Table of Contents

Course Overview ................................................................................................................ 2

Key Points About this Course............................................................................................. 4
Lesson 1: Introduction to the Domino Server Controller and Domino Console ................ 5
Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications.............................................................. 8
Lesson 3: Entering Commands ......................................................................................... 17
Lesson 4: Using the Domino Server Controller with Partitioned Servers ........................ 20
Lesson 5: Quick Facts and Miscellanea............................................................................ 22
Lesson 6: eSupport Resources ......................................................................................... 24

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IBM 2005

Course Overview

Introduction

This course will introduce you to the Domino Server Controller and Domino
Console.

Learning
Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to

Run the applications with the various startup switches

Connect to the Domino Server Controller from the Domino Console
Exit the Domino Server Controller properly
Issue the various types of commands available using the Domino Console
Workaround a common issue involving partitioned Domino servers
Identify the steps to install the Domino Console on a non-Notes machine
Identify the necessary Notes account credentials to administer a server from
the Domino Console
Identify the configuration files (.ini files) for the Domino Server Controller
and Domino Console
Identify knowledge resources for the applications

In this Course

This course is divided into the following lessons:

Lessons
Lesson 1: Introduction to the Domino Server Controller and
Domino Console
Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications
Lesson 3: Entering Commands
Lesson 4: Using the Domino Server Controller with Partitioned
Servers
Lesson 5: Quick Facts and Miscellanea
Lesson 6: Resources

See Page
5
8
17
20
22
24

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Course Overview, Continued

Timing

The timing of this courses components are as follows:

Component
Course Overview
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Lesson 6
Total:

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Approximate Time
5 minutes
15 minutes
45 minutes
35 minutes
15 minutes
10 minutes
10 minutes
2 hours 15 min (approx)

IBM 2005

Key Points About this Course

Prerequisites

This course assumes that with product documentation, you are able to install,
configure and use the following:
Notes Client
Domino Server

Course Format

This course's design enables it to be either delivered in a classroom setting (in

which the instructor's role is primarily facilitation) or taken as a self-paced
course by an individual participant.

Requirements

To complete the all of the exercises and activities, you will need the
following:
Hardware
One machine that has Domino installed on it. This machine will be referred
to in this course as the server machine.
One machine that has a Notes client installed on it. This machine will be
referred to in this course as the client machine.
Software
Notes client and Domino server install code
Documentation
Lotus Software Knowledge Base: https://www927.ibm.com/search/SupportSearchWeb/SupportSearch?pageCode=SBS&b
rand=lotus
Domino Administrator Help (use the latest version available)
Domino Console online help
The documentation can be obtained here if you need to get it:
http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/doc
Other
You will need a Person document on your Domino server that has an
Internet password and whose account is designated as a Full Access
Administrator in the Server document

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Lesson 1: Introduction to the Domino Server Controller and

Domino Console

Introduction

Beginning in Notes/Domino 6, two Java-based applications became available

for running and administering a Domino Server: the Domino Server
Controller and Domino Console. These applications can be used as an
alternative to the traditional Domino server and Domino console.

Nomenclature
Madness

In the Help, Release Notes, and Knowledge Base these applications are
referred to intermittently as Server Controller or Domino Controller and
Domino Console.
Many times the terms used to identify these applications are further distorted.
Terms such as Java Console, Java Server, Java Controller, etc., are
commonly used. When you have completed this training, you should be
skilled in asking the right questions to help you determine exactly what
application is in question.
To avoid confusion between these Java applications and the traditional
Domino server and Domino console, they will be referred to in this training
document as Domino Server Controller, Domino Server, and Domino
Console. Note the proper case - - when you see these terms in proper case,
we are referring to these Java applications and a Domino Server running
under the control of the Domino Server Controller.

