The C-spot

A blog post has been published by Damien Caro (a Microsoft IT Pro evangelist based in Paris) on his TechNet blog dispelling rumours and uncertainty around whether Lync Server 2010 will work with the newly RTM’d SQL Server 2012

Damien writes:

“There are some excellent reasons for willing to use SQL 2012 with Microsoft Lync like the support of the new availability model (Always On). However, Lync 2010 is using a feature called DMO (Distributed Management Objects) that was introduced in SQL 7.0 (a long time ago !).

SQL 2012 does not support this feature anymore as it is indicated in this article : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms131540.aspx so SQL 2012 will not be a supported platform for Lync 2010 as it is now.”

Full post over here.

/Tim

Microsoft Lync 2010 Phone Edition for Polycom CX500, Polycom CX600 and Polycom CX3000 [UCUpdates.exe version: 7577.4066] (KB2672349, download)

Microsoft Lync 2010 Phone Edition for Aastra 6721ip and Aastra 6725ip [UCUpdates.exe version: 7577.4066] (KB2672352, download)

Microsoft Lync 2010 Phone Edition for HP 4110 and HP 4120 [UCUpdates.exe version: 7577.4066] (KB2672743, download)

Microsoft Lync 2010 Phone Edition for Polycom CX700 and LG-Nortel IP Phone 8540 [UCUpdates.exe version: 7577.4066] (KB2670373, download)

Microsoft Lync 2010 for Android [version: 4.1.5014.8880] (updated 23 Feb 2012, download)

/Tim

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen any movement on the Lync front for Windows Phone, so it’s nice to see the mobile app gets a small update to version 4.1.

The popular mobile app for the Lync service has an anticipated update for Windows Phone.

There is no changelog published to detail what, if anything, is changed. If you notice anything different, comment below so we all keep posted about the changes!

/Tim

After preparing the environment we are ready to start the installation of Lync 2010.

Please keep in mind that the names and ip’s are fictive in this documentation.

In this setup I choose to install Archiving and Monitoring on seperate hardware. Also keep in mind that you first have to prepare thes servers the way I described in part 1.

If you need more information or if you have questions please send an e-mail to tim.peeters@ictinus.be and I will reply or help you as soon as possible.

 

Prepare Active Directory Domain Services for Lync Server 2010

The next area for preparation is Active Directory Domain Services. Preparing AD DS for Lync Server 2010 consists of three steps:

· Schema Preparation

· Forest Preparation

· Domain Preparation

Each of these steps can be performed by using the Lync Server Deployment Wizard or the Lync Server Management Shell cmdlets directly.

 

Install Topology Builder and define Topology for Lync Front-End Pool

Now we have all of the infrastructure preparation complete, so it’s time to move on to defining the topology for Lync 2010 Enterprise Edition in Topology Builder.

1. Log on to Lync Front-End server

2. Go to Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft Lync Server 2010, and then click Lync Server Topology Builder.

3. On the Topology Builder dialog box, select the New Topology option, and then click OK.

4. On the Save New Topology As dialog box, enter a name in the File name field, and then click OK.

5. On the Define the primary domain page, enter the primary SIP domain, and then click Next.

6. On the Specify additional supported domains page, click Next.

7. On the Define the first site page, enter a site name into the Name field, enter a description into the Description field if desired, and then click Next.

8. On the Specify site details page, enter the location details, and then click Next.

9. On the New topology was successfully defined page, ensure the Open the New Front End Wizard when this wizard closes option is selected, and then click Finish.

10. The Define the New Front End Pool wizard opens. Click Next.

11. On the Define the Front End pool FQDN page, type pool1.domain.local into the Pool FQDN field, ensure the Enterprise Edition Front End Pool option is selected, and then click Next.

12. On the Define the computers in this pool page, enter lyncserver.domain.local into the Computer FQDN field, click Add, and then click Next.

13. On the Select features page, check all options you need and then click Next.

14. On the Select collocated server roles page, collocate A/V Conferencing service, and then click Next.

15. On the Associate server roles with this Front End pool page, select all options, and then click Next.

16. On the Define the SQL store page, select the Define a new SQL store option, enter the specified into the SQL Server FQDN field, ensure the SQL Instance option is selected, enter the specified name into the Named Instance field, and then click Next.

