Troubleshoot Domino and Extended Products Portlets

 

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Refer to this topic for problems with the Domino and Extended Products Portlets

This section includes tips for troubleshooting the configuration of Domino and Extended Products Portlets.

Other troubleshooting information on the Domino and Extended Products Portlets can be found in the Known limitations for Collaboration features section of the Release Notes for the current release of IBM WebSphere Portal.

 

Enable logging

In many cases we can help troubleshoot portlet problems by enabling logging. We can specify logging in the administrative console on the IBM WAS that supports WebSphere Portal.

We can specify parameters to log:

  • Lotus Collaborative Services operations

  • the People Finder portlet and Member Manager

  • other collaborative portlets

  • the operation of the Person tag and Person menu

Perform the following steps to enable logging.

  1. Open the administrative console by entering this URL in the browser:

    http://portal_server_root.yourDomain.com:10001/ibm/console

  2. Log in as an administrator.

  3. Select Troubleshooting --> Logs and Trace

  4. In the Server column in the table, click the WebSphere_Portal link, then click Diagnostic Trace in the next table that appears.

  5. On the Configuration tab, under General Properties, in the Enable Trace row of the table, make sure the check box "Enable trace with the following specification" is selected.

  6. In the text box in the Trace Specification row, type or paste the parameters you want to use, separating them with a colon. Refer to the table Parameters to enter for logging specific components.

    For example, the following parameter logs all Collaborative Services operations.

    com.lotus.cs.*=all=enabled

  7. Click Apply, then Close.

  8. Back in the administrative console, click Apply, Save, and then Save again to save changes to the Master Configuration.

  9. Restart the portal server.

The resulting traces will be written to the following file:

portal_server_root /log/trace.log

For more information on logging, see WebSphere Portal logs.

 

Parameters to enter for logging specific components

Components logged Parameter string
Awareness (Collaborative Services) and collaborative portlets other than People Finder 

com.lotus.cs.*=all=enabled
People Finder and Member Manager 

com.ibm.websphere.wmm.*=all=enabled:
com.ibm.ws.wmm.*=all=enabled:
WSMM=all=enabled:
com.ibm.wps.peoplefinder.*=all=enabled
Person tag and Person menu 

com.ibm.wkplc.people.portal.*=all=enabled:
com.ibm.workplace.people.portal.*=all=enabled

 

Collaborative portlet problems

This section lists problems common to all or most Domino and Extended Products Portlets or collaborative portlets.

Problem: Collaborative portlets require additional configuration for compatibility with eTrust SiteMinder

Many features of the collaborative portlets will not work if Computer Associates eTrust SiteMinder protection in your site is not properly configured. Problems include failure of awareness, failure of the Lotus Sametime server to authenticate with the Lotus Web Conferencing portlet, failure of the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet to connect to the Lotus QuickPlace server, and inability of the Domino Web Access and Lotus Notes View portlets to find Lotus QuickPlace s and mail files for the current user.

Solution: Edit the CSEnvironment.properties file to use the eTrust SiteMinder token. See Customizing Collaborative Services user credentials for eTrust SiteMinder. For more details, refer to the following troubleshooting technote:

Technote 1190655: Awareness, Connection and Authentication Problems if Collaborative Portlets v5.1 not configured for eTrust SiteMinder properly
We can also use Search at IBM Support to find technotes by number.

Problem: Collaborative portlets require additional configuration for compatibility with Tivoli Access Manager

Many features of the collaborative portlets will not work if IBM Tivoli Access Manager for e-business protection in the site is not properly configured. Problems include failure of awareness, failure of the Lotus Sametime server to authenticate with the Lotus Web Conferencing portlet, and failure of the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet to connect to the Lotus QuickPlace server.

Solution: An interim fix is available on the IBM Support web site. Refer to the following troubleshooting technote:

Technote 1191185: Awareness, Connection and Authentication Problems if Collaborative Portlets v5.1 not Configured for Tivoli Access Manager
We can also use Search at IBM Support to find technotes by number.

Problem: Collaborative portlets require an interim fix to STlinks applet to work in Mozilla

In the Mozilla browser, many problems in collaborative portlets result from the version of the STlinks applet configured on the Lotus Sametime server, as well as versions of other related files.

For example, a timing problem prevents the Who Is Here and Lotus Web Conferencing portlets from working if deployed on the same portal page, awareness may fail, the Chat button in the Domino Web Access portlet may not work, and the Who Is Here portlet may be unable to display the membership list.

Solution: An interim fix for the STlinks applet is available on the IBM Support Web site. Corrected files are available to solve the problems above. Refer to the following troubleshooting technote:

Technote 1191188: Lotus Collaborative Portlets v5.1 Exhibit Problems when Accessed via Mozilla Browser
We can also use Search at IBM Support to find technotes by number.

Problem: Distinguished names containing escape characters cause people awareness to function incorrectly in several Domino and Extended Products Portlets

Portlets with this problem include Lotus Web Conferencing, My Lotus QuickPlaces, and Sametime Contact List.

Solution: An interim fix is available on the IBM Support Web site. Read the following technote:

Technote 1191190: People Awareness in v5.1 of Lotus Collaboration Center Portlets Does not Function Properly
We can also use Search at IBM Support to find technotes by number.

