Changing Passwords and Learning Management System using Domino LDAP

Here's a little trick that may come in handy for some shops using Lotus LMS and Domino LDAP. We've got quite a few users using LMS that don't have email for one reason or another. This presents the issue of how to get them to change their password after their initial login. Of course we can't force the change...yet..., but we can give them a link to the change password URL of a Domino server so they can be told to change it and actually be able to change it. This will take minimum skills in editing text files - the JSP used to show the link. You'll also want to point to a server that has an SSL cert so the passwords aren't clear text. On to the fun stuff!

The JSP file in question is studentHomeNavigation.jsp. Open it in your favorite text editor and find the Resources section which shows the Resources menu items on the nav column on the left. Find the spot you want to add the link and paste the following text in. You'll need to change the server name to match your own of course! ps - You'll need to remove the space inbetween the '<' and the next character for the code to work.


<%-- Display Password change link - user ProgressReport persmission - added 8/4/2004--%>
< lms:permissioncheck permissionname="Home_Progress">
< tr class="hmPrimNavBgOFF" valign="top">
< td width="1">
< div class="homeNavBulletPostion">< /div>
< /td>
< td width="99%">
< div class="homeNavItemPostion">< a href="javascript: void openWindow('http://webserver.domain.com/names.nsf?ChangePassword', 'pswdchange', 'resizable,scrollbars')" title="Change your password." class="homeNavOFF" onmouseover="window.status = 'Change your password.'; return true" onmouseout="window.status = ''; return true">Password Change< /a>< /div>
< /td>
< /tr>
< /lms:permissionCheck>


The permissionCheck parameters add security checking so that the user has to be logged in and have rights to view the Resources section, I set it up to use the ProgressReport permission, but you can use whatever looks right to you. There's no need in showing the link to anonymous users.

After you add in the text, save it and store it in your repository so you have it after upgrading in the future - remember upgrades write over existing JSPs. After you save it on the server, it's usually just a matter of time before it appears on your website.

We've also used this method to add link to the Sametime test meeting for LVC users, but I'll leave that for you to figure out - I wouldn't want to spoil the fun of self-discovery!

iNotes, GZIP and Home PCs

One thing that running Domino Web Access, nee iNotes, has helped me realize is how great the "standardized" desktop is. When you have thousands of PCs and laptops out and you know what the software is and what patches are on it - and have methods for installing the patches - it makes the job of troubleshooting issues so much easier.

On the other side is the remote user on their home PC. We had been getting loads of support calls from users at home getting messages like "Error encountered fetching data" or "Error encountered retrieving data" when a user opened their Inbox or tried to read a message. After consulting the Lotus KB it appeared to be an issue with IE and certain patches that were necessary for it to work. The underlying issue was related to GZIP and iNotes5 templates which we are still using as we go through our upgrade to 6.5, but we were hopeful that the users would read the home page we have for iNotes and use the links to update their systems.

OK - stop laughing - I know you're just rolling on the floor, but I had a short moment when I believed, mistakenly, that the user would take the initiative and "fix" their own problem. O how wrong I was!!

After getting still more calls about the same issue, we finally decided to just pull the plug on GZIP until we can get more iNotes users moved over to the 6.5 template. How do you disable GZIP, with a notes.ini setting of course! And it is:

iNotes_wa_GZIP_Disable=1

And of course you're going to use your server configuration document to apply that, right??