OCS and CS1000 integrations problem (no SIP-GW-ID)

When connecting OCS and Nortel CS1000 you can run in to problem regarding your patch level on the CS1000.

Please be sure that your Cs1000 has installed all the right Patches, use the “dep list” from Nortel

I had a problem here regarding a customer that’s has a running OCS/CS1000 enviroment, but suddenly some problem started accruing after CS1000 patch install.

The MCM log had stuff like this:
MediationServer 503/504 handler: there is no "sip-gw-id" parameter in the stored INVITE
”504 server time out” and ”no sip-gw-id”.
ProcessRequestFromGateway: there is no "sip-gw-id" parameter in the incoming INVITE

The problem is no/missing sip-gw-id in the invite.

Working (incl sip-gw-id):
x-nt-ocn-id: <sip:8987;phone-context=cdp.udp@doamin.org;user=phone>;sip-gw-id=CS1000

Not working:
x-nt-ocn-id: <sip:8987;phone-context=cdp.udp@doamin.org;user=phone>

To fix this, you need the SigServer patch p25226_1.spm it was disabled after installing and other patch.

IT Manager: Platform Solution Blueprint – Unified Communications

What stage are your deployment in ?

get more information here

Office 2010 the movie :)

Great geek : http://www.office2010themovie.com/

I love Users :)

One of my teammates (Martin) got a good question today: when the Communicator uses its number keypad, is it possible to change the order of the numbers so it follows the way they are on my keyboard !?!

:) :) :) :) I love users :) :) :) :) :D

 

Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Hotfix KB 972041

get it here

Issues that this update package fixes

This update package fixes the following issues:

• The license expiration date for Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007 R2 Evaluation Edition was calculated incorrectly. This causes OCS 2007 R2 Evaluation Edition to expire on June 13, 2009. This update fixes the license expiration date calculation for the OCS 2007 R2 Evaluation Edition. By downloading this update, the expiration date will be based correctly on the installation date of the server.
• Earlier updates of OCS 2007 R2 required Microsoft Message Queuing (also known as MSMQ) to be installed on OCS 2007 R2 Enterprise Edition Distributed – Front End or the OCS 2007 R2 Standard Edition. This update removes that requirement.
• The RTC Media Relay driver in OCS Edge Server has also been updated this update.

This cumulative update also includes the following previously released updates:

• 968879 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968879/ ) You cannot forward a call between federated users in Communications Server 2007 R2

• 968938 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968938/ ) The Communications Server 2007 R2 - A/V Edge Authentication Server does not recognize a token request if the locale for RTCProxyService is not en-US/409

• 969010 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/969010/ ) Communications Server 2007 R2 performance counters are missing in Performance Monitor

• 968910 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968910/ ) Communications Server 2007 does not detect the changes when Unified Messaging dial plans or UM servers are added

Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 Hotfix KB 972042 (6907.34)

get it here

Issues that this update package fixes

This update package fixes the following issues:

• The license expiration date for Office Communicator (OC) 2007 R2 Evaluation Edition was calculated incorrectly. This causes OC 2007 R2 Evaluation Edition to expire on June 13, 2009. This update fixes the license expiration date calculation for the OC 2007 R2 Evaluation Edition. By downloading this update, the expiration date will be based correctly on the installation date of the OC 2007 R2.

This update also includes the following previously released updates:

• 971078 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971078/ ) An Automatic Update download is not initiated on a computer that is running Office Communicator 2007 R2 build 3.5.6907.9

• 968504 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968504/ ) Description of the Communicator 2007 R2 update for Microsoft Online Services

• 968623 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968623/ ) You experience one-way audio when LG-Nortel IP8540 or Polycom CX700 phones are used in an Audio Video call on Windows XP

• 968624 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968624/ ) Error events occur when you disconnect a computer that is running Communicator 2007 R2 from the network: "Event ID: 3" or "Event ID: 7"

• 968625 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968625/ ) Description of a hotfix that applies the initial changes for the integration of Office Communicator 2007 R2 and the next version of Office after the Office 2007 release

• 968628 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968628/ ) Communicator 2007 R2 stores the Actual Remote Number (The number that is dialed) for outgoing calls to a remote party

• 968631 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968631/ ) The font in the Conversation window is very small when you run Office Communicator 2007 R2 on a Windows Vista-based computer that has high DPI (120 DPI) with Internet Explorer 8 installed

• 968632 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968632/ ) You cannot click the password field and enter a password when you sign in to Office Communicator 2007 R2

• 968634 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968634/ ) Description of Office Communicator 2007 R2 update to support Polycom roundtable devices

• 968690 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968690/ ) In Office Communicator 2007 R2, User A gets a failure-to-deliver message after sending an IM to User B even though User B receives the message

ThinkPad® X301, T400 and T500 laptops, Unified Communications qualified laptops with Microsoft® Office Communicator.

Lenovo helps your enterprise solve the challenges of tomorrow's complex business environments with simplified, easy-to-use, unified communication solutions. We offer the industry's first Unified Communications qualified laptops with Microsoft® Office Communicator. Our ThinkPad® X301, T400 and T500 laptops give business users a leading high-quality voice and video access point that includes:

1. Optimal speaker placement for a richer, fuller sound experience
2. Ten-band equalization and dynamic range compression for a more balanced sound experience
3. Easy switching between headphones and speakers through Audio Director
4. 1.3 megapixel camera with digital zoom for optimal video conferencing

So Lenovo now knows the road of the Unified Communication leader, this is the right way for UC :)

more info here

Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer

Great tool for testing Remote connection to Exchange.

www.testexchangeconnectivity.com

info here

I vote for a tool like this for OCS remote connectivity, incl. AV, Webconference, ISA/reverse proxy etc.

