Chapter 19. Client and Device Administration

Depending on the size and complexity of an organization that uses Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2, administrators must configure, maintain, and manage a variety of Unified Communications desktop clients and telephony devices. At times, client computers must be configured for specific purposes that range from limited to full use.

This chapter covers common methods for managing Unified Communications clients and devices. Most organizations that deploy Office Communications Server 2007 R2 also deploy Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007 R2 to their organization’s client desktops. Depending on the Client Access license (CAL) that an organization has purchased, there are varying degrees of client function available to users. In addition, many organizations are deploying Microsoft RoundTable communications and archival system along with Microsoft Office Communicator Phone Edition devices across their networks. Therefore, this chapter also discusses how to manage the combination of Unified Communications clients and devices in your organization so that you get the most benefit from each.

On the Companion Media

On the Companion Media

Links to information related to the topics addressed in this chapter can be found on this book’s companion CD.

Office Communicator 2007 R2

To deploy Office Communicator 2007 R2 across your organization, you can use any method that supports the Microsoft Windows Installer package (.msi file). In addition, you can control key features and settings by using installation scripts or Active Directory Domain Services Group policies.

This section assumes that you have already deployed Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition.

Generating a Log File

Log files are important tools for diagnosing and troubleshooting issues with Office Communicator 2007 R2 setup and operation. You can generate a log file during Communicator 2007 R2 setup by adding /l*v followed by a file name to the Windows Installer command prompt. For example:

msiexec /qn /i Communicator.msi /l*v logfile.txt

The asterisk specifies that all possible errors, warnings, and status messages are written to the log file. The v specifies that all messages are verbose.

Other log file flags are also possible. For example, /lem generates a log file that contains error messages as well as out-of-memory and fatal exit information. For a complete list of log file options, see the Windows Installer documentation on the MSDN Web site at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=133739.

You can also configure event trace log (ETL) files to be generated on your computer in the <username>/Tracing folder. ETL files enable administrators and Microsoft support technicians to troubleshoot problems. For more information, contact your Microsoft support representative.

Note

Administrator privileges or administrator credentials (in Windows Vista Standard User mode) are required to install Communicator 2007 R2. Digital signatures protect the files in the installation package from tampering.

Using Group Policy Settings

Table 19-1 summarizes the Group Policy settings that you can use to control certain features in Communicator 2007 R2. For more information about Meeting policies, see the section titled "Configuring Meeting Policy" in the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Administration Guide.

Table 19-1. Group Policies for Telephony

LICENSE TYPE

SERVER SETTING

GROUP POLICY SETTING

Standard (basic computer-to-computer calling)

None (TelephonyMode 0)

Not present, or TelephonyMode 0

Voice (also called Standard with Voice)

  • TelephonyMode 1, 2, or 3

  • Enterprise Voice

  • Remote call control and computer-to-computer calling

  • Enables both remote call control and Enterprise Voice

  • TelephonyMode 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

  • Enterprise Voice

  • Remote call control and computer-to-computer calling

  • Enables both remote call control and Enterprise Voice

  • Remote call control, no computer-to-computer calling

  • No audio, only instant messaging (IM) and presence information available

Enterprise

In the Meeting section of Global Policies:[*]

  • EnableIPAudio = True

  • EnableIPVideo = True

  • EnableDataCollaboration = True

  • DisableAVConferencing = 0

  • DisableDataConferencing = 0

Enterprise with Voice

See the settings in the Voice and Enterprise rows earlier in this table

See the settings in the Voice and Enterprise rows earlier in this table

[*] Using the Office Communications Server 2007 Administrative Tools snap-in.

Table 19-2 summarizes the set of functions that are available for each telephony mode.

Table 19-2. Function Based on Group Policy Telephony Mode

FUNCTION

MODE 0

MODE 1

MODE 2

MODE 3

MODE 4

MODE 5

Computer-to-computer

  

Computer-to-phone

 

  

Remote call control

  

 

Forking

   

  

Unified Communications forwarding

 

 

[*]

  

HandSet phone

 

  

Basic Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

  

Advanced VoIP features

 

 

  

[*] When remote call control is not present.

Communicator 2007 R2 Call Configurations

Office Communications Server 2007 R2 can operate with the telephony infrastructure that is commonly found on users’ desktops. With Office Communications Server 2007 R2, users can send and receive calls by using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and also integrate with a company’s Private Branch eXchange (PBX) system.

