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Dean Suzuki Blog

Title: Lync 2013 Site Resiliency (Step 4 - Building A Second Lync Pool and Enabling Site Resiliency)

Created: 2/7/2013, Updated (2/12/2013)

Description:

We have been building a Lync 2013 environment in an Enterprise configuration. This is the

fourth step in the process. Here is a recap of what has been done in the prior posts.

o In Step 1: We built the SQL back-end database for the Lync Enterprise Pool

o In Step 2: We built one of the Lync Front End Enterprise Edition servers

o In Step 3: We built a second Lync Front End Enterprise Edition server so that we will

have a highly availability solution. High availability means that the Lync service can

suffer a server going down and another server will pick up the load and maintain the

service in a single location.

o In this step (Step 4): We are going to create a second Lync Pool in a different location

so that the Lync service has a site resiliency. Site resiliency enables the Lync service to

continue operating in the scenario that a disaster hits one geographic location (e.g.

Irvine California). The Lync service can be transitioned to the other location and run

from that location. There is a new service in Lync 2013 called the Lync Backup Service

that replicates the user and conference information between Lync pools. See this

article (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj205293.aspx) for more

information.

Lync Front End (Step 2)

SQL Database (Step 1)

Lync Front End (Step 3)

Lync Front End (Step 4)

SQL Database (Step 4)

Lync Front End (Step 4)

Lync Backup Service(Step 4)

Please note that in Lync 2013 the best practice is to have three Lync Front-End Enterprise

Edition servers in a pool. To add a third server to the pool, just repeat this post to build a third

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server. See http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg412996.aspx for more information.

We are building the architecture described on: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-

us/library/gg398797.aspx

References:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398447.aspx ; Lync 2013 Planning Documentation

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg412892.aspx ; Deploying Lync Server 2013

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398205.aspx ; Preparing the Infrastructure and Systems

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg412883.aspx ; Server and Tools Operating System Support

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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj721939.aspx ; Managing Lync Server 2013 Disaster

Recovery, High Availability, and Backup Service

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398347.aspx ; Planning for Central Site Voice Resiliency

Disclaimer:

Contents of this blog and article represent the opinions of Dean Suzuki, and do not reflect the views of my employer. (C) 2012 Dean Suzuki, All Rights Reserved

Procedure:

Table of Contents 1 Build a Lync SQL Back-end: ................................................................................................................... 4

2 Build Lync Front End Servers: ................................................................................................................ 4

2.1 Building the First Lync Front End Server in the Second Pool ........................................................ 4

2.1.1 Create Lync 2013 FE VM: ...................................................................................................... 4

2.1.2 Prepare Lync Server - Load Operating System Pre-requisites .............................................. 4

2.1.3 Load Lync 2013 Software ...................................................................................................... 9

2.1.4 Lync 2013 Topology Builder ................................................................................................ 10

2.1.5 Create a New Central Site for San Diego............................................................................. 10

2.1.6 Define San Diego Lync Pool ................................................................................................. 12

2.1.7 Publish the Topology ........................................................................................................... 16

2.1.8 Install local configuration store .......................................................................................... 18

2.1.9 Setup Lync Components ..................................................................................................... 20

2.1.10 Request certificates ............................................................................................................ 22

2.1.11 Start Lync Services............................................................................................................... 26

2.1.12 Perform Microsoft Updates on the Server. ........................................................................ 27

2.2 Building the Second Front End Server in the Pool ...................................................................... 27

3 Enabling Replication between Pools ................................................................................................... 27

3.1 Configure Pool Resiliency in Topology Builder ........................................................................... 27

3.2 Create SRV Records for the Pools ............................................................................................... 34

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1 Build a Lync SQL Back-end: The first step is to build the SQL back end database for the second pool.

Please refer to the earlier post covering this topic:

http://deansuzuki.net/2012/11/13/technology-building-a-lync-2013-lab-step-1-installing-sql-

backend/

2 Build Lync Front End Servers: The next step is to build the two Lync Front End Enterprise Edition servers in the pool

Please refer to the earlier posts covering these topics:

o http://deansuzuki.net/2012/11/14/technology-building-a-lync-2013-lab-step-2-

installing-lync-front-end/

o http://deansuzuki.net/2013/02/05/technology-adding-a-second-lync-front-end-server-

to-a-pool/

There are some slight changes since we will be building a new central site and I highlight those changes

below

2.1 Building the First Lync Front End Server in the Second Pool

2.1.1 Create Lync 2013 FE VM:

Create a new virtual machine for Lync 2013.

See the earlier posts for building a base Windows 2012 VM.

Copy it and make a virtual machine for Lync 2013.

Lync 2013 supports Windows 2012. For a list of the supported operating systems for Lync 2013

are listed here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg412883.aspx

Set IP address

Set server name.

Join machine to the domain

Set IP address

2.1.2 Prepare Lync Server - Load Operating System Pre-requisites

See the following article: http://technet.microsoft.com/e8103.aspx

Review for pre-reqs: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398686.aspx

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Lync requires Windows PowerShell 3.0 and .NET Framework 4.5

I checked the base install of Windows 2012 server and both are already installed.

2.1.2.1 Enable HTTP Activation

Need to add HTTP Activation

The following are added by the setup.

