Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Save more on your purchases! discount-offer-chevron-icon
Savings automatically calculated. No voucher code required.
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Newsletter Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
timer SALE ENDS IN
0 Days
:
00 Hours
:
00 Minutes
:
00 Seconds
Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013
Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013

Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013: Everything you need for understanding and working with Lync 2013 in a fast-paced manner

eBook
NZ$34.99 NZ$38.99
Paperback
NZ$48.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m

What do you get with a Packt Subscription?

Free for first 7 days. $19.99 p/m after that. Cancel any time!
Product feature icon Unlimited ad-free access to the largest independent learning library in tech. Access this title and thousands more!
Product feature icon 50+ new titles added per month, including many first-to-market concepts and exclusive early access to books as they are being written.
Product feature icon Innovative learning tools, including AI book assistants, code context explainers, and text-to-speech.
Product feature icon Thousands of reference materials covering every tech concept you need to stay up to date.
Subscribe now
View plans & pricing
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013

Chapter 2. Understanding Front End Pool Pairing

In this chapter we will talk about Front End pool pairing, a new form of continuity introduced by Lync 2013. This solution is really important in order to go beyond a few limits that were present in previous solutions for high availability and disaster recovery. The aforementioned are critical aspects of a Lync deployment, especially if we are offering Enterprise Voice services.

In Lync 2010, we had high availability with Enterprise pools (so that it was possible to have up to 10 Front End Servers tied together), and a clustered SQL database as Lync Back End. In the preceding scenario, often a weak point was the SQL 2008 cluster, which is clearly a bottleneck from a continuity point of view, requiring a shared storage and posing a heavy limit to geographically dispersed solutions.

A basic form of disaster recovery was named Backup Registrar, and was based on the "pairing" of one or more Enterprise Edition pools / Standard Edition servers with...

Introduction to Front End pairing


The whole mechanism is based on the approach that Lync 2013 uses to manage the "presence" database (each Front End Server now controls the presence database) and on the Windows Fabric component, which is used to keep user data in sync on all the Front End servers. We will cover the Windows Fabric component later in this chapter.

When a pool hosting the Central Management Store (CMS) is paired with another pool, it creates a backup of the CMS and a Master/Standby relationship between the two database instances.

The aforementioned mechanism explains why, in Lync 2013, the dependency on the Back End Server has been "relaxed" (what happens is named lazy writes —the SQL Server database is updated mainly for the eventuality of a disaster recovery). To manage the new logic of the presence database, the algorithm used in Lync 2010 to determine where a user was homed (also if a failure occurred on one or more Front Ends) has been changed.

Now, we have Lync 2013 automatically...

Associating Lync pools


Before we see the steps required to configure the association between Lync pools, we need to know some limits that we have to respect in order to keep a "supported" situation.

The document on which we have to base our deployment is Best Practices for Pairing Front End Pools at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj204697.aspx. The following list includes all the most important constraints:

  • Enterprise Edition pools can be paired only with other Enterprise Edition pools. Similarly, Standard Edition pools can be paired only with other Standard Edition pools.

    The Topology Builder will also allow us to pair pools that are not of the same kind, but this is not to be considered as a validation.

  • Physical pools can be paired only with other physical pools. Similarly, virtual pools can be paired only with other virtual pools.

  • Pool pairing is bidirectional; if a pool is associated to another pool, it is not possible to pair an additional pool (that is, there is no support...

Failover and failback options


When we start a failover or a failback operation, we have a period of time that is required for the process to actually complete. Both the actions are manually initiated and that implies that the time periods mentioned in the TechNet article, Recovery Time for Pool Failover and Pool Failback, at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj205079.aspx, are calculated from the moment the administrator actually launches the disaster procedure. The value indicated in the documentation as the recovery point objective (30 minutes) indicates that if we launch a failover or a failback, all the data changed in the 30 minutes between the time the failure procedure is accomplished (T) and 30 minutes before (T-30) could be lost.

