Migration: Lotus Notes Domino to MOSS 2007

Benefits of Migrating from Lotus Notes to MOSS

• Reduces the need for Custom Software Development
 
• Being an end user tool will need fewer custom development resources compared to Lotus Notes.
• Reduces the development effort typical information sharing, collaboration, search and forms applications by at least 50%.
 
• Enterprise wide adoption could potentially lead to cost savings
 
• 80% solution for Content Management, Document Management, Reporting, and Collaboration for the Enterprise.
• Reduces cost of licensing for more expensive platforms like Business Objects, Documentum, FileNet, among others
 
• Improves collaboration nationwide including overseas and outside entities
 
• SharePoint being a web based platform – allows for easier collaboration and integration with nationwide and overseas resources.
• Allows for the traditional “network drives” and email to be replaced with better sharing, versioning and document control functionality.
• Faster response times for users from any location due to web based architecture.
 
• Reduces support and dependency on Notes client with a web based platform
 
• Uses Web technologies, XML and Web Services
 
• The only Microsoft product that provides the integration and collaboration features with Outlook, Active Directory and Microsoft Office
 
• Lotus Notes migration into MOSS -Approach

Technical Details

Supported versions:

• Lotus Notes 6.5/7
• MOSS 2007

Lotus Notes Application Components

• Uses Lotus Notes version 6/7.
• Recently migrated email messaging to Microsoft Exchange/Outlook platform
• Next step is to migrate Lotus Notes applications to the Microsoft Office SharePoint Server -MOSS 2007
• Thousands of Lotus Notes applications
• Multiple databases use Standard Lotus Notes templates for:
• Discussion
• Mail
• Logs
• Documents Sharing
• Different custom templates
• Different databases also implement workflow functionality
• Some does not use any template
• Initial scope of the project may be to select 100-150 databases for conversion to MOSS 2007
 
• MOSS –Architecture

MOSS Architecture Components relevant to the Applications are:

• Libraries (unstructured information) and Lists (Structured/Data)
• Libraries support folders and versioning
• Lists can be standard (tasks, calendar) or custom (business entities)
• Communication
• Announcements. Discussions
• Workflow
• To manage life-cycle of an item
• Driven through business rules
• User Roles based
• Feature Framework
• Packaging of SharePoint Elements into Business Process Functions
 
• Events Processing
• Changes, Addition, Removal of List items, schema changes

MOSS equivalent of an Application (Lotus Notes Database) is a Site

• Site contains all of the above SharePoint Elements
• Centralized Site Columns collection defines all entities for the Sites Collection

SharePoint Applications – Recommended Pattern Application Workspace

• Lists, Site Columns, Document Libraries, Static Content

Custom Forms

• ASP.NET web-pages designed for better presentation and Customer branded look and feel (Master pages and CSS)
• Web-parts for common business objects and functions – reusable in other applications
• Workflows configured for within and cross-application tasks orchestration

Site Columns for common data definition and records storage

• Develop data relationships for within and cross-site lookups
• Reference data can be managed using standard list forms – saves time and cost.

Views – to view lists ordered according to the business function
Dashboards – to aggregate Status from multiple sources Event Handlers for business processes
Security – using SharePoint Roles based security integrated with Active Directory

• Modernizing Application Infrastructure