Sunday, August 30, 2009

Exchange 2010 E-Learning

Collection 6899: Exploring Features of Exchange Server 2010

Overview

This two-hour collection provides you with an overview of the new features in Exchange Server 2010. It also describes the enhancements made over Exchange Server 2007.
The clinics within this collection cover:

  • New features in Exchange Server 2010
  • Technology enhancements
  • Management tools used in Exchange Server 2010
  • Managing a Mailbox server
  • Unified Messaging in Exchange Server 2010
  • High availability features in Exchange Server 2010

Users completing this collection should have three or more years of experience working with previous versions of Exchange Server, including the implementation of Exchange Server 2007. They should be familiar with Active Directory, Exchange messaging, and SharePoint and fundamentals of Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office 2007, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. It is beneficial if they have experience with a Windows or command-line scripting.

Activate This Collection

Subscription: 1 Year

I have read and accept the End User License Agreement.

This offer includes the following:

Clinic 6900: Introduction to Exchange Server 2010

Clinic 6901: Exchange Server 2010 in an Enterprise

source for this information (Peter Schmidt):  http://www.iis-digest.com/index.php/2009/06/free-exchange-2010-e-learning/

Update to: Unified Communications Phones and Peripherals Datasheet

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

Whitepaper on Deploying Certificates in OCS 2007 and OCS 2007 R2

In this document, you will learn about the properties and attributes of certificates when working with Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communications Server 2007 R2. This document contains a walkthrough of most of the common, and some optional, tasks that you need to perform to realize the full value of the system. All roles that require certificates for deployment and operation are discussed. The properties are presented along with information to describe what they are and how they are used. This document shows you how to request the right certificate with the right parameters to make sure that you are delivering value to your users, rather than just troubleshooting problems.

Source: http://msgoodies.blogspot.com/2009/08/whitepaper-on-deploying-certificates-in.html

New/more:Office Communications Server 2007 R2 VHD

Date
Revision
Description
April 2009
1.0

Initial Release
June 2009
1.1
Addition of two new VMs, OCS-QMS & GroupChat

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=3ae2a175-d534-4d7f-ad9d-664a448eac31

New version of: Planning Tool for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2

What’s New in the Planning Tool for Office Communications Server 2007 R2?

· Now supported on Windows Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
· Exports the topology to the Microsoft Office Visio drawing and diagramming software
· Exports the hardware for all sites to Microsoft Office Excel
· Includes hardware requirements and port information on each server role as well as port information for your firewalls
· Includes Enterprise Voice
· Saves the topology to a location and file name of your choice so that you can reload it at your convenience
· Provides the ability to add, edit, and delete sites
· Provides the ability to print topologies, server information, and planning and deployment steps
· Allows customizing design of each site
· Allows to specify whether you have a perimeter network for a site
· Dynamically draws the topologies faster
· No longer need to run as administrator on Windows Vista
· Introduces new features and topology recommendations for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2
· Provides a way to bypass the interview questions if you already know what features you want
· The latest update of the Planning Tool includes corrections to ensure the screen can be viewed in the 1024x768 resolution, with the default dpi, on a 14’ and 15’ monitor.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=fdf32585-c131-4832-8e27-67e70636c1e8

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Communicator for Iphone or Ipod

What is iDialog?

Microsoft Office Communications Server is revolutionizing the way workers communicate and collaborate.

iDialog is an exclusive product from Modality Systems that enables users to find and communicate with their Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) contacts using Apple iPhone or iPod Touch devices.

image

iDialog supports the following features:

  • Display OCS contact list and presence information
  • Set presence information, including custom note and location data
  • Search corporate Global Address List (GAL)
  • Send and receive Instant Messages (IM)
  • Add multiple participants to an IM conversation
  • Manage and participate in multiple IM conversations simultaneously
  • Control incoming OCS Voice calls (forward/redirect an incoming OCS call to another device, such as an iPhone, voice mailbox, or another phone number)
  • Call a phone number listed on a contact card (This feature is not available on iPod Touch devices)
    Send an email to an address listed on a contact card
Deployment Requirements

iDialog is supported on Apple iPhone and iPod Touch versions 2.0 and higher. The user must also have an account that can sign-in to a corporate or hosted OCS 2007 or 2007 R2 system. An OCS Communicator Web Access (CWA) Server must be deployed to support iDialog connectivity. No proprietary server infrastructure is required.

get more info:

http://www.modalitysystems.com/blog/?p=92

and

http://www.modalitysystems.com/idialog/

Action! LifeCam Cinema Introduces 720p HD Widescreen Video

REDMOND, Wash. Aug. 20, 2009 Widescreen technology is everywhere these days, built into virtually every new notebook, desktop monitor and flat-panel TV,1 and today Microsoft Hardware sets a new standard for webcams with the launch of LifeCam Cinema, the first consumer webcam on the PC to offer widescreen video with a native 720p sensor.2 The timing couldn’t be better, with more and more people going online to share videos with friends and family; in fact, more than 10 million videos are uploaded each month to Facebook alone.3 LifeCam Cinema webcam’s 720p widescreen sensor will deliver clear, quality videos — without leaving anyone out of the shot.

lifecam hd

* Basic Video & Audio Functionality with Windows Live™ Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger,Skype, QQ and Microsoft® Office Communicator.