As we will see, the administrator manually invokes the failover procedures using the Lync Server Management Shell. In the following schema, the various steps related to a failover and failback scenario are shown:

Managing server failures


I have prepared an environment to test the pool pairing failover and failback based on two different sites (Site 1 and Site 2) and a Standard Edition server in each site, as shown in the following diagram:

  1. The first step is to modify the topology using the Topology Builder. We have to select one of the Standard Edition servers and select Edit Properties.

  2. The modifications we have to perform in the Front End properties (as shown in the following screenshot) are as follows:

    1. Modify the Resiliency parameter.

    2. Check Associated backup pool.

    3. Select the other server from the drop-down menu.

    4. Check Automatic failover and failback for Voice (if we want to use such a feature).

  3. When we publish the topology, we will receive a to-do list to complete the configuration.

  4. To activate the changes, we have to run the setup file or remove the Lync server components (in the Lync deployment) on both Lync Front Ends.

  5. One of the things that will happen now is the installation of the Lync Backup Service...

Summary


The Front End pairing feature is extremely important for the resiliency of our company's Lync deployment. During the tests, we examined the mechanisms and settings required for that feature.

In the next chapter, the focus will move to the external users and the steps we need to take to make our Lync environment available to them.

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon

Key benefits

  • Understand and deliver the top required features such as Enterprise Voice, Persistent Chat, and mobility with step-by-step guides
  • Deploy a working environment applying load balancing and fault tolerant solutions
  • Create a collaborative space around the user’s needs, containing all the information and document history using the Persistent Chat Server

Description

Lync 2013 is a product that enables users to IM, and have audio and video conferences, including multi-party video. The mobile client permits the use of all the features in every device with an access-from-everywhere logic. The company’s Active Directory users, SharePoint documents, and Exchange objects integrate with Lync to deliver most of the advanced features. Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013 will give you all the relevant information you need to enable voice features, select the best Lync client in different scenarios, make your Lync services available to the external users, empower the collaborative environment of Persistent Chat Server rooms, and to build an affordable unified communication system. Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013 will explore all the concepts you need to administer and plan a Lync 2013 environment in a short time, explaining the background mechanisms of the system.It begins with the deployment of a Lync frontend and SQL mirroring solution, including all the requirements and tips clearly laid out. It proceeds with the Front End pairing, mobility, and mediation server deployment with media bypass. It covers a core chapter about Enterprise Voice with a closing part on Persistent Chat and on clients with their characteristics. Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013 will give you all the relevant information you need to enable voice features, and will help to select the best Lync client in different scenarios.

Who is this book for?

Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013 is a starting point for system administrators, IT pros, unified communication technicians, and decision makers in companies or in the consultancy business. For people who have never managed Lync (or a U.C. product), the book will guide you through the basic concepts and mistakes. If you are already managing a Lync deployment you will find important explanations and ideas put together in a single text. If your work requires evaluating a Lync project this book offers parameters and suggestions to plan a project to deliver the best results.

What you will learn

  • Install a Lync 2013 Enterprise Pool with SQL mirroring
  • Make Lync available to external users in a secure manner with reverse proxy and Edge
  • Install and optimize the mediation server role
  • Get started with Enterprise Voice and user phone numbers
  • Organize Voice Policies, PSTN Usage Records, and Voice Routes
  • Deploy a Persistent Chat Server with categories, chat rooms, and privacy
  • Select the best available client for the different usage scenarios

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Jul 17, 2013
Length: 122 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782179931
Vendor :
Microsoft
Languages :
Concepts :

What do you get with a Packt Subscription?

Free for first 7 days. $19.99 p/m after that. Cancel any time!
Product feature icon Unlimited ad-free access to the largest independent learning library in tech. Access this title and thousands more!
Product feature icon 50+ new titles added per month, including many first-to-market concepts and exclusive early access to books as they are being written.
Product feature icon Innovative learning tools, including AI book assistants, code context explainers, and text-to-speech.
Product feature icon Thousands of reference materials covering every tech concept you need to stay up to date.
Subscribe now
View plans & pricing

