Microsoft UC (Unified Communcation)

On September 13^th Microsoft released their new Office Communication Server RC (Release Candidate) now named Lync Server 2010. It can be downloaded via the links provided in the glossary at end of the article. The best thing that this new offering of the Communication server is that it has a given an ease of deployment, streamlining and consolidating the whole process which makes it easier for SMB deployments even which is rare to find in a single package offering.

I am proudly presenting this deployment guide for other fellow UC enthusiasts to help on their own personal/test deployments. The best thing in Lync is that instead of archiving & monitoring and edge roles, everything is installed in a single Virtual Machine, hence the word consolidation. For voice-mail you need an Exchange deployment. This guide doesn’t have the integration for voice mail gateways.

So now… what’re we waiting for? Let’s jump into the Lync pool J

I have made a few assumptions before delving into this. They are mentioned here for your ease.

a) An Active Directory server

b) Fresh installation of Windows Server 2008 R2 with all the windows updates and patches joined to your domain. (I used Vmware for virtualization but its up to your preference what you may use for virtualization. If you have spare server then by all means deploy everything on individual server).

c) The login alias should be a domain admin or a member of an equivalent group.

d) Installation of AD certificate services for certificate generation.

e) Install the RSAT role from the server manager (AD DS and AD LST are required) for remote schema update. Net Framework 3.5 installation is also required which will be prompted automatically and should be installed if you are not using Windows 2008 R2.

f) Install IIS. You can use this command to also install IIS but it’s your call how you want to do it.

g) Instal SilverLight needed for installation. (download link in the glossary)

*dramatic voice* Now you are worthy enough to venture on this journey. It has many perils but stay focused on what I have to say and you will venture through.

Well.. once all that  is done you can insert the ISO into the virtual machine of burn a cd if you’re using an optical drive for installation and you will see this window in Internet Explorer. We are installing the server so we will choose the left Install button for server installation.

It will first ask you for the Visual C++ Redist installation. Click Yes to install it.

Once the installation for Visual C++ is complete you will see another window prompting the directory for the installation (changeable). If you are installing it on another partition other than C: you still need to have a bigger size of the C: partition as most of the files still end up in C Drive.

Accept the license agreement here. (STOP!! If you don’t accept it )

The next windows would be a little familiar to people who have been working with the previous version of Communication server offerings of Microsoft. This is the deployment wizard.

Let’s choose the first AD preparation steps. In my case the screenshot has all the steps completed. They ran smoothly for me since before I mentioned that the account that I used to login the server with is a Domain Admin as well as Local Admins.

Once all the steps are completed for you, you can click back to go to the deployment wizard and click the Install or update Lync Server 2010.

Once all the steps are completed for you, you can click back to go to the deployment wizard and click the Install or update Lync Server 2010.

It’s time to install the Topology Builder via the main deployment screen, when this completes you gain a green tick to signify a successful install.

The next step is funny enough because now we need to make our Topology for Lync Server 2010 for this you have to go to start menu > Microsoft Lync Server (RC) > Lync Server Topology Builder.

The Popup will come up now click New Topology and Ok.

It will ask you to choose a save file/location I saved it as WhatDoUC. Next you are asked for your primary SIP domain, I’ll be using my test AD domain for this which is WhatDoUC.net (see below).

Click next, I didn’t choose to add any additional SIP domains. On next screen type the name of your site which is in my case WhatDoUC

Click Next and put Site Details which you can see below.

It’s completed now click on “Open the New Front End Wizard” and click Finish.

Now you’ll need to define the New Front End pool.

Click Next. Define the Front End Pool FQDN which is in my case Lync.WhatDoUC.net also I am using Standard Edition Server you can choose it on your own.

You will be asked to select the features required and therefore destined to be collocated, I’ll be installing Conferencing (without Dial-in, I’m not going for PSTN voice integration for this lab setup), Enterprise Voice and Call Admission Control.

Click Next. I am not going to collocate Mediation Server you can choose it your own.

Here I am going to click next without more roles because of my limited sources.

Here I don’t need to define my SQL store as my Standard Edition will perform the SQL Express installation automatically.

Here we’ll need to create a file share, create it locally and ensure the account you are currently using to run the topology builder has read/write access to this folder. I’ll call my folder and share name “Share”.

The next screen will ask about External URL which is in my case “Lync.WhatDoUC.net”

Now we are back to Topology Builder and we have to edit Topology so click on Edit Topology.

Now you need to add an administrative URL, in my case https://admin.WhatDoUC.net and select the front end server to install your CMS on (all things being equal you should have one option here which will your previously specified pool FQDN).

We are all set to publish our topology! To do so select this option from the right hand side of the main topology builder screen.

Here I want to tell you that if you followed the entire guide correctly validation should succeed, now click next on the publish topology wizard.

Click Next also Accept the front end pool default by clicking next.

Now we are back to the Lync Server Deployment Wizard, now accessible via the start menu. Choose Install or Update Lync Server System to continue.

At first step (Install Local Configuration Store) click Run.

Click Next and upon completion click Finish.

Now step 2 to install Lync Server Components.

After completion Re-Start your server and log in back to server and start the Wizard from Start Menu.

It’s time to Step 3 is where certificates are requested and assigned to the server and both internal/external web services. Click request.

On next screen click next.

Select your CA Server which is in my case my Active Directory, click next until you see the option to specify a friendly name, I’ll use WhatDoUC.

Choose friendly organization names, country, state/city and click next.

Now configure and accept subject alternate names (SAN) – this is where a single certificate can handle multiple common names or domain names. In my case I’ll accept my locally configured SIP domain. You can add additional names where you have a public facing FQDN, click finish to execute certificate commands. The assign the requested certificates. Click Finish.

On completion the following screen will appear.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm ! It’s time to start Services and after that check the services status.

Here we are ready to run Lync Server 2010 control Panel than what are you waiting for?

Glossary:

01. Lync Server 2010 RC

02. Sliver Light Player

So guys in next post we will start making & enabling users.

I have tried to be informative and went in details as much as possible. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or comment on the post.

Hope you have as much deploying this new server as I had writing it.