Archiving Server provides a repository for information exchanged via Lync Server. Why? Two reasons:

1. It gives you a log of Lync activity everyone can draw upon. How many times have you tried to remember what Jane said about the Michaels project? Thanks to Archiving Server, you have a saved copy of that IM conversation.
2. It helps you fulfill legal compliance requirements. Many organizations must keep track of project steps, client files, and so on to meet compliance regulations. Since Archiving Server tracks automatically, its archive database acts as a regulatory resource.

What DOES it track though? It’s important to know what is and is not archived by Archiving Server. Otherwise, you might assume it just grabs everything. It doesn’t.

What Lync Archives on the Archiving Server

• Instant messaging conversations (both person-to-person, and between multiple parties)
• Content uploaded in Web conferences
• Conference events (joins, parts, etc.)

What Lync DOES NOT Archive on Archiving Server

• File transfers
• Conferencing annotations and polls
• Audio & video for person-to-person IM and conferences
• Application sharing for IM and conferences
• Diagnostic reports for session failures (those come from Monitoring Server)

Caution – There’s a Time Limit on Archived Materials

It’s important to note: Archiving is NOT intended to work indefinitely! As you can imagine from the above lists, storing uploaded files and daily IM logs will fill up space fast.

The server will keep archives until one of two things happens:

1. You tell it to purge old archived files.
2. Its storage fills up.

Obviously, you don’t want to reach #2.

In the Lync Server 2010 Control Panel, there’s a setting that dictates when to purge old archive files. You can control the time interval for this under Archiving Configuration. How long you keep archived files depends on your legal compliance requirements. 1 year, 2? Talk to Legal.

Then head to this page for a how-to: Enable or Disable Purging for Archiving – TechNet.

Want to add Archiving Server to your Lync setup? Use this deployment guide to help you.

If you’re having trouble with Archiving Server (e.g. conversations aren’t showing up in Conversation History), use NextHop’s “Troubleshooting Archiving Server” post as a guide.

Do you use an Archiving Server? What’s the big value from it, for you?

Welcome to May! I'm back for more posts in the “20 Tasks” series. Today I'm talking about Archiving Server.

Archiving isn't a required server when you do a new Lync install. It is however very useful–one of the things I liked the most in OCS 2007 was the IM archive/Conversation History. Archiving Server in Lync builds on that (although the log retrieval process seems to aggravate some people). It can save your bacon if there's a legal issue, or a project is missing some information.

Today's post will talk about Archiving from the viewpoint of adding it to an existing Lync setup. You can use these to install Archiving during a new install too (at least to some degree).

Either way, it's something every Lync Administrator should know.

Add an Archiving Server to Lync Server 2010

Note: Read these all the way through before starting. You may want to create a database and file share before starting.

Step 1: Add the Archiving Server to Lync Topology

1. Start Topology Builder from the Microsoft Lync Server 2010 menu.
2. Right-click Archiving Servers in the console tree at left.
3. Click New Archiving Server.
4. Enter the FQDN for the Archiving Server you want to add in the FDQN field.
5. Will you use an existing SQL or define a new one? Select the right option under Define the SQL Store:
  • Click Use a Previously Defined SQL Store if you want to do that. The click the name you want to use in the drop-down list.
  • To specify a new SQL store, click Define a New SQL Store. Then:
     a. Specify the FQDN of the SQL Server you want to create the new store on under SQL Server FQDN.
     b. Under SQL Instance, either click Default Instance for the default, or click Named Instance to specify the instance you want.
6. In the Define File Store dialog box, choose whether to use an existing file share or make a new one.
  • To use an existing file share, click Use a Previously Defined File Share. Then select its name in the drop-down list.
  • For a new file share, click Define a New File Share. Then:
     a. Specify the FQDN of the file server under File Server FQDN.
     b. Type a name for the new file share.
(You can define a file share before creating one. BUT, create it before the topology's published.)
7. Next we're in the “Associate Front End Pools” box. Select the checkboxes under Unassigned Pools for the pools you want the Archiving Server to work with.
8. Once you're done with the wizard, check Topology Builder again. Make sure the new server's listed under “Archiving Servers”.

Step 2: Publish the New Topology

1. If you aren't already, log onto the main Lync Server. Make sure your login is a member of both the Domain Admins and RTCUniversalServerAdmins groups. You'll also need full permissions on the file store we defined before.
2. Start Topology Builder (if it isn't up already).
3. Right-click Lync Server 2010.
4. Click Publish Topology.
5. Click Next on the Publish the Topology page.
6. Verify that you've got the right database on the Create Other Databases page. Then click Next.
7. The Publishing Wizard Complete page should come up & verify that the topology's been published. Click Finish.

