I’m not a Mac guy. One of our web designers is; he LOVES his Mac. And he does produce some really sharp images on it for us.

So I know that more & more companies use Macs in the office. If not for everyday computing, then at least for specialist jobs like graphics work, web development, video.

And like everyone else, Mac users will want to stay in contact with co-workers. When it came to Lync Server, this was difficult at first – Mac-based clients weren’t first priority.

But now that’s over with. Not only do we have a Lync client for the Mac, two clients for the iOS (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad) are now available. Let’s take a look, hmm?

Microsoft Lync for Mac

Starting October 1st, Microsoft will ship the official Lync client for Mac.

(Credit to Mary Jo Foley for breaking the news.)

It’s got pretty much everything Lync for PC does: IM/Presence, voice and video, conferencing, desktop sharing, you name it. I don’t have a Mac to test this on, but the interface shots mirror Lync almost exactly.

You can use Lync for Mac with Lync Server 2010 and Lync Online (the Office 365 offering).

(Microsoft’s site says that “some voice capabilities require Lync Server 2010 and are not available with Lync Online.” Doesn’t give specifics though.)

Lync for Mac will be included with Office for Mac Standard 2011, via Volume Licensing.

Xync for iOS (iPhone, iPad) and Android

Credit to Tom Arbuthnot at the Lync’d Up blog for this one. He did a review of Xync on his iPad 2 last month.
(I borrowed the below screenshots from there.)

Xync’s website says the client supports Presence, Search, Audio/Video and PSTN Calls. The “Conferencing” link in their FAQ didn’t work, so I don’t know how much of the Conferencing role is supported yet.

Tom tested sign-in, IM, making calls and adding video. He noted one interesting caveat here: When in a video call to a Lync user, the iPad video looks fine. But the video on the Lync side doesn’t look so good. (You can see the difference in his screenshots.) Commenters also noted that the Xync client crashes on sign-in. Possibly an interface bug, or just a glitch.

Xync is available in the Android Market and the iPhone/iPad App Stores for $19.99. At its website you’ll find a FAQ, guides and how-to videos.

iDialog for iPhone

I couldn’t review Xync and ignore where Tom’s coming from, could I?

Tom works for Modality Systems, which ALSO has a Lync client for iPhone: iDialog. I mentioned it last year in my “How to Use OCS 2007 on Your Mobile” post. iDialog has since been updated for use with Lync Server as well.

The one caveat with iDialog is that it does not take Lync calls directly. From their site:

“…a user can control incoming phone calls to their OCS or Lync phone numbers. iDialog does this by alerting the user to the incoming call and providing the option to forward the call to their mobile phone, voice mail, or another device.”

However, you can reach contacts, IM, and change your presence status. The interface is nearly identical to Microsoft Lync, too.

iDialog is $9.99 in the iPhone App Store.

Never let it be said that, when it comes to Lync, Microsoft ignored the Mac users! In fact, I think the timetable for this release is faster than average – Microsoft doesn’t usually release a Mac software version this fast.

Maybe the third-party mobile apps have sped up timetables. Who knows. I’m glad the mobile apps exist; several good options for every mobile platform makes Lync adoption that much easier.

“If we move to Lync, can we use it on your iPhones?”
“What about my Droid?”

Yes. And yes.

Do you have Lync on your smartphone? What do you use?

It never fails. You blog about a topic, then you come across more information on it.

After last week’s post on Lync certs, a co-worker and I discussed the cert tests he just took (and passed, yay!). He mentioned that the Lync Resource Kit had helped him out. I took another look, and guess what? New stuff came out!

Follow-Up to Lync Certification: Updated Lync Resource Kit Chapters, and a Visual Aid

Two of the 19 available Lync Server Resource Kit Chapters were updated in late August. According to DrRez, they updated “Enterprise Voice” and “External User Access.”
The Enterprise Voice chapter added 8 pages on Call Admission Control (CAC). Given how important this call-routing technology is to Lync, all of us should read through it before the cert test.

DrRez also has a visual aid for us: a Protocol Workloads poster for Lync. It clarifies workload by Server Role: IM and Presence, A/V and Web Conferencing, Enterprise Voice, Application Sharing and Central Management.

The layout for each workload is very similar. Makes it easy to see how the roles can be installed side-by-side in the server room.

