Maximizing IBM Notes client to performance doesn't have to be complicated! Reloaded for the latest IBM Notes 9 version (9.0.1 Feature Pack 8), join Chris and find out what can be tuned - and how to resolve it. Learn how to debug your client, deal with outdated ODS, network latency and application performance issues and the measurable benefit that provides to users. Gather best practices on how to streamline location and connection documents and why the catalog.nsf is so important. Improve your IBM Notes client installations to provide a better experience for happier administration and happier end users! As a special bonus, Chris will show you how to increase the startup time of virtualized IBM Notes Clients (Citrix / vmware / etc) up to 75%!

1. # 44
IBM Notes Performance Boost – Reloaded
Christoph Adler

2. Senior Consultant at panagenda
15+ years of IBM (Lotus) solutions experience
Focused on
• IBM Notes Client Management
• Analysis and Optimization of ICS infrastructures
• Cloud onboarding
Good to know
• Lives in Germany
• Frequent traveler
• Wine or beer? Beer!
• Don’t give energy drinks  squirrel mode
Christoph Adler
2 5/31/2017

3. Make Your Data Work for You
3 things before we start ...
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4. 1. Thank you!
Francie Tanner
4 5/31/2017
Florian Vogler Daniel Reimann

5. 2. Notes is not dead – at least until Sept. 2021
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IBM Notes and Domino V9.0.1 extends support and enhances its
collaboration toolset with social capabilities from IBM Connections V5.5
Link:
https://tinyurl.com/NotesIsNotDead

6. 3. Most import :-)
I (still) love Notes.
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7. Make Your Data Work for You
Let‘s start with some numbers
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8. IBM Notes 9.0.1 Fix Pack 8 Interim Fix 1
5/31/2017
~35.000 files (Notes 6/7 | 8/9 Basic used to have ~550) = +6.300%
• 28.600 files in Notes Programframework in 2.700 subdirectories
– 11.200 (largely undocumented) .properties files
– 1.200 .jar files
– 1.300 .html files
• 600 files in Notes Dataworkspace in 250 subdirectories
– 40 (largely undocumented) XML files
– 40 (largely undocumented) .properties files
• Which is
– 35.000 files in 2.950 subdirectories
– 11.280 largely undocumented files
– ... and around 60 NSFs/NTFs
– ... and the good old notes.ini file
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9. IBM Notes 9.0.1 Fix Pack 8 Interim Fix 1 (cont.)
5/31/2017
Add over 80 preference/dialog boxes
• Each dialog has ~15 settings at average
For a total of 1,200+ settings sprayed across
• address book (very few)
• notes.ini (few)
• and XML files (lots)
Plus any plugins, widgets,
add-ons, etc. “you“ or the user
may have added to the Notes
client install
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10. IBM Notes 9.0.1 Fix Pack 8 Interim Fix 1 (cont.)
5/31/201710

11. IBM Notes 9.0.1 Fix Pack 8 Interim Fix 1 (cont.)
5/31/2017
Workspace
(nsf)
Physical nsfs 1, 2, 3, … n
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12. Make Your Data Work for You
What makes the Notes Client
START slow
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13. IBM Notes release
5/31/2017
If you‘re not on at least 9.0.1 yet  9.0.1 is a significant improvement
Software lifecycle of IBM Collaboration Solutions
– http://www-01.ibm.com/software/support/collaboration/lifecycle/
13

