Quadrant Categorization for Lotus Domino Applications

In order to understand and make recommendations when considering integration and migration options for Lotus Domino applications, it is important to group together applications that share common criteria. Microsoft Application Analyzer 2006 for Lotus Domino performs a high level categorization, which is used for the initial analysis of Domino applications. The following are the criteria for determining the category for Lotus Domino applications:

· Is the application based on a template that ships with Domino?

· Does the application implement workflow?

Based on these two conditions, four quadrants are identified:

· Data centric, default template based (Quadrant 1)

· Workflow, default template based (Quadrant 2)

· Data centric, custom (Quadrant 3)

· Workflow, custom (Quadrant 4)

All Lotus Domino applications fall into one of these four quadrants. The analyzer tool quickly identifies the appropriate quadrant for each application included in the analysis. Any application that falls into the quadrants one or two is listed with the Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) template that provides similar functionality.

Applications that fall into quadrants three and four may require additional analysis as they may include functionality that affects the recommended target platform. Quadrant three and quadrant four applications may require additional analysis for details such as connectivity to external sources, security, agents, etc. Further categorization is required for these conditions. Details about this next phase of the analysis process will be covered in more detail in later blogs and in whitepapers available for download at the Microsoft Interoperability and Migration Center website.

Microsoft Application Analyzer 2006 for Lotus Domino groups together applications that share a common design template (they were created from and inherit their design from the same template). There may be 40 applications that share a design template – the design can be analyzed one time, a solution can be identified one time and a migration tool can be configured a single time, which saves a significant amount of time and energy.

Placing applications into the appropriate quadrant is the first step in the overall application analysis process. It provides broad guidelines for dealing with the applications and gives direction for the next steps in the analysis process.

- Amy