LOTUS NOTES - CIA WIKI

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06893567
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: May 2, 2022
• Case Number: F-2017-01417
• Publication Date: August 25, 2020

(U) Lotus Notes - CIA Wiki
Approved for Release: 2022/04/13 C06893567
Main Page
Recent changes
New pages
Random page
Formatting Help
Wiki Help
Create new page
CIA Tools
Tools catalog
Talkabout sites
Squawk forums
CIA HCS Wiki
IC Tools
Tools
Page Discussion Read Edit View history
(U) Lotus Notes
Talk Preferences Watchlist Contributions Log(X6)
(b)(6)
UNCLASSIFIEDilAVJO
(U) Lotus Notes is a groupware application owned by
IBM. It permits the use of enterprise-class email and
calendaring as well as providing a robust and flexible development environment for building applications
of varying complexities.
Search
See the Intellipedia article at
Lotus Notes
Also see breadcrumbs
(U) Tips for maximizing the usefulness of Lotus Notes can be found in this helpful presentation put
together by DI/Business and Information Strategy:
e The Lotus Notes Inbox: Tapping the Power of Your Everyday Workspace alLink
Contents [hide]
1 (U) Differing Perspectives
2 (U) CIO Guidance
3 (U) Benefits
4 (U) Drawbacks
5 (U) Terminology
6 (U) References
7 (U) Related
8 (U) Other Lotus Notes Related Links
(U) Differing Perspectives [edit]
While some think that Lotus Notes has served the Agency well for many years and believe that it has been
surpassed by other technologies that are more user-friendly and more supportive of the Agency's vision of
"One Agency, One Community", others appreciate the security and the flexibility of it. Because a large
number of Lotus Notes databases have been created over the years with poor interfaces, many users have
become frustrated with the application itself, but if designed properly, a Notes database can still be an
effective application, and in some cases, remains the only application available for some tasks. While the
security of Lotus Notes databases is a highly-regarded feature, it also allows for the proliferation of a
number of small repositories of data which could be of benefit to other CIA personnel.
(U) CIO Guidance [edit]
(U//AIU0) Based on the Agency IT strategic direction, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) is
accelerating the development of Agency classified applications using web-based technologies, in lieu of
IBM Lotus Notes-based client applications. Effective March 2008, the Agency will no longer support
Approved for Release: 2022/04/13 C06893567
(b)(3)
(U) Lotus Notes - CIA Wiki
Approved for Release: 2022/04/13 C06893567
Lotus Notes client development for new Headquarters-based applications and effective January 2009 the
Agency will no longer support Lotus Notes client development for new Field-based applications (support
to existing applications will continue during the transition). [1]
(U) The IBM Lotus Notes client environment has provided the Agency with a robust set of information
technology (IT) features for over 15 years. Beyond its email, cable, and calendaring features, the Notes
client application feature in particular has seen widespread use by Agency applications developers. This
feature has allowed many developers to address a wide variety of customer requirements in a quick and
agile manner. This success should be celebrated as we move forward to a new applications development
environment. The Agency will remain committed to Lotus Notes as our email, cable, and calendaring
environment for the foreseeable future -- this notice only applies to the Lotus Notes client application
feature. [11
(U) There are many Lotus Notes applications currently in operation around the Agency requiring ongoing
upgrades and enhancements Agency components responsible for the existing Notes systems should
continue applying necessary upgrades while concurrently identifying strategies to migrate to web-based
platforms. For planning purposes, Agency components must eliminate all existing Lotus Notes client
capabilities and Lotus Notes client application dependencies from systems by December 2012.[11
(U) Benefits [edit]
� (U) A strong development platform where almost any type of application can be created.
� (U) Replication - Servers in different locations can easily synch infoimation. People around the world
don't have to connect to servers in one location, they can connect to local copies on local servers and
have the servers synch the information.
� (U) Replication also works well for traveling workers. Email and databases can be replicated onto a
laptop. Changes can be made without being connected and can then be synched up when the laptop is
hooked into the network.
� (U) The server software runs on many different servers and operating systems, not just Windows. The
client runs on many different operating systems, not just Windows.
� (U) Email is one small part of the entire Lotus Notes system.
� (U) Very strong encryption is built into the Notes client. Encryption can be at the document level or
even down to the field level, meaning every can see a document but if they don't have an encryption
key they can't see what's in a certain field.
� (U) Security, security, security. Notes has a 7 level security system. Operating system, server,
database, design, document, section, field. That's kind of important around here.
