
PRODUCT NAME:   VAX Notes, Version 2.0                  SPD 27.06.04        

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 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 you to search for various topics and
replies using the 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 Notefiles, 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 notefile.
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 was 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 or VAXstation configuration as specified in the System Support
Addendum (SSA 27.06.04-x). 


SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS*

For systems using terminals:  (No DECwindows interface)

VMS Operating System      

For workstations running VMS Workstation Software:

VMS Operating System      
VMS Workstation Software  

For workstations running DECwindows:

VMS Operating System (and necessary components of VMS DECwindows)


This product may run in either of the following ways:

^  Stand-alone execution - Running the X11 display server and the 
   client application on the same machine.

^  Remote execution - Running the X11 display server and the client 
   application on different machines.

VMS DECwindows is part of the VMS Operating System but must be 
installed separately.  Installation of VMS DECwindows gives you the 
option to install any or all of the following three components:

^  VMS DECwindows Compute Server (Base kit; provides runtime support)
^  VMS DECwindows Device support
^  VMS DECwindows Programming Support

For stand-alone execution, the following DECwindows components must be 
installed on the machine:


^  VMS DECwindows Compute Server (Base kit; provides runtime support)
^  VMS DECwindows Device support

For remote execution, the following DECwindows components must be 
installed on the machines:


Server Machine			        Client Machine

VMS DECwindows Compute Server  	        VMS DECwindows Compute Server
  (Base kit: provides runtime support)  (Base kit; provides runtime support)
VMS DECwindows Device support	


* Refer to the System Support Addendum (SSA 27.06.03-x) for availability and
  required versions of prerequisite/optional software.

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'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 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 from DIGITAL.  For more
information 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. 

April 1989
AE-GH97E-TE


