VAX Notes, Version 2.1					SPD 27.06.05

DESCRIPTION

VAX Notes is a computer conferencing software product designed to 
provide users with the capability of creating and accessing on-line 
conferences or meetings. VAX Notes runs on the DECwindows platform 
allowing easy access to functions through direct manipulation with a 
mouse in a window and also a character cell-based TPU interface for 
users of terminals.  Computer conferencing is a new electronic messaging 
technology which lets users conduct meetings with people in different 
geographic locations  via computer, so that participants can join in a 
discussion from their own desks at a time of their own choice. It also 
offers the advantage of keeping a detailed record of the proceedings of 
a meeting, which can be searched by a variety of criteria, such as name 
of participant, subject or keyword.

VAX Notes can also be used for a variety of similar applications, such 
as an electronic bulletin board or collaborative document authoring and 
review. Additionally, VAX Notes allows you to save travel time and money 
by solving problems in a conference, can be used for internal classes or 
seminars, and can provide expertise to groups that lack resources in a 
given area of expertise by referencing expert resources in the company. 
Conferencing eliminates reinvention of the wheel by distributing helpful 
hints to the user community from users that have already experienced 
similar situations.  In general, VAX Notes enhances the communication 
flow across the corporate hierarchy.

Features

Distributed Access

VAX Notes has been designed for optimal multi-node access in a DECnet 
network, using server technology to achieve rapid response - even from 
distant nodes. VAX Notes conferences can exist and be accessed from any 
VMS node in a DECnet network, offering true distributed processing and 
access capabilities. Users on remote nodes need not have an account on 
the node where the conference is located. VAX Notes may also be used on 
any single node VMS configuration. Multiple conferences may also exist 
on a single node containing the full-functionality server, in either 
standalone or networked environments.

Moderator Support

A moderator is a person responsible for managing a conference. VAX Notes 
allows both public and private conferences. For private conferences, the 
moderator can restrict access to a specific group of participants by 
specifying name and network location.   Public conferences have no 
restrictions on who may participate. The moderator may send 
announcements of new conferences to participants, and has the sole 
ability to delete notes entered by other participants. Moderators may 
also create special notices which are displayed for all participants 
each time the conference is accessed.

Ease-of-Use

VAX Notes is designed with the inexperienced user in mind.  All 
functions can be accessed by easy to use commands, supported with 
on-line contextual help.  Documentation is designed to familiarize new 
users with VAX Notes quickly and easily.

Choice of Editor Interfaces

The character-cell interface to VAX Notes provides three separate 
screen-oriented user interfaces for editing, allowing users to specify 
use of EVE (an extensible interface), EDT-style keypad interface, or 
WPS-style GOLD KEY keypad interface on ANSI-compatible terminals.

A line mode editor also is included in VAX Notes for use on non-ANSI 
terminal devices. 

Users of the DECwindows interface can enter notes which contain graphics 
and text by including entire compound documents based on DDIF file 
format.

Topics and Replies

VAX Notes uses a simple topic-and-replies structure to maintain 
conferences, so there is no difficult hierarchy to navigate. A 
conference consists of topics and replies. The DECwindows interface to 
VAX Notes allows users to open multiple read windows per conference, as 
well as have multiple conferences open at one time.

A conference may have more than 50,000 topics, and each topic may have a 
similar number of replies. Directory listings show all topics by author, 
title and date, and the number of replies. All notes can be read either 
sequentially or at random. Also, users may read only those notes which 
they have not yet seen. VAX Notes allows the user to search for various 
topics and replies using the SEARCH, DIRECTORY and KEYWORD commands.

Notebook

The Notebook is a user's personal list of conferences of interest. Users 
may easily add or delete conferences from their Notebook. The Notebook 
allows users to define personal names for Conferences and, in a 
distributed environment, allows remote conferences to be accessed 
without DECnet node specifications. When a conference is accessed, the 
Notebook can optionally show whether or not new entries have been made 
since the last time the user accessed the conference. The Notebook also 
maintains a profile of user preferences, including personal name, editor 
choice, and default printer specification.

Markers

Markers are user-defined names pointing to special entries in a 
conference. Markers can be used whenever a user needs to have a special 
reminder of things to do, or to recall notes that are frequently 
referenced.

