IBM Lotus Domino and BlackBerry · PDF fileIBM Lotus Domino and BlackBerry Applications An...

IBM Lotus Domino andBlackBerry Applications

An Overview for Effectively Creating BlackBerry Applicationsthat Interact with Domino Databases

Technology Overview

©2007 Research In Motion Limited. All rights reserved.

IBM Lotus Domino and BlackBerry ApplicationsTable of Contents

Executive Summary 1

Building Web-Enabled Domino Databases for BlackBerry Browser 2-3

Building Applications using BlackBerry MDS Studio 4

Building Applications using the BlackBerry JDE 5

The BlackBerry Mobile Data System 6

Application and Device Management 6

Information Security 7

Rapid Development and Implementation 7

Example Application: Discussion forum template 8

Forms 8-9

Views 9

Agents 9

Summary 10

Additional Resources 10

References 10

IBM Lotus Domino and BlackBerry ApplicationsAn Overview for Effectively Creating BlackBerry Applications that Interact with Domino Databases.


Executive Summary

Only 18 percent of the world’s 50 million mobile professionals can access business data and applications wirelessly. Of these 9 million users, the majority can access only email. Extending the reach of critical business applications to mobile workers has been proven to increase productivity and efficiency, generating measurable ROI. By mobilizing IBM® Lotus® Domino® applications and enabling those gains, IT departments can leverage their investments and drive revenue, rather than cost. [1]

The BlackBerry® Enterprise Server is part of an integrated mobility solution that connects Lotus Domino databases to mobile users with minimal effort and expense. With “Out of the Box” control of devices through IT Policies and secure connectivity to your environment, the BlackBerry® Enterprise Solution ensures that your application data remains confidential.

The BlackBerry Enterprise Solution offers several free development options to enable applications for wireless usage. These include a full-featured Java™ Micro Edition development environment, a Rapid Application Development environment to extend existing Web Services, and a simple method for creating Web-enabled sites for use on the BlackBerry Browser.

1.



2.

Building Web-Enabled Domino Databases for BlackBerry Browser

Enabling wireless access to Domino databases via the BlackBerry Browser requires very little development. If the Domino server is configured to allow Web access and the database is “Web Enabled,” the only development required is interface tuning for the wireless device. Wireless devices have smaller screens and slower processors than desktop PCs, so developers should attempt to remove applets, large images, scripts, and tables that can provide a cumbersome wireless experience. Table 1 lists a number of best practices for interface tuning. Developers can approach enabling using two different methods:

• Modification of existing forms and views – In this method, developers examine each form or view and remove or hide anything that is unnecessary, including large images, applets, tables and views with a large numbers of columns. • Creation of an access portal – In this method, developers create a form with exactly the information needed for your mobile users. This option can simplify the development burden because developers do not have to modify existing forms or views.

Administrators can direct wireless users to the database by monitoring incoming HTTP requests and routing them to specific areas based on the HTTP header. They can also push Web links to the device via the following options:

Channel push – This adds an icon to the BlackBerry® device’s ribbon or home screen allowing a visual entry point to a Web-based application. It also allows administrators to modify the icon to alert users that new data is available for viewing. Message push – This sends a message to the inbox utilizing the existing alert profile for notification. The message presents an “Open Link” that will direct users to a specified URL. Cache push – This is used in conjunction with “Channel push” to direct the application to the local data cache so it does not have to rely on an active connection. This is very useful for users needing access to data in areas of very low or no network connectivity.



3.

Table 1. Explanations of Recommended Practices for Web-Enabling Applications for BlackBerry Browsers

Recommended Practices for Web-Enabling Applications Explanation of Practices

Use an existing built-in Web server to present data from a Web-enabled database to BlackBerry users.

No additional development work is required.

Turn off JavaScript™ and Java™ applets whenever possible. JavaScript and applets are supported by the BlackBerry Browser, but are resource-intensive. Developers should tailor applications to a wireless-friendly lightweight client.

Remove large images and other unnecessary form components. Improves rendering on small screens.

Reduce the amount of columns in your views Helps with presenting useful data to the BlackBerry users.

Use the IBM Lotus Domino news agent to push Web content Push support is built into BlackBerry devices and the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution cache.

Mobilize access to only critical information. Reduces application size and complexity for better rendering on small screens.

Create data portals to simplify access. For databases with large amounts of information, a portal-like interface with a number of views available provides an easy way for wireless users to navigate. Even a small number of top-level options can reduce a user’s search time by a substantial amount.



4.

Building Applications using BlackBerry MDS Studio

BlackBerry® MDS Studio is a visual RAD tool that helps developers mobilize Web service applications with a simple, point-and-click interface.

BlackBerry MDS Studio is designed to provide the performance, application responsiveness, and user experience of applications created using a native programming language (for example, Java Micro Edition), but without the need for coding.