Follow-Up to Branch Appliance: Posts from InsideLync.com

One of the sites I check regularly is InsideLync.com, Curtis Johnstone’s blog. It’s a Lync-focused blog (like mine!) with lots of hands-on knowledge. Great resource.

This week’s check showed me two newer posts that relate to my post on Lync Branch Appliances a couple weeks ago.

A. Microsoft Lync Remote PowerShell Administration
Contains tips and a link on remote administration for Lync Servers (like a branch appliance). Pay attention to #3 and #4; if your certificates and your scripts aren’t cooperating, there’s only so much you can do remotely.

While you’re there, read this post on virtualization with Lync:

B. 10 Basics on Lync Server Virtualization
Just like the title says; virtualization basics for Lync. This WILL NOT help you with a branch appliance; as #2 points out, it’s the only server role that can’t be virtualized.

However, virtualization is something to keep in mind when you plan a branch appliance. Will a virtualized Server Role at the main office drop my branch appliance’s performance? Should I virtualize any additional branch servers? And so on.

Arm Yourself (With Knowledge!) Before the Exam

A final note: My co-worker also mentioned that 70-664 (Lync Server Configuring) was more difficult than 70-665 (Lync Server Administrator). So if you’re studying for these certs, spend a little extra time on the Administrator material!

Have you taken the Lync certification exams, or are you planning to? I’d like to hear about it. Please comment or email if you want to share your experience.

We’re at the end!

The end of the “20 Tasks” series, I mean, (Hah, I scared you! No, the blog’s not going anywhere.)

For the final entry in this series, let’s talk branch appliances.

Branch appliances are Lync Servers running at branch offices. They handle communications between the branch office and the main office, including phone calls, for up to 1,000 users.

(If you have more than 1,000 users at a branch site, you’ll need a Branch Server instead – slightly different installation.)

The main value of a branch appliance is Enterprise Voice. Namely, that branch offices can continue using Enterprise Voice – even if the link to the main office goes down.

If you’re in a position where you need to add a branch appliance, celebrate! It means things are going well!

And then, keep reading.

How to Deploy a Branch Appliance

Part 1: Prepare the Branch Site

We start preparation by adding a new branch appliance to Active Directory. Make sure the physical server is in place beforehand though!

1. Log on to Lync Server as an Enterprise Admins Group member.
2. Click Start, and then click Administrative Tools.
3. Click Active Directory Users and Computers.
4. On the Actions menu, click New –> Computer.
   In the New Object-Computer dialog box, type in a name for the Survivable Branch Appliance computer object (i.e., “OliveBranch1″).
5. Click Change.
6. In the Select User or Group dialog box, add the RTCUniversalSBATechnicians group and then click OK.
7. Click OK to save the Survivable Branch Appliance computer object.
8. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click ADSI Edit.
9. In ADSI Edit, right-click the computer object that you created in the previous steps, and then click Properties.
10. In the attribute list, click servicePrincipalName, and then click Edit.
11. In the Value to add field, type HOST/. (without the brackets) is the FQDN we just set for the branch appliance. For example, “HOST/OliveBranch1.mysite.com”.
12. Click OK to save the servicePrincipalName attribute setting. Then click OK to save the computer object properties.
13. In Active Directory Users and Computers, right-click Users.
14. Click New –> User.
15. Enter information into the wizard to create a domain user account for a Survivable Branch Appliance technician. (They’ll be responsible for adding the physical device to the domain.)
16. In Active Directory Users and Computers, click Users, right-click the user object. Click Add to a group.
17. In Enter the object names to select, type RTCUniversalSBATechnicians, and then click OK.
18. If you want to add more technicians to this branch site, repeat Steps 12-15.

Part 2: Add the Branch Site to Lync Topology

Next up we’ll add the branch site to your Lync topology.

