Friday, February 10, 2012

Sametime Classic Installation for iPads

This post is about how to enable iPad, iPhone and Android users to CHAT within your classic Sametime environment. This means for those that held off to go to WAS(more on Websphere in a minute) and stayed on Domino and have kept up to date with Sametime, they now face the "why can't my iPad connect to Sametime" discussion.

There are some excellent posts and slidedecks about installing ST from Zero to Hero from Frank start here and Gotcha's from Gab and of course various LUG and Lotusphere presentations. But little on  this topic.

You need to be running the Sametime Proxy Server for these devices to connect. No problem, download the file, run it and done....right? Not exactly in our case.

As it turns out, the requirements are a little more detailed. You need the following:
an instance of DB2 running (a limited use version for Sametime is available for Download)
The Sametime System Console to be installed as well
Sametime Proxy server
And check your Firewall ports to the Proxy Server (IBM Technote f# 1097949 for ST Ports is here)
And make sure you enabled all the clients to connect to Sametime, see this IBM Technote #1114318.

So here is a quick and simple guide:
 PRESTEPS: Download the 8.5.2 ST files you need, then download the 8.5.2IF1 files because these are what enable the iPad/iPhone etc. to work with Sametime.
1) Install DB2 first, make sure when prompted for the db2admin password you keep it to NO MORE THAN 8 CHARACTERS!
2) Now you need to create the STSC database. You do this by opening a command prompt with the runas db2admin login and password. (Note if you get an error message that says "the directory name is invalid" change the properties for your command prompt icon to %windir% instead of what is shown more details from MS on this here.) Change directories to the location of the extracted files for the System Console ZIP file. Under this directory \SametimeSystemConsole\DatabaseScripts\SystemConsole you will find the batch file you need to run by typing this command:
createSCDb.bat STSC db2admin
And wait for the completed successfully messages before moving on.
3) Next install the System Console make sure when prompted for the wasadmin password you keep it to NO MORE THAN 8 CHARACTERS! By the way, THIS is where WAS gets installed. So now you have an in to the customer for the rest of ST hopefully.
4) Install the Proxy Server. Note at the Install Packages Features screen which asks if you want to install the Proxy Server, UNCHECK the use Lotus Sametime System Console to install.
5) Use Sametime installed WAS on the next screen.
6) The next screen asks for your WASADMIN login.
7) The following screen asks for your Sametime server, your Domino Sametime server FQDN.
8) It is now installing the proxy server
9) While this is going on, go to your Domino configuration file, stconfig.nsf on the Sametime Domino server and make sure to add the IP address of the Proxy Server to the Trusted IP Addresses list under the section marked Community Connectivity per this IBM Technote #1287327 which also discusses opening it up to any servers. Reboot the Domino Sametime server after making this change.
10) Check the services on Windows if you want the IBM Websphere ones to start automatically. Otherwise you will have to start them manually every time.
11) Once done, reboot it all.

Download the Sametime mobile apps to your Android, iPhone or iPad.

Configuration is server name of the proxy server
Port by default is 9080 but in my case it was 9081. If you reinstall and don't clean up enough registry entries I guess it just adds a number. You may also want to try 9082,9083,9084, etc.
 Normal login and password.
If the client does not connect, send yourself the log file from the device in email, or read it on your device and check for error messages.

Done....enjoy chatting. Meetings are only if you do the full WAS stack.

The funny thing is we could load it all on one box now so most likely they will want meetings on their iPad and we will create a new installation.


6 comments:

  1. You don't need to deploy the SSC and hence DB2 if you don't want to. It make administration slightly more difficult but it is possible.

    http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/stwiki.nsf/dx/Installing_Lotus_Sametime_8.5.1_servers_without_using_deployment_plans

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ben, That is what I expected too. But had some issues on the configuration, which may have been the client site. This set up worked but I did prefer to only load the Proxy server it just was not very happy for some reason.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Keith. We only use the embedded ST in mail per our Entitlement. I've upgraded my Domino server to 8.5.3 and am going to upgrade ST from 8.5.1 to 8.5.2 soon.

    When I unzip the IBM ST Entry Community Server 8.5.2, is there any need for me to install the ST Console? Or do I just run demo32 to upgrade my current version?

    Thanks,

    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  4. Demo32 if I recall is all I did for this client at the time. And get IF1 too.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I followed the zero to hero install for Sametime 8.5.2.
    I have the proxy and meeting server installed on the same box.
    We did a port redirect in websphere so I can go to http://meeting.domain.com and it goes to the meeting server, and http://ichat.domain.com and I can log into the proxy chat with a browser. However I can't log into the sametime chat application on my iphone. I am confused at the ports I should use from the iphone? and do I need to add ichat.domain.com/stwebclient/iphone_index.jsp in the host server setting?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Brian,
    when I did the install, Websphere told me during the install what port to use. This is very important, though they never tell you this.
    That's why I included this bit:
    Configuration is server name of the proxy server
    Port by default is 9080 but in my case it was 9081. If you reinstall and don't clean up enough registry entries I guess it just adds a number. You may also want to try 9082,9083,9084, etc.

    Also did you add all clients in the Sametime config or is it open?

    I don't believe you need to add the line you asked about either.

    also i saw a new updated Sametime client, for android was posted in the last few days, get the latest one. Usual testing of telnet ports and such should let you know if it is a firewall or device/server side issue.

    Most likely it is a port issue.

    ReplyDelete