No ringback in Lync

I just did a deployment where the PSTN was a Nortel and we used an AudioCodes 1000 gateway. Everything worked out well until we noticed that outside calls coming through the Nortel got dead air until the Lync user either answered the call or Lync sent the call to voice mail.

Seeing as how Lync to Lync calls behaved properly, and tracing showed the proper SIP 180 responses, the obvious culprit was either the gateway or the Nortel.  Turns out that in an AudioCodes gateway there is a setting for allowing ringback to leave the system and head for the PSTN!

Now, I am not a gateway guru, but don’t you think that would be a desired thing to have?  Well, it is off by default.  Flip it over a bit and voila!  Ringback to PSTN.

Lync Server 2010 IIS 7 prerequisites

IIS 7 webserver components for Lync FE

There are actually two ways do get this all done in one swoop. Using the GUI is good, but wouldn't you rather just do some cut n paste?
Note that there subtle differences here in the syntax although the individual feature add statements are the same.

For Server 2008 SP1 or SP2:

Open a command line (runas administrator).  Then do the following (command will have wrapped):

servermanagercmd.exe -i web-common-http web-static-content web-http-errors web-http-redirect web-asp.net web-net-ext web-isapi-ext web-isapi-filter web-http-logging web-log-libraries web-http-tracing web-basic-auth web-windows-auth web-client-auth web-url-auth web-filtering web web-stat-compression web-mgmt-tools web-mgmt-console web-scripting-tools web-mgmt-compat web-metabase web-wmi web-lgcy-scripting web-lgcy-mgmt-console

For Server 2008 R2: 

Open powershell (runas administrator), then do the following (again commands have wrapped here):

import-module servermanager

add-windowsfeature web-common-http, web-static-content, web-http-errors, web-http-redirect, web-asp-net, web-net-ext, web-isapi-ext, web-isapi-filter, web-http-logging, web-log-libraries, web-http-tracing, web-basic-auth, web-windows-auth, web-client-auth, web-url-auth, web-filtering, web-stat-compression, web-mgmt-tools, web-mgmt-console, web-scripting-tools, web-mgmt-compat, web-metabase, web-wmi, web-lgcy-scripting, web-lgcy-mgmt-console

Lync Server 2010 SE Install

Now that we have the prerequisites installed, the CMS in place, the schema extended, and the topology built, here in part three we will continue through the SE install and take a first look at the Lync Control Panel.

To get started, return to the deployment wizard and select the “Install or Update Lync Server System.”

Notice that the first selection is to install the local configuration store.  This is an important difference from OCS and the reason we needed to have the CMS installed and why we did the topology builder work.  After that, the install proceeds very much like OCS, so I will not go into details.  One note of importance:  If you configured an element in topology builder, changes to the environment that involve that element will get changed in topology builder and re-published.

Note that at the end, the wizard shows you the powershell commands.  Those who are seriously interested could reverse engineer these strings and do some serious learning.  Moving on.

Now we are going to do the PKI for the SE.  Remember the questions that were asked in the topology builder?  Did you document your answers?  Thankfully, if the answer is “no” you can simply open your topology builder and look.  I am going to use a single name cert, and when the Reverse Proxy comes into being, I will redirect from public DNS name to internal fqdn.  The Lync cert wizard is different from the OCS cert wizard, but nothing too weird.

Notice how the wizard wants a cert for each function.  After clicking no NEXT no less than five times I get to actually define my cert.  I use the KISS method.

 

After that some basic cert info like who what where etc.  Then we get this gem straight from the topology builder! Nice!  However, if you are not planning on doing the RP redirect thing, you better know which name there corresponds to which.  Remember that we left those boxes checked?  Lync is going to look at the topology build in the CMS, as replicated to the local configuration store, and assign the certificate as needed.  We have one cert, so there will be no issues.  But if you use three different certs you may need to track things a bit closer.

On this next screen, read and understand.  For my purposes all my answers are no, AND I already have sip.tsoorad.net defined on my topology so that name was already included.  For those who use those expensive public certs, adding yet another domain name might just bump you to a more expensive cert.  For those who are doing internal certs, but have multiple sip domains that meet the listed items, you better be prepared to hit the necessary check boxes.