17. On the Define the file share page, select the Define a new file share option, enter the specified name into the File Server FQDN field, enter the file share name into the File Share field, and then click Next.

18. On the Specify the Web Services URL page, click Finish.

19. On the Select an Archiving Server page, click New.

20. On the Define the fully qualified domain name page, enter the specified name into the FQDN field, and then click Next.

21. On the Define the SQL store page, select the Use a previously defined SQL store option, enter the specified name into the SQL Server FQDN field.

22. On the Define the file store page, select the Use a previously defined file share option, select the the specified file share from the drop down, and then click Next.

23. On the Select an Archiving Server page, click Finish.

24. On the Select a Monitoring Server page, click New.

25. On the Define the fully qualified domain name page, enter the specified name into the FQDN field, and then click Next.

26. On the Define the SQL store page, select the Use a previously defined SQL store option, enter the specified name into the SQL Server FQDN field, and then click Finish.

27. On the Select a Monitoring Server page, click Finish.

28. You will be presented with the Lync Server 2010, Topology Builder page, which is where you can view and modify the topology that was just created.

 

/Tim

Next part (part 3) will be Publishing the Topology and Setup the Lync 2010 Front-End server and Front-End pool.

This guide will run through a consolidated Enterprise edition install (without voice gateway integration, whereby all roles will be deployed on virtual machines.

The guide will be split up in different chapters.

The first chapter is all about preparing your Lync 2010 environment.

 

Prepare the Lync 2010 Enterprise Edition Server Infrastructure

The following sections outline the step to prepare the Lync 2010 Enterprise Edition server infrastructure.

1. Set Up Enterprise Edition Hardware and System Infrastructure

2. Install Prerequisite Software

· Lync Server requires Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5 with SP1.

· Prerequisite software for database servers.

· Message Queuing. Message Queuing (also known as MSMQ) role components and Directory Service Integration should be installed on the Front End Server, the Archiving Server, and the Monitoring Server if you plan to deploy the Lync Server 2010 Archiving or Monitoring Server roles. The Message Queuing components can be found in Server Manager or can be deployed by using servermanagercmd.exe or the Add-WindowsFeature Windows PowerShell cmdlet.

· Configure IIS:

Role Heading	Role Service
Common HTTP features installed	Static content
Common HTTP features installed	Default document
Common HTTP features installed	HTTP errors
Application development	ASP.NET
Application development	.NET extensibility
Application development	Internet Server API (ISAPI) extensions
Application development	ISAPI filters
Health and diagnostics	HTTP logging
Health and diagnostics	Logging tools
Health and diagnostics	Tracing
Security	Anonymous authentication (installed and enabled by default)
Security	Windows authentication
Security	Client Certificate Mapping authentication
Security	Request filtering
Performance	Static content compression
Management Tools	IIS Management Console
Management Tools	IIS Management Scripts and Tools

· Install the Remote Server Administration Tools

· Install Silverlight

Silverlight is required to run the Lync Server Control Panel. Although we won’t be using the Control Panel until everything is installed, you can install it now since we’re installing the prerequisite software. Silverlight needs to be installed on the Front-End servers.

· Install and Configure SQL Server

Lync Server 2010 leverages SQL Server for the back-end database and the Archiving and Monitoring databases. SQL Server needs to be installed before we can install Lync Server 2010. For this lab, SQL Server 2008 with Service Pack 1 will be used, and installed on the Back End Server as well as the Monitoring/Archiving Server.

3. DNS records

Lync Server 2010 leverages DNS for various features. Certain DNS records are required as part of the infrastructure preparation. Each server within this lab will already have an A record in DNS. This is attributed to the fact that I am using Active Directory-Integrated DNS, which has Dynamic DNS enabled by default. However, there are additional DNS records that are required before we proceed, including:

pool1.domain.com	A	IP of Front End Server
admin.domain.com	A	IP of Front End Pool
sip.domain.com	A	IP of Front End Pool
_sipinternaltls._tcp.domain.com	SRV	sip.domain.com Port: 5061

4. Grant Administration Permissions

Follow these steps to grant Administration permissions:

1. Ensure you are in the Users Container in Active Directory Users and Computers.

2. In the details pane, locate the CsAdministrator group, right-click on it, and select Properties.

3. On the CsAdministrator Properties page, click on the Members tab.

4. Click Add.

5. On the Select Users, Contacts, Computers, Service Accounts, or Groups dialog box, type Administrator in the Enter the object names to select field, and then click OK.

