Domino Server Deployment

If you do not have a deployment ready application, you should take a look at the example applications for reference or the extension docs to start your own.

Your Application

All applications should be stored in a file applications.json with the following structure:

[
  {
    "name": "App1",
    "title": "Sample Application",
    "description": "A sample app to extend Verse",
    "extensions": [],
    "services": ["Verse"]
  },
  {
    "name": "App2",
    ......
  }
]

Application Properties

Property	Definition
name	the name of the application (must be unique)
title	the title of your application
description	a description of what the application should do
extensions	an array of extension definitions (What is an Extension?)
services	an array of services the extension is deployed to. All HCL Verse extensions should include "Verse" as a supported service

Production ready, HCL Verse applications should be deployed to Domino. There are two different methods of deployment:

1. using the built-in endpoint
2. using a custom endpoint

When to use the built-in endpoint

HCL Verse on premises exposes a built-in endpoint to serve an application and should be used if the application does not need to be dynamically loaded (the applications JSON is a static file). The applications.json can either be loaded as a local file on the Domino server via path name or served as a hosted file via HTTP. The VOP_Extensibility_Data_Provider_Name notes.ini parameter specifies which data provider should be used and can be set to localFileProvider (default) or httpDataProvider. The data provider will periodically check the source applications.json file for updates, so you don’t have to restart the server after a new version of applications.json is deployed.

Local File Data Provider

Serving applications locally is easy to do with the localFileProvider. Steps to deploy:

1. Deploy the applications.json file to Domino
2. Set VOP_Extensibility_Data_Provider_Name to localFileProvider or leave it blank since it defaults to the desired setting
3. Specify the path to the applications JSON with the notes.ini parameter: VOP_Extensibility_Applications_Json_FilePath=D:\example\applications.json

Hosted File Data Provider

Alternatively, the applications JSON can be served via an HTTP server. Steps to deploy:

1. Deploy the applications.json file to the HTTP server
2. Set VOP_Extensibility_Data_Provider_Name to httpDataProvider
3. Specify the HTTP URL to the applications JSON with the notes.ini parameter: VOP_Extensibility_Applications_Json_URL=https://example.com/vop/applications.json

When to use the custom endpoint

Sometimes it might be useful to dynamically serve applications using code. If that is the case, then you will need to implement and use a custom endpoint. It is important to note that the endpoint response format must match, exactly, that of the HCL Connections Appregistry API. Otherwise, Verse may be unable to parse the information. Steps to deploy:

1. Configure custom endpoint should serve the response data
2. Specify the URL of the custom endpoint with the notes.ini parameter: VOP_Extensibility_Endpoint_URL=https://rest.example.com/vop/appregistry/services/Verse/applications

Example Response Data

The items attribute of the response is an array of the applications defined in the applications.json.

{
  /* The items list contains ALL registered applications and extensions */
  "items": [
    {
      "name": "App1",
      "services": ["Verse"],
      "extensions": [
        {
          /* Extensions */
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "App2",
      ......
    }
  ]
  "offset": 0,
  "limit": 0,
  "href": "/vop/appregistry/services/Verse/applications?offset=0&limit=0",
  "first": {
    "href": "/vop/appregistry/services/Verse/applications?offset=0&limit=0"
  },
  "prev": {
    "href": "/vop/appregistry/services/Verse/applications?offset=0&limit=0"
  },
  "next": {
    "href": "/vop/appregistry/services/Verse/applications?offset=0&limit=0"
  },
  "last": {
    "href": "/vop/appregistry/services/Verse/applications?offset=0&limit=0"
  },
}

Notes.ini Parameter Overview

Parameter	Description	Values	Default
VOP_Extensibility_Data_Provider_Name	directs domino where to locate the applications.js when using the built-in endpoint	"localFileProvider", "httpDataProvider"	"localFileProvider"
VOP_Extensibility_Applications_Json_FilePath	a path to the applications.json on the domino server	{String} filePath	N/A
VOP_Extensibility_Applications_Json_URL	an HTTP URL to where the `applications.json`` is served	{String} URL	N/A
VOP_Extensibility_Endpoint_URL	an custom endpoint URL where configured, application, response data can be retrieved	{String} URL	N/A