1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft Lync Server 2010, and then click Lync Server Topology Builder.
2. In the console tree, expand the central site, right-click Branch sites, and then click New Branch Site.
3. In the Define New Branch Site dialog box, click Name, and then type the name of the branch site.
4. If you want to, click Description and enter a description for the branch site (so you can distinguish later).
5. Click Next.
6. (Optional) In the next Define New Branch Site dialog box, do any of the following:
   • Click City, and then type the name of the city in which the branch site is located.
   • Click State/Region, and then type the name of the state or region in which the branch site is located.
   • Click Country Code, and then type the two-digit calling code for the country/region in which the branch site is located.
7. Click Next.
8. If you are using a Survivable Branch Appliance or Server at this site, make sure the Open the New Survivable Wizard when this wizard closes box is checked.
9. Click Finish, and then follow the directions in the wizard that opens. You’ll need the following information:
   • The new branch appliance’s FQDN
   • Which Edge Server this branch appliance will connect to
   • The FQDN or IP address for the gateway you’ll associate the branch appliance with
10. If you want to see what the wizard will want ahead of time, see this page: Define a Survivable Branch Appliance or Server.

Part 3: Determine What Voice Routing Method to Use

There are three options when it comes to routing method. A PSTN gateway, or SIP trunking with or without media bypass. I’ll link to TechNet posts on each for greater detail:

1. Define a PSTN Gateway at the branch site,
2. Configure Media Bypass on a SIP Trunk,
3. Or configure the SIP Trunk without Media Bypass.

As of yet we haven’t performed #2 for any clients. We have done 1 and 3. Neither is difficult. But be sure to test your branch appliance thoroughly, just in case!

After all this, your new branch appliance should be in place and running.

I’m not sure what next week’s post will be on. We’ve received a lot of questions (and Lync issues) lately, so the field is fertile. Do you have a question about Lync Server–or a problem? Email me, or leave a comment. I like digging for the answers.

Hope everyone in the US has a good Labor Day!

Live Meeting’s functionality was absorbed into Lync Server. Since Lync had Web Conferencing (and the Dial-In Conferencing service!) built in, it made sense to equip the software with Live Meeting’s anyone-can-join capability too.

With Live Meeting, people wanting to join a conference (as guests, outside your network) would join in by downloading the Live Meeting Client. In Lync Server, you have two new choices: Lync Attendee, or the Lync Web App.

Meeting Option #1: Lync Attendee

Lync Attendee is a downloadable client for external users to join Lync meetings. In other words, it operates just like the Live Meeting Client.

However, it doesn’t allow for Presence, or scheduling meetings on its own. (You need the full Lync client for those.) Attendees can enter a meeting as a Guest or as an Authenticated User, with their own corporate credentials.
Download Lync Attendee here.

Meeting Option #2: Lync Web App

The Lync Web App is a Silverlight-based app for people who don’t have Lync 2010. It enables remote connection as a guest – same functionality as Live Meeting, just in a Web-based app.

The Web App doesn’t allow for Presence either. But it *does* include IM. And all the collaboration features you’d find in Lync 2010 or Lync Attendee: PowerPoint presentations, the Whiteboard, polls, etc.

(Using these features may prompt attendees to download a plugin. Warn them beforehand.)

NextHop has a thorough run-down of the Lync Web App here.

So Which Should You Use for Meetings?

If you’re reasonably sure attendees are on newer computers, use the Lync Web App. Silverlight is newer technology; the latest systems will support it easily.

Also, use the Web App if you’re inviting people on Macs and/or smartphones.

Otherwise, go with Lync Attendee. It’s a good all-around client for meetings, and it’s easier to use than Live Meeting.

A Note About Conference Scheduling

Scheduling a web conference in Lync is pretty easy. Lync users can begin a meeting anytime (what’s called an “ad-hoc meeting”) by right-clicking on another contact.

However, when it comes to scheduling meetings, the Conferencing Add-In I mentioned will likely get more use. Being integrated into Outlook, it’s literally right there.

You’ll see a “New Online meeting” button (with the Lync logo) under Calendar. Click that and enter the meeting details.

This should clear up a little confusion. I’m sure there’s a lot more to discuss when it comes to meetings in Lync though.

Have you had trouble scheduling or attending one? Let’s hear about it!

Late last year I posted on Office 365. More specifically: What does a Cloud Version of Lync Server (Hosted by Microsoft) Mean for the Market?

Including a version of Lync in Office 365 struck me as a good move. It means the demand is growing, and it provides a low-cost alternative to a full Lync Server setup.

Now that Office 365 has opened, it’s time to revisit the topic!

The Office 365 Advisors website recently posted a feature list comparing Lync Server, Lync Online and Office Communicator Online. (The list originates on the Office 365 Community site, but the Advisors post also comments on Lync Online pricing. And they made the list look cleaner.)

