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INSTALLING

Managing client plug-in deployment

While you can customize your client installer to add new or remove supplied features and plug-ins when you install or upgrade your clients, you can also provision (install and automatically update) stand-alone or third party features and plug-ins to your existing Notes® or Lotus® Expeditor run-time using a combination of Domino® policy or Eclipse preferences, a widget resident in a widgets catalog on an HTTP or Domino server, and a Eclipse update site (with signed features and plugin .jar files) optionally resident in a centrally managed NSF-based update site.

This section contains the following topics:

  • Creating custom or third-party features
  • Signing custom or third-party features and plug-ins for install and update
  • Installing a new feature using the Notes install manifest during Notes install or upgrade
  • Deploying client plug-ins with widgets and the widget catalog
  • Creating a customized add-on installer
  • Validating your customized Notes install kit
  • Creating and using an NSF-based update site
  • Configuring component update for composite applications

    Client feature deployment
    There are several ways to deploy Notes client features and plug-ins to users, including a customized add-on installer, a deployment widget and source widget catalog, and a customized Notes install kit. For all methods, the feature or plug-in to be deployed should be properly signed before deployment.

    Installing a new feature using the Notes install kit
    Deploying client plug-ins with widgets and the widget catalog
    You can use a widget to deploy a new feature and corresponding plug-in to an existing Notes client using a combination of the widgets catalog, an NSF-based update site in which the feature resides, an XML file attached to the widget that calls the feature's update site, and Domino policy or Eclipse preferences.

    Creating a customized add-on installer
    The HCL Expeditor framework enables you to create and use an add-on installer as an alternative method for deploying a third-party feature or plug-in to an existing Notes installation. For example, rather than deploy a custom feature to users as part of the Notes install kit, or use a widget to deploy a custom feature to an existing Notes runtime, you can create and use an add-on installer.

    Creating a new feature
    You can learn to create custom or third-party features for use with Notes using these and other resources.

    Signing custom or third-party features and plug-ins for install and update
    Eclipse plug-ins can be created and used to extend Notes client functionality. Features and plug-ins are provisioned with the client software.

    Creating and using an NSF-based update site
    You can use the Eclipse Update Site template to create an NSF-based update site application and then import some or all of the features from an Eclipse update site into the NSF-based update site.

    Limiting feature install and update with update sites
    Provisioning settings are available on the Client Upgrade tab in the Domino Administrator server Configuration Settings document. This capability is specific to the Eclipse Update Manager (EUM).

    Creating and using a traditional third-party installer
    Using the Lotus Expeditor platform, you can create a third party installer to add new features after Notes has been installed.

    Configuring component update for composite applications
    You can use composite applications to install or update custom or third-party features in Notes.

    Enabling user-initiated update with EUM
    To allow users to install or update custom or third-party Eclipse features and plug-ins into an existing Notes installation, you can enable display of the Eclipse update manager user interface. By default, the Eclipse update manager (EUM) is not displayed. You can enable the EUM using either Domino Desktop policy or a plugin_customization.ini file setting.


Parent topic: Installing and upgrading Notes clients

Related concepts
Eclipse files and folders in the Notes install kit
Client feature deployment
Installing a new feature using the Notes install kit
Configuring component update for composite applications

Related tasks
Customizing Notes install for features and plug-ins on Windows and Mac
Signing custom or third-party features and plug-ins for install and update
Creating a customized add-on installer
Creating and using an NSF-based update site
Updating a widget-deployed client feature or plug-in
Using administrative accounts to manage client plug-ins

Related reference
Validating your customized Notes install kit