Dropping Domino’s HTTP task

Instead of waiting for updates of the Domino HTTP task any longer I was thinking about how to use modern HTTP technologies on top of Domino. But instead of implementing it in the Domino stack, I think I found a new way for developing and running my Spring Boot applications: Why not using the existing JVM, and run my application directly on it? This means full access to the Domino objects, and allows access to the latest available technologies: No more limitations because of the provided tech stack, Websockets, Async HTTP Request Processing, full JEE support, modern and better development tools, …

I am not talking about DIIOP or RPC, that’s something different, and more a crutch as a solution. I need full access, especially to NAPI for C-API calls for running the code in the user context I want.

First thing to do is downloading and installing Maven and Git. I am using older versions on my Winows 7 VM, because I am to lazy to upgrade them. Then I have cloned the Websockets example from Spring as a starting point for a quick testing scenario.

I have choosen Jetty as the webserver to use by adding the dependencies to the pom.xml:

<dependency>
   <groupId>org.eclipse.jetty.websocket</groupId>
   <artifactId>websocket-client</artifactId>
   <version>9.4.11.v20180605</version>
</dependency>

<dependency>
   <groupId>org.eclipse.jetty.websocket</groupId>
   <artifactId>websocket-server</artifactId>
   <version>9.4.11.v20180605</version>
</dependency>

<dependency>
   <groupId>org.eclipse.jetty</groupId>
   <artifactId>jetty-client</artifactId>
   <version>9.4.11.v20180605</version>
</dependency>

Jetty provides support for WebSockets, http/2, the latest servlet container and many more features which on the wishlist of Domino developers for years.

For an easier maintainment, I am using properties in the pom.xml for referencing the Domino environment:

<properties>
   <java.version>1.8</java.version>
   <domino.directory>T:/IBM/Domino901</domino.directory>
   <domino.osgi.shared.directory>${domino.directory}/osgi/shared/eclipse/plugins</domino.osgi.shared.directory>
   <domino.osgi.rcp.directory>${domino.directory}/osgi/rcp/eclipse/plugins</domino.osgi.rcp.directory>
   <domino.version>9.0.1</domino.version>
   <domino.jarversion>9.0.1.20180115-1058</domino.jarversion>
</properties>

My installation of Domino server is on drive T, and the JAR version is the part of the file or folder name which depends on the current installation / feature pack.

Now, we can add the dependencies to the required Domino JARs:


<dependency>
   <groupId>com.ibm</groupId>
   <artifactId>domino-api-binaries</artifactId>
   <version>${domino.version}</version>
   <scope>system</scope>
   <systemPath>${domino.directory}/jvm/lib/ext/Notes.jar</systemPath>
</dependency>

<dependency>
   <groupId>com.ibm</groupId>
   <artifactId>commons</artifactId>
   <version>${domino.version}</version>
   <scope>system</scope>
   <systemPath>${domino.osgi.shared.directory}/com.ibm.commons_${domino.jarversion}/lwpd.commons.jar</systemPath>
</dependency>

<dependency>
   <groupId>com.ibm.domino</groupId>
   <artifactId>napi</artifactId>
   <version>${domino.version}</version>
   <scope>system</scope>
   <systemPath>${domino.osgi.shared.directory}/com.ibm.domino.napi_${domino.jarversion}/lwpd.domino.napi.jar</systemPath>
</dependency>

At this point it is time to start the project for the first time. To do this, it is required to use the Domino JVM instead of the installed one. And here comes a small drawback: When using the Server JVM you cannot run the Domino server in parallel. If so, the server will crash immediatly with a „PANIC!“ message. You could start every task manually – but not the database server itself (this means you can use replication and mail and everything, but you cannot connect to the server from another client).

So here is a workaround: Install the Notes client and use his JVM! Think as it of a massive Database driver to connect to the server (there is no need to start the client, we just need the JVM and the DLLs).

Start a console, and change the environment (dependent of your installation of Maven & the Notes client):

SET JAVA_HOME=T:\IBM\Notes901\jvm
SET Path=T:\IBM\Notes901;C:\apache-maven-3.3.9\bin;T:\IBM\Notes901\jvm\bin

Go to your project folder and start the server:

mvn spring-boot:run

After opening http://localhost:8080 in your browser and clicking the „Connect“ button, you can see the WebSocket connection in the Dev Console:

At this point, nothing really spectacular. But now let’s modify the GreetingController.java and add some Domino code:

@MessageMapping("/hello")
@SendTo("/topic/greetings")
public Greeting greeting(HelloMessage message) throws Exception {

   Thread.sleep(1000); // simulated delay

   // make to Domino Thread
   NotesThread.sinitThread();
   Session session = NotesFactory.createSession();

   return new Greeting("Hello, " + HtmlUtils.htmlEscape( session.getEffectiveUserName() ) + "!" );
}

Restart the Jetty server, and enter a name. Et voilà…

In the next post, let’s use the Java NAPI to create a „real“ Webserver.

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8 Antworten zu Dropping Domino’s HTTP task

  1. That is like this one: https://wissel.net/blog/2014/08/running-vertx-with-the-openntf-domino-api.html

    Once in Java land you have quite some options: Spring Boot, Eclipse vert.x, Akka etc.

    Would be curious to compare those in a Domino context. Btw TheProjectThatShallNotBeNamed was using the vert.x stack for speed bypassing Domino’s http stack

  2. Pingback: Dropping Domino’s HTTP task (2): Running in User Context | blog@hasselba.ch

  3. I’ve hit the same problem with integrating with Domino externally while Domino is running. It hit me when kicking off tests from ODA. Do you know if it is just a limitation of the Domino exe, or is it a limitation to only one process accessing the data directory? I’m wondering if you’ve tried running two separate Spring Boot apps at the same time. Does that work, or does it hit the same problem as one Spring Boot and Domino server process? (Hopefully it’s clear what I mean!)

    • There is no limitation when using the JVM of the Notes client. You can run as many instances as you want, each instance will have a separate JVM process. The access to the Data Directory is done by the Notes API independently, so there is no „concurrency problem“.

  4. Luis sagt:

    Hello Sven, are you using the FP10 (or FP9) on lotus client (or server) for this approach?
    I am asking this because I wanted to know if it to possible use this approach without the FP10 or FP9 (my goverment sector company ended the ibm licence contract so I we are not able to download it)

    • Hi Luis,

      this approach works on all FPs as far I know.
      At the moment I am testing if this works with Non-IBM JVMs, like the ICAA client.

      • Luis sagt:

        Sven, thank you for your response.
        I am asking about the FPs because I saw in the properties definition that you are using java 1.8

        1.8
        ….
        As far as I know these version was updated in the FP8, but unfortunatelly I don’t have it… So I wanted to know if your example will run with the IBM Lotus Notes JVM 1.6 version….?

        Another question would be, it will work in a linux Domino server ?
        Thank you,

        Luis

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