CRM/Lotus Domino synchronisation results in the following functionality:

When an Appointment is created, edited, or deleted by a CRM user enabled for Lotus synchronisation, a corresponding Meeting or To Do is automatically created, updated, or deleted in Lotus Notes.

When a Meeting, an Appointment, or a To Do item is created or edited by a synchronised user in Lotus Notes, a corresponding Appointment is automatically created or updated in CRM. If you delete a Meeting or To Do in Lotus Notes and the meeting has people invited to it, the corresponding Appointment is deleted from CRM. However, if you did not invite anyone to the meeting apart from yourself (or if you created a Notes Appointment or a Personal To Do item), it is not automatically deleted from CRM.

Lotus synchronisation works as follows:

A service called the Custom Service Server, which resides on the Lotus Domino server, polls the Lotus Domino application and the CRM application. The service logs onto CRM and retrieves any Appointments that have been created or updated by those users who are enabled for Lotus synchronisation. The calendar items are then created, updated, or deleted on the Lotus Domino server. Following this, the service retrieves any Meetings, Appointments, or To Do items that have been created, updated, or deleted on the Lotus Domino server and sends them to the CRM server. Once this happens, the Appointments are created or updated in CRM.

CRM/Lotus component interaction

The ability of a number of components to communicate with each other makes CRM/Lotus Domino synchronisation possible. These include the eWare Message Object, the CRM Table Level Script, synchronisation scripts, and the CRM Custom Service Server. The Sync Control Panel is responsible for installing the synchronisation components on the servers.

Sync Control Panel interaction with servers

When the Sync Control Panel is configured and installed on the CRM server and then on the Lotus Domino server:

• A Table Level Script is installed on the CRM server.
• CRM ASP files are installed on the CRM server.
• The CRM Custom Service Server and its scripts are installed on the Lotus Domino server.
• The eWare Message Object is also installed on the Lotus Domino server.

Synchronising appointments

Once the Sync Control Panel is run and users have been synchronised, components interact when calendar items are created, updated, or deleted on the servers.

On the CRM server, when an Appointment is created, updated, or deleted, the CRM Table Level Script flags the CRM record that needs to be synchronised.

On the Lotus Domino server, the CRM Custom Service server constantly polls the Lotus database for new and updated Meetings, Appointments, and To Do items. When it finds them, it sends each record to the ASP files on the CRM server. The ASP files update the CRM server.

The CRM Custom Service Server also polls the CRM server through another ASP page. This ASP page sends any new or updated Appointments to the Lotus Domino server.

For further information about CRM/Lotus integration please click here to download the Sage CRM Lotus Domino Synchronistion Guide.

To discuss Sage CRM in more detail please contact one of our product specialists on
01491 870 100 or email us at sales@serversys.com