A few more default “next” clicks and the certreq gets pushed to my internal EntCA.

We have a cert.  Leave the “assign this certificate…” box checked and the wizard will assign the certificate as needed.  In our case, the FE, and both web sites (internal and external).

After a few more obligatory “next” clicks we are finished with the cert request and assignment.

Almost done!  Start the services.

Now, let’s take a quick tour of the Lync Control Panel.  This is a Silverlight app.  It is really pretty nice. We won’t go into great levels of detail here.  Remember that we added a user to the CSAdministrator group in a previous section?  You will need that user or another user of that group to operate the LCP and expect to be able to change things.

How pretty.  One stop shopping. Sorta. Remember that many of the functions that were previously included in the R2 MMC are now configured in the Topology Builder and you will not find those items here.  Take a review of the categories on the left hand side.

Users – self explanatory

Topology – no IP, certificates or anything like that.  But you can start/stop, view replication, view settings, etc.  This is where you go to drain a server.

IM and Presence – URL and File filter.

Voice Routing – Dial Plan, Voice Policy, Routes, PSTN Usage, Trunks, and a rudimentary Voice Route helper.  You can export and import configurations from here.  But only for voice elements, not the entire system.

Voice Features – Call Park and Unassigned numbers

Response Groups – Workflows, Queues, Groups

Conferencing – Policy, Meeting Configuration, Dial in Access, PIN Policy

Clients – Policy, Policy, Policy.  In Lync, there is no ADM or GPO.  All things are done either by the client manually or by the admin with policies.

External User Access – pay attention here.  Policy, Access Edge Configuration (yes, as in affect how the Edge Server(s) act, Federation control, PIC.

Monitoring and Archiving – CDR, QoE, Archiving Policy, Archiving Configuration

Security – remember the Kerberos, NTLM security settings?  and how to auth to the web components?  and the Conferencing PIN policy (again)

Network Configuration – don’t get excited, this is not the system configuration, but all things Call Admission Control.

We have now installed the basic SE front end and looked at the control panel.  In our next installment we will install the edge.

Lync Server 2010 SE Install Part Two

So here we are with the basic prerequisites installed and the Topology Builder done.

Before too much more time goes by, we need to get AD DS tools in place so we can do the schema work.  You can use the server manager GUI; I prefer a command line:

servermanagercmd.exe –i rsat-adds

This will complain a bit about being deprecated in 2008 R2, but it will work just fine.  After a reboot, we’ll extend the schema, build our topology, publish the topology and be ready for Part Three where we will (finally) install the Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition.

Once you have that done, choose the Prepare First Standard Edition Server.  This will setup the Central Management Service.  You need this, and you cannot skip this step.

At this time, let’s extend the schema.

With the open install wizard:

 

This selection will produce the following menu of choices.  Work your way down from the top.  If you read instructions, you will notice that Microsoft cleverly numbered the steps.

My screen scrolls, and there is a step 6 and step 7 hiding.  Whatever you do, do not ignore step 7.  Trust me.

Alright!  Here we are ready to deploy…

…but first you need to build up your topology.  Let’s take a quick look at the bare bones of SE with Edge.  Because this is in a lab, the IP scheme is a little funny what with all three IP subnets being private scopes, the TMG Reverse Proxy appears to be hanging off my larger domain (it is), and all my PKI will be done with my lab Enterprise CA. I don’t intend to show how or why specific topology items are the way they are, just that those items need definition to achieve our goal of an SE, with and Edge and being ready for EV.

The organization – take a look at the simplified URL’s…yes yes yes!

The site – this is a new concept.  Notice that the federation route is here.

 

The SE pool screen 1 – the normal stuff:

The SE pool screen2:

Observe the separation of server roles here.  This is important to keep your perspective.  While we are doing an SE, with all roles combined, this is clearly setup for separate servers doing separate things in a highly available, heavy-duty environment.  Look at the very bottom where you can see the inclusion of the “branch site” – another key change to Lync Server 2010.