Problem: SSO for Domino and Extended Products fails for users containing LDAP special characters in their distinguished names

LDAP special characters existing in distinguished names of either users or groups prevent SSO from working correctly between the portal, Lotus Sametime, Lotus QuickPlace, and Lotus Domino databases unless configuration fixes are applied to the servers. For example, a user whose name contains special characters may be asked to authenticate with Mail, Calendar, or Address book instances of the Domino and Extended Products Portlets.

The LDAP special characters are:

  • A space or "#" character occurring at the beginning of the string

  • A space character occurring at the end of the string

  • One of the characters ",", "+", """, "\", "<", ">" or ";"

Also, the "/" and "@" are Lotus Domino special characters, and will cause the same problems without the interim fixes available from IBM Support.

Solution: Interim fixes for releases 6.5.1 IF1 and 6.5.3 are available on the IBM Support Web site. Refer to the following troubleshooting technote:

Technote 1191194: SSO for Domino and Extended Products Fails for Users Containing LDAP Special Characters in their Distinguished Names
We can also use Search at IBM Support to find technotes by number.

Problem: Dates are not always in the correct format for some locales

In portlets such as Lotus Web Conferencing that display dates, dates may sometimes appear formatted as mm/dd/yy when they should be displayed as dd/mm/yyyy.

Solution: Edit the language.properties file, add lines similar to the following for any languages that are not displaying the desired format, save the file, and restart the portal server. For example, the following lines would correct the Great Britain (en-gb ) and Ireland (en-ie) locales: 

language.25=en_GB
language.26=en_IE

If the language entries are not numbered as above, adjust the numerical portions of the new entries as needed to keep all entries sequential.

Problem: Logging out of the Inline QuickPlace portlet also logs out of WebSphere Portal

Solution: If users work with the Inline QuickPlace portlet, and they see a Sign Out button in the portlet, advise them not to click the button -- doing so logs out of the portal session.

 

People Finder portlet, people awareness, and Person menu problems

This section lists problems that may occur with instances of People Finder, or with person links and the Person menu in any collaborative portlet.

People awareness features are also supported by proper connection to the Sametime Instant Messaging server configured for use in the portal. For more information on troubleshooting this server and testing the operation of the stlinks applet, see Troubleshooting Domino and the Extended Products.

The following table provides an overview of awareness features in collaborative portlets and how the features are supported.

Portlet Uses stlinks applet to support awareness Uses Person tag to support awareness Other awareness configuration
Lotus Notes View X X Chat and awareness features can be added by modifying portlet edit mode properties
People Finder   X  
Common Mail   X  
Common Calendar   X  
Domino Web Access X   Chat and awareness features can be added by configuration of Sametime Instant Messaging server
Inline QuickPlace X   Chat and awareness features can be added by configuration of QuickPlace server
Sametime Contact List X    
Who Is Here X    
Lotus Web Conferencing X    
My Lotus QuickPlaces X    

Supported browsers for awareness

When a portlet uses STLinks for awareness, the browsers, client platforms, and versions of Java Virtual Machine supported for awareness in that portlet may be different from those supported by the portlet itself. The applet supports only the browsers, client platforms, and versions of JVM or other Java software supported by the release of Lotus Sametime running on the server configured for Collaborative Services in the portal. If that release is Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing 6.5.1, the browser releases are:

If the Lotus Sametime server is running 7.0, the browser and Java software releases are:

Browsers

  • Internet Explorer 6.0 on Windows XP and Windows 2000 Professional

  • Mozilla 1.7.6 on Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 Professional 3.0, RedHat Enterprise Linux (REL) 3.0, Novell Linux Desktop (NLD) 9.0

  • Mozilla Firefox 1.0.1 on Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 Professional 3.0, RedHat Enterprise Linux (REL) 3.0, Novell Linux Desktop (NLD) 9.0

Java JDK/JRE

  • Sun JDK and JRE 1.4.2

  • Sun JRE 1.4.2 or later for Linux

Problem: People Finder displays a default Help message instead of quick search controls

Solution: Remove any fields that People Finder is configured by default to display that do not also exist in the LDAP directory configured to work with the portal If you see the following Help message in People Finder, it means its default configuration needs to be corrected. 

People Finder is an online corporate directory that lets users search for and view 
a colleague's contact information and position in the organization's structure.

Perform the following tasks:

  1. Log into the portal as an administrator.

  2. Verify that Member Manager has been installed and configured correctly in the portal.

  3. Open People Finder configuration mode (click the wrench icon).

  4. For each field you see listed in red under the error message Attribute_field_name was not found in the directory, examine every section of the portlet for references to the field, deselect it in the Attributes and Display Formats table on the Configuration Basics page, and delete the field in any sections where it appears. For details on deleting fields, click the Help (question mark) icon in People Finder.

    If all fields do not disappear after you click Apply Changes Now, return to configuration mode and examine sections for occurrences you may have missed. For example, the Person Record page contains multiple sections under the Select a Section label.

Problem: People Finder shows no results or tells the customer to try searching later

When a Quick or Advanced search yields more results than are set for the maximum, customers see no results or an error. The number of results returned is the smaller of the two values set in the portlet's configuration area and the server's wmm.xml file.

Solution: Allow more search results.

Adjust the setting for the maximumsearchresultsattribute in the portal server's wwm.xml file and in the portlet's configuration parameters. For more information, see Member Manager.

