Thursday Tips - Sametime Installations Gone Awry?

I recently inherited a failed Sametime Complete 9.0 Installation that was stuck on the proxy server.

This would be the 3rd time in the last 2 years I have had the same exact circumstance.

Thank you all for bringing these to me. The commonality in each case was a reliance on the Zero to Hero 900+ slide deck. While it is a great guide to follow, especially if internally you need screen shot by screen shot directions, it lacks a few things that are kind of important.

It makes it very clear everything is on one server, if anyone read the slides, this is not very feasible for the average installation.Why is this an issue? Websphere needs to be installed on each machine but is not mentioned anywhere. SSO is not mentioned. Creating the services, and dependencies for those services is only partially mentioned.Naming everything sametime.org.com is not going to work either.

There are many more items to consider and think about, in short, if you don't know enough about what is missing, don't start down this path.

So for those getting stuck along the way, and have yet to call me for help, here are some pieces of information which may help you along the way. None of this is new but sometimes you just need a bunch of help all in one place.

I will presume you know enough to download any updates from IBM's Fix Central, how to install Websphere and the Installation manager and all the other components. If not, call me.

In no particular order:
SSO import, export of the LTPA token to/from Websphere and the Community Server details can be found here.

Keep in mind the token name must be syntax correct and the same name used throughout the process.
You may want some more details from this post:

When you need to create the Domino SSO Configuration, use this guide.

You can have multiple Domino SSO Configuration documents, just name them differently.

We needed to do this in 2 of the 3 cases because we used the same Domino domain for Community servers and :LDAP servers. This is one case where creating a new OU inside your domain may help you, check with your trusted advisor.

Need to create a Windows Service, and Dependencies so on startup it loads all the WAS and server items properly? You need the sc.exe command tool .

The syntax is not fun, and be very careful with the CAPS letters and lower case ones as any diffrences will not let this work, see this for a massive example.

Here is an example of how I did a few. You start at the bin directory (I used a D Drive) and then enter the text starting with "sc config " after the ">" remember long names and spaces in between words need the quotation marks:

Proxy Server itself and has a dependency of starting AFTER the local nodeagent:

D:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\profiles\con-stproSTPPNProfile1\bin>

sc config "IBMWAS

85Service - STProxyServer" depend= "IBMWAS85Service - con-stproSTPPNProfile1_nod
eagent"

 For the Sametime System Console (SSC) the Nodeagent has to start AFTER the Deployment Manager

sc config "IBMWAS
85Service - STConsoleServer_NA" depend= "IBM WebSphere Application Server V8.5 - STConsoleServer_DM"

If you need to remember the order of starting and stopping the Websphere Sametime Servers read this note.

Lastly, document that installation using my excel spreadsheet which you can get from this post of mine.

IBM Sametime 9 Installation Spreadsheet

Better late than never, I have posted here a spreadsheet for installation of Sametime 9, similar to my IBM Connections 4.5 installation spreadsheet.

I took this IBM Sametime Wiki page provided and broke it down by topics (WAS, DB2, MUX, Media Manager, etc).

For those that need, that is, should be, documenting your installation details, hopefully this helps make your life easier.

You can download my spreadsheet from the link below:
Sametime 9 Installation Spreadsheet for Documentation

Oct 2016 Edit: Some DNS issues on my server, so if the original link does not work, use this one:

Hope it makes your lives easier.

Quickr 8.5 for Websphere Portal Cluster Install doc

I have been on site all week at a client that was a little out of my depth. Sure Quickr is one thing, clustered Websphere Network Deployment (WAS ND for those in the know) with Network Deployment Manager on top of it is another story.

Most of our clients run Quickr Domino or J2EE usually in a stand alone situation.

How hard could it be to cluster it and get it all together? Right?

Let me just say building servers or clusters in a group is not easy, especially when I have no access to the outside world and am not the one doing the work. I was advising and translating IBM speak to the clients. But watched the team build a server, which we did pretty well considering we did not have this document that I found eventually.

