The Domino server (and a majority of the Lotus Software products) are easy to install. Generally, all it takes is to launch the installation executable and answer a few questions (e.g., where to install the product, what type of install will it be, etc...). Afterwards, there are some more questions as to how to properly configure the product (e.g., what are some of the basic parameters for it to work properly). Once this is done, the product in question will generally do what it is supposed to do and provide the services it is meant to provide.
But that's only part of the story. If it were the whole story, there would be the "Meet the Developers" lab and that would be it.
Thing is, the products are not islands in of themselves and they need to interact with the rest of the infrastructure, such as the operating system, network, etc... So the devil is indeed in the details. It may be necessary to further tweak the product to make it work within some constraints (e.g., memory, disk space, processing capabilities of the machine, etc...) or to work with other components (e.g., Single Sign-On, smartcards, third-party products, etc...).
The installation is part of the deployment. The tweaking of the product is generally done as part of the need that exists for interoperability. Tweaking is also further done for the sake of performance, since the product is, by default, meant as a generic install upon a generic platform and it is generally required that parameters be tuned to really take advantage of all the performance offered by the specific platform upon which the product is installed.
This is thus why the Deployment, Performance and Interoperability (DPI) lab is there at Lotusphere and open for its attendees to visit. Once the core developers have provided a specific Lotus Software product, the DPI Lab people are the ones who are there -- as part of their regular functions at Lotus -- to help Lotus customers install products better, make them perform better and make them work with other products better. The lab has people with expertise on many different platforms (Windows, AIX, iOS, zOS, Linux, etc...) and for different Lotus products. They do this year-round as part of work engagements. So, during the Lotusphere week, they've come to the conference to share their knowledge and expertise.
All that's missing is you. See you there. ;o)
Frederic Dahm | 16 January 2008 12:42:26 AM ET | Montreal, QC | Comments (0)