Keywords

Keywords allow the user to group notes that are concerned with a 
particular subject or do not have other attributes (such as title, 
author, or time of entry) in common. Keywords are useful for grouping 
notes that may not have the keyword in the note text or title, but that 
do address the subject the keyword represents.

Imported Text

VAX Notes allows notes and replies to be created outside of VAX Notes 
(using any editor which can produce ASCII output files) and then later 
imported to the conference.

Mail Integration

VAX Notes uses VMSmail (included in the VMS Operating System) to allow 
users to send notes or messages to other users from within VAX Notes. 

Licensing Options

VAX Notes contains three licensing options for users: a 
full-functionality Server, reduced-functionality Client, and a 
User-based option. The Server and User-based options allow access to all 
VAX Notes capabilities. The User-based option, however, restricts the 
number of simultaneous users on the node or VAXcluster where the 
User-based option is installed.

The VAX Notes Client option contains the majority of VAX Notes 
functionality, but prevents the creation of conferences. That is, the 
VAX Notes Client allows you to read, write, and access Notes conferences 
that reside where the VAX Notes Server is installed, but does not allow 
for the creation, opening, or copying of local conferences (on the 
Client node). The VAX Notes Client will not function unless there is a 
VAX Notes Server installed in the network.

The VAX Notes Client option is effective in situations where users want 
to use VAX Notes on all nodes in a DECnet network, but do not want to 
host conferences on each node in the network. The Client option is 
offered at a reduced price to make it cost effective to use VAX Notes in 
distributed Network and VAXcluster environments.

Note:	      Use of the VAX Notes Client and User-Based options within 
              the same cluster is prohibited.

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

VAX, MicroVAX, VAXserver or VAXstation configuration as specified in the 
System Support Addendum (SSA 27.06.05-x).

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

For systems using terminals: (No DECwindows interface)

VMS Operating System

For workstations running VWS:

VMS Operating System
VMS Workstation Software

For workstations running DECwindows:

VMS Operating System (and necessary components of VMS DECwindows)

Refer to the System Support Addendum    (SSA 27.06.05-x) for 
availability and required versions of prerequisite/optional software and 
for information regarding components of VMS DECwindows.

ORDERING INFORMATION

Server Option

Software Licenses: QL-960A*-**
Software Media: QA-960A*-**
Software Documentation: QA-960AA-GZ
Software Product Services: QT-960A*-**

Client Option

Software Licenses: QL-VESA*-**
Software Media: QA-960A*-**
Software Documentation: QA-960AA-GZ
Software Product Services: QT-VESA*-**

User-Based Option

Software Licenses: QL-960A9-P*
Software Media: QA-960A*-**
Software Documentation: QA-960AA-GZ
Software Product Services: QT-960A*-**

*   Denotes variant fields. For additional information on available 
    licenses, services and media, refer to the appropriate price book.

SOFTWARE LICENSING

This software is furnished under the licensing provisions of Digital 
Equipment Corporation's Standard Terms and Conditions.

For more information about Digital's licensing terms and policies, 
contact your local Digital office.

LICENSE MANAGEMENT FACILITY SUPPORT

This layered product supports the VMS License Management Facility.

License units for this product are allocated on a CPU-capacity plus 
User/Activity basis.

For more information on the License Management Facility, refer to the 
VMS Operating System Software Product Description (SPD 25.01.xx) or the 
License Management Facility manual of the VMS Operating System 
documentation set.

For more information about Digital's licensing terms and policies, 
contact your local Digital office.

SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES

A variety of service options are available. For more information, please 
contact your local Digital office.

SOFTWARE WARRANTY

Warranty for this software product is provided by Digital with the 
purchase of a license for the product as defined in the Software 
Warranty Addendum of this SPD.

February 1990
AE-GH97F-TE

(R) The DIGITAL Logo is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment 
Corporation.

(TM)   VAX, VMS, MicroVAX, VAXstation, VAXserver, VAXcluster, DECnet, 
DECnet-VAX, EDT, VMSmail, Ethernet, DECspell, GOLD KEY and ALL-IN-1 are 
trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.