Product Details

Publication date : Jul 17, 2013
Length: 122 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782179931
Vendor :
Microsoft
Languages :
Concepts :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
$19.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
$199.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just NZ$7 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
$279.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just NZ$7 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total NZ$ 186.97
Microsoft Exchange 2013 Cookbook
NZ$80.99
Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013
NZ$48.99
Microsoft Lync 2013 Unified Communications: From Telephony to Real Time Communication in the Digital Age
NZ$56.99
Total NZ$ 186.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

7 Chapters
Installing a Lync 2013 Enterprise Pool Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Understanding Front End Pool Pairing Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Deploying Lync Mobility and External Users Access Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Introducing the Lync Mediation Server Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Getting Started with Lync Enterprise Voice Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Deploying Persistent Chat Server Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Choosing Lync 2013 Clients Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.6
(9 Ratings)
5 star 33.3%
4 star 33.3%
3 star 11.1%
2 star 0%
1 star 22.2%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews

Filter reviews by




Andrew Price Aug 29, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I was recently approached by Packt Publishing about reviewing a new book called "Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013 written by Fabrizio Volpe" Before agreeing to write this review for Packt Publishing, I approached Fabrizo by Twitter to make sure he was happy for me to write a review.So the title, Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013? The title explains exactly what the book is about and is based on a Microsoft Lync Enterprise Pool deployment with SQL Witness and Office Web Apps. . Matt Landis written a ebook called "Microsoft Lync Server 2013 Step by Step for Anyone" and I have read through both Matt's and Fabrizio's books and Fabrizo book is well written covering all the basics with in depth information and I believe it is a good follow on to Matt Landis ebook with more details. When reading through the book it helped me address an issue I was dealing with at a customer site, so would say its very much worth a read if your new to Lync or currently studying Lync in more depth.So whats inside?The book contains 7 Chapters covering the following*Chapter 1 - Installing a Lync 2013 Enterprise Pool*Chapter 2 - Understanding Front End Pooling*Chapter 3 - Deploying Lync Mobility*Chapter 4 - Introducing the Lync Mediation Server*Chapter 5 - Getting Started with Lync Enterprise Voice*Chapter 6 - Deploying Persistent Chat Server*Chapter 7 - Choosing Lync 2013 ClientsAbout the AuthorFabrizo Volpe contributes a lot to the Lync Community via his blog and Youtube Channel so if you have come across them before. Check them out and you can also follow Fabrizio on twitter Blog: [...] Youtube: [...]So go and get your copy now from Packt Publishing or Amazon. I will be purchasing a dead tree copy to add to my collection of Technical References.Regards
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Richard Brynteson Aug 29, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
So over the past year I have gotten all sorts of random requests to review books, blog posts and all sorts of random content. Typically I just ignore the requests and move on with my day but a couple weeks ago I said yes to reviewing ¡°Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013¡å by Fabrizio Volpe.There are a few things in particular that I like about this book. First, the book isn¡¯t written as a ¡°formal book¡± but rather it reads like a really long blog post ¨C or a series of blog posts. I like that writing style as typically it is easier to read and relate to the author. Second, this book does a better job than TechNet does on the actual install process. Although TechNet has gotten better over the past few years I feel like they 1) fail to include screenshots when they should 2) assume you are creating a 12 server enterprise pool all the time. Lastly, this book does a nice job of including the correct references to TechNet and other MVP blog posts where necessary.So in conclusion, if you are new to Lync and need a book to help walk you through a lab deployment or understand the basics of the product, this book will certainly help you with that.NOTE: I wasn't paid or compensated for this review other than a copy of the eBook to review.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
John M. Weber Aug 14, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Packt Publishing asked me to review the book. I got access to the book for the review. I received no monetary compensation for my time or the review. For details, see this link:[...]
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Paul Flatt Aug 27, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
I was recently privileged to be selected to review the above titled book written by Fabrizio Volpe.This book is a great way to start to learn the intricacies of Microsoft Lync 2013, and the author has written a clear and concise publication that provides most of the basic information.There is a good walkthrough on how to install Microsoft Lync into an environment, along with details on how to configure the various roles within Lync (Enterprise Voice, Front End Pairing, Persistent Chat, and Mobility).This book, however, is not an in-depth publication and it is really aimed at those getting started on their Lync journey, rather than someone who wants to deep-dive into Lync.Overall I think this is a great book, and hope that Fabrizio writes more in the future.** Please note that I was asked to review this book by Packt Publishing, but have received no compensation for doing so.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Kuberadev Aug 30, 2013
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
Getting Started with Microsoft Lync Server 2013 is a for people who just start learning Lync, it is a simple, clear explanation some of the fundamentals of Lync.If you just started learn this technology, this a book for you!In 7 chapters you will not have deep dive in some topics, but you will have understanding How, Why and stepshow to accomplish SUCCESSFUL implementation.I am still reading this book, I will add more info soon.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is included in a Packt subscription? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

