Start/notes.ini Parameters/SetupLeaveServerTasks

SetupLeaveServerTasks

Description

Prevents HCL Domino from resetting the ServerTasks and ServerTasksAt<N> entries in notes.ini to the new default values during an upgrade install. With SetupLeaveServerTasks=1, individually customized task lists are preserved across the upgrade.
According to HCL KB0104793, it is working as designed that the upgrade writes the default values for ServerTasks and ServerTasksAt into notes.ini — this happens so that new server tasks of current versions reliably become active. Anyone deliberately running a reduced or extended task list must set SetupLeaveServerTasks=1 before the upgrade. In the server log, the effect is then visible in a line such as „Default server task Catalog will NOT be added to ServerTasksAt1 in NOTES.INI because SetupLeaveServerTasks is set“.

Profile

Parameter
SetupLeaveServerTasks
Category
Startup / Tasks (upgrade behavior)
Component
Domino server (setup/upgrade routine)
Value range
0 (default, defaults are written) or 1 (existing values are left untouched)
Default
0 (not set = default behavior: upgrade overwrites ServerTasks/ServerTasksAt)
Available since
Very early (before 9.0.1) — historically present in all supported Notes/Domino versions
Effective
At the next upgrade install (the setup phase reads the variable before writing the defaults)
GUI equivalent
No GUI — only via notes.ini

Example

SetupLeaveServerTasks=1

Notes

  • The setting must be present in notes.ini before the upgrade install — setting it afterwards does not help once the default values have already been written.
  • Recommended procedure before an upgrade: back up existing ServerTasks/ServerTasksAt<N> entries, set SetupLeaveServerTasks=1, perform the upgrade, then check whether new default tasks of the target version need to be added manually.
  • Verification in the server log: an entry like „... will NOT be added to ServerTasks... because SetupLeaveServerTasks is set“ confirms the setting is in effect.
  • On clustered servers or in standardized environments, the better approach is to control maintenance tasks via program documents in the Domino Directory — in that case ServerTasks/ServerTasksAt adjustments in notes.ini are minimal anyway and the upgrade reset matters less.
  • The setting has no effect on running operation — it is only evaluated during setup/upgrade.

Sources (HCL Product Documentation)