In November I posted a collection of how-to videos for Lync Server.

This month, someone has one-upped all of those.

Kevin from MacroConnect emailed me the other day to tell me about his new video series. He’s named it the “Lync Complete Training Guide” Playlist on YouTube.

After watching videos and reading his documentation, I told him I would happily blog about it. You’ll see why in just a moment.

What To Expect – Setup Videos and Documented Specs

MacroConnect.net is a Detroit IT firm. One of their specialties (like ours!) is supporting Lync Server. Where I blog about it, Kevin created a video series explaining how to setup Lync Server 2010.

Here’s the playlist URL: Lync Complete Training Guide Playlist – MacroConnectLync. It’s 31 videos, average viewing time between 3-5 minutes each.

But that’s only half the guide. Kevin has also posted documentation for each video at his website:
Lync Complete Training Guide Documentation – MacroConnect.Net

The documentation is a follow-along for the videos. Each video has a link to its documentation section in the Description. Pretty high-value stuff.

Who Should Watch – Lync Pros and Support Pros

The training videos and documentation are geared toward Lync administrators, help desk personnel, and anyone who’s looking to fill these roles.

Some technical skill is assumed for the audience. Basic knowledge of Windows Server environments for one. Understanding of Lync’s primary functions, as well.

Kevin is thorough, and gives details fast. He does use MacroConnect’s FQDNs, number extensions, and PSTN gateway. Take all this into account; your setup will obviously differ.

I recommend you use the videos as the last review stage in training. The documentation is there to refresh your memory, and the videos give you a visual reminder.

What it Covers – Step-By-Step Lync Server Setup

You start in at the very top – basic server setup, SIP connections, etc. From there, the videos run through the Lync setup process, from prerequisites to server configuration. Most of the videos are devoted to configuring Exchange Server, Lync Front End, and Lync Access Edge.

The reason for documentation becomes obvious fast: the screen is not very visible in YouTube, so you can’t always see the Lync setup options selected or numbers typed in. The documentation provides the specifics you’ll need, all laid out in bullets.

(Especially useful when you’re dealing with Management Shell commands!)

———-
Special Note: There is one section in the documentation list which does NOT have a video. “ADDING EXCHANGE UNIFIED MESSAGING ROLE TO VSERV2″ is between “Configuring AD on vserv1″ and “Install Exchange from Scratch on vserv2 – Stage 1″ in the list.

The documentation does appear correct for adding Exchange UM. But Kevin has six videos in the list for installing Exchange Server – which you need to do first, before installing Unified Messaging! So, keep that in mind.
———-

I like that he covered configuring Lync Mobile and locking down the Lync Server environment . He even ends with some ideas on custom Lync programming in Visual Studio, too.

From here of course, you’ll need to add Edge servers, Mediation, Monitoring/Archiving and so on.

Kevin’s series gives a detailed method for setting up the foundation of Lync Server. If you want a video reference for a typical Lync install, these are a great choice. Thanks for all the work Kevin!

Again, here are the links:
Lync Complete Training Guide Playlist – YouTube
Lync Complete Training Guide Documentation – MacroConnect.Net

What would YOU like to see in a Lync video?

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?

I almost didn’t have time to blog today. Ironically, that’s because two Lync clients are moving forward at the same time. Busy busy.

But, some links have found their way into my browser this past week that were too good not to share. I came across a stellar walkthrough, a new tool for visualizing Lync communication lines, and a complaint from a former Microsoft UC MVP.

I’ve provided the links below. Along with summaries, and my own impressions. And my first impression is, if you want to know anything about how Lync Server is installed, read the first one:

1. Install and Configure Lync Server 2010 Step by Step (with Screenshots for Every Step!)

Last week DoItFixIt.com posted a walkthrough on how to install Lync Server. Somebody spent a LOT of time making this. Their walkthrough is as thorough as a Microsoft TechNet page. With more screenshots.

Seriously, almost every step in this install has a full-sized screenshot included. (Click on any screenshot and it’ll enlarge.)

They run through installing a Lync Standard Edition Server, with Windows Server 2008 preparation, Active Directory configuration, certificate verification and a user setup at the end.

I have to wonder how many hours it took to put this together! It’s one of the best walkthroughs I’ve seen for Lync, hands down. The Lync community owes you guys one!

