Some people learn by reading, some by doing, and some by seeing. Which are you?

Up until now I haven’t done much beyond text on this blog. But today, I have a treat for the visual learners – eight Lync Server how-to videos!

I’ve written a lot of how-to on this blog over the past year. Most of what’s covered in these videos can be found here in text format. However, if you’d rather SEE how to set up an Edge Server or call forwarding, these are for you.

How to Install a Lync Server: Start to Finish, on Video

The first 5 videos come from a YouTube member named “ITBananas.” (Their YouTube Channel is here: http://www.youtube.com/user/itbananas) We’re looking at a 5-part series on how to install and configure a Lync Server 2010 setup.

I suggest watching these in Full Screen mode. It makes seeing the options selected easier.

Video 1 – Install and Configure Lync Server 2010 – Installing ADCS

Video 2 – Install and Configure Lync Server 2010 – Prerequisites

Video 3 – Install and Configure Lync Server 2010 Part 1

Video 4 – Install and Configure Lync Server 2010 Part 2

Video 5 – Install and Configure Lync Server 2010 Part 3

The videos can run a little fast. And there’s no voiceover. (I don’t mind that, but it might throw you off if you expected audio.)

Nonetheless, these make for a good step-by-step visual aid to installing Lync Server.

More How-To: Edge Servers, Call Forwarding and Making Lync Calls

Add an Edge Server to Lync Server 2010

This video was posted by “AhmedYousryHassan,” who’s likely a Microsoft tech. (The “Microsoft TechNet” logo at the beginning, and the contoso.net domain used, sort of give it away.)

This video does have voiceover. It walks you through using Topology Builder to add an Edge server to an existing Lync setup.

It’s a very clear how-to on one specific task. I’m adding this to our training regimen.

Setup Call Forwarding and Simultaneous ring in Lync 2010

We’ve had a few call forwarding questions lately, so I wanted to include a good how-to video for setting it up.

Since this one comes from the Microsoft Lync Adoption and Training Kit, I’d say it qualifies.

Make a Call Using Lync 2010

The acting is kind of bland, but don’t let that ruin this Microsoft training video. It does a good job of showing Lync’s call options. Starting calls from IM, adding people to existing calls, two-click conference calls, and so on.

What other Lync Server videos have you seen? Any good how-to’s we should mention here?

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.

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.

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!

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!

Admit it – sometimes we just can’t figure out what the heck Lync Server is doing. It’s not behaving and we don’t know why. We need help.

Every Lync administrator should have good documentation & support material around. (Like this blog!) It’s a necessary part of day-to-day practice. And even more crucial when something breaks.

I’d planned to save this post for the last of the “20 Tasks” series. But, a newly-published guide made me decide to go ahead. It’s #1 in the following list, so check it out!

The rest are all resources we’ve used at PlanetMagpie for Lync troubleshooting. These are all excellent places to go for help. Read and enjoy!

1. Lync Server 2010 Resource Kit

Always check the documentation first. And as of yesterday (August 16th), we have brand-new Lync documentation! Download the new Resource Kit here and keep it handy. Yes, Microsoft released the Resource Kit for free! (Thanks to DrRez for the announcement.)

2. Lync Server 2010 TechNet Library

This library has been partially supplanted by the Resource Kit (which is more up-to-date). But the library is broken up into more subtopics, so it’s easier to find helpful material at a glance. Check here while you’re browsing the Resource Kit; you’ll double your chances of running into a solution.

3. Lync Love – Lync Server & Unified Communications Blogs

Check with bloggers. If you’re having a problem, chances are someone else has too. Start with my Lync Love post for some good blog links.

4. Microsoft’s Lync Server Forums

THE forum for Lync (and OCS) questions. Every area of Lync Server has its own section, and hundreds of users sharing information. If you still have a question, ask it here. Chances are you’ll have an answer in no time.

Even a few minutes’ digging will show you how much information is contained within these resources. The Resource Kit alone is over 30MB of documentation!

Do you go someplace else for Lync help? What’s the URL?

Sometimes the phones just won’t work. And then they call you. So you’d better know how to fix them!

Troubleshooting Lync devices (mostly phones, but this applies to gateways and other devices too) is a lot like any other tech support.

As such, the standard behaviors apply:
a. Test the device.
b. Restart it.
c. Check logs for problems.
d. If it’s not fixed, then move to support resources.

Since I can’t restart your phone from way over here (and frankly, I look at enough logs!), I’ll help out with the resources part.