Domino Server
Controller

The Domino Server Controller is a Java-based program that controls a

Domino Server. In this sense, administrators will often say they are running a
Domino server under the Domino Server Controller.
When a Domino Server runs under a Domino Server Controller you can send
Domino server commands, Controller commands, and shell commands from
any of the following consoles: the Domino Console, server console in the
Administrator client, or the Web Administrator.
By default, the Domino Server Controller listens for connections over port
2050.
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Lesson 1: Introduction to the Domino Server Controller and

Domino Console, Continued

Domino
Console

The Domino Console is the Java-based console that you can use to
communicate with a Domino Server Controller (and the Domino server it
controls). When you connect to the Domino Server Controller from a
supported console, it looks like the familiar traditional Domino server
console with the addition of a GUI menu. With its GUI features, it is similar
to the remote console in the Domino Administrator Client.
The Domino Console functions strictly as a server console. In fact, you can
think of it as a thin remote server console client. It does not include the full
set of Domino administration features available through the Domino
Administrator and Web Administrator clients. For example, you cannot use it
to open and manage Notes databases.
When you run a Domino Server Controller, you no longer have access to the
traditional local server console. You can communicate only through the
Domino Console or a console in the Domino Administrator or Web
Administrator clients.
Note: To use the Domino Console to communicate with a Domino Server, the
server must be running under a Domino Server Controller.

Key Concept

It is important to understand that the Domino Server Controller can run by

itself, without a Domino Server running under it. When running in this
manner, you can connect to the Domino Server Controller with the Domino
Console and issue commands that are specific to the Domino Server
Controller. These commands are referred to as Controller commands.
This concept will be reinforced as you progress through this course
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Lesson 1: Introduction to the Domino Server Controller and

Domino Console, Continued

Domino
Console
Advantages

The Domino Console has many advantages:

You can run the Domino Console on any platform except Macintosh
You can send commands to multiple servers simultaneously
It doesn't require a Notes ID, only a Person document with an Internet
password, so you can connect to servers certified by different certifiers
without needing multiple Notes IDs or cross-certificates
You can customize output to the Domino Console, for example, use local
event filters to specify the types of events the Domino Console displays.
You can also log server output to log files
You can send commands other than standard Domino server console
commands, such as:
Shell commands (OS commands)
Controller commands
Note: some of the advantages listed above are also available in the Web
Administrator and the remote console in the Domino Administrator client.

Installation

The code needed to run the Domino Server Controller (and underlying
Domino Server) are provided with Domino.
The code needed to run the Domino Console are provided with Domino, the
Notes client, and the Domino Administrator client.

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Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications

Introduction

In this section, we will look at options when starting the Domino Server
Controller and Domino Console.

Starting the
Domino Server
Controller

When you start the Domino Server Controller, you run the standard Domino
Server executable (nserver.exe) and append startup arguments. Since you
must append the jc argument to the nserver.exe executable, this is
considered the default argument when starting the Domino Server
Controller.
There are two other optional startup arguments:
-c Restricts the Domino Console from running.
-s Restricts the Domino Server from running.
The various startup arguments allow you to choose which applications (the
Domino Console and/or Domino Server) will start and run with the Domino
Server Controller.
The table below summarizes startup options for the Domino Server
Controller.

Command

Result

c:\\domino\nserver.exe -jc
c:\\domino\nserver.exe -jc -c
c:\\domino\nserver.exe -jc -s
c:\\domino\nserver.exe -jc -c -s

Runs the Domino Server Controller, the Domino

Server (under the Controller), and the Domino
Console
Runs the Domino Server Controller and the
Domino Server (under the Controller)
Runs the Domino Server Controller and the
Domino Console
Runs only the Domino Server Controller

Note: When you run a Server Controller, you no longer have access to the
traditional local server console. You can communicate only through the
Domino Console or a console in the Domino Administrator or Web
Administrator clients.
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Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications, Continued

Example

Starting the Domino Server Controller on a Windows machine from the

Start Run dialog box

will result in the Domino Server Controller loading first, followed by the
Domino Console, and Domino Server. Note the arrows pointing to each of the
processes started: the Domino Server Controller, Domino Console, and
Domino Server.