2. Lync Not Enterprise-Ready, Claims MS Rival – NetworkWorld

Joe Schurman, a former Microsoft MVP who now works for Avaya, has declared Lync Server as a poor choice for enterprises. He’s lobbed 3 complaints against Lync: a) bad support for mobile, b) it’s sold as a software-only platform despite requiring lots of hardware, and c) It’s full of “licensing gotchas”.

Frankly, I think Lync is a fine choice for ALL business types, including enterprises. It does require some preparation and appropriate hardware on the backend. Guess what? So does just about every other server platform out there.

I do agree that mobile support is still lagging. But, as I blogged about last week, the marketplace itself is fixing that.

Something to remember about Lync: It may be a successor to OCS 2007. But with the radical changes made to its architecture, I think of it as an entirely new system. And every new system, no matter who makes it, will have bugs.

The complaint’s well thought out, no question. I don’t fully agree, but it’s good information for the rest of us to chew on. Maybe it will spark further improvements to Lync Server. That’d be the best way to approach this, in my slightly-Lync-biased opinion.

3. Lync Protocols and Ports App for Windows 7 Phones

Via NextHop
I can’t say I’m a big fan of this Windows Phone app store. The design is chunky and cluttered. But the app, as very nicely explained on the NextHop blog, makes for a good Lync reference tool.

The app visualizes all the communication points in Lync. If Client X can’t connect out, this app shows you which links to check. Great for troubleshooting, or as a visual aid for Lync support training.

“Lync Protocols and Ports” is free, but only available on Windows 7 Phones right now. I didn’t find it in the Android Market.

Which of these was most interesting? Should I look for more Lync apps, or walkthroughs, or discussions? You decide. Please email or comment what you think.

Right now there are two Lync Server certifications:
70-664 Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Configuring, and
70-665 Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Administrator.

However, they’re both very new certs. So new in fact, that we don’t have a lot of ways to prepare for them!

Oh, Microsoft has a 5-day class and an e-learning module. But no MS Press books. And no practice tests (yikes!). What do we do?

It’s up to the bloggers, I guess. And we’ve already taken up the challenge. In fact, the heavy lifting has already been done.

Lync Study Guides, Courtesy of GeeksWithBlogs

Enrique Lima at GeeksWithBlogs.Net has meticulously gone through both certs’ “Skills Measured” lists and paired each objective with a TechNet article.

Add these posts to your study aids:
Unofficial Prep guide for TS: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Configuring (70-664)

Unofficial Prep guide for PRO: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Administrator (70-665) Part 1 of 2

Unofficial Prep guide for PRO: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Administrator (70-665) Part 2 of 2

A Book and a Practice Exam

If you want a practice exame, about the only thing I came across was ExamWorx. They list dozens of practice exams and demos for certs. They have one each for 70-664 and 70-665. 664 seems a little out of date (it calls Lync “The Next Release of Office Communications Server 2007″), but it’s better than nothing.

Each has a 10-question demo available for free download. I tried them both out – fairly basic, but it could help you get into the testing mindset.

A much bigger help, I think, comes from this book: Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Unleashed, published by Sams.

It’s an extremely detailed guide to Lync Server 2010. Sams once again has a winner.

The only snag is, the Skills Measured lists don’t correspond to the book. You can find them IN the book, but you’ll have to search.

In the interests of saving us all time, I put together this list of callouts between Skills Measured listed on 70-665′s page and Lync Unleashed pages. (The ones I’ve found so far. There are more.)

• Design Mediation Topology: Pages 444-452, Chapter 18
• Design Edge Topology: Pages 140-149, Chapter 6.
• Design Call Admission Control (CAC): Page 470, Chapter 18.
• Design for Voice Routing: Pages 455-461, Chapter 18/Pages 739-741, Chapter 28
• Define Conference Policies: Pages 124, Chapter 5 AND Pages 503-517, Chapter 19
• Design for Response Group Services (RGS): Pages 483-496, Chapter 18
• Plan for Migration: Pages 407-421, Chapter 16

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some studying to do.

Are you taking the Lync Server certification exams? What helped you prepare the most? Please share it with the rest of us!

It’s a cold reality for IT: One short-circuit and all that work is down the tubes. Unless of course, you have a backup.

Server backups are nothing new for admins. So we’d better make sure Lync Server is included too.

NextHop offers an excellent white paper on this very topic: Backing Up and Restoring Lync Server 2010 – NextHop

Or, go straight to Microsoft Downloads for the white paper.