Support Resources for Lync Phones, and Other Devices (If You Use Them)

1. Tools & Services for Troubleshooting Devices
   This is a list of, naturally, tools and Lync services that help you troubleshoot. The Control Panel, Management Shell, Monitoring Server reports, etc. Start here. 

   Note: One of the tools listed is Device Logs. If you find yourself collecting logs a lot, try installing a Collect Logs button in Microsoft Lync to expedite the process.
   The Lync PowerShell blog has an excellent write-up on how to setup a Collect Logs button. (Fair warning, it uses a little PowerShell.)

2. Troubleshoot Devices (Connections, Phone Issues)
   This section drills into IP phone support. It has useful infographics on how phones connect in Lync, and checklists so you avoid missing an obvious-after-you-see-it step. 

   The “Device Connection Process” subpage helped us troubleshoot an internal phone the other day in fact. It hadn’t received an update; we pushed it out again, and everything worked.

3. You can also download a guide with all of the above information (and more):
   Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Device Management and Troubleshooting Guide from Microsoft Downloads. 

   I like having this option because it’s a Word document, it’s small and it’s simply-formatted. Meaning you can load it on just about any smartphone and bring it with you.

Of course, you have this blog as a support resource too! And the other Lync Server blogs I’ve linked to in the past.

Have you encountered a phone-specific Lync problem? What was it?

One definite ‘must’ with Lync (or any other server) is knowing where & how to increase security. There’s (sadly) too many reasons to list!

Obviously, you’ll have already configured security in the server room first – firewall setup, security apps and/or appliances. I’m not talking about that today.

I’m talking about increasing the security requirements for accessing Lync services themselves.

Now, you may not need to do this. If you have good network security, Lync communications should be fine. Deploy Lync’s Monitoring Server if you aren’t sure of the need.

If you’re subject to a lot of break-in attempts, or you have a lot of remote users, then you might want additional security.

I’ll cover two security increases today: Creating a new Registrar, and adding a new Web Service.

Registrar: Proxy Server Authentication

A Registrar will demand authentication from Lync clients, using proxies. You have three options: Kerberos, NTLM or Certificate authentication.
Kerberos is best for enterprise clients – but if you use it, add NTLM as well. That way remote clients (on smartphones) won’t need to go through Kerberos authentication all the time.

We use and recommend Certificate authentication. It’s a little faster, and easy to work with.

Whatever you choose, you’ll need to set up a Registrar in Lync to operate it. This is how you do that:

• Log on (as Administrator) to any Lync-connected computer.
• Open the Lync Server Control Panel in a browser.
• Click Security in the left navigation bar.
• Click Registrar.
• On the Registrar page, click New.
• Under Select a Service, click the service you want to apply the new Registrar to. Click OK.
• Under New Registrar Setting, choose 1 (or more) of the options. Remember to consider client capabilities, and what your server environment would support:
  • Enable Kerberos Authentication
  • Enable NTLM Authentication
  • Enable Certificate Authentication
• Click Commit.

Web Service: Protecting Server Access

The term “Web Service” means something a little different than what you’re used to. In Lync Server 2010, a Web Service is an authentication policy governing access to Lync servers and web-based services. Easy to set up, too.

• Log on (as Administrator) to any Lync-connected computer.
• Open the Lync Server Control Panel in a browser.
• Click Security in the left navigation bar.
• Click Web Service.
• On the Web Service page, click New.
• Select either Site Configuration or Pool Configuration.
  • Site Configuration configures the new Web Service policy for a Lync Site. Under Select a Site, click the site to which the Web Service policy will be applied, and click OK.
  • Pool Configuration configures the new Web Service policy for a Lync pool. Under Select a Service, click the service to which the Web Service policy will be applied, and click OK.
• Under Windows authentication, select one: Negotiate, NTLM, or None.
• Check 1 (or more) of the boxes below. Remember to consider client capabilities, and what your server environment would support:
  • Enable PIN Authentication – Clients can authenticate using PIN numbers.
  • Enable Certificate Authentication – Servers in the pool issue certificates to clients.
  • Enable Certificate Chain Download – Servers presented with an authentication certificate download the certificate chain for it.
  • Show Lync Attendee Download Link – Users are given the option to download Lync 2010 Attendee.
  • Show the Link for User to Join Meeting Using Legacy Client – Users are given the option to join meetings using Office Communicator 2007 (or older).
• Click Commit.

Personally, I like the idea of a Certificate registrar and a PIN Authentication Web Service. Not too much configuration needed, and doubled protection.

What do you think? What kind of security have you deployed in your Lync Server?

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?

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?