The Domino Console GUI loads in a separate window.

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Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications, Continued

Activity

On your machine that has Domino installed on it, start the Domino Server
Controller, Domino Console, and Domino Server by entering the following
command in the Start dialog box. Substitute your program path if it is
different from the screenshot.

Note that upon startup, the Domino Console automatically connects to the
Domino Server Controller and the Domino Server that is running under the
Controller.
Leave the applications up and running for now and continue reading the
following information regarding startup options.
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Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications, Continued

More about
Startup
Arguments

Why use the optional startup arguments when starting the Domino Server
Controller?
-c
Example: >c:\lotus\domino\nserver.exe jc c
Use -c to prevent the Domino Console from running when you start the
Domino Server Controller.
You might prevent the Domino Console from running on a slow machine, on
a machine that is low on memory, or simply to save system resources if you
will be using a remote console (like the Domino Console) to access the
machine. NOTE: If you use this argument and the Domino server ID requires
a password, the Domino Server starts without running its server tasks. To run
the server tasks, you must connect to the server from a remote console and
specify the server password when prompted.
-s
Example: >c:\lotus\domino\nserver.exe jc c -s
Use -s to prevent the Domino Server from running when you start the
Domino Server Controller.
You might use the s argument along with c in order to run just the Domino
Server Controller on a machine. In this situation, a remote administrator can
connect to the Domino Server Controller with a remote console (like the
Domino Server Console) via FQDN and send Controller commands that
extend administrative options beyond those of traditional Domino server
commands.
For example, stopping and restarting the server from a remote console is not
an option when you load the Domino server in the traditional way
(c:\domino\nserver.exe). If you connect to a Domino server that is NOT
running under the Domino Server Controller via the Web Administrator or
remote console in the Domino Administrator client and quit the Domino
server, there is no way to bring it back up unless you have a 3rd party
application like PC Anywhere.
The ability to restart the Domino Server remotely is one of the big advantages
of running the Domino Server under the Domino Server Controller.
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Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications, Continued

Activity

On your machine that is running the Domino Server Controller, Domino

Console, and Domino Server, exit the applications by clicking
File Quit Controller in the Domino Console menu bar (see below):

Click Yes when asked whether you are sure you want to stop the server and
controller.
Again on your machine that has Domino installed on it, start the Domino
Server Controller, and Domino Server by entering the following command in
the Start dialog box:

Note that this time upon startup, the Domino Server Controller and Domino
Server start but the Domino Console does not. Leave the Controller/Server
up and running and proceed reading the next page.
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Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications, Continued

Starting the
Domino
Console

You can run the Domino Console (jconsole.exe) from the program directory
of a Domino server or Notes client (e.g. \Domino, \Notes). This means that
you can run the Domino Console on the same machine that is already running
the Domino Server Controller and/or Domino Server if you did not load the
Domino Console initially (nserver.exe jc c), or, you can run the Domino
Console on a remote machine and connect to the machine that is running the
Domino Server Controller and/or Domino Server.
Example:

Activity

Take a moment to start the Domino Console on your client machine. Enter
the following command in the Start dialog. Substitute your program path if it
is different from the screenshot.

Next, you will connect to the machine running the Domino Server Controller
and Domino Server. Leave the Domino Console running on your client
machine and continue reading.
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Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications, Continued

Connecting to
the Controller

After you start the Domino Console, you need to connect to the Domino
Server Controller. Clicking File Open Server from the menu bar will bring
up this dialog box:

In the Open Server dialog box, enter the following:

User Name = an Administrator for your Domino Server (Security section of
the Server document)
Password = the users Internet password as defined in their Person document
Server = FQDN of your machine that is running the Domino Server
Controller
Port = 2050
The first time you connect to the Domino Server Controller from a remote
machine (you client machine, in this case), you must enter the FQDN of the
machine that is functioning as the Domino Server Controller.

