Lync Server 2013 Topology Builder

After preparing Active Directory, the next step is install the Lync Server 2013 Topology Builder. This tool is new and very powerful. With a single tool it enables an administrator to design and validate a Lync Server 2013 topology and then publish it to Active Directory. This process is very similar to Lync 2010 but offers a bit more flexibility inline with the improved feature set of Lync 2013.

Installation of the Topology Builder does come with some prerequisites and requirements. First, the administrator must be a member of the Domain Admins account in Active Directory. The right to install the Topology Builder can be delegated, but only by a user that is a member of both the Domain Admins and RTCUniversalServerAdmin groups. The other requirements and prerequisites are outlined here:

• 64-bit edition of one of the following:

• Windows Server 2008 R2.

• Windows Server 2012.

• Windows 7.

• Window 8.

• .Net Framework 4.5.

• Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable x64 11.0.50727.1. The Deployment Wizard will automatically install this package if it is not already installed.

• Windows PowerShell 3.0. This is already installed for Windows Server 2012. For Windows Server 2008 R2, it must be downloaded separately (Microsoft KB2506143).

• Windows Indentity Foundation (for Windows Server 2008 R2 only). This component must be downloaded separately (Microsoft KB974405). Note that this includes PowerShell 3.0.

After the prerequisites are installed, the actual installation of the Topology Builder tool can begin.

1. Run setup.exe from the installation media. It is located at setupamd64setup.exe.

2. If the installer prompts you to install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable, click Yes and follow the installation wizard.

3. Click Install Administrative Tools from the right-column menu of the Deployment Wizard. This installs all the tools, including Topology Builder.

4. After installation is complete, there should be a green check mark next to the Install Administrative Tools link, grayed out, as shown in Figure 5.5.

Figure 5.5. Completed Topology Builder installation.

The Topology Builder tool functions differently depending on your choice of Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition deployment. The process is outlined in each respective section that follows.