Problem: The Organization View in the Person Record page does not work properly

Solution: Ensure correct configuration of the Manager attribute in the directory.

If the Organization View for found people does not display properly, ensure that the Manager attribute in the people records of the People Finder directory is specified properly. The Manager attribute must use the DistinguishedName (dn), not the CommonName (cn) or other user-visible value, of a found person's manager. The DistinguishedName (dn) must be valid for all LDAP servers configured to work with Domino and Extended Products Portlets.

Problem: Odd-looking values appear in the Manager and Assistant fields

Solution: Make sure the fields have the correct display format.

The LDAP server probably stores the Manager and Assistant attribute values in DistinguishedName (dn) format, a type of unique identifier in LDAP. When, in the Configuration Basics task in People Finder configuration mode, you select the Manager and Assistant (or Secretary) attributes to appear as fields in the People Finder portlet, remember to select Other Person Link as the Display Format for these fields.

Problem: The Person Record or Organization View for a found person cannot be opened from a person link in a portlet other than People Finder

Solution: Map attributes between LDAP directories.

The Person menu can be used from other portlets to display a found person's Person Record or Organizational View. But if the source portlet is using a different LDAP directory from the one being used by People Finder, there may be no match if the personal identity attributes of the LDAP directories apply disparate name formats.

To resolve this discrepancy between identity mismatches, we can use the ibm-awarenessPerson attribute to add a link from the People Finder LDAP into another LDAP when person name attributes use different name formats to establish identity.

For example, if the Lotus Notes View portlet or the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet uses a Lotus Domino LDAP Directory, the users in the Lotus Domino LDAP Directory are probably identified by their Lotus Domino DistinguishedNames format,...

cn=Scott Jones,ou=my_company

If, on the other hand, the People Finder portlet uses an LDAP directory other than Lotus Domino, that same person is recognized with a DistinguishedName (dn.) format that might be...

uid=ssmith,ou=hq,o=my_company

We can create a link between the two different LDAP directories by mapping attributes.

Problem: Conflicts occur in People Finder due to concurrent updates by multiple users

The People Finder portlet's Configuration mode has no locking mechanism to prevent update conflicts and overrides by multiple users.

Solution: Consider implementing a plan whereby only one administrator or designer is configuring the People Finder at a given time. Scheduling and communicating single-user sessions for configuring the People Finder will alleviate the potential for lost work.

Problem: E-Mail address links may have different behavior in People Finder than in other portlets such as Lotus Notes View

The default specification for the attribute E-mail address (ibm-primaryEmail) in the People Finder portlet causes the Send E-Mail action on the Person menu (available on person links in People Finder) to open a new mail message in the HTML-based mail application specified in the user's browser. This may not match behavior of the same action on the Person menu in portlets such as Lotus Notes View (when configured as Notes Mail).

Solution: In Configuration mode in the People Finder portlet, specify the display format People link for the E-mail address attribute.

Problem: The column specified for people awareness in the Lotus Notes View portlet must contain user names

When the Lotus Notes View portletType parameter is configured as NOTESMAIL, NOTESDISCUSSION, NOTESTEAMROOM, or NOTESVIEW, in order to enable people awareness, assist users to identify and specify a column containing user names in the source database.

Solution: For example, when the portlet is configured as NOTESMAIL, and a user edits the portlet properties to specify the Column for showing people awareness, if the view is $Inbox, advise users to select the Who column from the drop-down list of column names. When the portlet is configured as NOTESDISCUSSION, if the view is the AuthorView, advise users to select Column 0.

Problem: Directory Search error behavior may be misleading

Directory Search is a portlet that is used by other portlets to present a window where users can search for other users by name when performing tasks such as creating a mail message or adding contacts to a list. When the maximum search results number for the LDAP directory used by Member Manager (and therefore by the Directory Search portlet) is set lower than the number of results yielded by a search, users may see behavior or errors that are not helpful. Depending on the difference between the numbers, users may see no error message when they should see Too many results found, or may see an error message telling them to perform the search later.

Solution: Increase the setting for the maximumsearchresultsattribute in the portal server's wwm.xml file and in the portlet's configuration parameters. For more information, see Member Manager.

 

My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet problems

Problems with the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet might be the result of faulty configuration of the QuickPlace server or the portlet.

Problem: My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet cannot connect to the QuickPlace server

Solution: The following error message in the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet 

Connection to QuickPlace Server could not be established

is usually the result of one of the following configuration conditions:

  • Our portal user ID is not recognized by the QuickPlace server.

  • Single Sign-on (SSO) is not set up properly.

  • The QuickPlace server http://yourServer.yourDomain.com:80 is not running the QPServlet.

  • A Reverse Proxy setting is enabled for Pinnacor Portlets; when this setting is enabled, the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet becomes unable to contact the QuickPlace server.

To find the reason for the error, follow this procedure:

  1. Make sure the portal ID is current and recognized by the QuickPlace server.

  2. To test SSO between Lotus QuickPlace and WebSphere Portal, log in to the portal as an administrator and go to the following URL: 

    http://yourQuickPlaceServer.yourDomain.com/quickplace

    If the name does not appear at the top left corner of the screen, SSO is not working. Resolve SSO issues before proceeding. For more information, see the SSO technote link at the end of this procedure.