14. IBM Notes release (cont.)
5/31/2017
How-to install IBM Notes 9.0.1 Feature Pack 8
1. Uncompress Installation files manually
2. Run the following command to install the Feature Pack:
cmd.exe /c””c:Temp901FP8setup.exe" /s /v"/qn /lime “c:Templogs901FP8.log""
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15. IBM Notes release (cont.)
5/31/2017
How-to install IBM Notes 9.0.1 Feature Pack 8 Interim Fix 1
1. Uncompress Installation files manually
2. Run the following command to install the Feature Pack:
cmd.exe /c””c:Temp901FP8IF1ClientUpdate.exe" /s /v"/qn /lime “c:Templogs901FP8IF1.log""
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16. Antivirus realtime scanning in Data directory
5/31/2017
~50% of the entire data volume in the Data
directory changes on a DAILY basis in most
setups
• 5 - 10% in Dataworkspace (up to 300 files)
• DISABLE Antivirus scanning for at least
*.ns*
*.ndk
*.xml
*.properties
*.jar
in Data Directory.
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17. What makes the Notes Client START slow (cont.)
5/31/2017
Client crashes/database fixups
• especially bad for network based data directories clients
Outdated Hardware
• You need >2 GB memory if you want to use Notes AND something else
• Old fixed disks with fragmentation
• Fun Exercise: Buy a Solid State Disk and make Notes start off of that ;-)
Tons of startup programs/scripts launching during the “boot storm”
• If the disk is unable to keep up, it‘s not Notes' fault
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18. What makes the Notes Client START slow (cont.)
5/31/2017
Outdated Data directories
• Virtually 100% of all NTFs (Laptops: 90%) can be removed by
• Cleaning up old Notes 4+5+6/7 templates
• using ini:SharedDataDirectory= (also with Single User install!)
Operating System
• Windows 8.1 boots ~20% faster than Windows 7
• Windows 10 ~15% faster than 8.1
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19. ODS of local databases
5/31/2017
ODS = On Disk Structure
• ODS 16 = Notes 2
• ODS 17 = Notes 3
• ODS 20 = Notes 4 (or Templates)
• ODS 41 = Notes 5
• ODS 43 = Notes 6 & 7
• ODS 48 = Notes 8
• ODS 51 = Notes 8.5 & 9
• ODS 52 = Notes 9.0.1
The difference between ODS 43 and 52 = up to 80% LESS FILE I/O
This helps with ANY client AND server hardware
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20. ODS of local databases (cont.)
5/31/2017
CAUTION: The ODS is not automatically updated when upgrading clients
– ODS 51 requires Notes >= 8.5 and CREATE_R85_DATABASES=1 in notes.ini for NEW db's
– ODS 52 requires Notes >= 9.0.1 and CREATE_R9_DATABASES=1 in notes.ini for NEW db's
Good News for Notes > 8.5
– Use NSF_UpdateODS=1 with CREATE_R85/9_DATABASES=1 for a one-time upgrade of most local
databases
• NOTE: USE WITH EXTREME CARE IF YOUR DATA DIRECTORIES ARE ON A NETWORK DRIVE!
• NOTE: End users can't access databases during compact OR databases will be ignored if in use
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21. ODS of local databases (cont.)
5/31/2017
Impact examples
– Startup time of a Notes 9.0.1 client with 3 ODS20 databases in Notes data = 45 seconds
– After ODS upgrade: 17 seconds
– Reduced File I/O of your disks/SAN/NAS after ODS41 to 52 upgrade by 60%
– Removing 70% of all old files in Data directories on SAN/NAS = 45% less managed storage (backup)
The bad news: There is no way to tell what is “out there”
– 3rd party tools or random inspections are highly recommended
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22. IBM helps!
5/31/201722

23. Make Your Data Work for You
What makes the Notes Client
START (super) fast
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24. Eclipse Workspace improvement
5/31/2017
• Every IBM Notes Client start in a virtual environment (citrix, vmware, etc.) is a first
(setup) start and takes at least 23 sec on average
• ~65% - 70% of time during first starts is used to build the workspace folder (at least
15 sec)
• A typical new workspace folder (IBM Notes 9.0.1 FP8 IF1)
consists of
– >500 files
– >200 folders
– >85 MB (including 64MB *xpdplat_.jvm_G11 file  NotesShareClasses improvement)
Building the workspace folder causes lots of file I/O
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25. Eclipse Workspace improvement (cont.)
5/31/2017
Accelerate the IBM Notes Client start to be >65% faster (with less file I/O)
1. With a non-admin user (Windows + IBM Notes) run an initial setup of IBM Notes
2. Start IBM Notes and wait for 2-3minutes
3. Exit IBM Notes
4. Start IBM Notes again and wait for 2-3minutes
5. Exit IBM Notes
6. Create the following folder  %ProgramData%IBMNotesDataCommon
7. Copy the workspace folder from %LocalAppData%IBMNotesData
to %ProgramData%IBMNotesDataCommon
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26. Eclipse Workspace improvement (cont.)
5/31/2017
8. Delete the following files & folders in
%ProgramData%IBMNotesDataCommonworkspace
a. UDM
b. Logs  all but .prov2install
c. .metadata.pluginscom.ibm.collaboration.*
d. .metadata.pluginscom.ibm.rcp.personality.framework
e. .metadata.pluginscom.ibm.rcp.security.auth
f. .metadata.pluginscom.ibm.rcp.managedsettings
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27. Make Your Data Work for You
Live
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28. Make Your Data Work for You
What makes the Notes Client
PERFORM slow
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29. What makes the Notes Client PERFORM slow
5/31/2017
Again
• ODS of local databases
• Hardware
Notes.ini
• EXTMGR_ADDINS = (not just) local virus scanners
• Disable Notes “plugins“ like virus scanners etc.
– They increase Network traffic by up to 200 – 250%!
Data directory on the network vs. fixed disk
• Disk performance is the #1 bottleneck
– think SSD vs. normal HDD ; 7.200rpm vs. 5.400rpm ; network drive vs. local fixed disk
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30. Port settings
5/31/2017
Port settings are included in the notes.ini
• Type / Active / Encryption / Compression / Timeout
Legacy
• LAN0 / COMx / DisabledPorts  should be removed
Good idea
• Use TCPIP according to the client type
• PORTS = TCPIP
• TCPIP = TCP,0,15,0,,12320, Desktops
• TCPIP = TCP,0,15,0,,45088, Laptops
• TCPIP = TCP,0,15,0,,12288, Citrix / VDI
• Riverbed !?
Don‘t forget the Domino servers!
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31. What makes the Notes Client PERFORM slow (cont.)
5/31/2017
Install types: Basic vs. Standard
– Basic client starts up fast, Standard client, well … not so fast
IBM Roaming Users
– Try replicating 80MB each time you logon to Notes before use!
Connection documents
– Pointing to outdated server names or IP addresses
– Low priority connection documents, which can cause connectivity failures
Location documents
– IP addresses for mailserver  breaks Policies
– Outdated mail and home server information
– Outdated mail file path
– Outdated Catalog server
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32. Make Your Data Work for You
PERFORMANCE Tips and Tricks
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33. Performance Measuring with Client Clocking
5/31/2017
NOTE:
All of this should only be done on “ONE” client – slows down client, creates huge log
files!
Use the following to see and measure client performance
– CLIENT_CLOCK=1
– CONSOLE_LOG_ENABLED=1
– Debug_Outfile=c:debug.txt
– Debug_Console=1
– DEBUG_TCP_ALL=1 (use only if needed)
Fileserver or local disk Performance Debugging is virtually impossible
– If on >= 8.5 try adding DEBUGGINGWCTENABLED=16386 in Notes
33

