Adam JacobsLync MVP

@adamjacobs

http://imaucblog.com

adam@imaucblog.com

Introduction to Lync Server

Agenda• What is Lync Server?

• History• Industry recognition

• Implementation approaches

• Technical differentiators from Office Communications Server (OCS)• Setup and deployment• Introducing:

• The Central Management Store (CMS)• Call Admission Control (CAC)• Media Bypass

• Futures

What is Lync Server?

What is Lync Server?

• Lync not LINQ

• The new name for OCS

• An IP-PBX or traditional PBX replacement

• A new breed of software-based telephony

• Fully immersed within your PC (or Mac) desktop user experience – Office, SharePoint & Lync Client

• The heart of Microsoft’s UC stack

Authentication

Administration

Storage

Compliance

Unified Inbox & Presence

AudioConferencin

gE-mail and

CalendaringWeb

Conferencing TelephonyVideo

Conferencing

Voice MailInstant

Messaging (IM)

Communications Today

Authentication

Administration

Storage

User Experience

Authentication

Administration

Storage

UserExperience

Authentication

Administration

Storage

User Experience

Authentication

Administration

Storage

UserExperience

Authentication

Administration

Storage

User Experience

Authentication

Administration

Storage

UserExperience

Authentication

Administration

Storage

User Experience

Telephony and

Voice Mail

InstantMessagingE-mail and

Calendaring

Unified Conferencin

g: Audio, Video, Web

Future of Communications

Then…

Office Communications Server

Microsoft®

A PBX companion – high level deliverables include:• Voice calls via existing handsets (RCC) and Communicator/“Optimised

Devices” (EV)• Video calls• IM and presence• Mobility (including IM, presence and single-number reach)

*Office Communications 2007 R2

• Collaboration (desktop/file sharing, group chat and *dial-in conferencing)

And now…

A PBX replacement – via added functionality:• Enhanced resilience - without the need for h/w load balancing (web

workloads still require HLBs)• Survivable Branch Appliance – a purpose-built appliance for branch

deployments• Call Admission Control (CAC) – for the prevention of VoIP over

subscription• Enhanced 9-1-1 (NA only) – CU1 delivers location functionality• Superior conferencing - voice announcements and an

integrated client! (no Live Meeting client or Outlook Conferencing add-in)

Microsoft

Lync®

TM

Industry recognition

“Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications,” July 28, 2010.

“OCS…is certainly going to shake up the market.”

36% companies surveyed are already using OCS as UC client, more than IBM, Cisco and Public IM clients.

“If you didn’t think Microsoft was serious about voice communications before, you better believe it now.”

Implementation approaches

Existing PBX with Remote Call Control

(RCC)

*Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program - here

Hybrid - existing PBX with RCC and Enterprise

Voice (EV)

Full EV – no PBX

Leverage existing PBX investment and introduce Communicator concepts via RCC

Identify PBX integration opportunities – software upgrades and/or a vendor application gateway. Consult your PBX vendor and visit the *UCOIP

Introduce Conferencing functionality and cut existing costs (measure telephony capacity first) – my workplace saved £60k per annum!

Consult your PBX vendor and visit the *UCOIP, identify integration opportunities. Alternatively you can deploy a side-by-side voice gateway

Initially choose mix legacy, RCC and EV for agile workers (project teams, senior executives and IT)Telephony growth supported by EV with Lync chosen as standard for strategic replacement

For greenfield deployments a voice gateway could be used, consult the *UCOIP for supported hardware

Alternatively it could be the right time to replace your existing PBX for Lync – how many times has this asset been written off?

Technical differentiators from OCS

Key Lync Roles and Servers

*Central Management Store (CMS) covered in subsequent slide

*Introduced with Lync

Front End Server Handles authentication/registration, address book, IM, Conferencing & Response Groups

Back End Server Lync databaseA/V Conferencing Server as the name suggests (can be collocated with Front End server or deployed separately)

Edge Server used for external Communication & Collaboration (without the need for VPN)

Mediation Server translates signalling and media (where bypass is not used) and routes to PSTN via gateway, IP-PBX or SIP trunk

Monitoring Server collects call quality and CDR related information

Archiving Server collects IM and Meeting content

Director Internally, routes clients to corresponding home serverExternally, reverse proxies authentication requests

*Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA) a purpose-built Lync appliance, typically utilised for branch deployment

Setup and deployment changes worth mentioning

• Planning Tool• Export to Topology Builder (.tbxml)

• Topology Builder• Tool used for .tbxml import, topology setup, modification and validation

prior to deploying first server and publishing within the Central Management Store (CMS)

• Mediation role can now be collocated with front end role = minus 1 server

Essentially one Standard Edition Server could support Enterprise Voice, IM, Presence and Conferencing for up to 5000 users!

For more information on planning and designing your Lync topology, I’d suggest you watch Lync Server Planning Tool: Design a Site and Create a Topology via TechNet NextHop (see resources slide)

Central Management Store (CMS)

• Replaces Active Directory for most configuration storage (phone numbers still held within AD)

• The CMS data is held within a SQL database

• Centralises the administration of all Lync Server roles (including Edge servers)

• There is a minimum requirement of 2 x CMS databases - 1 x master (RTC) and 1 x replica (RTCLOCAL)

• RTC and RTCLOCAL databases are replicated

• Resilient architecture – Front End Server CMS (replica) will continue to function where connectivity is lost to the master

Call Admission Control (CAC)

• Put simply CAC is the bandwidth management service built into Lync Server

• CAC bandwidth policies can be set to control

• Audio - max bandwidth (kbps) assigned for all/individual sessions• Video - max bandwidth (kbps) assigned for all/individual sessions

• Policies are applied between sites, where multiple network subnets can be associated

• Alternate routes can be utilised where over-subscription occurs, i.e. when local ISDN is at capacity then a route to PSTN over an Internet based SIP trunk could apply

Media Bypass

• Media bypass reduces the load on your Mediation servers (allowing support for up to 5000 users, where Front End and Mediation roles are collocated)

• This is achieved by negating the need for transcoding between the Lync client or phone and the voice gateway

• In this scenario the G.711 voice codec is used, instead of RTAudio

• Recommended gateway vendors include AudioCodes, Dialogic, NET and Ferrari

Futures

Lync Mobile• Mobile clients are expected for:

• *iPhone aka “iLync”• *Windows Phone 7• BlackBerry – now available BES v.5.0

SP3• Nokia• Android

*NBFunctionality will include:

• One-click to join conference

• Single number reach

ETA late 2011

Lync for XBOX “videoKINECT”

ETA late 2011

Lync Server + Skype = ?

Jamie Stark Lync Server Product

Manager

NextHop: Microsoft and MVP Lync/OCS related technical posts (a couple by me!) - here

NextHop: Simulating Lync Server 2010 Call Admission Control in a Lab Environment – here

NextHop: Lync Server Planning Tool: Design a Site and Create a Topology - here

TechNet: Lync Server TechCenter – here

TechNet: Lync Server 2010 documentation located within the TechNet Library - here

TechNet: Lync Server “First Run” videos - here

Jens Trier Rasmussen’s blog: What is the Central Management Store (CMS) – here

TechNet: View the Lync Server Protocol Workloads poster online - here

Microsoft Download Center: Lync Server 2010 documentation (all-in-one CHM!) – here

I’m a UC Blog: Just for fun/lab PSTN break-out – How to integrate Lync Server with Asterisk & Skype - here

I’m a UC Blog: Step-by-step Lync Server installation guide - here

Train Signal Training: Lync Server Video Installation Guide (by yours truly) - here

Resources

© 2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.