Microsoft LYNC Server System Requirements

Lync Server 2010 Release Candidate System Requirements

Please remember this software is intended for evaluation and deployment planning purposes only. If you plan to install the software on your primary machine, it is recommended that you back up your existing data prior to installation.  Keep updated here.

Servers Are 64-Bit Only

Lync Server 2010 is available only in 64-bit, which requires 64-bit hardware and 64-bit editions of Windows Server. Servers running any Lync Server 2010 server role must run a 64-bit edition operating system.

Operating System Requirements for Servers Running Lync Server 2010

Servers running any of the following Lync Server 2010 server roles must run a 64-bit edition operating system: Standard Edition Server Front End Server Edge Server A/V Conferencing Server Mediation Server Monitoring Server Archiving Server

Each server must run a 64-bit edition of the following operating systems: The Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard operating system The Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise operating system The Windows Server 2008 Standard operating system with Service Pack 2 (SP2) The Windows Server 2008 Enterprise operating system with SP2

Hardware Support for Servers Running Lync Server 2010
The following table describes the recommended minimum hardware for all servers where you plan to install Lync Server 2010.

Hardware component	Minimum requirement
CPU	One of the following: • 64-bit dual processor, quad-core, 2.0 gigahertz (GHz) or higher • 64-bit 4-way processor, dual-core, 2.0 GHz or higher
Memory	16 gigabytes (GB) recommended
Disk	Local storage with at least 72 GB free disk space on a 10,000 RPM disk drive
Network	2 network adapters, each 1 gigabits per second (Gbps)

Database Server Requirements

In addition to these server roles, a Lync Server deployment also includes database servers. These include a back-end database, an archiving database, and a monitoring database. For these databases, the following software is supported:

• The 64-bit edition of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 with SP1 Enterprise database software
• The 64-bit edition of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express (for Standard Edition server only; it is automatically installed by Lync Server 2010 on each Standard Edition server)
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition with Service Pack 3 (SP3) or the 64-bit edition of SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition with SP3
  

Hardware Support for Database Servers: Recommendations for Back End Servers and Other Database Servers
The following table describes the recommended minimum hardware for database servers in a Lync Server Enterprise Edition deployment. Although they host their own Lync Server database, Standard Edition servers use the hardware recommendations in the “Hardware Recommendations for Servers Running Lync Server 2010” Table.
These recommendations apply to servers hosting back-end databases, Monitoring Server databases, and Archiving Server databases.

Hardware component	Minimum requirement
CPU	One of the following: • 64-bit dual processor, quad-core, 2.0 gigahertz (GHz) or higher • 64-bit 4-way processor, dual-core, 2.0 GHz or higher
Memory	32 GB recommended for back-end server (with or without collocated Archiving and Monitoring databases), 16 GB recommended for Archiving and Monitoring database (not collocated with the Back End Server)
Disk	Local storage with at least 72 GB free disk space on a 10,000 RPM disk drive
Network	2 network adapters, 1 Gbps each

Client Software Requirements

This section summarizes the software support for the following Lync Server 2010 clients:

• Microsoft Lync 2010
• Online Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Lync 2010
• Microsoft Lync 2010 Attendee
• Microsoft Lync 2010 Attendant
  

Operating Systems Requirements
Supported operating systems for these clients include the following:

• Windows 7
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3 (SP3)
  

Other Software Requirements
Browser and Operating System Combinations for Microsoft Lync 2010, Online Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Lync 2010, and Microsoft Lync 2010 Attendee. Lync Web App supports specific combinations of operating systems and browsers. The following table lists the various combinations.