While this is a very thorough list, it is a feature-by-feature comparison. Let me extrapolate on what we’re reading. See if I can’t draw out some general guidelines on when it makes sense to use a full Lync Server. And when Lync Online would be a better choice.

When to Use Lync Online

Lync Online includes the features needed for IM & audio conferencing: The Attendee client, the Web app, interoperation with certified partners, conference scheduling and more. It does not include Group Chat, IM federation, PSTN calling (except for conferencing, via a third-party connector) or IP phone support.

This sort of package would appeal to an office where third-party connectivity isn’t necessary. Maybe the whole office already has smartphones, but they’re spending lots of money on conferencing systems. Lync Online makes sense as a cheaper alternative (per user), that also integrates into Outlook.

So when should you use Lync Online? When the focus is on conducting meetings and inter-office communication.

When to Use Lync Server

Obviously, Lync Server includes the features that aren’t in Lync Online. Full-service VoIP, PSTN calling, Call Admissions Control (CAC), interoperation with a PBX. All in. Of course this means you need a full server installation too. It’s a large investment, and it’s up-front (as compared to Lync Online’s per-user monthly pricing).

Lync Server is the better option if you need full communication options. Desk phones, calling (and receiving calls from) customers, and so on.

When should you opt for Lync Server? When the focus is on VoIP communication, especially calling out.

Honestly, Lync Online has more features than I thought Microsoft would include. Which is great – it’s a very affordable way to get into using the Lync platform.

Have you used Lync Online yet? How well did it work for you? Tell us your conference stories!

Last week I said I’d dedicate a post to the Lync How-To in the new Lync Adoption & Training Kit.

Having spent a little while fiddling with it, I’m glad I did. This tool deserves the focus!

The Lync How-To fulfills several functions at once, both out-of-box and with the customization options it presents. Use it as a training tool, a knowledge base, a FAQ, etc.

(Apologies for the screenshot quality; I’m not the designer on the team!)

There are two versions of the tool: One in Silverlight, one in HTML. I tried out the HTML version. (Bonus tip: The jqueryRolodex.html file will load in a browser directly. No need to upload it to a Web server first!)

As you see above, the tool’s set up with an expand-to-the-right menu style. This way you can see all the subcategories for any given topic. Quick, easy reference.

The categories are:

• Lync 2010 Presence and Instant Messaging
• Lync 2010 Voice and Video
• Lync 2010 Sharing and Collaboration
• Meetings and Conference Calls – Schedule
• Meetings and Conference Calls – Join
• Meetings and Conference Calls – Conduct
• Lync 2010 Group Chat
• Lync 2010 Attendant

On some pages, you’ll see a movie projector icon in the top right. When you do, it links to a how-to video from Microsoft on the current topic.

I’m pointing this out because it leads into a huge benefit of the How-To: You can customize ALL of the content in it.

Make the Lync How-To Fit Your Business (Instead of the Other Way Around)

The Lync How-To uses JavaScript, CSS and XML. So every part of it is customizable. Use these and you can:

1. Add your own information. Edit the content if you want, or add in company-branded images. Look in the Assets folder for each category’s images, scripts & videos.

2. Turn off categories you don’t use (or change the ones already there!). In the How-To tool, a file called Rolodex.xml lists all the category and content list information. If you aren’t using a certain Lync element (say, Archiving?), you can comment out the Archiving category in Rolodex.xml.

3. Use this as a reference for your own tutorials. Guide your users through steps in the How-To in order to educate them. For example, let’s say I wanted to train a group on how to:

• IM a co-worker
• Start a call in Lync between you two
• Invite a customer onto the call (even though they don’t have Lync)

I would point the group to these steps:

• Lync 2010 Presence and Instant Messaging –> Send an Instant Message
• Lync 2010 Voice and Video –> Add Voice to an Instant (Messaging Conversation)
• Lync 2010 Voice and Video –> Invite Others to a Call

A Step Above the Usual FAQ

This tool essentially brings a detailed Lync tutorial directly to your users. Instead of telling them to go search out some URL online, you can just hand them a shortcut.

The How-To even includes etiquette recommendations for IM conversations, calls and conferences! (I know I’ve had a few IM conversations where I wanted to smack someone with a dictionary…)

Download the Lync 2010 How-To in the Lync Adoption & Training Kit from Microsoft.

Have you tried this out yet? What customization would you add to it?