  3. To make sure the QPServlet is correctly installed and configured, see Adding the QPServlet application to the Lotus QuickPlace server.

  4. Make sure there is no Reverse Proxy setting enabled for Pinnacor Portlets, or if there is, obtain a fix for this issue from IBM Support. This proxy server is set for the entire JVM, and, without the available fix, prevents the collaborative portlets from being able to contact the QuickPlace server.

    For information on enabling a proxy server for the Pinnacor portlets, see the following technote:

    Technote 1114624 Configuring Pinnacor Portlets to Display Data
    We can also use Search at IBM Support to find technotes by number.

For additional information on troubleshooting the server connection, read the following technotes:

Technote 1158269 Troubleshooting WebSphere Portal, Domino Extended Products, and Domino SSO Issues
Technote 1159319 Error: "Connection to QuickPlace Server Could not Be Established" in My Lotus Team Workplaces Portlet
We can also use Search at IBM Support to find technotes by number.

Problem: My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet does not appear when first deployed

Solution: If the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet does not appear when you first deploy it, try the suggestions listed for the problem described above with the following message: My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet cannot connect to the QuickPlace server, especially making sure that the QPServlet is running.

Problem: Authentication to the QuickPlace server is challenged

If you attempt to open a QuickPlace from the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet, and you see a message requiring us to authenticate, then something is incorrectly configured with SSO between WebSphere Portal and the QuickPlace server.

Solution: To troubleshoot the configuration, read the following technote:

Technote 1158269 Troubleshooting WebSphere Portal, Domino Extended Products, and Domino SSO Issues
We can also use Search at IBM Support to find technotes by number.

Problem: Message:PlacesForMember cannot be initialized

This error appears in the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet, 

PlacesForMember could not be initialized via QuickPlaceService

and includes the server host.name and user credentials.

Solution: Perform one or more of the following tasks:

  • Modify the configuration parameters shown in the error window and restart the WebSphere Application Server.

  • Reinstall the portlet, and log in to the portal again.

  • If you see this error again, and the user credentials are valid for logging in to the QuickPlace server, make sure that at least one Lotus QuickPlace exists for the user in question.

  • If user ID is null, an authentication problem exists with the SSO token. Refer to the topics that address portal authentication with single signon.

Problem: Portlet content is missing or questionable

Solution: Try logging out and logging in again to the portal.

If the information displayed in the portlet is not synchronized with information on the QuickPlace server, click Refresh to clear the portlet cache.

Problem: Attribute values invalid according to the specified TLD

The appserver-out.log reports this problem - 

TWP=>doView cached Exception: JSPG0126E: Attribute value invalid according 
to the specified TLD

Solution: Verify that the latest Collaborative Services files are installed:

Verify that you have installed (or updated) the latest version of the Collaborative Services files on the QuickPlace server:

  • The Collaborative Services Java archive, cs.jar

  • The People Awareness Sametime Links JavaScript file, pa_stlinks.js

  • The Person tag language definition file, people.tld

For file locations and other information, see Checklist of tasks: Lotus QuickPlace server and portlets.

The Domino and Extended Products Portlets installation program looks for the latest version of these files, which are installed with WebSphere Portal.

Problem: No team places display in portlet

If portlet users do not see a list of their team places (My QuickPlaces) in the default view of the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet, they should see the message You do not belong to any places. When users join one or more places, the places to which they belong will appear in the My QuickPlaces list.

Solution: Perform one of the following tasks:

  • Verify that you have added users to the membership lists of existing team places.

  • Create new QuickPlaces and add the new members using correct user IDs.

Problem: What's New and My Tasks views do not display the pages of inner rooms

If you have created a team place that has inner rooms, the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet does not show pages from inner rooms in the views What's New and My Tasks.

Solution: Redesign team places that are sources for the portlet without inner rooms.

Problem: Tasks in My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet must be assigned to individuals, not to groups

If you assign a team place task to a group, members of the group will not see the task in the My Tasks view of the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet.

Solution: Verify that you always assign tasks in My Lotus QuickPlaces to a specific person.

Problem: Searching for team places before and after a certain date includes the specified date

The My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet returns results for searches before and including the specified date, while QuickPlace returns results before and excluding the specified date. Similarly, the portlet returns results for searches after and including the specified date, while QuickPlace returns results after and excluding the specified date.

Solution: Advise users whose searches return unexpected results of these differences.

Problem: My Lotus QuickPlaces does not work if secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol is enabled

If you have configured the My Lotus QuickPlaces portlet to run on a server configured to run secure sockets layer protocol (HTTPS), Lotus QuickPlace will not appear in the portlet nor will they be available for search.

Solution: Avoid configuring the QuickPlace server with SSL.

 

Lotus Web Conferencing portlet problems

Problems with the Lotus Web Conferencing portlet might be the result of faulty configuration of the Sametime Web Conferencing server or the portlet.

Problem: Cache properties affect portlet performance

The Domino and Extended Products Portlets installation program sets the Lotus Meetings caching properties used by the Web Conferencing portlet.

Solution: Perform one or both of the following tasks:

  • Verify that the default settings for cache properties are correct.

  • (Optional) Modify the cache settings to improve portlet performance.

To view or modify Lotus Meetings cache properties...

