Definition: Microsoft Lync
Server is enterprise real-time
communications server software, providing the infrastructure enterprise instant messaging, presence, VoIP, ad hoc and
structured conferences (Audio, Video and Web)
and PSTN connectivity through a third-party gateway
SIP trunk. These features are available within an organization,
between organizations and with external users on the
public internet or Normal phones.
This can be deployed in 2 ways:
Central Site: A central location that provides services to non-central
locations.
Brach Site: A geographically separate location from the central location.
1. Survivable Branch Appliance - The Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA) is a Lync Registrar and Mediation Server running on Windows Server 2008 R2. The Survivable Branch Appliance also contains a PSTN gateway, allowing connectivity to local ISDN or SIP Trunk services.
2. Survivable Branch Server - The Survivable Branch Server (SBS) is a Windows Server with the Lync Server Registrar and Mediation Server software installed on it. It must connect to either a third party PSTN gateway or a SIP Trunk located at the branch site.
Based on the above design models we can choose other components for Lync deployment:
SQL Server (Windows 2008/12 of 64Bit) — Microsoft’s database server. SQL Server Express Edition is used by all Lync front end servers. SQL Server Enterprise Edition can be mirrored for high availability databases. Failover happens automatically when a SQL Server Witness is implemented.
PSTN Gateway (Session Border Controllers (SBCs)) — A device that connects the Lync phone system to the traditional phone system.
Office Web Apps Server — A server that provides Microsoft Office PowerPoint integration with conferencing.
Certificate Requirements — Number of Certificate are required for Lync supporting authority must support Subject Alternate Names (SANs)
o TLS connections between clients and servers
o MTLS connections between servers
o Federation using automatic DNS discovery of partners
o Remote user access for instant messaging
o External user access to A/V sessions and Web conferencing
o Mobility Certificate Requirements (If Required)
Active Directory — Lync requires Active Directory Domain Services to maintain groups, users, and other topology information. In addition, Lync Server requires a Certificate Authority for secure, encrypted data transfer and Active Directory Certificate Services can provide this service.
Internet Information Services (IIS) — Microsoft’s web server which is included as part of the Windows Server operating system.
File Share — Lync requires a shared directory for file storage.
Reverse Proxy — A way for external traffic to communicate with an internal network without connecting directly to systems on the internal network. Instead an external user connects to the Reverse Proxy and the Reverse Proxy connects to the internal system.
Wide Area Network (WAN) — A WAN is a network that spans a geographic distance between locations.
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) — The traditional phone network.
Firewall — A special filter for network traffic.
DNS Server — For name resolution
DHCP Server — For IP address and DHCP Option.
Exchange Server — For User Contact and Voicemail.