The development environment allows you to connect to Web services within a Domino database, IBM Websphere or other Web hosting systems that provide your Web services (WSDL’s). BlackBerry MDS Studio allows developers to create a BlackBerry application with three internal methods:

Quick Start – This method will create all segments of the application based on the Web service being connected. This is the quickest method and only requires small amounts of customization.

Bottom Up – This method provides developers the flexibility of designing and creating the user interface while the tool creates the underlying data and message structure. Top Down – This approach is designed to allow complete flexibility for the creating of highly customized applications. This method has no pre-generated components.

For databases already using Web services, BlackBerry MDS Studio is a simple way to create rich client applications using advanced features, such as persistent storage on the wireless device. This means that developers can spend their time fine-tuning application behavior instead of writing basic connectivity and functionality.



5.

Building Applications using the BlackBerry JDE

BlackBerry applications requiring access to Bluetooth®, peripherals or core applications on the device require the BlackBerry® Java™ Development Environment (BlackBerry JDE). The BlackBerry JDE is a free, fully integrated development environment for building Java Micro Edition (Java ME™) applications for BlackBerry devices. The environment also provides server and device simulators so you can test your applications before implementing them in a live environment.

In addition to providing development resources for all the versions of the BlackBerry device, the JDE includes the following features designed to speed development and integration with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server’s security and application services:

• An enhanced Application Programming Interface (API) set, documentation and samples that enable developers to tightly integrate their applications with BlackBerry email, text messaging, Web browser and organizer applications. The API enhancements include support for Bluetooth and the BlackBerry push architecture.

• New Java Specification Request (JSR) implementations, including JTWI, MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 and PDAP PIM, which provide developers with a familiar development environment and greater flexibility with applications.

• A new simulator with improved emulation accuracy, support for new BlackBerry devices, and extensive ease-of-use improvements allows developers to quickly emulate and determine how their application will behave on a wide range of BlackBerry devices.

• Synchronization tools that leverage BlackBerry Enterprise Server for managing data synchronization between back-end applications and device applications.

• An XML Generator that allows developers to perform XML-related tasks without writing additional code.

• Support for WAP’s Push Access Protocol (PAP), which provides developers with protocol choice for reliably pushing data with their application.

IBM Lotus Domino is an ideal system for implementing a custom Java application that interacts with an existing Domino Database because it already provides functionality to access data and send or receive network (HTTP) requests. By taking advantage of the functionality of an existing system or platform, you save research, development, and testing time and costs.



6.

The BlackBerry Mobile Data System

Mobilizing applications for the BlackBerry platform increases responsiveness to customers and partners by optimizing staff resources. The median user of BlackBerry-mobilized applications reclaims 196 hours of productivity per year [2]. By linking distributed groups more closely, the average efficiency of BlackBerry-mobilized teams increases 29 percent. These productivity gains allow IT departments to step out of their traditional, reactive “cost center” roles and build enabling applications that increase revenue across the entire workforce.

The BlackBerry® Mobile Data System is an optimized application development framework for the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution. It provides application management, rapid time-to-market, and the data security required for using the wireless network to access corporate applications.

Application and Device Management

The BlackBerry Enterprise Server functions as the middleware between the Domino server and the BlackBerry devices. As part of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, the BlackBerry Manager application provides the IT department with full control over their BlackBerry environment, including the applications running on end-users’ devices. Pre-built and thoroughly tested integration on both ends of the connection provides administrators with complete, reliable, device-level control of security policies, authentication options, and even remote configuration and system wipes for lost or stolen devices.

Managing BlackBerry Browser Applications

The BlackBerry Manager’s Access Control tool provides granular control over users’ browser access. While other devices allow only“all or nothing” control, the BlackBerry Manager provides administrators with complete authority over the Web sites users can view. The BlackBerry Manager also allows IT to determine which content is pushed out to specific users and to designate administrators who can perform the push. Push Rules ensure that content is deployed to only authorized users in compliance with company policies.

Managing Custom Java and Third Party Applications

The BlackBerry Manager’s Software Configurations tool enables consistent configuration of policies regulating third-party and custom wireless applications. Using simple drop-down menus, administrators can mark wireless applications as optional, required, or not allowed. The BlackBerry Manager then enforces these permissions across all devices in a designated group. Administrators can use the All Users or User Groups tabs to inspect the configurations of each wireless device.

Managing BlackBerry MDS Studio

The BlackBerry Manager provides similar control over applications built with the BlackBerry MDS Studio for Rapid Application Development (RAD) environment. With just a few clicks, administrators can quarantine or remove any application, schedule application deployment on any number of devices or groups of devices, and upgrade BlackBerry MDS Studio applications on all or some devices.



7.

Information Security

Wireless applications present several unique management challenges. Since wireless networks are inherently non-secure, administrators must ensure that any data passing outside the firewall is reliably protected. To guard against device loss and theft, administrators must also be able to control the content and behaviour of a device remotely.

