The following is tip #10 from "Managing Lotus Notes and Domino users and groups -- 10 tips in 10 minutes," excerpted from Chapter 15 of the book Lotus Notes and Domino 6 System Administrator Exam Cram 2, published by Sams Publishing.
Roaming users are able to access Notes from multiple clients in the domain and retain their personal information. A roaming server is used to store the user's files. When a user logs on to the server as a roaming user, the user's information is retrieved from the server and presented to the user. When a roaming user makes changes, the user is replicated to the server so that the server is available when the user logs in at a later time.
Roaming users are created during user registration. To define the settings for roaming users, follow these steps:
- Launch the Domino Administrator and select the People & Groups tab.
- Using the Tools pane, select People, then select Register. A Lotus Notes dialog box appears requiring the certifier password. Enter the password and click OK to continue.
- The Register Person - New Entry dialog box appears. Enter the relevant user information related to name and password, and then select Enable Roaming For This Person.
- Click the Advanced button and a new menu displays on the left. Select the Roaming tab to configure the Roaming settings; the Roaming tab is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: When roaming users are created, the files Personal Address, Bookmark, and Journal are also created and stored based on the settings here in the Roaming tab.
- Complete these fields to set up Roaming:
- Put Roaming User Files on Mail Server, or click the Roaming Server button to select the location to store the files.
- Enter the personal roaming folder in the Personal Roaming Folder text box.
- Choose a subfolder format from the Sub-Folder Format drop-down list.
- Create Roaming Files Now or Create Roaming Files in Background.
- Roaming replicas are available if a Domino cluster is available.
- Select a Clean-up option from the Clean-Up Option drop-down list.
- Select the required options and click Done to create the roaming user.

Managing Lotus Notes and Domino users and groups

Home: Introduction
Tip 1: How to change a Lotus Notes user's group membership
Tip 2: How to move the Lotus Notes user's location in the Domino hierarchy
Tip 3: How to change a Lotus Notes user's name in the Domino Directory
Tip 4: How to delete Lotus Notes groups and users from Domino Directory
Tip 5: How to extend the expiration date on a Lotus Notes User ID
Tip 6: How to manage Lotus Notes groups with the Manage Groups tool
Tip 7: How to modify Lotus Notes and Domino Person documents
Tip 8: How to move a Lotus Notes user's mail file
Tip 9: How to rename Lotus Notes groups
Tip 10: How to set up Lotus Notes and Domino roaming users
This chapter excerpt from Lotus Notes and Domino 6 System Administrator Exam Cram 2, by Karen Fishwick and Tony Aveyard, is printed with permission from Sams Publishing, Copyright 2005. Click here for the chapter download.