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Enable HTTP Activation

2.1.2.2 Enable Windows Identity Foundation 3.5

Add Windows Identity Foundation 3.5 feature

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2.1.2.3 Enable Media Foundation

Add Media Foundation feature

Documents said to load Windows Desktop Experience ; only found Media Foundation

2.1.2.4 Load IIS Features

Go to: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398686.aspx

Open a PowerShell window

Copy and paste the powershell command for the IIS features to add:

Add-WindowsFeature RSAT-ADDS, Web-Server, Web-Static-Content, Web-Default-Doc, Web-Http-Errors, Web-Asp-Net, Web-Net-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Http-Logging, Web-Log-

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Libraries, Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Http-Tracing, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Filtering, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Dyn-Compression, NET-WCF-HTTP-Activation45, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Mgmt-Tools, Web-Scripting-Tools, Web-Mgmt-Compat, Desktop-Experience, Telnet-Client, BITS -Source D:\sources\sxs

2.1.3 Load Lync 2013 Software Load Lync 2013 Software CD

Press Install

Prepare Active Directory should be complete from building the first server.

Select “Install Administrative Tools”

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2.1.4 Lync 2013 Topology Builder Launch Lync 2013 Topology Builder

Select Download Topology

2.1.5 Create a New Central Site for San Diego Now, we are going to create a second Central Site. In Lync Topology Builder, open the Lync Server

hierarchy. We are going to put our second site in San Diego.

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Right-click Lync Server and select “New Central Site”. Lync defines two types of sites: a central site or a

branch site. A central site contains Lync servers. So, we are creating a second central site which will

simulate our disaster recovery location. So we will have two sites: IrvineMTC site and SanDiegoMTC

site.

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2.1.6 Define San Diego Lync Pool Name the pool for San Diego (e.g. poolsd.irvlab.mtcdemos.net)

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Add the Lync servers that will be in the pool.

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2.1.7 Publish the Topology

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Need to create the database on the sql backend in the San Diego pool.

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I got an error. If you get an error, review the logs. I discovered that I had typed the file share

incorrectly. I corrected that and received no errors.

2.1.8 Install local configuration store See http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg412874.aspx

Launch Lync 2013 Deployment Wizard

Select “Install or Update..”

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Lync 2013 uses the same install process in that it use the CMS to learn the configuration of the server.

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2.1.9 Setup Lync Components

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2.1.10 Request certificates

2.1.10.1 Request Default Certificate

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2.1.11 Start Lync Services

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Then check that the Lync services are started.

2.1.12 Perform Microsoft Updates on the Server. Then, perform Updates on the server

2.2 Building the Second Front End Server in the Pool Build the second Front End Server in the Pool. The process to build the second server in the second

pool is very similar to creating the second server in the first pool. So rather than pasting all those steps

in, we were refer you to the following post that outlines the process to add a second server to the pool.

o http://deansuzuki.net/2013/02/05/technology-adding-a-second-lync-front-end-server-

to-a-pool/

3 Enabling Replication between Pools To assure voice resiliency in the event of a central site failure, the primary Registrar pool must have a

single designated backup Registrar pool located at another site. The backup can be configured by using

Topology Builder resiliency settings. Assuming a resilient WAN link between the two sites, users whose

primary Registrar pool is no longer available are automatically directed to the backup Registrar pool

(taken from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398347.aspx)

3.1 Configure Pool Resiliency in Topology Builder To configure the pool resiliency, launch Topology Builder

Navigate to the Enterprise Edition Front End pool in Irvine (Lync Server > IrvineMTC > Lync Server 2013 >

Enterprise Edition Front End pools > Poolname (pool13a.irvlab.mtcdemos.net)

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Right-click the pool and select Edit Properties

Scroll down to the Resiliency section.

Check “Associated backup pool” and the other pool (e.g. San Diego pool created earlier,

poolsd.irvlab.mtcdemos.net) should be listed.

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Check “Automatic failover and failback for Voice”

Press Ok.

I went to the San Diego pool configuration and noticed that the configuration is already set since it is a

reciprocal setup.

Right-click the San Diego pool and select Edit Properties

Notice that the pool replication is filled in.

Next, we need to publish the topology.

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In summary, the pools are resiliency partners of each other. Lync pools can only have a 1:1 relationship

with another pool.

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3.2 Update Lync Components Across All Front Ends

Login to a Lync Front End Server

Launch Lync Deployment Wizard

Click “Install or Update Lync Server System”

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Click “Step 2: Setup or Remove Lync Server Components”

Start Services

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Notice that the Lync backup service running

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3.3 Enable Backup Service

Open Lync Management Shell

On a front end server in the first Lync pool, execute the following:

o Invoke-CsBackupServiceSync –PoolFqdn <first poolname>

o Get-CsBackupServiceStatus –PoolFqdn <first poolname> | fl

On a front end server in the second Lync pool, execute the following:

o Invoke-CsBackupServiceSync –PoolFqdn <second poolname>

o Get-CsBackupServiceStatus –PoolFqdn <second poolname> | fl

3.4 Create SRV Records for the Pools Go to you DNS.

Create SRV records for each of the Lync Front End servers created in the sip domain that they will be

supporting (e.g. contoso2012.com).

Open DNS tool and navigate to the DNS domain. Go to _tcp and right-click and select “Other New

Records”

Select “Service Location (SRV)” record and press Create.

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Repeat and create records for each of the Lync Front End servers. I left the weight and priority equal

since the Lync Front End servers are of equal priorty.

See the following link for more information: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398347.aspx