Office Communications Server 2007 R2 also combines VoIP with open standards to provide the platform for the telephone menu–based part of the Unified Communications strategy. This combination enables integration features that bridge the VoIP standards supported by Office Communications Server 2007 R2 with implementations that use older standards.

At the center of this integration is the Mediation Server role in Office Communications Server 2007 R2. This server role provides a single interface and uses open-standard Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for signaling interoperability. The Mediation Server takes calls from third-party IP PBX systems or SIP/PSTN gateways and moves them through the network by using the adaptive codec, remote user, and security models that are the basis for call setup and media in Office Communications Server 2007 R2.

The following are common configurations for Office Communications Server 2007 R2:

  • A standalone configuration that is based on Office Communications Server and that uses Communicator 2007 R2 (TelephonyMode=1)

  • A coexistence configuration that uses a mixture of Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and PBX capabilities (TelephonyMode=2)

  • A dual forking configuration that enables a user to share a single phone number with Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and the organization’s PBX (TelephonyMode=3)

The following sections explain how calls are routed based on the configuration.

Standalone Communicator 2007 R2 (TelephonyMode=1)

In a standalone configuration, users replace their legacy phone systems with Office Communicator 2007 or Office Communications Server 2007 IP phones. This configuration enables Office Communications Server 2007 R2 users to use Office Communicator 2007 to make and receive calls. PBX users can use the PBX to make and receive calls. Each group continues to have a smooth calling experience, including extension-based dialing capability. This configuration works especially well for organizations that have mobile employees. The standalone configuration can be implemented by using either a SIP/PSTN gateway or a direct SIP connection to the PBX.

A peer-to-peer call using Communicator 2007 R2 occurs when one Communicator 2007 R2 client places a call to another Communicator 2007 R2 client. In this case, the call is a direct VoIP call and is handled exclusively by Office Communications Server 2007 R2. The presence status (in a call) is broadcast to other Office Communicator 2007 R2 endpoints. The call is a SIP INVITE from one client to another and audio is established.

Notice also that when a PSTN gateway and Mediation Server are present, PSTN calls can be made to Communicator clients, and Communicator clients can place calls to the outside PSTN network.

Figure 19-1 demonstrates how a call is routed in an environment configured for the TelephonyMode=1 server setting when a Communicator 2007 R2 client (Client A) places a peer-to-peer call to another Communicator 2007 R2 client (Client B).

Office Communications Server–based calling using Communicator 2007 R2 (TelephonyMode=1)

Figure 19-1. Office Communications Server–based calling using Communicator 2007 R2 (TelephonyMode=1)

Coexistence of Communicator 2007 R2 and PBX (TelephonyMode=2)

Coexistence occurs when an incoming call is forked between the PBX phone and the Office Communicator 2007 R2 endpoints that the user is logged on to. Both the PBX phone and Office Communicator 2007 coexist for the user. The result is a mix of PBX and Office Communications Server 2007 R2 communication capabilities that are configured for call routing by using IP PBX integration between the user’s legacy phone and Office Communicator 2007 R2.

Remote Call Control (RCC) enables Office Communicator 2007 R2 to control a user’s PBX phone line and indicate their presence based on the status of their phone. Using Office Communicator 2007, users can answer their PBX phone and update their presence to In A Call.

Figure 19-2 demonstrates the TelephonyMode=2 server setting for a call placed from a PBX phone and received using either the recipient’s PBX phone or the recipient’s Communicator 2007 R2 client.

Coexistence of Office Communications Server and PBX (TelephonyMode=2)

Figure 19-2. Coexistence of Office Communications Server and PBX (TelephonyMode=2)

As shown in Figure 19-2, the following occurs.

  1. PBX phone User B places a direct call to PBX phone User A. The PBX phone for User A rings. The PBX phone can be answered.

  2. At the same time the PBX phone for User A is ringing, User A receives an alert from Communicator 2007 R2 that they can receive the call by using Communicator. The Communicator client can be used to answer the call via RCC.

Dual Forking (TelephonyMode=3)

Most IP PBXs support dual forking. Dual forking enables a user to share a single phone number with Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and the organization’s PBX. Additionally, the PBX can support direct SIP for certain numbers that are managed by Office Communications Server 2007 R2, or it can enable users who are not enabled for voice via Office Communications Server 2007 to manage numbers themselves. It is also possible to configure dual forking with RCC. Remote Call Control provides information to Office Communications Server 2007 R2 about the state of PBX-connected lines. This enables presence updates when the user is on the PBX-connected station set.