I know that OCS and Edge server problems isn’t just the external firewall ports and external Certificate, problems can also be internal firewalls, Loadbalancer and internal certificate incl. OCS configuration. If a OCS tool like this just could test all the external configuration – certificate and ports / firewall on the Edge server this would be nice.

(but creating a tool for OCS edge might not be as easy as posting this blog)  …… :)

Unified Communications Phones and Peripherals Datasheet

Communicator 2007, delivering communications solutions that are easy to deploy, use and manage.
The datasheet provides the following information about each device:

• A thumbnail photo of the device
• Hardware type
• Name of the partner that produces the device
• Product name
• A brief description of the device
• URL for the partner's Unified Communications landing page

New stuff like Lenovo laptops are incl.

get it here

Office Communicator Phone Edition (2007 R2) (update 6907.31)

• Single sign-in. Users can now connect their Office Communicator Phone Edition phone to their computer with a USB cable and sign in to both their phone and Office Communicator 2007 R2 at the same time.
• Integration with Office Communicator 2007 R2 on the PC. Users can now click a contact or phone number in their Office Communicator 2007 R2 contact list on their PC to place a call using their Office Communicator Phone Edition phone. Call controls are synchronized on both the phone and Office Communicator on the PC. If their PC is configured with a webcam, users can escalate the call by adding video.
• Support for new Office Communications Server 2007 R2 voice features. New call delegation, team calling and Response Group service functionality in Office Communications Server 2007 R2 are also supported in Office Communicator Phone Edition.
• Audio quality enhancements. Latency, audio quality and call setup time have all been improved.
• User interface enhancements. The user interface has been improved and streamlined. For example, a Redial button enables users to easily redial the last dialed number, searching through the corporate directory is easier, and users can select from one of four ring tones.
• Office Live Meeting support. Users can now use their Office Communicator Phone Edition phone as an audio device in Office Live Meeting.

Get more info (and my source) here

Microsoft Directory Synchronization Tool 9.1

The Microsoft Directory Synchronization Tool 9.1 synchronizes valid end-user proxy addresses (and their Safe Senders if available) from Active Directory to the Forefront Online Security for Exchange (FOSE) and Exchange Hosted Archive (EHA) network and populates the Administration Center with these accounts. This tool should be used if you have a subscription to the FOSE Filtering service or the post-8.1 Exchange Hosted Archive service.

get it here

 

Forefront Online Security for Exchange (FOSE) 9.1 Product Documents

New Features Guide: This 12-page guide provides up-to-date information about the latest features and changes for Microsoft® Forefront Online Security for Exchange (FOSE), including new features of the Directory Synchronization Tool, new company filtering service settings, domain enhancements, and enhanced reporting features. You can use the information in this document to help prepare your messaging environment for updated services, and to communicate information to customers, partners, and employees.
Administration Center User Guide: This guide provides in-depth information and instructions for using the Microsoft® Forefront Online Security for Exchange (FOSE) Administration Center, a Web-based tool that allows you to create reports and customize your e-mail filtering account services. It includes essential information for finding what you need in the Administration Center and using it to optimize your FOSE antispam, antivirus, filtering, user management, and reporting services, among others.
Directory Synchronization Tool Administration Guide: This document provides installation and configuration information for the DST. It is important to read document before you begin the installation process for the tool, as there is important pre-deployment and service information that you need to consider before installing the DST.
Customer Quick Cards: These two page documents assist organizations to educate their users about how to use the spam quarantine features of Forefront Online Security for Exchange (FOSE) products.
Launch and Best Practice Checklists: These guides provide information about how to start the Forefront Online Security for Exchange (FOSE) Hosted Filtering service, the configuration requirements, and provide suggestions to optimize your experience.

get it here

Federation isn’t just IM

When you have federation between two OCS R2 companies it’s not just IM you can do.

Normally we talk about IM and presence when talking about federation and that’s cool you can do IM and see presence, and maybe that the most important part, when you start doing federation.

When you start using all the other features internally (Video Voice desktop sharing etc.) and maybe have done some phone system integration it’s naturally start using this together with your federation’s partners.

And it’s possibly to do Audio (Communicator to communicator call) and video (P2P) and even share desktop, and  you can do web conference, but this is also possibly with anonymous.

MSN-Yahoo-AOL (PIC) Public IM Connection: it’s only IM and presence for now ……… this could be a nice feature ….. … and who knows :), maybe next version or nextnext version, MSN and OCS would be able to do this.

Active Directory Schema Changes Reference, June 2009 - English

This download includes the Active Directory Schema Changes Reference, which provides information about the changes that Microsoft Exchange Server makes to the Active Directory schema when it is installed. The Active Directory Schema Changes Reference includes changes made to Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007, and Exchange Server 2003.

get it here

Exchange Server 2010 Beta VHD

Download this fully configured virtual machine of the latest release of Exchange Server 2010 Beta. Evaluate the new capabilities of Exchange Server 2010 Beta, which helps you achieve new levels of reliability and performance by delivering features that help to simplify your administration, protect your communications, and delight your users by meeting their demands for greater business mobility.

get it here