6. On the CsAdministrator Properties page, click OK.

5. Create the Lync File Share

The user account that we will use to publish the topology must have full control (read/write/modify) on the file share in order for Topology Builder to configure the required permissions. Because I’m going with an Enterprise Edition deployment, the file share cannot be located on the Front End Server. As a result, We prefer to create the file share on the Monitoring/Archiving Server.

Log on to Lync Monitoring/Archiving server

2. Go Start, click Computer, and then click Local Disk (C:).

3. Right-click in the Details Pane, select New, and then select Folder.

4. Name the new folder LyncShare.

5. Right-click on the LyncShare folder, select Properties, click on the Sharing Tab, and then click Advanced Sharing.

6. On the Advanced Sharing dialog box, select the Share this folder option, leave the Share Name field as LyncShare.

 

/Tim

When installing Lync at a customer on Server 2008 R2 SP1, the installation failed with the following error while adding the first Lync Server Components:

Problem: The Lync Server 2010 Setup or Remove Component installation prerequisite check cannot locate the  Server 2008 R2 SP1 version of Microsoft Windows Media Format.

Use the command line listed below from a command prompt window to install Windows Media Format Runtime for Server 2008 R2 SP1 before you begin the installation of Lync Server 2010:

%systemroot%\system32\dism.exe /online /add-package /packagepath:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-Media-Format-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.7601.17514.mum /ignorecheck

 /Tim

 

Lync 2010 Client Unsupported with OCS.

Logon with Lync 2010 client to an OCS 2007 server.

This scenario is not supported, the Lync Client only functions correctly when used with the intended Lync Server back-end. Now this approach is no different then what was supported between the last major releases of LCS and OCS as Office Communicator clients could not sign-in to LCS servers.

Although that was due to mainly the introduction of the Enhanced Presence states which LCS was not aware of. For this release it’s the basic fact that much of the new client capabilities stem from changes to the back-end server components, thus using the Lync client against and OCS 2007 R2 server will offer a pretty limited experience.

So, it is possible but with a lot of limited features, i don’t think is’t good idea to offer this solution to your users. They will have a lot of frustrations about the product.

/Tim

 

These are the new released Lync 2010 cumulative updates and fixes:

• Cumulative update package for Lync 2010 (64bit) & (32 bit): January 2011 http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=2467763
• Cumulative update for Microsoft Lync 2010 Phone Edition for Polycom CX700 and LG-Nortel IP Phone 8540: January 2011 http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=2493722
• Cumulative update for Lync 2010 Phone Edition for Aastra 6721ip and Aastra 6725ip: January 2011http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=2493724
• Cumulative update for Lync 2010 Phone Edition for Polycom CX500, Polycom CX600, and Polycom CX3000: January 2011 http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=2493723
• Cumulative update for Lync 2010 Attendee – Administrator level installation: January 2011 http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=2467762
• Cumulative update for Lync 2010 Attendee – User level installation: January 2011 http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=2467761
• Cumulative update for Lync 2010 Attendant: January 2011 http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=2467760
• Update for Lync 2010 Group Chat Client: January 2011 http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=2467765
• Update for Lync Server 2010, Group Chat Administration Tool: January 2011http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=2467764

/Tim

 

If you can’t add domain or enterprise admins, there is a workaround for this!

Turn on advanced features in AD and go to the users security tab.

Normally you should create another (second) user for using LYNC for all admins, but if you really need this, do it this way.

Mark include inheritablepermissions from the object’s parent.

Click OK.

/Tim

 

If you allready have a CMS installed in your domain you can remove the old CMS by entering the following command in the lync powershell: remove-csconfigurationstore.

This command will actually remove the service control point in Active Directory that points to your Central Management Store.

When you perform Remove-CSconfigurationStoreLocation the reference is deleted from active directory.

To completely remove references to old topology objects, you will also need to remove some additional entries using ADSI Edit.

/Tim