� (U) No known email virus has ever infected a Notes mail system. The same can't be said for an
Exchange server.
� (U) If one person's mail file gets corrupted because it is over 50 GB because they never delete
anything, the entire server doesn't fail, which happens with other products.
� (U) Collaboration is a major part of what Notes is known for. Many people can be working in the
same database at the same time. More than one person can work on the same document at the same
time.
(U) Drawbacks [edit]
ApProved for Release: 2022/04/13 C06893567
(b)(3)
(U) Lotus Notes - CIA Wiki
Approved for Release: 2022/04/13 C06893567
� (U) The User Interface has a bad reputation because it's not very pretty and most find it unfriendly.
This has been addressed finally in the latest version, Notes 8.
� (U) Many of the shortcut keys are different than the standard ones used by virtually all other
Windows programs. For example, F9 refreshes the current view rather than the standard F5 used by
Windows. The lack of standard shortcuts tends to frustrate new users who come from a Windows
environment but have never used Notes.
� (U) The strong development platform allows people to easily create very crappy applications that
don't work well.
� (U) This platform allows managers to assign non-technical people the job of creating applications that
end up working terribly.
� (U) Notes allows people to create their own little repositories that lock down data that could be
helpful to others.
� (U) In this environment, it seems the problem with Notes stems from how people use it and not from
the technology itself.
(U) Terminology [edit]
e Lotus Notes - This is the client software used to access email, calendars, and other databases. It is a
standard application included on CWE workstations.
e Lotus Domino - In the past, the software used to host Lotus Notes databases was known simply as
"Lotus Notes Server." Upon the release of version 5, however, the name of the server was changed to
Lotus Domino. The phrase "moving to Domino" is occasionally used as shorthand to indicate the
process of making a client-based application accessible via a web browser. This phrase, however, is
inaccurate, since Lotus Notes databases have been hosted on Lotus Domino servers for many years.
e Domino Administrator - This is the software used primarily by Lotus Domino server administrators to
manage databases, monitor servers, and perform maintenance on Domino systems. It is available to
all CWE users as a WinInstall and can be installed via the Add or Remove CWE Applications control
panel.
e Domino Designer - This is the software used by application developers to create new applications and
update the design of existing ones. It is also available to all CWE users.
(U) References [edit]
1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 (Uf/AIU ) PHASED DEACTIVATION OF LOTUS NOTES CLIENT
ENVIRONMENT FOR APPLICATIONS DEVELOPMENT/HOSTING , EB Number 0007-07,
17 October 2007
(U) Related [edit]
e Lotus Notes Transition/How To
e Lotus Notes Technical Support
e Lotus Notes Development Tips
e Lotus Notes Termination Fix
e Creating Custom Mailing Lists in Lotus Notes
(U) Other Lotus Notes Related Links [edit]
Approved for Release: 2022/04/13 C06893567
(b)(3)
(U) Lotus Notes - CIA Wiki
Approved for Release: 2022/04/13 C06893567
e Lotus Notes Transition
e Notes Document Link
e Champions
e Sending Lotus Notes Mail with Rails
e Lotus Notes Development Tips
e Lotus Notes Instances - Links
e Lotus Notes Instance Tracking
e Lotus Notes Instance - Backups
e Lotus Note Client Application Deactivation
otus Notes Transition � Champions � StEMS �
Sending Lotus Notes Mail with Rails � Lotus Notes
Development Tips � Lotus Notes Technical Support �
otus Notes (Intellipedia) � SMTP Servers on JWICS �
Notes Document Link � Creating Custom Mailing Lists
in Lotus Notes
otus Notes Instances - Links � Lotus Notes Instance
Tracking � Lotus Notes Instance - Backups � Lotus
Notes Instances - Code Cut-off Reload Schedule
Category with Database Links � Admin Power Suite �
Intel Clearance Requests � DI Conference Room
Database � Directorate of Intelligence Reporting
emorandum � Finished Intelligence Production
System � Current Intelligence Production System �
Arabic Names Dictionary
Categories : Articles with Intellipedia Counterparts Lotus Notes
This page has been accessed 15,739 times.
10 watching users
This page was last modified 14:26, 22 October 2010 by
and others.
Privacy policy About CIA Wiki Disclai e
Software
Based on work by
(b)(3)
(b)(6)
(b)(3)
(b)(6)
(b)(6)
Approved for Release: 2022/04/13 C06893567
(b)(3)