29
Fri, Nov
0 New Articles

Domino R6: Confusing Messages to Web Developers

Collaboration & Messaging
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times
Lotus Domino is one of those difficult suites to categorize within the panoply of Web Application Server (WAS) offerings. On the one hand, Domino is an excellent messaging platform that has transformed how many organizations process workflow applications. It is Web-enabled, and it offers some of the most productive tools available for easy collaborative computing.

On the other hand, everything about Domino seems to run counter to IBM's grandiose WebSphere middleware marketing scheme. Questions routinely surface about Domino whenever it is mentioned along side IBM's WebSphere middleware tool suite. For instance, is Domino a part of WebSphere, or is it a competing WAS platform?

The R6 Pre-release 1 of Domino further clouded this question with the removal of certain Web-enabling elements that were part of a project code-named "Garnet."

Was Garnet the Future of Domino?

Garnet was an internal Lotus project that was designed to enhance Domino's ability to work with J2EE and Java servlets. Parts of the project were put in the Beta 4 code of R6 Domino. However, for a number of reasons, IBM/Lotus removed some working features in Pre-Release 1 of Domino R6.

From the developer's perspective, the Garnet project was providing--up to Beta 4 of R6 Domino--an upgrade of the Domino servlet engine to the 2.2 level, allowing it to support JSP 1.1, integration with the Domino Directory, and source-level editing of JSP and servlet design elements, along with some ancillary functions. The elements of Garnet were targeted to make Domino a more "standards"-based server in the WAS world.

All told, the goals of the Garnet project seemed designed to open the doors to new developers from other WAS platforms--and to give Domino developers a finer control over the final Web disposition of their applications. After all, in order to play "hardball" in the larger world of WAS, a server suite must provide standards-based services with the greatest possible power and punch. And if an application server such as Domino is to compete head to head with WebSphere, Tomcat, WebLogic, or IIS, it had better have the features and functions that those communities of developers are used to using.

However, according to sources within Lotus, it evidently soon became clear to the developers of R6 that the scope and the direction of some of the items contained within the Garnet project were overly ambitious and that, in some measure, they really did not represent a realistic view of how Domino should be used within IBM's larger vision of J2EE.

From the IBM/Lotus perspective, the same basic questions about Domino's capabilities and market segment that have confounded analysts in the industry needed some clarification. For instance: Is Domino a real WAS, or is it a messaging and collaboration server? How is it really used within the community of customers and developers, and what are its greatest strengths? If Domino is truly a WAS, does it need to fully implement the standards of J2EE, or can it get away with implementing a new subset of those standards?

In the end, IBM/Lotus chose to remove the embedded J2EE server, leaving the R5 servlet engine for backward compatibility. It also removed the ability to edit JSPs and servlets in the Domino Designer as well as the ability to write JSPs in LotusScript. Here's why.

Mix of Standards in the World of WAS Developers

First, according to IBM/Lotus, you shouldn't have partial compliance with standards. You shouldn't do some with the functions of J2EE and do others with a different model. Even if mixing models and standards is useful to a particular user set, it runs against the fundamental concept of industry standards. Though Microsoft and others get away with this mixing and matching of standards, it was not what IBM/Lotus wanted to do in R6 of Domino.

Second, for the run-of-the-mill J2EE developer, a Domino-centric WAS strategy was unrealistic. In the real world, J2EE developers start with a J2EE WAS--WebSphere, BEA, Tomcat, iPlanet, etc.--and build their applications from that base, accessing other servers via Java and connectors. However, if Domino had a J2EE engine inside, it was bound to confuse people and contribute to the idea that Domino was a kludge, not a real solution at all.

Finally, IBM/Lotus has finally concluded that Domino is not designed as a WAS in the widely understood sense of the word. Instead, it is a collaboration server upon which developers and customers build great applications. Though it has great advantages over the typical WAS--such as RADD, multi-client support, replication, security, etc.--it is not on the list when someone's buying a WAS to integrate enterprise middleware for Web applications.

Viewed from this perspective, implementing the Garnet project in R6 was creating a risk for IBM/Lotus that the benefits of Domino would be further confused in the world of J2EE compliance.

What Was Left from the Garnet Project

Given that IBM/Lotus decided to pull some of the features of the Garnet Project, what, you may ask, did they leave in for R6? The list is still somewhat impressive:

  • Bundled developer version of the WebSphere App Server 4.x
  • JSP Tag Library
  • Hardened Java APIs
  • WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring & Versioning)
  • Multiple HTTP stacks
  • Single sign-on via LTPA with WebSphere App Server

Bottom Line of R6 Without Garnet

For the industry analyst trying to understand the IBM/Lotus WAS strategy, the removal of the J2EE features of Domino sends a mixed message. First, it's clear that IBM/Lotus has finally come to terms with the issue of overlapping services between its product lines. Domino remains a highly proprietary platform that complements but does not compete with IBM's WebSphere strategy. But its future--as J2EE standards for collaboration services continue to evolve--will still need to be addressed down the road. Whether its functions as a collaborative server will be superceded by other WAS services on other platforms is still undetermined and unexplained. These standards are evolving quickly and are too rich for a single organization in the market to try to dictate.

For the customer and the developer, the removal of the J2EE features of Garnet will force them in the long run to consider other means of integrating non-Domino Web middleware for the enterprise. However, this is less an obstacle than it might appear on the surface. As WAS standards continue to evolve--creating a superset of features and functions--it's probably better to have applications that run on the Domino platform integrate as connecting services than to attempt to compete with the overall functionality of larger WAS services. Yet, this should be a clear message that enterprise-level WAS applications should not be contemplated for Domino down the line. It probably won't support those WAS services directly, and it will probably be better to see Domino as an element of the solution, rather than the solution itself.

Still, the bottom line of R6 is pretty impressive: It still provides one of the most robust and comprehensive solutions to collaboration that is available. It is still a proprietary platform, but it's positioned to connect well with non-proprietary standards-based WASs. Its highly functional, feature-rich, highly adaptive model constitutes one of the most cost-effective means of delivering collaborative applications to organizations of any sizes. It's easy to set up, and it's got a great growth potential within the realm of collaboration.

This mix of values and features and limitations will undoubtedly still drive analysts crazy as they try to pigeonhole Domino in the world of J2EE. But for customers and developers, the ground is still very fertile for growing great collaborative and workflow messaging systems on this unique and highly productive platform.

Thomas M. Stockwell is the Editor in Chief of MC Press, LLC. He has written extensively about program development, project management, IT management, and IT consulting and has been a frequent contributor to many midrange periodicals. He has authored numerous white papers for iSeries solutions providers. His most recent consulting assignments have been as a Senior Industry Analyst working with IBM on the iSeries, on the mid-market, and specifically on WebSphere brand positioning. He welcomes your comments about this or other articles and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thomas Stockwell

Thomas M. Stockwell is an independent IT analyst and writer. He is the former Editor in Chief of MC Press Online and Midrange Computing magazine and has over 20 years of experience as a programmer, systems engineer, IT director, industry analyst, author, speaker, consultant, and editor.  

 

Tom works from his home in the Napa Valley in California. He can be reached at ITincendiary.com.

 

 

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: