HCL Domino 14.5, Fix your iNotes Redirector for Verse

By now, if you have updated your Domino server and relied on iNotes, you have found that it no longer works.

HCL was clear about this, and there is no workaround, so if you want iNotes and not Verse, better keep a server on 14.0 and point everyone there.

For the rest of us that move forward with the times, we will have seen that logging into the iNotes URL gets you to a pop-up which looks like this:

It states that iNotes is no longer available, and you need to open HCL Verse. If you click on the link, it directs you straight to Verse.

The URL for verse is something like https://companyname.com/verse, and you change your bookmark, but that doesn't work exactly. When you hit that URL, you will get the framework of Verse but this message:

So, you try the manual way, https;//companyname.com/mail/brooks.nsf, and that lets you in, via the 1st pop-up as above..

The next morning, you open your browser, and the /verse URL is not working with the same error about recent contacts.

What is going on here?

iNotes required the iNotes redirector. Well, there is no new redirector, but it did get renamed to Verse redirector(same template name), but it does include some options you probably hadn't considered, and this is how you resolve the problem.

If you haven't changed any settings in a while, now is a great time to update them. The redirector has been updated periodically along the way.

These are the ones to change or review:

Server Settings Button:

Do you wish to force SSL for the entire session? Yes

UI Setup Button:

Your company logo should be there, so your users know it is a legitimate site.

Enable Personal Options: Set to No, they were really about iNotes anyway.

Enable HCL Verse: Yes, you need this now.

Enable SAML options: If you use SAML, enable this option, which displays a secondary option for the Default Mail Application. Select Verse.

When you have finished all your changes, click Save & Exit and then test to ensure everything works properly.

And no more weird error messages about recent contacts.

This tech doc can help those who want more details: https://help.hcl-software.com/verse_onprem/2.0.0/admin/vop_configuring_server.html

Update June 30: I found that I now see this error the next morning.

Googler search shows up this Technote: https://support.hcl-software.com/csm?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0089441

Which leads to this: https://help.hcl-software.com/verse_onprem/3.1/admin/vop_configuring_server.html

Step 19 is what you want.

Which leads to this: https://help.hcl-software.com/domino/12.0.0/admin/secu_creating_the_credential_store_application_on_a_single_domino_server_t.html

In my case, I already had a credstore created, and this new key would not get added to that credstore.

I went back to the original technote, vop_configuring_server, and added a new entry in my domcfg for DWA, but that now redirects me to a different domain on my server, which has TOTP.

Also verified that the 'inotes/verse' tab in the configuration document met the proper configuration as per the document.

As it turns out, my secondary domain was set for SAML instead of single server in my Internet Site document, Domino Web Engine tab. Probably because I was testing something. Changing that back to single server now allows me to log in correctly with https://companyname.com/verse. With my erse redirectpr in place and everything now correct.

iNotes Redirector in Domino 9 Cool Detail

There is a new version on the server. Time to replace the design and upgrade it.

You can find the file by name, iwaredir.ntf, which is called IBM iNotes Redirect.

I had to enable the show in advanced template list for the template for it to come up. 

The first thing I got when replacing the template was this awesome language window!

Very cool, this did not come up when I replaced any other templates yet, so I will presume it is special to this db, but not unique I am sure as the only time. You can set the default here or in the properties box for the db afterwards. 

I wonder if it reads your OS version and defines the language as my tests it only showed up in English. Or does it read the OS language default? I changed browser language and defaults and it didn't pick it up.
Anyone know?

Usual click, ok, let it do it's thing.

Test it all out and go on your way.