One of the stated goals of Lync was to make communication easier for everyone.

Microsoft has released a new Adoption and Training Kit for Lync Server 2010. Each of its add-on tools accomplish that goal.

(Credit to The Unified Communications Group Team Blog for the post that alerted me to these!)

These tools basically re-designate Lync Server as THE platform to use for international business communication.

I’m serious. Look at what’s included in this kit.

Informed IM: Translation, Conversation Tabs, Talk to an Expert, Quick Info

Conversation Translator: Real-time language translation. They type something in Japanese, you read it in English. You type something back in English–they read it in Japanese! The biggest hurdle of communicating with international customers has been toppled.

Tabbed Conversations: Consolidates several IM windows into one window with tabs. Just like a browser. Good space-saver.

IM an Expert: You (the admin) designate “experts” in your organization for certain topics. Another person IMs the “IM an Expert” contact and asks a question. IM an Expert forwards it to the appropriate expert, based on your designations. (It also saves the conversation for addition to a knowledge base.) Pretty handy for larger organizations, where you don’t know everybody.

Information Dashboard: At-a-glance information relevant to the person you’re chatting with. Their current time, weather, top local news. Again, valuable when communicating with someone in another time zone (or country).

And that’s not all. There are tools to help Lync admins too.

Admin Help: Stress Tests, Conversation Analysis

Group Chat Stress: This tool pulls double-duty for the administrator. One, it verifies that your Lync user connections work properly. Two, it helps you stress your Lync hardware for benchmarking. It does both by creating stress loaders, which you distribute to Lync contact PCs. You run the loaders when it’s time to stress the Lync servers.

Conversations Analyzer: Unsure of how effective employee conversations are? Use the Analyzer to review Lync IM conversations. It gives you scores of the conversations, based on trust rules (how the language positively – or negatively – affects trust in a reader).

Lync Custom Intranet Site: This is more an add-on than a tool. Microsoft essentially packaged a Lync-focused intranet template for you. It contains links to online Help, how-to videos, and Lync Web Tools (like the Web App). Your users need help (with Lync)? Post this internally and send them the URL.

Plenty of Reasons to Adopt These Tools

Microsoft bills these tools as intended “to generate user excitement and encourage widespread adoption.” I don’t know about users, but I’M excited!

I think all Lync users will get the most out of Tabbed Conversations and Conversation Translator. Talking to others is arguably easier now on IM than it is in person!

The Admin tools let Lync administrators test the system anytime they want. Very handy for troubleshooting, and general admin tweaks.

Watch for a Lync How-To Post Later

There is one more download available. It’s the “Lync How-To.” It’s not just some reference document though–it’s a training tool. I’ll dedicate a full post to that later (it deserves it!).

Now We Have an International Option for Instant Messaging

These are big usability enhancements. Every Lync administrator should download these right away. (Yes, they’re all free.)

Which of these do you think has the most value? Which would you use first?

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?

Group Chat is one of my favorite Lync services. Who here hasn’t been hanging around chat rooms for years already? Now we’ve got them in Lync Server.

Lync’s Group Chat works best for project discussions and meetings. Since the chat rooms are logged, it’s a great way to share information among a group, and access it later. As a Lync Administrator, your job is to make sure users can do that.

Need to Know: Initial Setup and Troubleshooting

The good thing about chat rooms is that they tend to work on their own. Most of the work involved with Group Chat will be to set up the chat rooms, and troubleshoot if there’s a problem. The users will handle the rest.

So I’ve divided up the tasks below by Initial Setup and Troubleshooting. There are instructions for setting up, and a few tips we’ve come across. Not a ton–but that’s because Group Chat is pretty well-behaved! Try it out and you’ll see why.

Initial Setup

Access the Group Chat Admin Tool

• Sign in to the Group Chat Server as an admin.
• In the Start menu, locate Microsoft Lync Server 2010. Click the Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Group Chat Admin Tool.
• If this your first time signing into Group Chat, you’ll see a Group Chat Admin Tool Login dialog box. Click “Automatic Configuration” in the Account box.
• Type your SIP URI in the box (example: “sip:testuser1@planetmagpie.com”).
• Type your complete user name (including domain) in the Login box (example: “Magpie\testuser1″).
• Enter your password. Click “Log In”.
• After this, you should only need your user name & password.