A subscription provides you with full access to view all Packt and licnesed content online, this includes exclusive access to Early Access titles. Depending on the tier chosen you can also earn credits and discounts to use for owning content

How can I cancel my subscription? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

To cancel your subscription with us simply go to the account page - found in the top right of the page or at https://subscription.packtpub.com/my-account/subscription - From here you will see the ‘cancel subscription’ button in the grey box with your subscription information in.

What are credits? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Credits can be earned from reading 40 section of any title within the payment cycle - a month starting from the day of subscription payment. You also earn a Credit every month if you subscribe to our annual or 18 month plans. Credits can be used to buy books DRM free, the same way that you would pay for a book. Your credits can be found in the subscription homepage - subscription.packtpub.com - clicking on ‘the my’ library dropdown and selecting ‘credits’.

What happens if an Early Access Course is cancelled? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Projects are rarely cancelled, but sometimes it's unavoidable. If an Early Access course is cancelled or excessively delayed, you can exchange your purchase for another course. For further details, please contact us here.

Where can I send feedback about an Early Access title? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

If you have any feedback about the product you're reading, or Early Access in general, then please fill out a contact form here and we'll make sure the feedback gets to the right team. 

Can I download the code files for Early Access titles? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

We try to ensure that all books in Early Access have code available to use, download, and fork on GitHub. This helps us be more agile in the development of the book, and helps keep the often changing code base of new versions and new technologies as up to date as possible. Unfortunately, however, there will be rare cases when it is not possible for us to have downloadable code samples available until publication.

When we publish the book, the code files will also be available to download from the Packt website.

How accurate is the publication date? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The publication date is as accurate as we can be at any point in the project. Unfortunately, delays can happen. Often those delays are out of our control, such as changes to the technology code base or delays in the tech release. We do our best to give you an accurate estimate of the publication date at any given time, and as more chapters are delivered, the more accurate the delivery date will become.

How will I know when new chapters are ready? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

We'll let you know every time there has been an update to a course that you've bought in Early Access. You'll get an email to let you know there has been a new chapter, or a change to a previous chapter. The new chapters are automatically added to your account, so you can also check back there any time you're ready and download or read them online.

I am a Packt subscriber, do I get Early Access? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Yes, all Early Access content is fully available through your subscription. You will need to have a paid for or active trial subscription in order to access all titles.

How is Early Access delivered? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Early Access is currently only available as a PDF or through our online reader. As we make changes or add new chapters, the files in your Packt account will be updated so you can download them again or view them online immediately.

How do I buy Early Access content? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Early Access is a way of us getting our content to you quicker, but the method of buying the Early Access course is still the same. Just find the course you want to buy, go through the check-out steps, and you’ll get a confirmation email from us with information and a link to the relevant Early Access courses.

What is Early Access? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Keeping up to date with the latest technology is difficult; new versions, new frameworks, new techniques. This feature gives you a head-start to our content, as it's being created. With Early Access you'll receive each chapter as it's written, and get regular updates throughout the product's development, as well as the final course as soon as it's ready.We created Early Access as a means of giving you the information you need, as soon as it's available. As we go through the process of developing a course, 99% of it can be ready but we can't publish until that last 1% falls in to place. Early Access helps to unlock the potential of our content early, to help you start your learning when you need it most. You not only get access to every chapter as it's delivered, edited, and updated, but you'll also get the finalized, DRM-free product to download in any format you want when it's published. As a member of Packt, you'll also be eligible for our exclusive offers, including a free course every day, and discounts on new and popular titles.