On December 7, 2010 IBM announced the availability of clustering for IBM Lotus Domino Collaboration Express. From January 1, 2011 companies may use Collaboration Express to create clusters with their Domino servers. Because of the restrictions of the Collaboration Express license, you were not allowed to do so.

By using clustering you can make servers high-available and do load-balancing. Until now, you had to run two servers in a cold-standby configuration in order to allow system reliability. Domino clustering enables you to use high-availibility together with load-balancing. Both servers may run while each offers different services. In case of one server crashing, the other one will take over its services instantly.

Of course, you may also do load-balancing without high-availybility and vice versa.


But no matter what solution you will implement - it is a very nice gift for christmas from IBM that we my open next year!

For additional information about Domino Collaboration Express licensing and restrictions, please read on.

IBM Lotus Domino Collaboration Express is a licensing model by IBM to enable small- and middle-sized companies to make use of the elementary functions of the Domino server. Technically, there is no difference between the Collaboration Express server and a Domino Enterprise server. But the licensing does indeed differ and there are further restrictions to the functional range. Those restrictions are:

• Not more than 1000 employees
• No use on IBM System z Series
• No license to use the following administrative functions
  • Extended ACL
  • Cascading Directories
  • Directory Catalogs
  • Directory Assistance
  • Central Directory (userless name and address book)

In order to use Collaboration Express, you buy a license according to the needed number od users. You may install the server on as many machines as you wish. But only as many users as you paid for may access the server. it is possible to purchaes every number up to 1000 Users. But do not forget: Even if the number of Lotus Notes users is smaller than 1000, your number of employees may still not be above 1000. Client access goes from Lotus Notes Client to Lotus iNotes and even entitles for the use of Lotus Traveler.

Sources:

Ed Brill
IBM announces the availability of Lotus Domino clustering for Domino Collaboration Express
Lotus Domino Express offerings