In addition to protecting competitive information from loss and theft, modern businesses must maintain compliance with industry and governmental regulations, such as Sarbanes Oxley, PCI, HIPAA and GLBA, all of which require stringent security and privacy standards. Failure to maintain these standards can result in lost customer confidence, fines, and even criminal litigation. Businesses with multi-national operations may be held to even higher standards by overseas privacy and security regulations, such as the European Union Privacy Directive.

Wireless applications add two new layers of concern for IT administrators—network and device-level security. Enterprise applications use and modify a company’s most critical, proprietary information. Sending that data across a wireless network unprotected can jeopardize the privacy and confidentiality of this information. Device-level security is an even greater threat. Due to their small form factor and high value, wireless devices are ideal targets for theft.

For a complete list of security accreditations for the BlackBerry solution, please refer to:

http://www.BlackBerry.com/products/enterprisesolution/security/certifications.shtml

Rapid Development and Implementation

In organizations using the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution and IBM Lotus Domino, most of the required infrastructure to mobilize a Domino database is already in place. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server offers developers three different methods of mobilizing applications, depending on the degree of sophistication needed on the wireless device. Each method is discussed in below. By integrating with the existing security and administration model of BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, developers can focus on the business logic of application development, while the BlackBerry Enterprise Server looks after items such as wireless protocols, data encryption and application management.



8.

Example Application: Discussion forum template

The IBM Lotus Domino Discussion Forum template is included with installations of IBM Lotus Domino. It provides the tools to create a discussion forum where members can ask questions and share information with other members. The template contains a built-in agent that can periodically create a newsletter containing new discussion items and email it to the discussion forum members.

This template can be extended to BlackBerry users using a push-based application. When mobilized, discussion members can read, respond to and create discussion items while they are out of the office. Because IBM Lotus Domino can present data to the web, the BlackBerry extension of this application is largely web-based. There is a custom application component that is used to emulate the IBM Lotus Domino view of discussion items. Using a custom component, you can represent the view information on the BlackBerry device while still using the BlackBerry Browser to view the forms, which can be easily reformatted for the BlackBerry device screen.

Because the agent that creates the newsletter already exists, you need to extend the agent to push new articles to BlackBerry. To perform the HTTP post to the BlackBerry Mobile Data Service, you need to use some Java code embedded in the IBM Lotus Domino database.

Forms

To extend the sample application to a wireless environment, we created several new forms by modifying existing ones.

Form Name Description Benefit of new form

BBWeb-Main Topic A new form; modifies Main Topic(an existing form)

Removes some visual complexity

BBWeb-Response A new form; modifies Responses(an existing form)

Removes some visual complexity

Interest Profile Preferences An existing form • Adds information about BlackBerry that is necessary• To perform a push to a BlackBerry device



In the following screen shots, the original database form on the left is more complicated and contains more information than the modified form on the right. The form on the right has been optimized for wireless devices and only the essential information appears.

Figure 3: Original database form Figure 4: Database form modified for wireless device

Views

The BBAll Documents view is a new view that was created in the sample application. It is similar to the default All Documents view, but it uses a different form selection query. This form selection query enables you to select the type of form to use depending on the browser that is viewing it. If the pages are viewed using a desktop browser, the default forms are selected. If the pages are viewed using a BlackBerry Browser, the BlackBerry forms are selected.

Figure 5: Form selection query



Agents

The Send BB Update agent is based on the existing Send Newsletters agent and uses similar code. The main difference is that instead of generating a newsletter and emailing it to the users, the agent generates a push using the same information and calls a Java class that can complete the HTTP post that is necessary to perform a push.

The Java class is necessary because you cannot create an HTTP post using Lotus script or another formula language.

Figure 6: A view of an IBM Domino agent



Summary

Mobilizing existing IBM Lotus Domino databases can give users access to corporate data on a wireless device. Providing BlackBerry users with access to an IBM Lotus Domino database on a BlackBerry device can increase productivity and reduce costs. Before you extend an IBM Lotus Domino database to BlackBerry users, consider how mobilizing it will help users better perform their jobs or decrease operating costs.

Because the infrastructure and data is already in place, mobilizing an existing IBM Lotus Domino database is faster and easier than creating a new application. Administrators and developers with IBM Lotus Domino experience already have the necessary knowledge, skills and tools to extend an existing IBM Lotus Domino database to BlackBerry.

Additional Resources

To learn more about the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, please go to www.blackberry.com/go/DominoResources. This website includes information and sample code for getting started with mobilizing your Domino applications using the BlackBerry solution.

Contact a Research In Motion office:

Head Office

Research In Motion 295 Phillip Street Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2L 3W8

tel: (519) 888-7465 fax: (519) 888-7884

[email protected]

References

1. “Getting the Workforce Better Connected,” Yankee Group Research, Inc., October, 2006 2. “Analyzing the Return On Investment of a BlackBerry Deployment,” Ipsos Reid Research Study, 2004

Europe

Research In MotionCentrum House36 Station RoadEgham, SurreyUnited Kingdom TW20 9LF

tel: +44 (0)1784 477465fax: +44 (0)1784 477455

[email protected]



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