Justin Morris presented on how Lync Server 2013 leverages the complete Microsoft infrastructure ecosystem. Key integration points discussed include SQL Server for databases, Windows Fabric for user data replication, PowerShell for administration, Exchange Server for features like voicemail and calendar integration, DHCP for phone provisioning, DNS for service discovery, Office for presence integration, SharePoint for presence in documents, Office Web Apps for PowerPoint viewing, Group Policy for configuration, and Active Directory for identity services. The presentation emphasized that Lync reduces costs by utilizing existing Microsoft products, staff skills, and provides a better experience through tight integration across the Microsoft stack.

1. Justin Morris
Understanding how Lync Server
2013 leverages the complete
Microsoft infrastructure
ecosystem

2. Who am I?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lync MVP and Senior Consultant at Modality Systems
8 years experience with UC in Australia and the UK
Deployed the largest Lync voice deployment in the UK
Co-founder of MUCUGL / Blog @ justin-morris.net
Contributor of The UC Architects Podcast
Twitter - @justimorris

3. Why does this matter?
• Existing staff and infrastructure can be
utilised
• Training costs are reduced
• Leveraging existing Microsoft skillsets
•
•
PowerShell based configuration and management
Windows Server IT Pros have a head start when
deploying Lync

4. Session Objective
• Understand cost savings from leveraging
already deployed Microsoft products
• Understand Lync Server 2013 technical
integration points with each product

5. What I’ll Cover
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SQL Server
Windows Fabric
PowerShell
Exchange Server
DHCP
DNS
Office
•
•
•
•
•
•
SharePoint
Office Web Apps
Group Policy
Reverse Proxy Products
Active Directory DS/CS
Key Takeaways

7. The backbone of Lync Server
• Provides back end and front end databases to
store all static and dynamic data

8. Back End Databases
•
•
•
•
•
Authoritative source of all data
Stores CMS, Rgs, Cps, Lis, User and Conf data
Persistent Chat, Archiving and Monitoring data
SQL Server 2008 R2 and 2012 supported
Database mirroring and failover clustering HA
options

9. Back End Databases
• Less dependency on back end databases in
Lync Server 2013
• Sync Agent on FEs back up data
from RtcLocal DB to RtcXds database in BE
every 30 seconds (lazy write)
• If BE server fails, users will be uninterrupted
for 30 min

10. Front End Databases
• Two SQL Express instances per Front End:
• LyncLocal - Storage Service (Lyss) data
• RtcLocal - Replicated copies of user data and CMS
(xds, Rtc, Rtcdyn)
• User data is “hydrated” into Front End from
Back End on service start

11. SQL Server Reporting Services
• Used for Monitoring Reports
• Usually collocated on backend server or
dedicated SSRS server

13. Evolving the Front End server
• New replication technology in Lync Server
2013
• Windows Fabric provides user data replication
across Front End servers
• Users allocated to a routing group, which
replicates data across three FEs

14. Understanding Windows Fabric
• Only one Front End active for the UserGroup
at a time
• If all FEs in a routing group fail, WinFab will
find a remaining FE and rehydrate user data
from BE

16. PowerShell
• Common verbs across Microsoft server products
and services
•
•
•
•
•
Get-Cs*
Set-Cs*
New-Cs*
Remove-Cs*
Grant-Cs*
• Facilitates automation across Microsoft products

17. PowerShell
• Rapidly growing scripting skills amongst IT
Pros
• Community developed complimentary
tools/apps

19. Exchange Server
• World’s No.1 Enterprise Email Server/Service
• Native integration
• Multiple complimentary integration points

20. Exchange Web Services
• Lync 2013 uses EWS for:
• Free/busy information
• Conversation history
• Voicemail retrieval/playback
• Integrated using Autodiscover/Outlook
Anywhere

21. Unified Messaging
• Only supported voice mail platform for Lync Server 2013
• Native integration with Lync Server 2013 for voice mail
• Deposit:
• SIP connection from Lync 2013 pool to UM servers
• Retrieval:
• Accessed via Lync 2013, Outlook, OWA and Outlook Voice Access
(PSTN dial in)
• Administered using Exchange Server Management Shell

22. IM Integration in OWA
• Integrates Lync contact list and IM
functionality in Outlook Web App
• Provides “Communicator Web Access” like
features
• Great for when you only have OWA access
and need to IM

23. Exchange Server 2013 Integration
• Archive IMs into Exchange Server 2013
mailbox
• Unified Contact Store
• HD photo storage

24. Deployment Options
• On-premises
• Integrate with Exchange Server 2010 or Exchange
Server 2013 on premises
• Office 365 (Cloud)
• Integrate with Exchange Online via Lync Edge
Server