Activity

Using the information above click File Open in the Domino Console and
connect to the machine that is running the Domino Server Controller and
Domino Server. Substitute the information from your test environment for
that listed above (User Name, password, server, port).
After you connect to the Domino Server Controller/Domino Server machine,
leave the Domino Console running and continue reading the following pages.
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Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications, Continued

Domino
Console as
thin client

To run the Domino Console on a machine that does not have a Domino
server, Notes client, or Domino Administrator client installed, follow these
steps:
On a machine that has a Domino server, Notes client or Administrator client
installed, copy the following to a new directory on the desired machine:
dconsole.jar
jconsole.exe (on NT/W2K) or jconsole (on UNIX)
\jvm directory including all subdirectories
(the \jvm directory is located under the \domino or \notes program directory)

Stopping the
Domino Server
Controller

The Domino Server Controller runs in its own window. You can minimize a
the window, but do not close or kill the window to stop the Domino Server
Controller if a Domino Server is running.
If a Domino Server is running under the Domino Server Controller and you
attempt to stop it by closing or killing the window, the Domino server tasks
will not be terminated properly, and the next time you attempt to run the
Domino Server under the Domino Server Controller, it will start and stop
without loading. See below:

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Lesson 2: Starting and Stopping the Applications, Continued

Stopping the
Domino Server
Controller
(continued)

If this happens, you must go into Task Manager and kill each process
individually before you can restart the Domino Server Controller and the
Domino Server running under it.
Instead, use one of the following ways to shut down the Domino Server
Controller (and the Domino server if it is also running):
Click File Quit Controller from the Domino Console GUI
Issue the Controller command #Quit from the Domino Console to stop the
Domino Server Controller and the Domino Server it controls.
These options will close all Domino Server processes correctly.

Stopping the
Domino
Console

To stop (exit) the Domino Console, do one of the following:

Click File Exit
Enter the keyboard command Alt + Q
Kill the window (click the X at top right)

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Lesson 3: Entering Commands

Introduction

Using the Domino Console, the administrator can choose from 3 different
types of commands to issue to the Domino Server Controller:
Domino Commands
Domino Controller Commands
Shell Commands

Domino
Commands

Domino commands are the commands that administrators enter at the

traditional Domino server console.
Example:
>show tasks

Controller
Commands

These are commands that are specific to the Domino Controller. They can be
used to control specific processes of the Domino Server or the Domino
Controller itself. Many of these commands can be issue from the GUI of the
Domino Console.
Some Domino Controller commands are similar to Domino Commands
(show processes is similar to show tasks).
Use the prefix # with Domino Controller commands.
Example:
> #kill domino

Shell
Commands

Operating system commands (dir, etc). Use the prefix $ with Domino
Controller shell commands.
Example:
>$dir c:\temp

Command
modes

If you plan to enter more than one Controller command, type # and press
ENTER in the Command box to change to Controller command mode. Then,
you can enter Controller commands without specifying the # prefix. To exit
Controller command mode, type # and press ENTER again in the Command
box.
The same is true for shell commands: type $ and hit ENTER in the Command
box to change to Shell command mode. Type $ and hit ENTER to exit Shell
command mode.
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Lesson 3: Entering Commands, Continued

Table of
Controller
Commands

Below is a table of Domino Server Controller commands. These are found in

the online help for the Domino Server Console. Remember to precede each
command with the # character.

Controller command

Description

Equivalent menu
command in the
Domino Console

Broadcast message

Broadcasts a specified message to all

administrators connected to a Controller.

File - Broadcast

Disable username

Disables a user's connection to the

Controller. Connection remains disabled
until you use the Enable User command or
until you quit and restart the Controller. To
disable more than one user's connection,
separate the users' names with commas, for
example:

Edit - Controller Access

#disable user1,user2
Enable username

Enables a user's connection that you

previously disabled using the Disable
command. To enable more than one user's
connection, separate the users' names with
commas, for example
#enable user1,user2

Edit - Controller Access

Kill Domino

Stops the processes on a Domino server that

is not responding

File - Kill Server

Quit

Stops the Domino server and the server's

Controller

File - Quit Controller

Refresh Admins

Refreshes the Controller's information about

administrators from the Domino Directory
on the server

None

Refresh Servers

Refreshes the Domino Console with the

Server Controller's list of servers in the
domain and also refreshes the Domino
Console with the Server Controller's list of
"Server only" type groups in the domain.