34. Performance Measuring with Client Clocking (cont.)
5/31/2017
Client_Clock=1 leads to a debug file of the following format:
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35. Performance Measuring with Client Clocking (cont.)
5/31/2017
OpenNTF – NRPC Parser
Link:
http://www.openntf.org/internal/home.nsf/project.xsp?action=openDocument&name=
Notes%20RPC%20Parser
Last Update:
v1.0.14 – Nov 10, 2016
Developed by:
Jamie Magee, MartinScott Consulting LLC, US
Andrew Magerman, Magerman Collaborative Software GmbH, Switzerland
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36. Performance Measuring with Client Clocking (cont.)
5/31/2017
OpenNTF – NRPC Parser
36

37. Performance Tuning – Understanding cache.ndk
5/31/2017
We've all been “advised to”/guilty of deleting the cache.ndk in an effort to cure Notes
performance problems/symptoms
– Some companies even delete cache.ndk on a scheduled basis
HOWEVER, let us explain the impact of that on Notes performance ...
– Increases traffic between client and server by 4,000% (forty times more traffic, yes)
(10,000+% if the data directory is on a network drive)
– The more databases end users use, the worse it gets
– There is always a root cause – deleting cache.ndk only fixes symptoms
– Let's look at some detailed traffic analysis for just ONE application (the mail file) of ONE user ...
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38. Performance Tuning – Understanding cache.ndk (cont.)
5/31/201738
100 users =
150 MB vs. 3,7 MB
1000 users =
1.5 GB vs. 37 MB
Excluding Fileservers!
After deleting cache.ndk Keeping / NOT deleting cache.ndk

39. Summary: IBM Notes Performance Boost - Reloaded
5/31/2017
Update/clean out your ODS, databases and templates and hardware
Standardize whenever and however possible
– This will save you hugely on support time/cost
Keep your users version/fix packs current
– Each release brings performance improvements but also resource demands
Work around your inability to see clients
– Write an inventory agent, login script, get a 3rd party tool
Any challenge can be overcome with Knowledge and Tools
– All client issues are solvable
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40. # 44
Fragen ?

41. # 44
Vielen Dank !

42. Headquarters, Austria:
panagenda GmbH (Ltd.)
Schreyvogelgasse 3/10
AT 1010 Vienna
Phone: +43 1 89 012 89
Fax: +43 1 89 012 89-15
E-Mail: info@panagenda.com
Headquarters, Germany:
panagenda GmbH (Ltd.)
Lahnstraße 17
DE 64646 Heppenheim
Phone: +49 6252 67 939-00
Fax: +49 6252 67 939-16
E-Mail: info@panagenda.com
USA:
panagenda Inc.
60 State Street, Suite 700
MA 02109 Boston
Phone: +1 617 855 5961
Fax: +1 617 488 2292
E-Mail: info@panagenda.com
Germany:
panagenda Consulting GmbH (Ltd.)
Donnersbergstraße 1
DE 64646 Heppenheim
Phone: +49 6252 67 939-86
Fax: +49 6252 67 939-16
E-Mail: info@panagenda.com
The Netherlands:
Trust Factory B.V.
11th Floor,
Koningin Julianaplein 10
NL 2595 AA The Hague
Phone: +31 70 80 801 96
E-Mail: info@trust-factory.com
© 2007-2015 panagenda
Make Your Data Work for You
christoph.adler@panagenda.com
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