Lync Server 2013 CU1 and tools available

Late last night CU1 for Lync Server 2013 was made available.

Some new features are added:

• Support for Lync 2013 Mobile client that is coming soon to Windows Phone 8, Android and iPhone/iPad
• Location-based call routing. This allows for a user to dial out through a local gateway when outside his normal site. It can also be used to not permit incoming PSTN calls to reach a user that is not in his normal site. The call is then redirected to his voicemail. This can be used to overcome some legal aspects of routing PSTN calls over WAN-links between countries.
• Call Pickup. This feature is an extension of Call Park. If a user hears a colleagues phone ringing he can dial a code and pick up the call.

And some bugs were fixed aswell. Among others the annoying "Cannot join the meeting due to user permissions" when trying to join a meeting from Outlook 2013.

The download is available here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36820 and you can read more about the updates here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2809243

And here is a nice blog post on how to install updates on Lync 2013: http://blogs.technet.com/b/dodeitte/archive/2013/02/27/how-to-apply-lync-server-2013-cumulative-updates.aspx

Some tools were also released:

• Lync Server 2013 Planning Tool: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36823
• Lync 2013 Resource Kit: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36821
• Lync 2013 Client SDK: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36824
• Lync Server 2013 Whiteboard Archiving Viewer: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36822

Lync/Exchange 2013 Hydration kit available

The good Tommy Clarke has made a set of scripts that automatically installs and configures an AD-domain with Lync 2013 and Exchange 2013 for lab and demo purposes.

These scripts are now made publically available at http://www.lynclab.org/online/

New behaviour of locations in Lync 2013 client

If you populate the LIS database in Lync the 2010 client will concatenate the fields Location and City and display in the interface and to other internal contacts. Lync 2013 however will use only the field Location.


This is the subnet in my home lab

This is how Lync 2010 displays the information

This is how Lync 2013 displays it

testocsconnectivity.com updated.

Microsoft's tool for testing remote connectivity to OCS and Lync has been updated with a new look and new funcionality. Among others it is now possible to test Exchange and Office 365.

 

http://www.testlyncconnectivity.com
http://testconnectivity.microsoft.com
http://www.testocsconnectivity.com

Issue with Office Web Apps and Lync 2013

If you have installed Office Web Apps according to the instructions on http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj219455.aspx you may run into problems. The installation goes through and configuration of the Office Web App farm is no problem. You can even verify the server by browsing to https://owa.domain.local/hosting/Discovery. However, when you try to share a PowerPoint presentation in Lync you will see

And in the event logs on your Office Web Apps server you may see an error similar to this:

Log Name:      Application
Source:        ASP.NET 4.0.30319.0
Date:          2012-12-11 08:42:31
Event ID:      1310
Task Category: Web Event
Level:         Warning
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      owa.domain.local
Description:
Event code: 3008
Event message: A configuration error has occurred.
Event time: 2012-12-11 08:42:30
Event time (UTC): 2012-12-11 07:42:30
Event ID: 61524fe504784a419a4975b19bf7071b
Event sequence: 1
Event occurrence: 1
Event detail code: 0

Application information:
    Application domain: /LM/W3SVC/2/ROOT/m-1-129996853505810091
    Trust level: Full
    Application Virtual Path: /m
    Application Path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office Web Apps\BroadcastServices_Host\
    Machine name: OWA

This same issue can also appear when setting up Office Web Apps for use with SharePoint 2013.

The documentation is actually missing two prerequisites for Windows Server 2012.
To resolve the issue open an elevated PowerShell and run

Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework-Features, NET-Framework-Core Source D:\sources\sxs

(where D:\ is your DVD-drive containing the Windows Server 2012 disc)

After that you should be good to go!

Lync 2013, Exchange 2013, Office 2013 and Sharepoint 2013 RTM available on MSDN and Technet.

Microsoft keeps me busy. Now Lync, Exchange, Office and Sharepoint 2013 RTM versions are now available for download on MSDN and Technet.

More new releases from Microsoft!

As if this autumn wasn't busy enough with all new exciting releases from Microsoft. Lync 2013 and Exchange 2013 has now reached RTM and the products will be available to VL customers as early as mid November! GA is planned for the first quarter 2013. Office 2013 and Sharepoint 2013 will also be available at the same time.