The document discusses building a manageable IBM Connections environment. It introduces John Stigter and Sjaak Ursinus, who have experience with IBM Collaboration solutions, and describes a customer project to deploy Connections to 40,000 users across the Netherlands within 3 months. The project faced challenges due to the customer's complex IT organization and lack of expertise. The presenters recommend keeping the implementation standard, aligning with the IT organization, choosing directory integration and login methods carefully, managing expectations, and considering the full user lifecycle.

1. John Stigter – Solution Architect - IBM Software Services for Collaboration
Sjaak Ursinus – IBM Connections Specialist - Ilionx
30/11/2012
How to build a manageble
Connections environment

2. Who are we
John Stigter
Senior IT Specialist at IBM for 12 years
Role: Solution Architect
Working with IBM Connections since version 2.0
Background in Lotus Collaboration solutions since
1998 & High Availability using WebSphere Edge
Sjaak Ursinus
Senior IT Specialist at Ilionx for 8 years
Role: Consultant
Working with IBM Connections since version 1.0
Background in Lotus Collaboration solutions since
1995
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3. “Give met that stick you “Nice Doggy”
piece of #$#%$”
The obvious result might not always be what you think!
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4. Introduction
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5. Introduction
Customer
● 40k Users
● Locations all across The Netherlands
● Dutch Government
Requirements
● Custom look and feel
● Profile information from 4 sources
● Scalable
● Mobile use
● Need it within 3 months for the entire population
● Widgets, plugins, etc. etc.
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6. Introduction
Challenges
● Complex and segmented IT organisation
● Short timelines > Fast deployment
● Technical staff has little WebSphere/IHS/DB2/TDI experience
● Deal with standard (limited) services available in infrastructure
● Standard DB2 infrastructure
● Standard OS images
● Standard Loadbalancing services
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7. Approach
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8. Approach
Awareness/Commitment
● Demo enviroment for top 50 in Management
● Show ability to execute (demo environment built in 2 weeks
integrated in production environment)
● Manage expectations
Project Team
● Need to have the best team
● Avoid commercial goal
● IBM ISSC, ilionx & IBM Global Business Services
● Split technical implementation from adoption (as a project)
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9. Approach
Implementation Approach
● Build DEMO environment
● Build Production environment (Projectteam)
● Build Test environment (Projectteam & Customer Specialists)
● Build Acceptance environment (Customer Specialists)
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10. Approach
What helped enormously?
“A Friend in Management”
Ok maybe not that high, but aim for it ;)
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11. Key Design Decisions
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12. Key Design Decisions
Directory
● LDAP
● Single Sign On
● SSL (offloading) .... what is the link with Sametime?
● WAS Configuration (JVM´s, Tuning)
● Interservice connections
● DB2 Setup
● Caching (proxy)
● External/Mobile Access
● TDI Process
● Customization
● Extensions – Widget framework
● Plugins & Integration
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13. Key Design Decisions – LDAP and SSO
LDAP
● Domino LDAP
● Load, integration with Other IBM products like Quickr,
Sametime, Domino
● Active Directory
● SSO linkage
● Unique attribute
SSO
● Customer wants to use SPNEGO
● Link between Domino LDAP and AD principal name?
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14. Key Design Decisions – SSL (offloading)
SSL (offloading)
● Internal Certificate (because?)
● Sametime integration (connect client)
● External access and Cert Authority on mobile devices
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15. Key Design Decisions – Caching (proxy)
Caching (proxy)
● Would it add value to use the CP?
● Increases complexity?
● Impact on performance
● Implement IBM HTTP Server files module
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16. Key Design Decisions – TDI Process
Build the TDI Solution
● Prepare your solution well
● Expectations management!
● Workshops with Identity Management & HR
● Identify creation, update and Deletion of users well
● Define guidelines and agree on deletions versus inactivation
● Are unique numbers reused after people leave the company?
● Do you really have a unique number (which does not change!)
● Organisational hassle to connect to information sources
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17. Key Design Decisions – Widget Framework & Customizations
Design a widget framework
● Customizations or rather added functionality through standard
widget deployment.
● Prepare base infrastructure for widgets/applications
● 3 Types of widgets
● HTML/Script based only
● J2EE application without Database
● J2EE application with Database
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18. Key (Design) Decision – Plugins & Integration
Key for adoption are plugins
● Notes plugins
● Office plugin
● Explorer plugin
● Quickr & Sametime integration
Plugin implementation
● After web browser implementation
● Testing is key
● Separate track in your implementation
● Phased release (i.e. do not deploy all at once)
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19. (Final) Design
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20. (Final) Design
Component Model - Internal
Component Model - External
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21. (Final) Design
Physical
Production
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22. Random points of frustration
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23. Random points of frustration
i.e. What kind of #”$#% did we encounter the last 1,5 year?
(in random order)
● SSL & TLS
● Caching issues
● SPNEGO not working in certain parts :(
● JMS Message Queue
● One UI not always used (styling issues)
● TDI synch issues (i.e. unexpected combinations/situations)
● Etc...
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24. Summary
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25. Summary
● Keep your implementation standard
● No product customization
● Added functionality through Widgets
● Align with the IT organisation and explain the solution
● Beware of SSL (integration, offloading, external access)
● Choose your Login/LDAP/Unique ID carefully
● Manage expectations > use the product as intended
● Have a friend in management
● Think of the entire user cycle – CRUD (Delete or inactivation)
Think before building and deploying
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26. Questions?
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27. Thank you!
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