Clustering IBM Lotus Quickr 8.5 for WebSphere Portal: An end-to-end Guide
By: Jeff Johnson, WebSphere Portal Customer Enablement Team
IBM Collaboration Solutions, IBM Software Group
Durham, NC US from February 2011

We had all types of issues, from server outages, forced updates during what I consider normal working hours(meaning before 8pm), oops I rebooted the server moments...in the middle of editing key parts and thus corrupting the install, servers being shut down by IT support without warning, IP/DNS issues, blocked ports on the servers themselves and well, not one of my better efforts including being unable to tether my netbook to my cell phone.

But this document really does a great job and following it will provide you to your ending.

Keep in mind when the installation says this will take a few minutes, it means 15-30 and the whole process can take hours to complete not including customizations and other configurations, just letting you know in case you ever need to do this for yourself or a client.

8.5.1 Install Times Vary, You are Warned

You have been warned.

If you follow me and other Lotus people on twitter you would have caught some feedback on installation times.

As I posted my servers get updated in under 5 minutes.

Not so fast for clients.

My laptop(haven't done the netbook yet) which runs Vista and has 3GB RAM took over 45 minutes or close to an hour to update. This with anti-virus and everything else turned off. Others online saw this as well and no matter 32 or 64 bit.

In contrast my XP machines(of over 5 years of processing power from the earliest tot he newest) took no more than 20 minutes. Others online again saw this too.

Still 15 minutes more than ANY install of ANY software that is NOT an Operating System should take, IMHO.

Years ago we used to do some installs of other vendors products which would take 30-90 minutes but that was 486 processor power for you.

What is the problem now? Did QA not test against Vista machines perhaps?

In any event, for those who do client installs/upgrades (and hopefully we all are doing many over the next few weeks, months) this should help you gauge some time and billing in a practical way.

And if you use the installer and customize it, check on the latest details, Andy says it's changed a bit:

InstallShieldTuner for Lotus Notes 8.5.1 - pwned. Look for document updates. A few changes, but I like em.

Hopefully he will post an update on it before I sit down and do it again.

Sametime on a Blackberry Installation Docs

I recently edited a manual, well more a guide, for those who were lost or troubled by the Sametime on a Blackberry client.
Most of the doucment is culled from RIM and IBM support with my edits and additions were applicable along qith key information about versions of clients for which BES versions.

Note this is for the Sametime client from RIM itself. NOT the Lotus Mobile Sametime client.

For those interested in the document or wanting to download it, we will ask for your name, so you are forewarned! I'd like to see the interest for future ideas or topics for papers.
Make sure you say you heard about it from my blog or Twitter or PlanetLotus or whatever makes sense. Maybe this will become a Lotusphere case study if I have enough replies.

Go here to get it.
http://www.rprwyatt.com/st4bb

OK, some of you might be lazy or need incentives, so this is what is inside:

BlackBerry® Client for IBM® Lotus® Sametime® v2.0/2.1 - New Features
Requirements for using the BlackBerry Enterprise Instant Messaging for IBM Lotus Sametime
How to deploy BlackBerry Instant Messaging for IBM Lotus Sametime Clients
Procedure
For BES software version 4.1 Service Pack 3 and earlier
Task 1 - Create a Network Path
Task 2 - Make Applications Available
Task 3 - Create a Software Configuration for IBM Lotus Sametime
Task 4 - Assign the Software Configuration through a USB Cable
Task 5 - Assign the Software Configuration Wirelessly
Pushing Applications to one User at a Time (4.1.5 and newer)
Miscellaneous Information about Setup/Install
Error 302 appears when logging into BlackBerry Instant Messaging for IBM Lotus Sametime
BlackBerry Enterprise Server IP address not trusted by Sametime Server
BlackBerry Instant Messaging Icon is Missing
BlackBerry Instant Messaging for IBM Lotus Sametime cannot be Pushed Wirelessly to Newer BlackBerry Smartphone Models
BlackBerry Enterprise Instant Messaging Client and Server Compatibility by Version of Client and BES Server

Enjoy!