes content to SQL. After clicking, the button will turn to green.

The agents are now signed with your Notes ID, so its advisable to sign the Lialis Notes to SQL db again with the Domino server ID. In Domino admin client right click on the Notes app and choose sign, then choose active server ID. Then AdminP will do the signing and if you are in a hurry you can issue Domino command tell adminp process all.

Notes database migration to SQL

Analyze the Notes data

Please click Add Notes Application to choose the Notes NSF file you wish to convert to SQL.

Then select the Notes database and press Start Application Analysis. The Domino server will automatically take care of the Notes to SQL migration duties.

The Domino server will now execute the tasks. Please wait approximately 10 minutes for results.

SQL Database creation

You complete the analyse preparations when the status changes to “Fields mapped” with task changes to None. This basically means that the Notes2SQL field mappings for all forms in the Notes database are in place.

Please open the Notes database record for details and review the information in the tabs “Analyses” and “Mapping Logs” for any errors. Continue only if no errors are found.

Handling Notes Forms with Large Numbers of Fields

Lialis includes a built-in function to help identify situations where Notes forms contain too many fields or too much data to fit into a single SQL table. Always check and click Actions → Split Tables (make sure the Notes db is selected).

The result of Split Tables is displayed below, 2 new Notes db records where added to the Lialis tooling (items 2 and 3 in the list).

If no new Notes database entries appear after running the function, this means that none of the forms contain too many fields.

Now only the records with comment values “00” and “01” should be migrated to SQL, not the original item that existed before the split operation.

SQL Initialisation

The next step is to click Start SQL Initialisation to create an empty SQL database containing all required tables and columns. In case of split Notes forms, perform this action only for items with comment values “00”, “01”, and, if applicable, higher numbered items as well.

After a few minutes an empty SQL database has been created by the Domino server as you can see below.

Check the SQL initialization log here for errors before you continue with the content migration.

SQL Data Migration – initial migration run

Click Start conversion to send the Notes content to the SQL database. The Domino server will execute this action.

Depending on the total number of Notes documents to be migrated to SQL, the Domino server will execute the migration in batches and ensure that the maximum Domino server agent runtime is not exceeded.

For very large Notes databases you may therefore see a “To” date that is far in the past. In the following runs you will see that the “To” date gradually moves closer to the present date. Simply let the process run until the migration is completed.

The “Size” value indicates the number of documents the agent plans to migrate in that batch, and the “Current” value shows how many documents have already been processed compared to the planned size. After a completion of a certain batch the agent will start again after 5 minutes, so you can simply let it run.

SQL Data Migration – updates

Each item in the migration software includes a scheduling option. The schedule settings below are only used for the migration of daily updates to the SQL database.

The scheduling functionality is very useful for controlling the migration of updates and free up Domino server resources. Some Notes databases only require updates to be migrated to SQL once a week, for example during the weekend. Other Notes databases may be very important to the project, requiring updates to be migrated to SQL shortly after the source Domino server has replicated the latest Notes database changes to the SQL migration Domino server.

You only have 4 time slots available for configuration. If you only need the migration to run once per day, you must enter the same time in all 4 fields, for example 06:00.

If you want the migration to run twice per day, you can for example enter three times 06:00 and once 12:00, or twice 06:00 and twice 12:00. Both configurations will produce the same result.