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Notes Domino Considerations

Transend can migrate Notes Domino email data whether the Notes mail file is stored on the local workstation or if the Notes account is on a Domino message server.

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Requirements

Notes email client: A 32-bit Notes email client is recommended and must be installed on all migration machines. For the best calendar data fidelity, we recommend Notes client v9.0.1 FP 8 or higher. The Notes client should be installed as a single user install “only for me” into its default location, or setup as a stand-alone client (if you do not need to use an ID file and password). The Notes client must be closed when using Transend Migration Console or the verification of credentials and migration will fail.

Important:

  • Transend supports migrations with a single-user Notes client installation, and does not support migration with multi-user Notes client installations.

  • If you only have a 64-bit Notes client installed, the following Custom Option enables 64-bit client support.

Notes ID file & password: You can use an Admin ID file and password to migrate your entire user base without requiring end-users’ ID file and password. If the NSF file is protected, the ID file, account name, and password will be required to access the NSF file. If the NSF file is accessed via a live Domino server then you will need the account information in order to access it. If the NSF file is taken from the Domino server and placed onto the local workstation you can bypass the need for an ID file. Normally, the NSF file is only protected when it is accessed through a Domino server or if the user elects to protect the file.

Message encryption: If messages are encrypted the user’s ID file and password are required. Encrypted messages will not migrate with an Admin ID file and password.

Data File: The data file is identified by the .NSF extension and the mail NSF file is based upon the Mail template.

Enable contacts sync – When migrating from Notes Domino, it’s recommended you sync local names.nsf conatcts into the mail files in Domino. Otherwise, contacts won’t migrate. This can be done under File > Preferences > Contacts.

Authentication

You can use an Admin ID file and password to migrate unencrypted data without requiring end-users’ ID file and password. Encrypted data can only be migrated when using each end user’s ID file and password.

If connecting to a Domino Server then set it up as an active client and provide the ID file and password for the account you are migrating.

If your Notes account or NSF file is password protected then enter the password for the account or file. If you are using a different ID file then you may need to specify the password and ID file associate with the Notes account or NSF file. Here is the syntax and example of how to declare the password and ID file in the Notes Password field of Transend Migration Console:

Syntax: < password >;< PathAndIdFile >
Example: mypassword;c:\migrate\jelway.id

The Logon screen for Notes Domino asks for the Notes User Name, Mail Database, and Password. The default values for the Notes User Name are as follows:

CN=John Elway/O=Broncos

Where CN = the Notes User Name
Where /O = the Notes or Domino Server Name

The mail database is normally the name of the NSF file assigned to the user. For example, if the user’s mail alias is jelway the mail database name would be jelway.nsf.

If migrating from a Domino server you can enter the full pathname to the NSF file or enter the default server path of Mail\jelway.nsf.

Passwords

Under normal circumstances, Notes will prompt the user with a password dialog whenever a database or account is opened. Transend Migration Console will intercept this prompt and supply the password you typed into the password box. In order for this interception to work, you must add one of the following statements into your notes.ini file. The Notes.ini file should be located inside the Notes installation directory.

extmgr_addins=tmnt6.dll
extmgr_addins=tmnts.dll (for Notes versions prior to version 6)

Disable Prompt for Password
Configure the Notes Client on each machine to not prompt for a password.

  1. Open the Notes Client
  2. Click File > Security > User Security
  3. Check to enable “Don”t prompt for a password from other Notes based programs”
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Notes Encrypted Documents

To migrate a user’s encrypted documents/messages (with native Notes message encryption) you will need to perform the migration using each user’s Notes user ID and password. Alternatively, you will need to decrypt the mail database prior to migration. Depending on the size of your migration, Transend may be able to customize a local tool to support encrypted messages. This local tool would contain a simplified user interface that allows encrypted messages to be migrated with the click of only a few buttons.

Read/Unread Marks

To migrate a Notes user’s read/unread marks, use the user’s Notes ID and password or the admin Notes ID and password. The Domino Admin account must have Manager > Person Explicit ACL access to migrate the read/unread marks. This can be set on all mail databases from the Domino Admin Client or individually by opening the mail database and adding the Admin Notes User to the ACL.
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Embedded Objects Summary

Most embedded objects are migrated from Notes Domino.

An embedded object is an object created by another application, such as Word, Excel, or a graphic, and inserted into the body of an email body. Rather than copying and pasting, the embedded object is usually inserted as an OLE object. See your Notes help file for more information about embedded objects.

Embedded Objects Exceptions
After migration, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets will open but the worksheet won’t display unless you unhide the spreadsheet. To do this, open up spreadsheet and select “Window | Unhide.”

Embedded graphics might appear in Black and White instead of color. This is because Notes embeds the graphic object as a “rich text” field. At this time, graphic objects inserted this way will migrate in Black and White.

NSF Buffer Pool Size

When migrating from a Notes source, the default NSF buffer pool size is usually too small to support processing multiple concurrent threads per machine. To improve performance, add the following line to the NOTES.INI file on each migration machine:

NSF_BUFFER_POOL_SIZE_MB=80

RFC-822 (MIME) format

When transfering email data from Domino/Notes into messages in RFC-822 (MIME) format, the below Advanced Option will add the X-Notes-Item information to the message header. This would include Microsft 365 and Google Workspace targets.

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