Lync Server Topology Builder

After preparing Active Directory, the next step is to install the Lync Server Topology Builder. This tool is new and powerful. With a single tool it enables an administrator to design and validate a Lync Server topology, and then publish it to Active Directory. This process greatly simplifies deployments compared to previous versions of Communications Server.

Installation of the Topology Builder comes 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 who is a member of both the Domain Admins and RTCUniversalServerAdmin groups. The other requirements and prerequisites are outlined in the following list:

• 64-bit edition of the following:

• Windows Server 2008 R2

• Windows Server 2008 SP2 or later

• Windows 7

• Windows Vista SP2 or later

• Net Framework 3.5 SP1 or a later service pack.

• Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable x64 9.0.30729.4148. The Deployment Wizard automatically installs this package if it is not already installed.

• Windows PowerShell 2.0. This is already installed for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. For Windows Server 2008, it must be downloaded separately (Microsoft KB968930).

• Message Queueing (MSMQ) services. Be sure to also install Directory Services integration during the “Features” Installation Wizard.

• Backward Compatibility Pack for SQL Server 2005 v. 8.05.2312. Although this is not technically required to install Topology Builder, it is required to run the Install-CsDatabase cmdlets. These cmdlets are sometimes called by Topology Builder, depending on the chosen topology, and this should also be considered a prerequisite. This installation package can be found on the installation media in the Setupamd64 directory as SQLServer2005_BC.msi.

After the prerequisites are installed, the actual installation of the Topology Builder tool can begin. To install Topology Builder, follow these steps:

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 Topology Builder in the right column menu of the Deployment Wizard.

4. After installation is complete, there is a check mark next to the Install Topology Builder link, which is grayed out, as shown in Figure 5.5.

Figure 5.5 Completed Topology Builder Installation

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