Finally, look at the edge configuration.  This is where the inbound next hop goes, as well as the IP addressing, enabling federation, and the NAT selection.  Keep in mind that all roles get NAT]’d in Lync Server 2010.  To make changes after your system is deployed, you will be visiting the topology builder again.

OK, enough messing around.  Let’s publish this bad boy and move forward with installing bits that make this come to life.  Right click the organization, and from the resulting menu, first save a file copy for future reference and then choose publish.

Read through all the various requirements (remember the CMS we installed in part one?) and then click Next.

In our case, there is only one CMS, so this choice is obvious.  In a real-world scenario, there might well be multiple SE or EE pools and choices of hosts for the CMS that might not be on your SE host.  Click next to move on.

Here we are in the midst of the blessed event.  The entire publishing process can take a bit for the first time.  Subsequent publishing events go fairly quickly.

Notice how the last little piece includes enabling the topology.

We now have extended the schema, installed the CMS, worked up a topology and published the topology, so now we are ready to install the bits and make all this work.  In part three we will do that and also take a look at the new control panel.

edited note:  I changed the title removing the “RC” part as the code went RTM just yesterday.  This series will continue ahead with RC code.  I do not anticipate significant changes with the install or planning processes.

Lync Server 2010 Dialin Conferencing DMTF Controls

Finally.

In Conference DTMF Controls

DTMF
Feature

*6 Mute or unmute your microphone  *****YES*****

*4 Toggle audience mute

*7 Lock or unlock the conference

*9 Enable or disable announcements for participants entering and exiting the conference

*3 Privately play the name of each participant in the conference

*1 Play a description of the available DTMF commands

*8 Admit all participants currently in the lobby to the conference

The DTMF commands listed above may differ based on the configuration on the Organizer's site. To ensure accuracy, please click on the "Find a local number" link in the invite for your meeting.

RU1 to E2010 SP1

Out quickly with rollup 1 to sp1 for e2010. Notice “they” did not (at least in print) fix the various sp1 upgrade/install issues that were widely encountered…

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=a371fa96-e85b-4a4f-8242-15d56595d0ec&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MicrosoftDownloadCenter+%28Microsoft+Download+Center%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher#tm

Lync Server 2010 RC SE Install

edited 29 Oct 2010 for IIS prereq changes

This is Part One of installing a Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition Environment.

We’ll get the prerequisites into place for a 2008 R2 server, and do the install up to the Topology Builder.

In the next part, we’ll take a look at the Topology Builder and install the Central Management Service.

After that we’ll get an Edge going too.  Maybe later, if I can swing some hardware, we’ll demo some voice.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition does not have a lot of existing documentation available in the help file, and I know many peeps want to have a guide for installing this most basic component of Lync Server 2010. Let’s jump right in!

I am using x64 Server 2008 R2 running in VMWare.

This means that my install is done, and I have run all existing updates from Microsoft Update onto my server and then rebooted it.  I have joined my domain. I am using a gawd account (domain admin, enterprise admin, schema admin) so I don’t have any permissions to worry about.  I have also cranked the UAC down to nothing.  Hey, this is a lab box, and it is behind a TMG, and you ain’t getting to it.  No worries here.  YMMV.

Because of the R2, we have the following prerequisites that must be met to install Lync Server 2010:

IIS7 with the following components:

For Standard Edition servers and Front End Servers, and Directors, the Microsoft Lync Server 2010 installer creates virtual directories in IIS for the following purposes:

• To enable users to download files from the Address Book Service
• To enable clients to obtain updates (for example, Microsoft Lync 2010)
• To enable conferencing
• To enable users to download meeting content
• To enable unified communications (UC) devices to connect to Device Update Service and obtain updates
• To enable users to expand distribution groups
• To enable phone conferencing
• To enable response group features

Lync Server 2010 requires the following IIS modules to be installed:

• Static Content
• Default Document
• HTTP Errors
• ASP.NET
• .NET Extensibility
• Internet Server API (ISAPI) Extensions
• ISAPI Filters
• HTTP Logging
• Logging Tools
• Tracing
• Windows Authentication
• Request Filtering
• Static Content Compression
• IIS Management Console
• IIS Management Scripts and Tools
• Tracing
• AnonymousAuthenticationModule
• ClientCertificateMappingAuthenticationModule

There are actually two ways do get this all done in one swoop. Using the GUI is good, but wouldn't you rather just do some cut n paste?