26. DHCP
•
•
•
•
Lync Phone Edition Provisioning
Vendor classes - OCPhone and UCClient
Option 42 and 120
Configured using DHCPUtil

27. DHCP
• Windows DHCP easiest to setup
• Other DHCP solutions supported (e.g.
Infoblox)

29. DNS
• Fundamental requirement for Lync 2013 to
function
• Discovery of web services and registrar
FQDNs

30. Internal Host (A) Records
• Pool FQDNs (SIP and Web)
• lyncpool1.contoso.com
• lyncwebpool1.contoso.com
• Server FQDNs
• Automatically populated on domain join

31. External Host (A) Records
• Edge Server Records
• sip.domain.com
• webconf.domain.com
• av.domain.com
• Web Services URLs
•
•
•
•
•
lyncrp.domain.com
meet.domain.com
dialin.domain.com
webapps.domain.com
lyncdiscover.domain.com

32. Autodiscover Service
• Lync 2013 clients (including Windows 8 Store app
and mobile clients) will attempt to connect to:
• lyncdiscoverinternal.contoso.com
• lyncdiscover.contoso.com
• New clients use Autodiscover service to locate
their registrar FQDNs and web URLs. SRV record
de-emphasized

33. Service (SRV) Records
• Internal
• _sipinternaltls._tcp.domain.com:5061
• External
• _sip._tls.domain.com:443 for Remote User Access
• _sipfederationtls._tcp.domain.com:5061 for
Federation

35. Microsoft Office
• Presence integration in
Outlook, Word, Excel, etc
• Allows IM, voice, video, etc wherever you see
presence
• Outlook integration is most valuable

36. Microsoft Office 2013 Integration
• Lync 2013 part of Office 2013 Professional
Plus
• Shared DLLs
• Lync and Office patch versions must match
• MSO, MSORES, IDCRL and Lyncloc update
package

38. SharePoint
• Providing presence integration in SharePoint
via the Lync contact card
• Native, Office provided, client-side
integration.
No configuration
required

39. SharePoint
• Skill search
• Simple configuration using Lync client policy
SharePoint on(PowerShell)
SharePoint Online
premises
•Presence in SharePoint
Lync Server 2013 on- •Skills search
• Only
premises
•Presence in
supported
SharePoint
on-premises Lync Online
•Presence in
•Presence in SharePoint
SharePoint

41. Office Web Apps
• New in Lync Server 2013
• Provides PowerPoint viewing in Lync 2013
• Richer experience – embedded video and
better animations/transitions
• Single server or multiple server HLB’d farm

43. Group Policies and Lync
• Previously heavily utilized for Office
Communicator, less so in Lync 20xx
• Now commonly used for manually setting
server FQDNs

44. Quality of Service Configuration
• Ensuring Lync media traffic is marked with
DSCP tags on clients and servers

45. Bespoke Registry Settings
• GPOs can be used to enforce bespoke Lync
registry settings
• Spell check
• Automatically start Lync on logon

47. Forefront TMG
• Discontinued, but still huge installed base
• Easy to setup

48. IIS Application Request Routing
• “No-frills” reverse proxy
• Small-medium deployments only

49. Windows Server 2012 R2 Web
Application Proxy
• Future of web publishing?
• Requires ADFS

51. Active Directory Domain Services
• Who DOESN’T have AD?
• Identity and authentication engine behind
Lync Server 2013
• Native LDAP integration
• AD management - a core IT Pro skill

52. Active Directory Preparation
• Extending AD to support Lync Server 2013
• Schema Prep
• Creating schema classes and attributes to be used by Lync
Server 2013
• Prefixed with msRTCSIP
• Forest Prep
• Creating Global Settings and Universal Groups
• Domain Prep
• ACEs (access control entries) created on domain root

53. Role Based Access Control
Providing granular Lync Server
CSAdministrator
•
CSArchivingAdministrator •
CSHelpDesk
•
CSLocationAdministrator
•
CSResponseGroup
Administrator
•
• CSServerAdministrator
•
•
•
•
•
•
2013 administrative access
CSUserAdministrator
CSViewOnlyAdministrator
CSVoiceAdministrator
CsPersistentChat
Administator
CsResponseGroupManager

54. Active Directory Certificate Services
• TLS/MTLS encryption using internal
certificates for all Lync 2013 servers
• Usually already deployed or easily deployed
as part of a Lync 2013 project
• AD joined machines automatically trust an
Enterprise CA

56. Key Takeaways
• Lync Server 2013 leverages more Microsoft
products than any other
• TCO and deployment time is reduced by
utilizing existing services and skilled staff
• User and administrator experience is
enhanced via native integration

58. Thank you!
Ask me questions on twitter @justimorris
Please evaluate the session
before you leave 