They’ve done a better job than I could hope to here. So I’ll post some things to remember from it (and our own observations) for today’s “20 Tasks” entry.

Backing Up/Restoring Lync Server: Things to Remember

1. Have a strategy in place. Consider how often you want to backup, where backups should be stored, what situations merit a restoration, where you’ll get replacement hardware if needed, when/how to test backups, and so on.
2. Make sure you’re backing up data AND settings.
3. Group Chat is NOT backed up with standard cmdlets.  See Backing Up the Group Chat Database, Compliance Database, and File Repository for that.
4. First backup priority is the Central Management Store database (Xds.mdf). It contains the Lync Server topology. Essential.
5. Include Active Directory Domain Services in this backup. AD DS has the user SIP URIs, contact objects for Response Group and Conferencing Attendant, authentication accounts, etc. Very important stuff.
6. The cmdlets for backing up Lync Server components:
   • Topology Data :: Export-CsConfiguration
   • Location information service/E-911 :: Export-CsLisConfiguration
   • Response Group configuration data :: Export-CsRgsConfiguration
   • Persistent user & Conference ID data :: Dbimpexp.exe (It’s in the Lync installation media)
7. Use SQL Server Management Studio to backup the Archiving and Monitoring databases.
8. A standard backup system (the white paper lists RoboCopy) will work for backing up the Lync Server file store.
9. The cmdlets for restoring Lync Server components:
   • Restore the Active Directory pointer to the Central Management store :: Set-CsConfigurationStoreLocation
   • Import topology, policies, and configuration into the Central Management Store :: Import-CsConfiguration
   • Republish the topology :: Publish-CsTopology
   • Enable the republished topology :: Enable-CsTopology
   • Restore location information/E-911 :: Import-CsLisConfiguration
   • Restore persistent users :: Dbimpexp.exe
   • Restore Response Group :: Get-CsApplicationContact (available on the Lync PowerShell blog) AND Import-CsRgsConfiguration
10. Don’t change any of the following between a backup and a restoration:
    • DNS configuration
    • DHCP configuration
    • Domain names
    • FQDNs
    • File store paths

    Restoration won’t work properly if you do.

11. Include Lync’s SQL databases in the nightly backups.

The white paper’s based on recovering from a failure in the Lync Server topology. Personally, I like the comfort that comes from having a good backup routine in place. But if “avoiding the panic of a horrible crash with no backups” is better motivation for you, then stick with that!

We’ve only got a few more posts left in this “20 Tasks” series. Anything I haven’t covered yet you’d like to know?

Before we jump in for more Lync Admin tasks, let me address a question that's probably come up in your head. “Why just 20? Lync has a LOT more things for us to do!”

And you're right on that. I may be missing several tasks many Lync admins will need to know. (If so, and you want to point it out, feel free to email it over or leave a comment!). The tasks I blog about in this series have come from two sources:
• Our own Lync installs
• Frequent online support requests

These 20 Tasks are what came up the most, and/or what I judge as the most viable. There are definitely a lot more out there. Some of which will show up on this blog eventually, I'm sure.

Part 4: How to Add New Servers to Lync

Now, with that said, let's talk about something crucial: Adding a new server to the Lync topology. I'll use an A/V Conferencing Server as the example.

You will need:
• A server, functioning and connected to the local network your Lync Server is on
• The Lync Server 2010 installation media
• 1-2 hours

(Note: I'm assuming a single computer pool here.)

1. Define the New Server in Lync Topology Builder

a. Log on to the server where you installed Topology Builder.
b. Open “Lync Server Topology Builder” from the Microsoft Lync Server 2010 menu.
c. On the Welcome page, click Download Topology from Existing Deployment. Click OK.
d. A “Save Topology As” box will come up. Choose a location, name the file whatever you'll recognize later and save it. (Keep the “.tbxml” extension.)
e. In Topology Builder, click to expand the Server Role tree view.
f. Right-click “A/V Conferencing Pools”.
g. Click New A/V Conferencing Pool.
h. On the “Define the A/V Conferencing Pool FQDN” page that comes up,select Single Computer Pool.
i. Enter your Lync FQDN and click Next.
j. On the “Associate Front End Pools” page,select the Front End pool you want to associate with the new A/V Conferencing Server. (You'll probably have only one option.)
k. Click Finish.