Operating System	Internet Explorer 8	Internet Explorer 7	Internet Explorer 6	Firefox 3.X	Safari 5.X	Safari 4.X
Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)	Yes	Yes	—	Yes	—
Windows Vista SP2 (32-bit and 64-bit)	Yes	Yes	—	Yes	—	—
Windows XP SP3 (32-bit)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	—	—
Windows XP SP2 (64-bit)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	—	—
Windows Server 2008 R2	Yes	Yes	—	—	—	—
Windows Server 2003 (except IA-64)	Yes	Yes	Yes	—	—	—
Windows Server 2000 SP4	—	—	Yes	Yes	—	—
Mac OS 10.4.8+ (Intel-based)	—	—	—	Yes	Yes	Yes

• Microsoft Silverlight Microsoft Silverlight browser plug-in version 4.0 is required for Lync 2010, the Online Meeting Add-in for Lync 2010, and Lync Web App.
• Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 To install Lync 2010 Attendant, the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 must already be installed. Install Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
• Microsoft Office Lync Server 2010 clients support integration with various versions of Microsoft Office:
  • The Microsoft Outlook 2010 messaging and collaboration client and Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 are required for the full set of new Outlook integration features in Lync 2010.
  • Certain Lync 2010 integration features are supported on Microsoft Office 2007 and Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3). For integration with Office 2007 to work correctly, you may have to install an update to Outlook 2007. For details about the Outlook update, “Description of the 2007 Office hotfix package” (KB article 936864).
  • The Online Meeting Add-in for Lync 2010 is supported with Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office 2007, and Microsoft Office 2010.
    

Hardware Support for Lync Server 2010 Clients

This section describes the recommended hardware for Lync Server 2010 clients.

Hardware component	Minimum requirement
CPU	Intel Pentium 4, AMD Athlon 64, or equivalent Data and voice: 1.6 gigahertz (GHz) or higher processor, 2 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor (recommended) For video: Dual Core 1.9 GHz processor or higher for VGA, Quad Core 2.0 GHz or higher for high definition For the Microsoft RoundTable conferencing device: 2 GHz processor or higher
Memory	On Windows XP: 1 gigabyte (GB) of RAM On Windows Vista or Windows 7: 2 GB of RAM
Display resolution	1024×768 required
Graphics hardware	• Support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 application programming interface (API) • 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum) • Windows Display Driver Model driver • Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware • 32 bits per pixel
Telephony	Microphone and speakers, headset with microphone, or equivalent device Recommended: Microsoft unified communications (UC) device, or a phone running Microsoft Lync 2010 Phone Edition
Video source	USB 2.0 video camera or RoundTable device
Network	Voice: • Peer-to-peer: 40 kbps (minimum); 60 kbps (typical); 90 kbps (maximum) • Conferencing: 40 kbps (minimum); 95 kbps (typical); 160 kbps (maximum) • Media bypass: 80 kbps (minimum); 95 kbps (typical); 160 kbps (maximum)Video: • CIF: 50 kbps (minimum); 210 kbps (typical); 250 kbps (maximum) • VGA: 350 kbps (minimum); 500 kbps (typical); 600 kbps (maximum) • High definition: 800 kbps (minimum); 1.2 Mbps (typical); 1.5 Mbps (maximum) • RoundTable device: 50 kbps (minimum); 280 kbps (typical); 350 kbps (maximum) Data: • Web conferencing (PSOM): 20 kbps (minimum); 200 kbps (typical); 500 kbps (maximum) • File Transfer: 20 kbps (minimum); 200 kbps (typical); 200 kbps (maximum) • Application Sharing: 256 kbps (minimum); 1 Mbps (typical); 3.5 Mbps (maximum) Typical bandwidth values are measurements of typical activity levels under good network conditions (for example, with no forward error correction, or FEC). This value can be used for capacity planning to assess if a network is provisioned appropriately. The values are cumulative. For example, for a conference call with audio, Common Intermediate Format (CIF) video, and panoramic video, an appropriately provisioned network would provide a bandwidth speed of 585 Kbps (95+210+280=585 Kbps).

Recommended Hardware for Microsoft Lync 2010 Attendant:

Hardware component	Minimum requirement
CPU	Intel Pentium 4, AMD Athlon 64, or equivalent Data and voice: 1 GHz or larger processor. Support for 32-bit and 64-bit For the Microsoft RoundTable conferencing device: 2 GHz processor or higher
Memory	On Windows XP: 1 GB of RAM On Windows Vista or Windows 7: 2 GB of RAM
Display resolution	Required: Super VGA 1024 x 768 Recommended: Super VGA 1280 x 1024 or higher
Hard drive	At least 100 MB free
Telephony	Microphone and speakers, headset with microphone, or equivalent device Recommended: Microsoft UC device, or a phone running Microsoft Lync 2010 Phone Edition
Bandwidth requirements	Voice: 50 kbps (minimum); 80 kbps (high-quality) RoundTable device (for audio): 50 kbps (minimum); 350 kbps (high-quality)