  1. Open the file CacheManagerService.properties from the following location: 

    portal_server_root /shared/app/config/services/

  2. Verify that the following lines appear with the default values shown here: 

    # Lotus MeetingsProperties cache properties cache. Lotus MeetingsProperties.enabled=true cache. Lotus MeetingsProperties.lifetime= 2592000
cache. Lotus MeetingsProperties.size=10000
cache. Lotus MeetingsProperties.replacement=moderate cache. Lotus MeetingsProperties.admit-threshold=0

  3. Add these lines if you do not see them in the CacheManagerService.properties files.

  4. If necessary, edit the default values to boost the performance of the portlet.

  5. If you edit the file, restart the portal server.

We can also adjust the setting of the cache.lifetime.in.seconds property in the Lotus WebConferencingUI.properties file. By default, this setting causes the portlet to check the Sametime Web Conferencing server approximately every half hour (2000 seconds) to see if any new meetings have been scheduled. For a very active Sametime Web Conferencing server, one that hosts a high volume of meetings, you might need to decrease this number for more frequent checks. For a less active Sametime Web Conferencing server, one that hosts fewer meetings, you might need to increase this number for infrequent checks.

To adjust the cache.lifetime.in.seconds property, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Lotus WebConferencingUI.properties file in a text editor.

  2. Scroll to the comment line: 

    # DO NOT TRANSLATE ANY OF THE MESSAGES BELOW THIS POINT

  3. After that comment line, find the cache.lifetime.in.seconds property: 

    # How often to update the cache (2000 seconds = approx 1/2 hour)
# For 1000 meetings on the ST server # it takes 1000-2000 seconds to retrieve all meeting properties cache.lifetime.in.seconds = 2000

  4. Edit the variable as needed to set the frequency of checks that the Web Conferencing portlet makes against the Sametime Web Conferencing server that hosts meetings.

  5. Save and close the Lotus WebConferencingUI.properties file.

  6. Restart the portal server.

Problem: Web Conferencing portlet does not respond immediately when first deployed in the portal

The first time you deploy the Web Conferencing portlet in the portal, the portlet needs to load all of the meeting information from the Sametime Web Conferencing server. This process takes approximately 1 to 2 seconds for each meeting hosted on the Sametime Web Conferencing server. Therefore, when the portlet is installed in the portal and added to a page of the portal, it will not respond immediately.

Solution: The amount of time needed before the portlet responds in a portal page depends on the number of meetings hosted on the Sametime Web Conferencing server. For example, if there are 1,000 meetings hosted on the Sametime Web Conferencing server, expect the Web Conferencing portlet to take approximately 30 minutes to load. If you have configured multiple Sametime Web Conferencing servers using clustering to balance workload, this wait time will be reduced.

Problem: Searching for a meeting yields no results

Solution: If portlet users do not see meetings displayed in the portlet after a significant period of time, check the following requirements and conditions:

  • The Sametime Web Conferencing server must be up and running.

  • The PurgeMeeting agent should be enabled on the Sametime Web Conferencing server, as described in the configuration prerequisites for the Lotus Web Conferencing portlet.

  • The values specified for the portlet configuration parameters SametimeSSLX and SametimePortX must be correct.

Problem: Authentication to Sametime Meeting Center is challenged

Users of the Web Conferencing portlet may be prompted for their credentials (user name and password combinations) when they try to access the Sametime Meeting Center.

If the SSO token is not being shared properly between the portal server and the Sametime Web Conferencing server, portlet users might be re-challenged for their credentials when using the Lotus Web Conferencing portlet in the following contexts:

  • Attending a meeting

  • Testing a meeting

  • Replaying a meeting

  • Accessing the Sametime Meeting Center

Solution: Verify that SSO is working properly between the portal server and the Sametime Web Conferencing server. Perform the following steps:

  1. Launch the browser and log in to the portal with the user name and password.

    Example: http://yourPortalServer.yourDomain.com/wps/portal

  2. In the same browser session, type the URL for the Sametime Web Conferencing server.

    Example: http://yourWebConferencingServer.yourDomain.com/stcenter.nsf

  3. Click Attend a Meeting.

    If you see the name at the top right corner of the screen, SSO is working properly. If the name does not appear at the top left corner of the screen, SSO is not working. Resolve SSO issues before proceeding. Read the following technote:

    Technote 1158269 Troubleshooting WebSphere Portal, Domino Extended Products, and Domino SSO Issues
    We can also use Search at IBM Support to find technotes by number.

Problem: Poor performance hinders portlet use

Solution: Check the cache properties of the portlet and the Sametime Meeting agents that control performance factors. Perform the following tasks:

  • Ensure that the PurgeMeeting agent is set appropriately, as described in the configuration prerequisites for the Lotus Web Conferencing portlet.

  • Check the settings for the Lotus Meetings caching properties used by the Web Conferencing portlet, specifically the cache size and cache objects lifetime, as described in Cache properties affect portlet performance.

Problem: Lotus Web Conferencing portlet does not display properly

Solution: Try checking the Lotus Web ConferencingUI.properties file to see the default UI settings and the location of JSPs that render the views of the portlet. You will also need to know the location of the portlet JSPs if you intend to customize the portlet.

To verify and edit the default settings of the Lotus WebConferencingUI.properties file, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Lotus WebConferencingUI.properties file in a text editor.