File - Refresh Server

List

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IBM 2005

Lesson 3: Entering Commands, Continued

Table of Controller Commands (continued)

Controller command

Description

Equivalent menu
command in the
Domino Console

Restart Domino

Stops the processes on a Domino server that

is not responding and then restarts the
server

None

Set ControllerLogExpiration=days

Specifies the number of days worth of log

files to keep on the server. For more
information, see "Controlling how long log
files remain on a server" in the Domino
Console online help.

None

Set ControllerLogFileName=filename

Specifies the name and path of log files

created on a server. For more information,
see "Controlling the names and location of
log files created on the server" in the
Domino Console online help.

None

Set ControllerLogType=value

Specifies the types of log files to create on a

server or whether to disable logging on the
server. For more information, see
"Controlling the types of log files created
on a server" in the Domino Console online
help.

None

Show Users

Shows the users currently connected to the

Server Controller

File - Show - Users

Show Processes

Shows the tasks currently running on the

Domino server

File - Show - Processes

Start Domino

Starts the Domino server if it is down

File - Start Server

Activity

Take 15 minutes to enter commands from the Domino Console on your client
machine to the Domino Server Controller and Domino Server on your server
machine. Experiment with standard Domino commands, Controller
commands, and shell commands. Trying issuing some of the Controller
commands from the GUI in the Domino Console.

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Lesson 4: Using the Domino Server Controller with

Partitioned Servers

Introduction

In this lesson, you will learn about a common Support call involving the
Domino Server Controller on a partitioned Domino server and how to resolve
it.

Scenario

Port mapping is being used on a partitioned Domino server and there is an

issue with running multiple Domino Server Controllers.
The first Domino Server Controller loads without any problems, but when
trying to run a second instance of the Domino Server Controller on another
partitioned server, he gets an error stating that port 2050 is already in use.
How do we fix this?

Activity

Open the Lotus Domino Support page at the following URL:

http://www-306.ibm.com/software/lotus/support/domino/support.html
Take 5 minutes to search the Knowledge Base for a technote that describes
this scenario
When you find the technote, fill in this blank with the technote number:
_______________________
Read the technote and proceed to the next activity.
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Lesson 4: Using the Domino Server Controller with

Partitioned Servers, Continued

Activity

In this activity, you will simulate the resolution to the common customer
problem described in Knowledge Base Technote #1086077 Error
Attempting to Load a Second Instance Domino Controller on a Partitioned
Port-Mapped Server.
Take 10 minutes to complete the following steps in your test environment.
Step
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Action
If running, exit your Domino Server Controller and Domino
Server by clicking File Quit Controller in the Domino Console.
Click OK when asked if you are sure you want to do this.
On your test server, locate and open the file, dcontroller.ini.
Locate the parameter, Port_Number =2050 and change the number
to 2051. Save and close the file.
Start the Java Domino Controller and Domino Server with the
command >nserver jc c
Open a remote session of the Domino Console.
Click File Open Server
Enter the Administrators name and password for your test server.
Enter the name of your test server.
Change the default port number from 2050 to 2051, as you
designated in the dcontroller.ini file in step 3.
Click OK and connect to your test server.

Dconsole.ini

Configuration settings for the Domino Console (jconsole.exe) are stored in

the dconsole.ini file. When you change the port number in the Open Server
dialog box (step 3), it updates the dconsole.ini file with the changed port
number. See the Server= parameter for this setting.

Results

While this activity did not take place on a port-mapped, partitioned Domino
server, the steps to resolve the issue as described in the technote is essentially
the same. You should now be able to lead a customer to resolution of this
common Support call.