2. Publish the Edited Topology

Note: Before you start, make sure you're logged in as a SQL administrator.

• Right-click the Lync Server 2010 node.
• Click Publish Topology.
• Click Next on the first “Publish the Topology” page.
• Next you have the “Create Databases” page. Select the databases you want to publish.
• If you want to modify the default SQL setup, then click Advanced here. It's optional, but it gives you two data file placement options:
** “Automatically Determine Database File Location” – Determines the best performance options based on your SQL database configuration. Works by distributing log and data files to the best location.
** “Use SQL Server Instance Defaults” – Log and data files are left on the SQL Server for you to move as you see fit.
• Click OK once you've selected an option. Then click Next.
• Select a Front End pool on the “Select Central Management Server” page.
• Click Next to complete the publishing process.
• When it's done, click Finish. Now the new server needs a local configuration store.

3. Install the Local Configuration Store on the New Server

a. Grab your Lync Server installation media. Load it on the new server.
b. Browse to setupamd64Setup.exe and click OK.
(If you're prompted to install Microsoft Visual C++ 2008, click Yes.)
c. Click OK on the “Lync Server 2010 Installation Location” page. Accept the license terms.
d. Click Install or Update Lync Server System on the Deployment Wizard page.
e. Click Next until you get to “Step1: Install Local Configuration Store”. Click Run.
f. Make sure the “Retrieve Configuration Automatically from the Central Management Store” option is selected on the configuration page. Then click Next.
g. Click Finish when the install is done. Now, since we're here…

4. Install Lync Server 2010 on the New Server

• On the “Microsoft Lync Server 2010 – Deployment Wizard” page, click Next until you get to “Step 2: Setup or Remove Lync Server Components”.
• Click Run.
• Click Next on the “Setup Lync Server Components” page.
• Click Finish when the task status completes. Now we get to the detailed part: the certificate.

5. Configure a Default Certificate for the New Server

Note: A/V Conferencing, Stand-Alone Mediation and Survivable Branch Appliance servers only require one default certificate. Standard Edition, Enterprise Front-End and Director servers require three.

a. Back on the “Microsoft Lync Server 2010 – Deployment Wizard” page, click Next to get to “Step 3: Request, Install or Assign Certificates”.
b. Click Run. (Away we go…)
c. Click Request on the “Certificate Wizard” page. Click New on the “Certificate Request” page.
d. Select Send the Request Immediately on the “Delayed or Immediate Requests” page. Click Next.
e. Click the cert authority you want on the “Choose a Certification Authority (CA)” page. Click Next.
f. Enter some alternate credentials (if an account doesn””t have enough authority to request the certificate on its own) on the “Certification Authority Account” page. Click Next.
g. Click Next on the “Specify Alternate Certificate Template” page.
h. Next we come to the “Name and Security Settings” page. Start by entering a 'Friendly Name.' (I wonder what would happen if you entered an UNfriendly name…)
i. Click the Key Bit Length in the Key Bit Length list. Click Next.
j. It's optional, but you can specify organization and geographical information on the next two pages. Click Next either way.
k. Review the Subject Name and Subject Alternative Names on the next page. Make sure the right server FQDNs are shown before clicking Next.
l. Select Configured SIP Domains for all SIP domains in Your Deployment on the “SIP Domain setting” page. Click Next.
m. If you want to add more Subject Alternative names, the next page gives you the option. Click Next.
n. Next up are a series of pages you just need to check over and click through.
—Certificate Request Summary
—Executing Commands
—Online Certificate Request Status
—Certificate Assignment
—Certificate Assignment Summary page
—Executing Commands (Finish)
n. Finally, click Close on the “Certificate Wizard” page. Phew!

6. Start the New Server

• Once again on the “Microsoft Lync Server 2010 – Deployment Wizard” page, click Next to get to “Step 4: Start Services”.
• Click Run.
• Click Next to start the new Lync Server's services.
• Once all services start up, click Finish.

That should do it! You now have a functioning A/V Conferencing server deployed in your network. (Configuring a Conferencing Server is a whole other animal; I'll let TechNet help you with that one for now.)

With minor changes, you can use these steps to deploy several different Lync servers. Enterprise Voice, or Archiving for example.

Thoughts? Questions so far?

The other day I was reading J. Bruzzese's excellent piece on InfoWorld.com, Microsoft Lync 2010: Finally, a Communications Server Worth the Effort. I happen to agree, but one thing jumped out at me.

