Lotus Notes supports the following options for upgrading Notes clients:
Upgrade-by-mail is an e-mail notification system that notifies users to upgrade their Notes clients and mail file templates to the Notes/Domino design. Upgrade-by-mail requires that you copy all installation files to a network file server or a shared directory that users can access. In the upgrade notification, you specify the path to SETUP.EXE. The notification message includes buttons that users click to launch the Lotus Notes installation program and to replace the design of their Notes mail file.
For Microsoft® Windows® users, you can also upgrade an Lotus Notes 6.5.x and 7.x installation to Lotus Notes using the Lotus Notes installation program in the install media kit. If the IBM® Lotus® Domino™ Administrator client and/or IBM® Lotus® Domino™ Designer client are resident, they can also be upgraded using the Lotus Notes Allclient installation media kit.
Note Upgrade-by-mail is not available for IBM® Lotus® Domino™ Web Access (iNotes Web Access) users. Upgrade-by-mail applies only to Notes client users.
For information about Upgrade-by-mail, see the topic Using Upgrade-by-mail.
(http://www.lotus.com/ldd/smartupgrade).
The Smart Upgrade Run-As wizard (SUSETRUNASWIZARD.EXE) creates an executable file (SURUNAS.EXE) that Notes client users can then run to upgrade their Notes clients. Notes client users can use the Smart Upgrade Run-As (SURunas) feature to upgrade to a newer Notes client release. Smart Upgrade Run-As is designed for Notes client users who do not have administrator privileges but who still need to periodically update their Notes client software. Notes client users with administrator privileges on their local computer can still use Smart Upgrade.
For more information about the Lotus Smart Upgrade Run-As wizard, see the topic Using the Smart Upgrade Run-As wizard.
Like Upgrade-by-mail, Lotus Notes Smart Upgrade sends a notification to users to upgrade their Notes clients. Lotus Notes Smart Upgrade lets you set a grace period during which users must upgrade their clients. When you upgrade from Lotus Notes 6 to later releases, use Lotus Notes Smart Upgrade.
For more information about Lotus Notes Smart Upgrade, see the topic Using Notes Smart Upgrade.
Lotus Notes Smart Upgrade works with the Lotus Notes update kits or incremental installers that you download from the Lotus Developer Domain.
Administrative installation is a feature of the Microsoft Windows Installer that copies the installation kit to a file server that users access through a network connection. Users launch the installation program from the file server to install Lotus Notes locally on their client machines. You can use administrative installation to copy the installation files to a network file server, then use Upgrade-by-mail or Lotus Notes Smart Upgrade to notify users.
The following table compares the Upgrade-by-mail, Lotus Smart Upgrade Run-As wizard, Lotus Notes Smart Upgrade, and administrative installation.
All the upgrade options require users to have a network connection. For mobile users, users with low bandwidth connection or no connection, these options may not apply. To upgrade these users, you could send Lotus Notes CDs to them.