For Server 2008 SP1 or SP2:

Open a command line (runas administrator).  Then do the following (command will have wrapped):

servermanagercmd.exe -i web-common-http web-static-content web-http-errors web-http-redirect web-asp.net web-net-ext web-isapi-ext web-isapi-filter web-http-logging web-log-libraries web-http-tracing web-basic-auth web-windows-auth web-client-auth web-url-auth web-filtering web web-stat-compression web-mgmt-tools web-mgmt-console web-scripting-tools web-mgmt-compat web-metabase web-wmi web-lgcy-scripting web-lgcy-mgmt-console

For those Server 2008 R2 folks:  open powershell (runas administrator), then do the following - again command have wrapped here:

import-module servermanager

add-windowsfeature web-common-http, web-static-content, web-http-errors, web-http-redirect, web-asp-net, web-net-ext, web-isapi-ext, web-isapi-filter, web-http-logging, web-log-libraries, web-http-tracing, web-basic-auth, web-windows-auth, web-client-auth, web-url-auth, web-filtering, web-stat-compression, web-mgmt-tools, web-mgmt-console, web-scripting-tools, web-mgmt-compat, web-metabase, web-wmi, web-lgcy-scripting, web-lgcy-mgmt-console

Note that there subtle differences here in the syntax although the individual feature add statements are the same.

In addition (no you are not done yet!)

• IIS URL Rewrite module at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/linkid=197391

Important:  If you are running Windows Server 2008 R2, you must install version 1.1 of the URL Rewrite module, available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=197394.

• IIS Application Request Routing module at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=197392

You will also need:

.NET Framework 3.5.1 (right from the Server 2008 R2 install)

MSMQ (you will want this so you can do monitoring and archiving)(again, right from the Server 2008 R2 install)

Telnet client (used for troubleshooting)

Go get:

If you are doing just Server 2008 SP2, you will need MS KB 968929, "Windows Management Framework (Windows PowerShell 2.0, WinRM 2.0, and BITS 4.0)," at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=197390  - this is not needed for 2008 R2.

And, because we want to play with everything, we need Windows Media Format Runtime also… for R2, we have the following zippy command line: (and yes it wrapped)

%systemroot%\system32\dism.exe /online /add-package /packagepath:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-Media-Format-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.7600.16385.mum /ignorecheck

For you 2008 SP2 fans, use this command: (wrapped)

%systemroot%\system32\pkgmgr.exe /quiet /ip /m:%windir%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-Media-Format-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.6001.18000.mum

My server wanted a reboot in the middle of all this because I ran the .NET updates into this also.  You will want those, because there are several that fix some applications issues with Lync Server.

OK, so, we are pretty close!  After doing all that, we execute the setup.exe found in the ISO under setup\amd64.

Say yes to the warning about The Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 redistributable being required to run Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software. If you install Lync Server 2010 by using the Lync Server Deployment Wizard, Setup prompts you to install this prerequisite, and it automatically installs it if it is not already installed on the computer. If you choose not to install it, Setup terminates. We don’t want that do we?

Now we are to this point:

Because I am in a lab VM, I take this and move on.

Accept the terms of the license agreement.  If you don’t, you can’t install.  Which brilliant lawyer figured that out?

After a couple of screen blinks, we get this:

Now, in R2, we’d blast ahead and prepare AD, but in Lync, we MUST have the topology builder.  The topology builder is a great tool, does wonders for your success rate in deploying working solutions, and is needed later in your environment to make changes.  Besides, Lync Server 2010 is not going to install if you don’t put the Topology Builder in place, and then export your complete plans first, so let’s just do it, OK?

Now, that wasn’t too bad? 

This is what we get for our efforts…isn’t that pretty?

In our next installment, we’ll fire up the Topology Builder and get hot on installing our environment.