The new Lync Server Roles were mentioned, though not in great detail. I thought, “What information is out there on the server roles? I should check.”

So I did. And I found out that while some server roles are discussed a bit, others have been left for IT people to simply figure out at install.

Let me fix that – at least in part. Here's an overview of each Lync 2010 Server Role, focused on their intended function in the Lync family (or “site” as the new terminology goes).

======================

Archiving and Monitoring – Just like the name says. This server role monitors your Lync Server usage. Archiving archives IM conversations, Group Chat and conference logs.

Audio/Video Conferencing – Conferencing is integrated into Lync Server; a separate client (like Live Meeting was) isn't necessary. This server controls that integration.

Central Management – Main configuration server. The Central Management Store provides a master configuration database that sends configuration information out to all the servers deployed.

Director – The Lync Director server regulates user pools. It's usually on the front-end server.

Edge Server - Like they did before, Edge Servers make communications with external users possible. Lync Edge servers have also added DNS Load Balancing (helps reduce the need for Hardware Load Balancers).

Group Chat – The Group Chat feature allows users to discuss topics over time, with those discussions saved and searchable. Think of it like a bulletin board or discussion forum, built right into Lync.

Lync Web Application – Maintains the new Silverlight-based Lync Web App client. In case you conference with non-Lync users who'd like to join in without installing extra software.

Mediation – Handles mediation between servers and gateways. If there's a break in Lync's communication,the Mediation Server Role allows the call to bypass itself and flow from the Lync Server directly to a gateway or IP-PBX.

Reach Application Sharing – As the name implies,this role handles sharing of applications between users while chatting or conferencing. Information was hard to find, but I presume the 'reach' means this role also allows application sharing with third parties not using Lync.

Survivable Branch Appliance – This role helps keep remote offices connected. If there's a break in communication (say the network goes down), the Appliance Role will route calls through a local gateway out to the public phone network. So calls can continue even while the network's being fixed.

Unified Communications Application Server – This one was the hardest to get specific information on. As you might expect, it helps with recording voicemails & passing them to Exchange. I'll have to go into more detail when it arrives.

Web Conferencing – Provides a foundation for hosting Web conferences (with integrated audio/video from the Audio/Video Conferencing Server).

Rest assured, this is only a preliminary. I intend to get first-hand information on all of these server roles soon. When Lync Server is RTM, I'll be recording everything I can for future posts.

Speaking of, what do you think? “The Lync Insider” or “Lync-Updates”? Which sounds better for an OCS/Lync blog like this?

Among our Exchange 2010 upgrade projects, we encounter a few more clients still using Exchange 2003 than we do on Exchange 2007. We also see a lot of the 2003 clients struggle following a 2010 upgrade.

The differences between Exchange 2003 and 2010 are more severe than those between 2007 and 2010. Clients jumping from Exchange 2003 are faced with differences in administration, potential for backwards-compatibility issues, etc. For 2003 admins, it's like getting out of an SUV and getting into a racecar – some adjustment is needed!

Last week I came across this TechRepublic article. It lists 10 reference points for those moving up from 2003 to Exchange 2010:
10 Things to Consider Before Transitioning from Exchange 2003 to 2010

I wanted to highlight this for our blog audience, so future clients have some advance notice on changes they'll have to make.

In particular, I wanted to emphasize these points:

1. Exchange Server 2010 is 100% 64-bit. 32-bit servers (such as those used by Exchange 2003) will not work.
2. Your admins WILL need retraining. The difference in server roles between 2003 and 2010 alone merits it. Not to mention the new Exchange Management Console.
3. In 2010, OWA is now located on the Client Access server. Setting up OWA is not required at first; setting up a Client Access server is.
4. Plan to keep your 2003 Exchange servers active until the 2010 transition is made completely. If you remove the 2003 servers too early, users with Exchange 2003 mailboxes may not be able to get their email.
5. And one point partially covered in the article: If you're running Windows Server 2003 or SBS 2003 and want to move to Exchange 2010, upgrade your primary servers too. 2008 versions of Windows Server and SBS are out; a clean upgrade on both sides is easier. And doing both at once just makes sense – saves you additional headache later.

This is a free warning from us ahead of time. Exchange 2010 is a big step ahead in terms of Unified Communications, new capabilities like Auto-Archive, etc. It just has a learning curve,like all rebuilt software.