Step 3: Install the New Archiving Server

1. Switch to the server you'll install Archiving Server on. Log on with an account that's a member of the Administrators and RTCUniversalServerAdmins groups. You'll also need permissions for the SQL instance we defined earlier.
2. Put in the Lync Server install disc. Start the Lync Deployment wizard.
3. Now the usual Lync Server install steps:
  a. Specify install location
  b. Accept the license agreement
  c. Click Install or Update Lync Server System on the Welcome page
4. Once that's done you”ll arrive at Step 1: Install Local Configuration Store.
5. Click Run.
6. Click Retrieve Directly from the Central Management Store on the Configure Local Replica of Central Management Store page.
7. On to Step 2: Setup or Remove Lync Server Components. Click Run.
8. You can skip Step 3: Request,Install or Assign Certificates. Archiving doesn't have a cert requirement.
9. Click Run in Step 4: Start Services.
10. Click Exit.
11. Click Finish when the install's done.

Step 4: Configure the Archiving Server

Voila! New Archiving Server.

However the work isn't done. Not by a longshot – Archiving needs configuration. More than many other servers,in fact.

I could easily triple the size of this post with Archiving configuration options. But I don't have to!

John Policelli did a thorough job of that on his How to Configure Lync Server 2010 Archiving and View Archived IM Content post last month. Look under “Configuring Archiving” for everything you need.

Now, let me ask you this. What should be the subject of my next “20 Tasks” post?
Administer Group Chat?
OR
Use the Logging Tool to Troubleshoot?

Your call. Vote via comment or email. Either way, see you next week!

Yes, I know that's a horrible pun.

Today I'm showing a little “Lync love” for other blogs venturing down the Lync Server path with me. These are ten posts from Lync blogs and reference sites. Some of them I frequent (and you should too). Some of them came up in recent searches and were too good not to share.

1. Lync Server Documentation Update and Tools Release – NextHop
I'll start out with NextHop, the Microsoft Lync Server Team's blog. If you work with Lync at all, subscribe to their blog. This post shows why; it announces updates to the Lync technical library for March, and some new tools available from Microsoft.

2. How to Configure Lync Server 2010 Archiving and View Archived IM Content – John Policelli's Blog
A surprise find–but a pleasant one. John has written a detailed post on Lync's Archiving Server. Very much worth a look for those of us who plan to deploy one.

3. Muting in Lync Server 2010 Conferences – Mike Stacy's Blog
Everyone who's run a conference has needed to mute SOMEone. Either you're running a webinar and need everyone quiet during a presentation…or somebody didn't set their audio properly before they joined a meeting. Mike Stacy is kind enough to give us 4 different scenarios for muting in Lync!

4. What is new with Group Chat in Lync Server 2010? – The Three UC Amigos
Nice overview of Group Chat, with lots of screenshots. Good stuff (as always) from the Three UC Amigos.

5. Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Edge Server Reference Architecture Diagrams – Microsoft Download Center
Three Visio diagrams showing reference architecture for Single Consolidated Edge, Scaled Consolidated Edge (DNS Load Balanced), and Scaled Consolidated Edge (Hardware Load Balanced). Excellent reference for Lync edge server deployment/configuration.

6. TS: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Configuring – Microsoft Learning
Want to get certified in Lync? Microsoft announced an exam last week for configuring Lync Server 2010. It's required for achieving the Lync MCTS and/or Lync MCITP certifications.

7. Jeff Schertz's Blog – Lync Server MVP
Jeff blogs on Exchange, Lync, OCS and Polycom. His Lync posts primarily discuss phone administration (specifically Polycom phones). This is very specific information; it may not always apply to your Lync work. But the material is very sharp. No question it would help when your phones aren't cooperating with Lync.

8. What Roles Can I Virtualize with Lync 2010? – The Three UC Amigos
Another post from the Three UC Amigos! This one's a Q&A-style post discussing the ins and outs of virtualized Lync Servers. If you haven”t set up your Lync infrastructure yet, read this post first!

9. Curtis Johnstone,author of the Inside OCS Blog,has started a new blog called Inside Lync. (Hmmm, flattery?) He starts off the new blog with:
Microsoft Lync PowerShell Cheat Sheet.
Very thorough, function-specific set of PowerShell commands. Well worth the download for all Lync administrators.

10. There are more Lync-related blogs on this site list:
Lync Blog List – Canadian OCS Blog
(Rather disappointed we aren't on this list yet!)

I'm not sure what I'll blog about next week. Maybe Call Admission Control. Depends on whether or not something more interesting comes along…

If you have a Lync question or tool to share, please email me. Maybe it will be “more interesting”?

Either way, check back next week!