  2. Scroll to the comment line: 

    # DO NOT TRANSLATE ANY OF THE MESSAGES BELOW THIS POINT

  3. After that comment line, find the following properties to verify and edit, if necessary:

    We can change the path to a JSP that renders a main view of the portlet: 

    #Main JSPs 
ResultURI = /jsp/html/ViewResult.jsp DetailURI = /jsp/html/ViewDetail.jsp NewMeetingURI = /jsp/html/ViewNewMeeting.jsp EditMeetingURI = /jsp/html/ViewNewMeeting.jsp EditURI = /jsp/html/Edit.jsp ConfigureURI = /jsp/html/Configure.jsp ErrorURI = /jsp/html/Error.jsp MessageURI = /jsp/html/ViewMessage.jsp

    We can change the path of a JSP that renders a particular element of a view: 

    #JSP location 
jsp.detail = /jsp/html/Detail.jsp 
jsp.menu = /jsp/html/Menu.jsp 
jsp.list = /jsp/html/List.jsp 
jsp.search = /jsp/html/Search.jsp 
jsp.menu.list= /jsp/html/ListMenu.jsp 
jsp.menu.top.list = /jsp/html/ListMenuTop.jsp 
jsp.newMeeting = /jsp/html/NewMeeting.jsp 
jsp.menu.edit = /jsp/html/EditMenu.jsp 
jsp.menu.newMeeting = /jsp/html/NewMeetingMenu.jsp 
jsp.menu.detail = /jsp/html/DetailMenu.jsp 
jsp.menu.search = /jsp/html/SearchMenu.jsp 
jsp.message = /jsp/html/Message.jsp 
jsp.menu.message = /jsp/html/MessageMenu.jsp

    We can change the path of a JSP that renders the images used by the portlet: 

    # Image locations image.go = /images/go image.back = /images/close image.back.small = /images/lt-an-canceliconsmall 
image.next = /images/next image.previous = /images/previous image.save = /images/register image.error = /images/error image.divider = /images/divider image.dot = /images/dot image.attachment = /images/attachment image.new.meeting = /images/add image.advanced.meeting = /images/meetingcenter image.test.meeting = /images/lt-an-testmtgicon image.edit.meeting = /images/edit image.delete.meeting = /images/delete image.information = /images/inlineHelp image.reset = /images/reset

    We can change the properties that specify the Lotus Sametime server port ID and the enablement of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): 

    # Default port and SSL values default.st.port = 80
default.st.useSSL = no

  4. Edit the properties as needed.

  5. Save and close the Lotus WebConferencingUI.properties file.

  6. Restart the portal server for the changes to take effect.

Problem: Lotus Web Conferencing portlet yields password errors when users try to create or search for meetings

Users who attempt to create a new meeting or search for an existing meeting may see one of the following errors in the portlet:

  • Passwords cannot contain special characters. Enter a different password.

  • Unable to access Sametime due to incorrect logon

Solution: Read and try the suggested solutions in the following technote:

Technote 1170825 Password Errors When Using Web Conferencing Portlet
We can also use Search at IBM Support to find technotes by number.

Problem: Meeting attachments sometimes do not appear in the Web Conferencing portlet

Solution: If the meeting contains attachments and these attachments do not appear when you open the meeting using the Web Conferencing portlet, verify that the Lotus Sametime server has any necessary interim fixes that correct this problem.

 

Who Is Here portlet problems

Problems with the Who Is Here portlet might be the result of faulty configuration of the Sametime Instant Messaging server or the portlet.

 

Sametime Contact List portlet problems

Problems with the Sametime Contact List portlet might be the result of faulty configuration of the Sametime Instant Messaging server, the portlet, or the user's browser software.

Problem: Sametime Contact List portlet is not completely accessible with JAWS screen reader

Users of the JAWS screen reader software may have difficulty selecting radio buttons in the Sametime Contact List portlet.

Solution: Use screen reader software other than JAWS.

 

Lotus Notes View portlet problems

Problems with the Lotus Notes View portlet might be the result of faulty configuration of the Lotus Domino server that contains source database(s) for the portlet, the portlet, or the user's browser software. Some problems occur only in instances of the portlet whose portletType parameter is configured with specific values, such as NOTESVIEW.

Problem: Notes portlets of certain types do not resolve the Lotus Domino messaging/application server and database for authenticated portal users when the corporate LDAP service is not Lotus Domino LDAP

When Lotus Domino LDAP is not configured as the Domino Directory for the Collaborative Services service for WebSphere Portal, the Lotus Notes View portlet, when configured with a portlet type of either MYINBOX (My Notes Mail - Inbox), MYCALENDAR (My Notes Mail - Calendar), or MYTODO (My Notes Mail - To Do), may fail to resolve the mail file and mail server information. Consequently, the portlet displays an ERROR MAILINFO link. Clicking the error link results in another error message indicating that portlet content cannot be displayed because the Lotus Domino server does not recognize the user name and password used to log in to the portal.

Solution: See About automatic detection of mail files.

Problem: Deleting a document in one instance of the Lotus Notes View portlet does not refresh other instances of the portlet that are above it on the portal page

This problem can occur when multiple instances of the Lotus Notes View portlet, deployed on the same portal page, display the same document in the same source Notes database. If a user deletes a document from a portlet that is below another portlet displaying the same document, any portlets above do not refresh to show the deletion.