Required Lync Server 2010 Components for Devices

Before you deploy UC phones, ensure that the following required Lync Server 2010 components are in place.
Web Services
The Device Update service, which is an automated way to update your IP phones, is installed with Web Services, on the Front End Server
Enterprise Voice
Enterprise Voice is the voice over IP (VoIP) solution in Lync Server 2010 that allows users to make calls and use rich communication and collaboration features, such as viewing enhanced presence information or location information for contacts in your organization’s address book.
Contact Objects
(Applies to Common area phones and analog devices only) Phones that are not associated with a specific user must be associated with an Active Directory contact object. Like user accounts, contact objects can be assigned policies and voice plans, thereby giving you a way to manage the device.
Dial Plans, Voice Polices, and Outbound Call Routes
Dial plans, voice polices, and call routes must be set up for users. Dial plans are named sets of normalization rules that translate phone numbers for a named location, individual user, or contact object into a single standard (E.164) format, allowing UC device users to make calls to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Voice policies are records that define call permissions for users, sites, or an entire organization and include various calling features that may be enabled or disabled as appropriate. Voice policies must be set up for device users. Call routes are rules that specify how Lync Server 2010 handles outbound calls from UC devices.
PIN Authentication and Policy
If you’re deploying phones from the new line of IP phones, you must enable personal identification number (PIN) authentication on Lync Server, and an appropriate PIN policy need to be in place. This allows authentication to be automatic when a user signs in on an Aastra 6721ip, Polycom CX600, Polycom CX500, or Polycom CX3000 phone.
Hardware Support for Lync Server 2010 Devices
IP phones running Microsoft Lync 2010 Phone Edition support Link Layer Discovery Protocol-Media Endpoint Discovery (LLDP-MED) and Power over Ethernet (PoE). To take advantage of LLDP-MED, the switch must support IEEE802.1AB and ANSI/TIA-1057. To take advantage of PoE, the switch must support PoE802.3AF or 802.3at.
To enable LLDP-MED, the administrator must enable LLDP by using the switch console window and set the LLDP-MED network policy with the correct voice VLAN ID.
In addition, if your deployment includes analog devices, you must configure the analog gateway to use Microsoft Lync Server 2010, and the gateway must be one of the following:

• An analog telephone adapter (ATA)
• A SIP-PSTN analog gateway
• A Survivable Branch Appliance that includes a SIP-PSTN analog gateway
• A Survivable Branch Appliance that includes a SIP-PSTN gateway that communicates with an ATA
  

Port Requirements
IP phones use port 443 for the Device Update service.
DNS Requirements
The following table lists the required DNS records for IP Phones and external devices.

Type	Value	Note
A	Fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) for the pool(s) hosting the Enhanced Registrars	The new Lync Server 2010 DNS load balancing feature requires you to specify the server FQDN and the pool FQDN, using the same IP address, for each server in the pool and to create A records for all pools that contain an Enhanced Registrar. For example: RegistrarServerOneInPool.<SIP domain>: 1.2.3.4, RegistrarPool.<SIP domain>: 1.2.3.4, RegistrarServerTwoInPool.<SIP domain>: 1.2.3.5, and RegistrarPool.<SIP domain>: 1.2. 3.5. If you are using hardware load balancing, just specify A records for each pool that contains an Enhanced Registrar. Allows external devices to connect by using SIP over TLS to the Enhanced Registrar internally.
SRV	_sipinternal._tcp.<SIP domain> _sipinternaltls._tcp.<SIP domain>	Specifies the two SIP FQDNs for internal routing, one for communications over TCP, and one for TCP communications secured by TLS.
A	ucupdates-r2.<SIP domain>	Specifies the Web Services portion of the Device Update services URL. The device appends “:443/RequestHandler/ucdevice.upx”. Make sure the HLB translates external requests to use “:443/RequestHandler/ucdevice.upx.” (The external port is 443.)