More info: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/digitalcommunication/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=008

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/aug09/08-20cinemapr.mspx

Thursday, August 20, 2009

New device :OCS Device CX300 from Polycom

Okay new rumors :) in my old blog regarding this device and on this picture it has a display, to my knowledge the new CX300 won’t have a display but the number keypad is included and it will be USB connected.

Released (Q3 2009), hope I can get one for test :)

image

Polycom is planning to release more OCS devices ethernet-connected CXxxx in Q1 2010.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

What is a OCS R2 Proxy server?

What is a OCS R2 Proxy ?
I have heard some say: OCS Proxy is a Front without users, but there is more to it than that.

Then only OCS service running on a OCS Proxy is: Office Communications Server Proxy. on a OCS Front-end you will normaly have serval other service running.

On a OCS Proxy server there is no Scripts/Application filers installed.
on a OCS R2 Front end server there is 8 scripts/applications filters installed by default

image

In this screendump the OCS proxy is used for Nortel MCM application and thats the only script/filter installed.

image

The only way that a OCS proxy server can be installed is by commandline (LCSCMD)

On a OCS Proxy you normaly need to do some Host Authorization for the other “normal” OCS server can connect to it. and a OCS proxy server dosen’t need to be in same “Actic directory/Domain” it can be a workgroup server, if needed.

Activating Proxy Server

LCSCmd.exe /Server /user:RTCProxyService /password:<password> /action:activate /role:proxy

Activating WorkGroupProxy Server 

lcscmd /server /user:<user> /password:<password> /action:activate /role:workgroupProxy

Remember on Windows 2008 you must run lcscmd as administrator (“right/click run as”) for the OCS server to register correct.

The only application that I know using OCS proxy, is Nortel MCM.

Nortel Converged Office: http://www142.nortelnetworks.com/mdfs_app/enterprise/cs1000/6.0/pdf/NN43001-121_03.06_Fundamentals_CO_OCS2007.pdf

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Displayname from OCS R2 kb972721

Then description on how to set it up http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972721/
Please remember you must restart the server for the fix/setting to be applied.

Adam has a blog on what is showing in the toast/popup.

I ran in to some minor issues due to the fact that this fix must be applied “Download the UcmaRedist.msp package now” (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/970679/) my experience is that this fix isn’t applied if using Microsoft autoupdate. 

On Cisco CUCM device->phone->Line”X” setting,  it’s the “ASCII Display (internal Caller ID)” that OCS show in the popup/toast

image 

In Exchange 2007 UM if you get Missed call og Voicemail notification mail, it’s still the phone number, so no Displayname without your create contact with that phone number, more information in this blog.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Group Chat SDK

get it here

Overview

The Group Chat feature lets organizations set up searchable, topic-based chat rooms that persist over time, allowing geographically distributed teams to better collaborate with one another while preserving organizational knowledge.
The Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Software Development Kit (SDK) includes documentation and sample applications developed with the Office Communications Server 2007 R2 platform.

Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Group Chat Hotfix KB 969819

Get it here

Issues that this hotfix package fixes
This update package fixes the following issues:
  • 972951 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972951/ ) A compliance server reports incomplete or inaccurate information about user JOIN and PART events in Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Group Chat Server

  • 972944 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972944/ ) You may experience performance issues in a channel server in Communications Server 2007 R2 Group Chat Channel Server

  • 973384 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/973384/ ) The Group Chat service does not work after you restart a computer that is running Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Group Chat Server

  • 973385 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/973385/ ) Users in a secured organizational unit (OU) named "Blocking Inheritance" cannot use the Group Chat Admin Tool

  • 973386 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/973386/ ) A compliance XML output file is not generated by a compliance server in Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Group Chat Server

Saturday, August 1, 2009

OCS Connectivity test tool

I my blog on Exchange Connectivity test tool  I mentioned that it would be smart for such a tool for OCS.

So here it is: https://www.testocsconnectivity.com/

My recommendation is to not use your normal account, but perhaps make a test account that you can use to test on this site.

The site is still in Beta !

image

The Exchange connectivity test tool link is here