Solution: Advise users to delete the document from the first portlet deployed on the page, and the portlets below it will refresh.

In some situations users, or you as portal administrator if you populate portal pages, should always place certain portlet types above others on a portal page. For example, if the first instance of Lotus Notes View is configured with a portlet type of MYCALENDAR (My Notes Mail - Calendar) and the second is configured with a portlet type of MYTODO (My Notes Mail - To Do), showing the same source database, deleting documents from the My Notes Mail - To Do portlet will not refresh the My Notes Mail - Calendar portlet because it is above the My Notes Mail - To Do portlet. Users also cannot delete documents directly from the My Notes Mail - Calendar portlet, so this arrangement is not useful. The My Notes Mail - Calendar portlet should always be placed below a My Notes Mail - To Do portlet displaying the same source database.

Problem: In the Lotus Notes View portlet, specifying view or server names by typing may not work

If users edit the Lotus Notes View portlet and attempt to add a view by typing a visible view title such as "All Documents," the view may not be saved in the portlet. In addition, typing a view or server name that contains a double quote (") character does not work.

Solution: Advise users to select view and server names from the drop-down lists provided instead of typing names. Also, if users are familiar with Notes database design and know view alias names (for example, ($All) instead of All Documents), typing an alias name works to specify a view.

Problem: In the Lotus Notes View portlet, no error message appears when users attempt to add views to which they have no access in the source database

Solution: If a user cannot add views to this portlet from a specific database, examine the ACL of the source database and correct it if it is set to No Access for the user.

Problem: In the Lotus Notes View portlet, options that open new windows in the Lotus Notes client software may function improperly if Notes is not already launched

If users edit the properties of the portlet and specify Lotus Notes, if available for the View documents in option, but do not launch the Note client software ahead of time, login errors may occur, or view focus may be incorrect, when users take actions, such as creating a mail message, that require Lotus Notes to open a new window.

Solution: Advise users to launch the Lotus Notes client software, and enter their Notes password, before using the Lotus Notes View portlet when the Lotus Notes, if available option is specified.

Problem: Difficulty editing repeating tasks or calendar documents in the Lotus Notes View portlet

If the Lotus Notes View portlet displays a To Do view or Meetings view, editing repeating tasks or calendar documents (for example, meetings) requires specific steps. For example, when a user selects a repeating item and then selects Edit from the drop-down list under the Actions (down arrow) icon, a dialog box may display dates incorrectly so that a single instance of the task cannot be selected. In addition, editing the parent document of a set of repeating items causes problems in the way Notes manages the documents.

Solution: To edit any repeating item, users must select one of the instances of the item (not the parent item) and select Open, instead of Edit, from the Actions drop-down list. Selecting Open displays a dialog box where users can specify which repeating item they want to edit. In some cases the dialog box does not appear; if this happens, users can edit only the first repeating item.

Problem: Edits to title of Lotus Notes View portlet may persist even when user clicks Cancel

Solution: If the Lotus Notes View portlet is configured with a portlet type of MYCALENDAR (My Notes Mail - Calendar) or MYINBOX (My Notes Mail - Inbox), and users edit the portlet title, advise them to make sure the title is correct before saving changes to the portlet properties.

Problem: In some portal configurations, drop-down lists for selecting server and database for the Lotus Notes View portlet display incorrectly

If the portal configuration runs SSL, does not support DIIOP, or restricts access to Java, JavaScript, or COM run by portal users, editing properties for the Lotus Notes View portlet may not work correctly. Users may notice drop-down lists for selecting a source Notes server and database painting incorrectly with check mark icons out of place, obscuring buttons at the bottom of the screen.

Solution: Users can still make entries in the drop-down lists, and click buttons such as Done at the top of the screen.

Problem: In the Lotus Notes View portlet, deleting calendar documents directly does not allow proper workflow

When the Lotus Notes View portlet is configured to display a calendar or meetings view, selecting Delete from the Actions drop-down list for a document deletes the document, but does not properly manage the deletion. For example, deleting a meeting does not inform invitees that the meeting has been canceled.

Solution: Advise users to select Open instead of Delete from the Actions drop-down list, and then click the Delete action in the separate browser window that appears.

Problem: In the Lotus Notes View portlet, the icon for creating new documents does not work if specified form has a space character in its name

This problem occurs when users set up a view in a Lotus Notes View portlet, specify an icon for creating documents, specify a form that has a space in its name, and also set the View documents in option to Lotus Notes, if available.

Solution: Advise users to specify only forms that have no space characters in their names in the source Notes database. If necessary, ask the database designer to adjust form names.

Problem: Cannot use an HTTP/HTTPS port setting other than the default for the Lotus Domino server that is the data source for the Lotus Notes View portlet

If the administrator of the Lotus Domino server that contains Notes databases that are data sources for the portal changes the http or SSL (https) port number of the Domino server, the Lotus Notes View portlet displays errors and fails to load properly.

Solution: The administrator of the Lotus Domino server must make certain that the http/https port number matches the default for the portlet types MYINBOX (My Notes Mail - Inbox), MYTODO (My Notes Mail - To Do), and MYCALENDAR (My Notes Mail - Calendar); there is no way to specify a non-default port number for these types of portlets. For the other types of the Lotus Notes View portlet, the port number can be appended to the server name. But making the port number match the default for the portlets is less error-prone.