Decide on a Category Hierarchy

Categories are how the chat rooms are organized. You as the admin will set them. Before you do, have a hierarchy planned out. There’s a root category (auto-set), main categories, and any subcategories below those.

Categories should correspond to departments in your organization, and/or group functions. For example, a “Finance” category with a “Johnson Inc. Finance Team” subcategory.

NOTE: Settings for the root category will inherit down the tree (unless you specify otherwise, individually). If you want to establish a policy for all chat rooms, do it here.

Create Main Categories & Subcategories

• Open the Group Chat Admin Tool.
• In the Chat Rooms list, click the category in which you want to create a new subcategory. (All main categories are subcategories of root.)
• On the File menu, click New –> Category.
• Type a name and description for the category. Names cannot have spaces, and must begin with a letter.
• Specify options that control the behavior of this category:
  • If you want subcategories to use this category’s settings, check the Subcategories and chat rooms must inherit settings box.
  • Leave the Create a new membership list checkbox empty. This will start the chat room with the parent category’s membership list (see “Add Users” below for more on this).

• Set default options for all chat rooms and subcategories:
  • Click Scoped under Visibility to make chat rooms visible to all users when they search for chat rooms.
  • Click Private to make chat rooms visible only to their members. Only use this if you need to hide certain discussions (for example, when discussing private customer details).
  • Click Yes under Invitations to send out automatic invites for users who are added to member lists.
  • IMPORTANT! Click Yes under Chat History to save the Group Chat content.
  • Last is the File Uploads box. Click Yes if you want to let members post files. If not, click No.

Create Chat Rooms

NOTE: Don’t put any rooms in the root category. Believe it or not, you wind up forgetting it’s there.

• Click the category in which you want to create a chat room.
• Click New in the File menu. Then click Chat Room.
• In each box under Chat Room Settings, either click “Inherit from Parent” to keep the same setting as the parent category, or select a new setting.
• Type a specific name in the Name box. Be descriptive. You can use numbers, hyphens and underscores here.
• Type a description in the Description box. Make it specific, so people know this is the place to go for their chat.
• If you’ll use the chat room for making announcements, click Auditorium in the Type box.
• If you want everyone to chat amongst themselves, click Normal in the Type box.
• Enter a topic in the Topic box if you want to (not required).
• Clear the Create a new membership list checkbox to have the chat room inherit its members from the parent category. Just like we did for the new category.
• From here we have the Visibility, Chat History and File Uploads boxes. Again, just like creating new categories. Use the same options listed above for chat rooms.

Add Users

Since Lync uses Active Directory like other MS Servers, the user pool is populated by Active Directory Domain Services. Use the Lync Server 2010 Control Panel to enable any users that aren’t showing up.

NOTE: Don’t worry about changing the scope. Stick with putting all users in the root category scope. You can change it later, if security warrants (for example, adding users from outside the organization).

Designate Chat Room Managers

• Click the chat room you want in the Chat Rooms list.
• Click the Chat Room Managers tab.
• Click Add. Then locate the manager’s name using the Search For box.
• Click Add once you find the user you want to designate a manager.
• Repeat the search to add more chat room managers.
• Click Close when you’re done adding names.
• Click Apply.

Troubleshooting

Disable a Chat Room

• Log in to the Group Chat Admin Tool.
• Click the chat room you want to disable in the Chat Rooms list.
• Click the Disable this chat room checkbox.

Move a Chat Room

In the Chat Rooms list, drag the chat room or category from its current category over to the new one.

Archive an Unused Chat Room

Chat rooms can’t be deleted!  But you can archive them out of sight.

• Create a new category for archiving. Let’s call it “Junkyard” for now.
• In the Chat Rooms list, drag the unused chat room from its current category to “Junkyard”.

Remove a Chat Room Manager

On the Chat Room Managers tab, click the name in the list, and then click Remove.

Restart a Frozen Group Chat Server

(This requires you to access the Group Chat Configuration Tool. It’s in the Administrative Tools menu.)

• Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Group Chat.
• Open the Group Chat Configuration Tool.
• On the File menu, click Restart Server.
• Click Yes in the Restart Confirmation dialog box.

That should take care of the everyday admin for Group Chat. For more reference information, check Administering Lync Group Chat – MS TechNet.

Do you use Group Chat? What do you think of it, yea or nay?

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?