Process for new database development in Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes databases are a good resource for sharing and storing information that needs to be accessed by many people. This document outlines the process for requesting, designing and deploying a new Lotus Notes database. It is important that steps 1-3, outlined below, are reviewed in detail prior to submitting a NorthStar request that will be escalated to a Notes developer to begin discussing the specifics of designing the database.
The purpose of the process outlined below is:
Step 1: Evaluating the Current Process
Step 2: Defining the New Process
Step 3: Submit your Project Request
Step 4: Translating the Process into Lotus Notes Terms and Development
Step 6: Request Database(s) to be Deployed (opened by the Notes developer)
Support information for the deployed database
Step 1: Evaluating the Current Process
You need to review the process of how the task that will be automated is currently done.
Review all current forms and reports, whether online or in print.
Understand the organizational structure of the people who do the work.
Verify your understanding of the process with managers and users.
Review the problems, limitations, exceptions and constraints noted by the managers, users and yourself. Focus on the problems, not the solutions.
Determine the cause and effects of the problems. Try to determine which are operational problems (badly designed forms or unreliable network hardware) or process problems (requiring review by the wrong person).
Decide how much of the existing process should be retained.
Click here to continue to Step 2: Defining the New Process
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Step 2: Defining the New Process
Clearly articulate the business goal and have users review and agree to it via a sign off method such as e-mail or some sort of reference able source.
Define what information is required and how information is related.
Define who will use the application, what each user does and why, and how the users interact with each other.
For a dynamic process that involves changing and moving information, illustrate the process with a flow diagram. Have users and managers review the diagram and make necessary changes. Once finalized, have the users and managers sign off on this step as well as it tends to be the most time consuming portion to develop and test properly.
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Step 3: Submit your Project Request
Prior to submitting the request, it should be reviewed with your manager to ensure it aligns with the priorities of the department. Your manager may be aware of other projects or applications that provide the functionality of your request and a new Lotus Notes application may not be the appropriate solution. Also, determine if your department plans on retiring existing Lotus Notes databases before the new development request begins.
Once the request has been reviewed, submit a NorthStar request to begin the database design process. For an illustration of the flow of a development request, click here.
To submit the NorthStar request:
Log on to NorthStar.
Click the Log Service Ticket link in the Submit Tickets section in the left hand navigation panel.
Click the Lotus Notes radio button and click Next>.
What type of problem are you having?: Click the down arrow and select need to create a new database.
Description: Type New database required for department name. Enter other specific basic details about the database such as a general description of the database/request along with who the intended audience/users will be.
Click the Finish button.
Once the ticket has been submitted, the ticket will be reviewed for assessment of the request. If the request is a development request, you will receive an e-mail from Application Engineering to complete a Business Requirements document (BRD). The BRD template will be attached to the e-mail.
If the technical assessment indicates that Lotus Notes is not the appropriate application for the request, you will be referred to your appropriate Technology Delivery representative for further assistance.
Click here to continue to Step 4: Translating the Process into Lotus Notes Terms and Development.
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Step 4: Translating the Process into Lotus Notes Terms and Development
Prioritization process:
If your development request (DR) is less than 20 hours, it will be prioritized with the other smaller development requests based on available resources. For an illustration of the process flow for a DR of less than 20 hours, click here.
If your DR is 20 hours or more, you will be asked to submit the DR to GxO so that it can be entered into the Solutions Management database. The DR will then be prioritized through the GxO prioritization process. For an illustration of the process flow for a DR of more than 20 hours, click here.
Once the request has been prioritized to move into design/development, a Lotus Notes developer will be assigned to work with you to help define the processes necessary such as the following:
Determine the type of Lotus Notes database that you need (discussion, team room, document library, approval, reference, tracking, etc.).
Determine how many databases are required.
Determine if a template or a database exists that can provide all or part of the design.
Describe the forms, fields, views and navigation needed.
Determine how data will be brought into or sent from the database, if applicable.
Decide which security features are appropriate for controlling access to information.
Write a preliminary design specification that states the goals of the application, the new process and the design features to be used. Keep this design specification updated as you proceed through development.
Have technical users or peers review the design specification at one or more points during its development.
Create a prototype if the application is complex or if reviewers must approve a prototype before development can begin.
Note: Any new enhancement requested outside of business requirements is considered out of scope.
Click here to continue to Step 5: Application Testing
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Once the application has been developed and has been reviewed by the developer, it should be pilot-tested by a few users. This will give you a chance to make sure that the database functions as intended and that all of the instructions are clear. Because the application users have a different point of view, they often uncover problems missed during the review cycle.
Write an About document for pilot-test users that explains the database is in the testing phase. Give users the name of the database manager and the back-up database manager's names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers so they can contact either of these people with questions, comments and suggestions. A database manager and at least one back-up database manager is
required for all databases on production servers.
For additional information, see Eureka! document
10066 — About This Database document in Lotus Notes.
Write a Using document for the application that outlines specifically how to use the database. List restrictions within the database depending on a user's access level.
For additional information, see Eureka! document
10069 — Using This Database document in Lotus Notes.
The application will be made available to users on a test server (PSTEST1).
Work with the developer to have testers added to the Access Control List (ACL).
For additional information, see Eureka! document
16215 — Access levels in the Lotus Notes access control list (ACL).
Keep track of questions that people ask about the function or use of the database.
Click here to continue to Step 6: Request Notes database(s) be deployed.
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Step 6: Request database(s) to be deployed
After the application has been thoroughly reviewed and tested, it can be deployed into the production environment. The developer will review the database to ensure it meets certification requirements (see Eureka! document 12045 — Checklist for database deployment). They will also meet with you to review the ACL and the servers the database should be deployed to. The developer will then submit a NorthStar ticket for the database deployment.
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Support information for the deployed database:
Basic "How To" questions such as how to get access to a Lotus Notes database will be directed to
Eureka!
Note: Eureka! documents do not contain information that is specific to a particular Lotus Notes database such as information about the database, how to use it or specifics about the design.
Bug fixes will follow the standard NorthStar escalation process.
Enhancement requests that are submitted by users will be directed to contact the database manager.
Enhancement requests that are submitted by a database manager will follow the standard NorthStar escalation process. For details, see Step 3: Submit Your Project Request above.
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Created by the PeopleSoft Knowledge Management Team.
Copyright © 2004
All rights reserved.
Created: sak 03/30/2001
Revised: kcw 10/15/2004
Reviewed: 09/14/2004
