Overview

With IBM SmartCloud™ Notes (SmartCloud Notes), users in your company can access their SmartCloud Notes mail using the SmartCloud Notes web interface, but they also have the option of using the Lotus Notes client, IMAP client and mobile devices. It is possible for users in your company to access SmartCloud Notes using one, two or all four ways.

Note: Users with the IBM SmartCloud Notes Entry subscription may connect to the IBM SmartCloud Notes service using only SmartCloud Notes web clients. To learn more about the SmartCloud Notes Entry subscription, see IBM SmartCloud Notes Entry offering in the Administration Help topic: What's new in SmartCloud Notes. To learn more about using the SmartCloud Notes service with a mobile device or IMAP client see the following resources:

• Lesson 4: Configuring and administering IBM SmartCloud Traveler for Notes service
• Lesson 5: Configuring and administering IBM SmartCloud Notes for Hosted BlackBerry® Services
• Exercise 2.22: Enabling IMAP Email Access
  
  

This exercise offers guidance for preparing your Lotus Notes client user base for SmartCloud Notes, whether you have existing Notes client users or new Notes client users or both.

This course also offers two exercises that you as company administrator or your end users can use once you have provided them with a Lotus Notes client version supported by SmartCloud Notes. The first exercise below provides steps for a new Lotus Notes client user to install the client for the first time if you have provided an install kit to them. More importantly, the exercise also provides key steps for preparing the Lotus Notes client for configuration with SmartCloud Notes. The second exercise below has the user check the version of their existing Lotus Notes client, and if it is a supported version, it provides the same key steps for preparing the Lotus Notes client for configuration with SmartCloud Notes.

• Exercise 3.3: Installing the Lotus Notes client and preparing it for IBM SmartCloud Notes - New Notes client user
• Exercise 3.4: Preparing the Notes client to access IBM SmartCloud Notes - Existing Notes client user

Objectives

After completing this exercise, you will:

• Cite the versions of Lotus Notes client that are supported by SmartCloud Notes
• Reference several resources that explain various methods for installing or upgrading Lotus Notes client on your users' machines
• Prepare a Lotus Notes client install kit to provide to users
  
  

Glossary

Term	Definition
Install kit	File that contains the code needed to install software
Passport Advantage®	Software download site for Lotus customers

Parent topic: Accessing IBM SmartCloud Notes using web access and the Lotus Notes client
Previous topic: Exercise 3.1: Configuring IBM SmartCloud Notes for web only access
Next topic: Exercise 3.3: Installing the Lotus Notes client and preparing it for IBM SmartCloud Notes - New Notes client user

Procedure A: Planning and requirements

At publish time for this course, SmartCloud Notes supports the Standard Configuration of:

• Lotus Notes 8.5.3.x client
• Lotus Notes 8.5.2.x client
• Lotus Notes 8.5.1 client with Fix Pack 5
  

Refer to IBM SmartCloud Notes client requirements for the most up-to-date information.

Review the following topics to take into account planning considerations and requirements:

• Which version of Notes Client should you use for SmartCloud Notes?
• Comparison of the Lotus Notes client versions supported for SmartCloud Notes
• Lotus Notes clients
  

Procedure B: Reviewing methods of install/upgrade

Whether your users do not yet have the Lotus Notes client installed, or have an installed version of Lotus Notes client that needs to be upgraded to a version supported by SmartCloud Notes, the following resources can be referenced for guidance:

Reference the following documents for information on

• Lotus Domino® 8.5.x Administrator Information Center topic: Planning for Notes client installation and upgrade
• Upgrade Cookbook: Upgrading to Lotus Notes and Domino 8.5.x
• IBM Lotus Notes and Domino 8.5.1: The Upgrader's Guide
• How to set up a Notes client without user intervention using a scriptable setup
• Redpaper: Understanding Lotus Notes Smart Upgrade
• Test Infrastructure: Notes 8.5 Standard client Smart Upgrade

Note: You can also consult with IBM Software Services for Collaboration (ISSC) for guidance.

Procedure C: Distributing the Notes client

A basic method of installing Lotus Notes client on end user machines is for the company administrator to make a Lotus Notes client install kit available to the users, along with instructions for copying the kit to their computers and installing Lotus Notes. Install kits for the Lotus Notes client are located on Passport Advantage. IBM Lotus Sales provides the proper information needed to download the Lotus Notes client install kit.

Install kits for the Standard Configuration of Lotus Notes client are available in these supported platforms:

• Linux™ – RHEL, SLED, Ubuntu, and Ubuntu Desktop
• Mac OS X
• Microsoft™ Windows™ – Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
  

If you choose to provide an install kit to your users or have them manually download it from a network drive, you can also optionally send a communication to the users with instructions for copying the Lotus Notes client install kit to their computers:

1. Ensure that you have downloaded the Lotus Notes client install kit from Passport Advantage. Example of product details for the Lotus Notes 8.5.2 client on Microsoft Windows 7:
   
   
2. Save the install kit to a network location, accessible to those users in the company who are planning to use the Lotus Notes client to access their SmartCloud Notes mail.
3. (Optional) Send a communication similar to this one to users with instructions for copying the Lotus Notes client install kit to their computers: download_the_install_kit.pdf

Test Yourself

Question	Answer
Some users in my company already have the Lotus Notes Client installed on their computers. How can I be sure they have the proper version for accessing SmartCloud Notes?	The required version of the Lotus Notes Client for accessing SmartCloud Notes is 8.5.1 FP5 or 8.5.2.x or 8.5.3.x, Standard Configuration. Users can check what version they are running by selecting Help -> About IBM Lotus Notes. Refer to Exercise 3.4: Preparing the Notes client to access IBM SmartCloud Notes - Existing Notes client user The exercise can be provided to users to check the version of their currently installed client. The exercise also contains instructions for the user to ensure that their supported Notes client is prepared to be configured for accessing their mail file in their SmartCloud Notes subscription, and also maintain the connection to other on-premises Notes databases.
What do I provide to my users who do not have Lotus Notes client installed?	The decision on distributing and installing Lotus Notes client on your users' machines is up to you, the company administrator. Refer to the references in Procedure B: Reviewing methods of install/upgrade above. Once the Lotus Notes client is installed on the user machines, make sure they have their Notes ID (in whatever manner you chose to provide it to them), and have them prepare their Lotus Notes client for configuration with SmartCloud Notes by following the procedure, "Prepare the Lotus Notes client for SmartCloud Notes" in Exercise 3.3: Installing the Lotus Notes client and preparing it for IBM SmartCloud Notes - New Notes client user.