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Lesson 5: Quick Facts and Miscellanea

Facts

You can run the Domino Console from any machine on which an R6 or
later Domino server, Notes client or Administrator client is installed. To use
the Domino Console to communicate with a Domino server, the server must
be running under a Server Controller.
To run the Domino Console on a machine that does not have a Domino
server, Notes client, or Administrator client installed, follow these steps:
On a machine that has a Domino server, Notes client or Administrator
client installed, copy the following to a new directory on the desired
machine:
1. -dconsole.jar
2. -jconsole.exe (on NT/W2K) or jconsole (on UNIX)
3. -jvm directory including all subdirectories
When you run a Server Controller, you no longer have access to the
traditional local server console. You can communicate only through the
Domino Console or a console in the Domino Administrator or Web
Administrator clients.
The Server Controller listens over SSL port 2050 by default, which is
adequate in most situations. However, to specify a different port, change the
value of the Port_Number setting in the dcontroller.ini file located in the
server's data directory.
Configuration settings for the Domino Server Controller reside in the
dcontroller.ini file. Configuration settings for the Domino Console reside in
the dconsole.ini file.
To send commands to a Server Controller, you must first log on to the
server's Controller to connect to it. Once connected, you can send Domino
server commands, Controller commands, and native operating system
commands (shell commands). The commands you can send depends on the
access you have in the Administrators section on the Security tab of the
server's Server document in the Domino Directory.

Continued on next page

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Lesson 5: Quick Facts and Miscellanea, Continued

On your own

There are other useful features available in the Domino Console that you
should explore on your own. See the online help in the Domino Console for
detailed information regarding the following topics.

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Sending a command to a group of servers

Creating, editing, or deleting a server group
Adding frequently used server groups to the Send menu
Adding frequently used commands to the Commands menu
Sending a command to a server at regular intervals
Hiding a password for a CA Process tell command
Pausing console output
Copying server output to a file
Filtering the events the console displays for a server
Showing only the events related to a specific server task
Showing only the events related to a specific process ID
Debug Output Window - Managing Java error messages

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Lesson 6: eSupport Resources

Online Help

The online help in the Domino Console client is the best source of
information. While there is some useful information regarding the Domino
Server Controller and Domino Console in the Admin Guide and the Release
Notes, the online help in the Domino Console client is your best bet.

IBM Software
Support: Lotus

The IBM Software Support: Lotus website is another helpful resource for
issue resolution. Here, you can troubleshoot issues, plan deployments and
personalize your support experience. The site can be found at:
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/lotus/support/index.html

Lotus Domino
Support page

For eSupport specific to Domino, navigate to this page:

http://www-306.ibm.com/software/lotus/support/domino/support.html

Lotus developer
resources

Developer resources for Lotus products are located here:

http://www-130.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/

Notes/Domino 6
Forum

The Notes/Domino 6 Forum on the developerWorks website is an excellent

source of information regarding Domino Server Controller and Domino
Console issues.
http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/nd6forum.nsf.
The questions and answers that others post can be quite helpful when you are
researching an issue.
Also, it is common for Lotus Product Development to post answers and
suggestions to queries. In general, the forum is an excellent resource for
deepening your knowledge of the Domino Server Controller and Domino
Console.
Continued on next page

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Lesson 6: eSupport Resources, Continued

Technotes

The following is a list of useful technotes from Knowledge Base regarding

the Domino Server Controller and Domino Console. Follow this URL to get
to Knowledge Base:
https://www-927.ibm.com/search/SupportSearchWeb/SupportSearch?pageCode=SBS&brand=lotus

Number
Document Title
1086077 Error Attempting to Load a Second Instance Domino
Controller on a Partitioned Port-mapped Server
1091890 Domino 6 Console and Controller Both Show Same Process
Name in Task Manager
1092827 Using LOAD CMD from the Java Console Results in the
Console Freezing in Domino 6

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