Microsoft LYNC Server 2010

Overview

Microsoft Lync is an enterprise-ready unified communications platform. Lync connects people everywhere, on Windows 8 and other operating systems including mobile devices, as part of their everyday productivity experience. Lync provides a consistent, single client experience for presence, instant messaging, voice, video and a great meeting experience. Lync users can connect to anyone on Skype, enabling rich communication with hundreds of millions of people around the world.

How it works

Work Anywhere
Lync allows users to communicate securely and stay connected with colleagues and customers, from virtually wherever they chose to work.
Lync Across Devices
Users can switch among devices as they choose based on their needs. Lync offers familiar and consistent user experience across PC, phone, browser and tablets.
Connected Experiences
Lync connects millions of people, their communications and the applications they use every day - together. Multiparty HD video conferencing brings life and expression to Lync Meetings.
Simpler to Manage
Lync is a dependable platform for all real-time communications. A single system reduces complexity in Enterprise IT.
Deployment Flexibility
Lync lets you reach your vision of unified communications – on your timeline following your blueprint.

Lync Server Features

Lync Unified Client	Lync 2013 provides a single, unified client for real-time communications, including voice and video calls, Lync Meetings, presence, instant messaging, and persistent chat. Having a single UC client application instead of multiple applications simplifies deployment, adoption, and support.
Lync Windows 8 App	Lync is optimized for touch on Windows 8 (both x86-based Windows8 and Windows RT) and takes advantage of Windows 8 "touch first" capabilities to provide fast, natural, hands-on control of communications across a variety of devices and architectures.
Lync Web App	The Lync Web App allows PC and Mac users to join a Lync Meeting from within an HTML5-based browser, and delivers a full Lync meeting experience, including multiparty HD video, voice over IP, instant messaging, desktop, application, and PowerPoint sharing.
Lync Mobile Clients	Lync Mobile Clients are available for Windows Phone, iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Single Click Conference Join	Joining a Lync Meeting requires only a single click or touch, whether from an Outlook meeting reminder on a Windows PC or from the calendar or meeting pane on Windows Phone, iOS, and Android devices.
Presence	See the availability status of a contact with visual presence indicators. New presence states include: Presenter (while laptop is connected to a projector) and Working Elsewhere (to indicate physically out of the office yet working).
Contact Card	A dynamic card that displays a contact’s high resolution photo, their presence, status note, location and organizational details and is consistent across Microsoft Office applications.
Lync Meeting	Previously known as "online meeting", Lync Meetings provide capabilities to interact with people through multiparty HD video, audio, instant messaging, and content sharing.
Meeting View	Meeting View options are designed to bring content and people together while optimizing the Lync Meeting experience for every individual participant’s needs. The Meeting View is selected by the participant.
Multiparty HD Video Gallery	Continuous view of multiple HD video streams or contact card photos in conference displayed in a gallery format. Photos replace active speaker video when video is unavailable. Gallery controls enable participants to select video stream of interest, see participant name and identify active speakers.
Persistent Chat	Organize or participate in topic based virtual rooms where workgroups or designated colleagues meet and collaborate in real-time. Discussions are searchable and persist over time enabling efficient information sharing.
OneNote Share	OneNote Share allows users to create and share OneNote digital meeting notes within a Lync Meeting, reducing possible errors caused by later transcription and simplifying communication and follow-up.
Exchange Archiving	Using the Exchange Online archiving, you can store all you emails, instant messages and Lync Online meeting contents, then easily search them using Exchange e-Discovery compliance.
Lync Federation	Lync Federation extends unified communications securely over the Internet to customers, suppliers, and partners using Lync.
Skype Connectivity	Skype Connectivity enables presence sharing, instant messaging (IM), and voice calling with the hundreds of millions of people around the world who use Skype.
Server Role Consolidation	Lync can reduce the number of server roles by co-locating roles which were previously deployed or managed separately, allowing for simplified deployment and management.
Scale and High Availability Improvements	Lync Server front-end architecture has been redesigned allowing a larger number of active users in one pool while improving high availability capabilities that can help lower total cost of ownership.
Active Monitoring	Active Monitoring gives Lync administrators the ability to monitor pools, servers, networks across different datacenters through the public internet.