System requirements
Your computer must have enough hard drive space and RAM to be able to install and run WebSphere Studio V5. (WSAD V5.1.1 was released on May 4, 2004.) To install WSAD, your PC or laptop must meet the minimum requirements to run the version of WSAD you'll be installing. For WSAD V5.11, the system requirements include:

• Windows NT, 2000, or XP (or Red Hat Linux 7.2 or 8.0, or SuSe 7.2 or 8.1)
• 512 MB RAM (768 MB recommended)
• 1.3 GB disk space
• Minimum Intel Pentium II processor required; Pentium III at 500 Mhz or higher recommended

If you don't have a computer that meets these requirements, you should hold off purchasing the course until you do. The four months of instructor support you receive starts when you purchase the course, and you don't want the clock to be ticking while you're in the process of upgrading your hardware.

If you, or your organization, can't afford to pay for a license of WSAD (it lists at $3,400), you can download a free copy of it through the WebSphere Studio Trial Program, at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/Websphere/downloads/WSADsupport.html.

To access the course content, you'll need to have a Lotus Notes V6.0 client or higher. To be able to run the demos and activities in the module on Domino and WebSphere integration, you must have Lotus Domino Designer V6.0 or higher installed.

If you want to use the Lotus Domino Toolkit for WebSphere Studio in conjunction with the lessons on Domino and WebSphere integration, there are several ways you can obtain it. The Toolkit is included on the installation CD for Lotus Domino Designer V6.0.2 or higher.

If you're a Lotus Notes customer, you can download the Toolkit from the IBM Lotus Passport Website. If you work for an IBM Lotus Business Partner, you can download the Toolkit from the Electronic Software Download area of the IBM Business Partner Website.

Course fee
TLCC's Servlet and JSP Programming with WebSphere 5 for Domino Developers course currently lists at $799. You can obtain this course and the Introduction to WebSphere Studio 5 course for $1199. By itself, the Introduction course lists at $599. TLCC periodically offers discounts on its courses, so be sure to check the site periodically for the latest pricing on this course as well as others.

You can pay for the course on the TLCC Web site using your Visa, Master Card, or American Express credit cards. You'll need to register with TLCC first in order to be able to download the course file. Once your registration is complete, and your payment has been accepted, TLCC will send you an email notifying you that you're able to download the course installation file from the Web site.

Installing the course
To install the course, all you need to do is run the WSAD5DD2.exe file you downloaded. A message box will appear reminding you to copy the file that's extracted to your local Notes data directory. In the WinZip Self-Extractor dialog box that appears, either type in or select the folder where you want the installation database to be extracted to. You should be sure the specified folder matches your local Notes directory, i.e. C:\Lotus\Notes\Data.