What is Bookmark file in lotus notes?

Lotus Notes is one of most widely used Email applications. It uses document centric databases to store the mailbox data files and other related information. As Lotus Notes uses Document centric databases it provides a better and easy database management. It doesn’t require a schema for storing the data items and also provides built-in document-level access control to the user.

Lotus Notes database comprises of several configuration files. These configuration files play a very important role in Lotus Notes functioning. If these files get corrupt or lost then, Lotus Notes application will not work.
The configuration files used by Notes in user’s data directory are: ID File, Names.nsf, Desktop8.ndk, Headline.nsf and Bookmark.nsf.

A brief glimpse at Configuration files used by Notes:

• ID File - An ID file is created separately for each Domino/Lotus Notes; which uniquely identifies the specific user.
• Names.nsf – Names.nsf file stores the data related to configuration settings of specific Domino/Notes user. It also stores the contacts of that particular user account.
• Desktop8.ndk – Desktop8.ndk file contains the desktop settings and other related information for the specific user.
• Headline.nsf – Headline.nsf stores the Subscriptions forms .Along with the Headline.nsf file, template headline.ntf file is also created.
• Bookmark.nsf – Bookmark.nsf file stores all the databases links that are bookmarked by the Lotus Notes user.

Let’s go ahead to know more about the bookmarks.nsf file and its significance in Lotus Notes.
Location of Bookmark.nsf file:

• C:\lotus\notes\data\
• C:\Program Files\Lotus\Notes\Data\
• C:\Program Files\IBM\Lotus\Notes\Data\

Data stored with Bookmark.nsf file:

Each bookmark is stored as a separate document in folder which creates a separate boundary for each bookmark. Thus, it resolves the replication conflict if the Notes is operating on bookmarks for multiple clients simultaneously.

The bookmark file plays a very important & significant role in the Notes client. Like other files, these files are also prone to corruption. Whenever these files get corrupt, Notes client will not work properly that may lead the Notes user to troublesome situations. In my upcoming article I am going to discuss the various issues caused by bookmark.nsf file corruption and its impact on Notes functioning.