Problem: In Lotus Notes View portlet, selecting Switch ID causes unexpected behavior

There are several problems.

  • The portlet re-displays in the maximized state after switching ID, and may cause users to assume other portlets have disappeared from the current page.

  • When the portletType is set to MYINBOX (My Notes Mail - Inbox), switching ID between users who have different releases of source mail (for example, Lotus Domino 6.03 and 6.5) can cause the view to appear blank. Also, when columns are specified to display people awareness and launch documents, the settings may change to inappropriate columns.

Solution: Take one of these actions:

  • To correct the problem with maximizing, advise users to select Restore from the drop-down menu on the title bar of the portlet after switching to a different ID in this portlet.

  • To correct the problem with the blank view of mail, remove the portlet from the portal page and re-add it.

  • To correct the problem with column settings, avoid using Switch ID ; advise each user to log into the portal.

 

Domino Web Access portlet problems

Problems with the Domino Web Access portlet might be the result of faulty configuration of the Lotus Domino server, the portlet, or the user's browser software.

Problem: Logging out of the Domino Web Access (iNotes) portlet also logs out of WebSphere Portal

Solution: If users of the functional areas All or Welcome in this portlet see a Logout button, advise them not to click the button -- doing so logs out of the WebSphere Portal session.

Problem: Some parameters for Domino Web Access portlet may disappear when saving portlet configuration

If a portal administrator edits and saves the Domino Web Access (iNotes) portlet configuration using Portlet Management, three parameters that are blank by default -- PortNumber, UseReverseProxyString, and reverseProxyPortNumber -- disappear from the list of parameters for the portlet.

Solution: To specify values for any of these parameters, type the parameter's name in the blank left field at the bottom of the list, type the desired value in the right field, and click the Add button.

Problem: Cannot create calendar entries in Domino Web Access portlet when source database design is UseiNotesTemplate

If users' source mail databases have the UseiNotesTemplate design, and the Lotus Domino server is earlier or later than Domino 6.01, users of the Domino Web Access portlet cannot create calendar entries directly in the portlet. Solution:

Advise users to click Launch Application and create calendar entries in the new window that opens.

Problem: Lotus Notes View portlet set with new parameter can cause loss of access to iNotes mail design

The UseiNotesTemplate parameter, when enabled in the Lotus Notes View portlet, allows iNotes users to access their iNotes mail through the Lotus Notes View portlet and take advantage of people awareness in the portlet.

However, if a user adds an instance of the Lotus Notes View portlet that is not enhanced with this parameter, and the Domino Web Access (iNotes) portlet to the same portal page, and then uses the Lotus Notes View portlet to access mail that uses the iNotes design, both the Lotus Notes View portlet and the Domino Web Access portlet fail to load the iNotes mail design, and provide only the Notes mail design.

Solution: If our collaborative portal is new and you have not yet set up user access for creation of portlets, the simple solution is to prevent users of the Domino Web Access (iNotes) portlet from adding instances of the Lotus Notes View portlet to their pages, so that these two portlets will never coexist.

If we have an existing portal where users already have access to add portlets, and have added instances of the Lotus Notes View portlet that are not configured with the UseiNotesTemplate parameter, any users whose source mail has the iNotes design and who attempt to access their mail using the Lotus Notes View portlet will encounter the error. Take the following steps:

  • Advise users not to mix instances of these two portlets on pages. Users should rely on the appropriate portlet for their source mail database.

  • If all the users have iNotes mail designs, remove instances of the Lotus Notes View portlet that do not have the UseiNotesTemplate parameter from availability for future deployment.

  • On any page where a user has encountered the error, to correct the error on that page, deploy a new instance of the Domino Web Access portlet, and create a new mail memo in the portlet.

Problem: The Domino Web Access portlet does not support the use of eTrust SiteMinder single sign-on

When the portal is configured to use eTrust SiteMinder, the Domino Web Access portlet cannot access its source database and displays an error message.

Solution: Do not use the Domino Web Access portlet in a portal configured with eTrust SiteMinder.

 

Domino Document Manager portlet problems

Problems with the Domino Document Manager portlet might be the result of faulty configuration of the Lotus Domino server running Lotus Domino Document Manager software, the portlet, or the user's browser software.

Problem: Cursor focus can be incorrect when entering user name for Domino Document Manager portlet

In portlets that use the iFrame feature, when users type in a text input field using Microsoft Internet Explorer, cursor focus can unexpectedly shift to areas of the portlet outside the field. This happens when the iFrame points to a Web site that automatically moves focus to a text input field, and users move in or out of edit mode, or maximize or minimize the portlet.

Solution: Advise users to click inside any input field before typing.

 

Parent topic:

Reference topics for collaboration

 

Related concepts


Lotus Notes View
Reference topics for collaboration
Planning for collaborative servers and portlets
Mapping LDAP attributes

 

Related reference:


Troubleshooting Lotus Domino and the Extended Products
Domino Web Access
Domino Document Manager
Lotus Document Viewer
Domino portlets reference
Lotus Sametime portlets
Lotus QuickPlace portlets

 

Related information


Troubleshooting
Member Manager