Figure 19-3 demonstrates how a call is routed in a dual forking configuration (TelephonyMode=3).

Dual forking (TelephonyMode=3)

Figure 19-3. Dual forking (TelephonyMode=3)

In Figure 19-3, the following scenarios demonstrate dual forking for sending and receiving a phone call:

Scenario 1: User A uses a PBX phone to place a direct call to the PBX phone for User B. The PBX phone for User B rings. User B can answer the PBX phone. However, the call is also forked to a Mediation Server, and the call simultaneously displays an alert on the Communicator client for User B. User B could also choose to use Communicator to answer the call.

Scenario 2: A Communicator call is placed from User A to User B. The Communicator client for User B receives an alert to receive the call from User A. Simultaneously, the PBX phone for User B rings.

What Happens During User Sign-In

When a user initiates the sign-in process, Communicator must determine which server to log on to by using the user’s Uniform Resource Identifier (URI; for example, [email protected]) and any manual settings that are configured on the client. If manual settings were provided, it is clear which server to use. But if the URI is the only indicator provided, some discovery is necessary.

Communicator discovery varies based on configuration. After the client discovers the server to which to connect, it attempts to connect by using Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) over TCP. If TLS is used, the server provides a certificate to authenticate itself to the client. The client must validate the certificate before proceeding. The client negotiates compression if using TLS over TCP, and then the client initiates a SIP registration.

Next, the client sends a SIP REGISTER message to the server without any credentials. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 then prompts the user for credentials and specifies to the Communicator client the authentication protocols that it accepts.

When it comes to providing credentials, Communicator has two options. Communicator can use the user’s current Windows credentials to log in, or it can prompt the user for credentials.

Note

You can also use the Credential Manager in Windows to manage credentials. For more information about the Credential Manager, see the Microsoft TechNet article "Windows XP Resource Kit: Understanding Logon and Authentication" at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=133674, in the "Stored User Names and Passwords" section.

Due to the order in which Communicator tries to satisfy the server’s request for credentials, authentication failures can occur during the first part of logon processing. This can happen when credentials are not already saved or if the desktop credentials do not match the account that Communicator is trying to use. This can also happen when the SIP URI, account name, or password is typed incorrectly or when credentials and the SIP URI do not match. An example of this is if Jeremy tries to log in using the URI sip:[email protected], but he uses the user account and password for LITWAREINCvadim instead of the account owner’s own credentials, LITWAREINCjeremy.

Understanding Client Automatic Configuration and DNS Discovery

When the client is set to use automatic configuration, it discovers where it should log on by using the SIP URI that was provided. Communicator does this by using Domain Name System (DNS) Service Record Locator (SRV) records published for the domain portion of the SIP URI. For example, if sip:[email protected] is the URI that is provided, Communicator takes litwareinc.com and tries to use DNS to discover a SIP server. Communicator can query for the following SRV records in its search for an appropriate server:

  • _sipinternaltls._tcp.litwareinc.com

  • _sipinternal._tcp.litwareinc.com

  • _sip._tls.litwareinc.com

The first query looks for an internal server in the litwareinc.com domain that has ports that support TLS over TCP for clients. The second query looks for an internal server in the litwareinc .com domain that offers TCP ports for clients. The third query looks for an Internet-reachable server for the litwareinc.com domain that has ports that support TLS over TCP for clients. Communicator never looks for an Internet-reachable server that supports TCP because clear-text SIP on the Internet is not secure. In other words, Communicator is not aware whether the network that is being used is internal or external. Communicator queries for all DNS SRV records; however, it tries TLS over TCP connections first. TLS over TCP is forced through an Edge Server. There is not an option to allow for unsecured TCP connections.

If Communicator fails to find the correct server by using these files, it falls back to host (A) record queries:

  • sipinternal.litwareinc.com

  • sipexternal.litwareinc.com

If no DNS SRV records exist (not if they fail to be valid; only if they do not exist), the client queries sipinternal.<URI domain> and attempts to resolve that host name. If the host name resolves to an IP address, Communicator tries to connect using TLS over TCP, TCP, or both, depending on what the policy allows. If this fails, Communicator will try one last query with sipexternal.<URI domain>.

Communicator policies can be put in place to prevent TCP from being used, and this prevents the second query from being issued. You can also specify a policy that requires strict names for the computers that Communicator discovers. In this case, the only server name allowed is sip. If this policy is not imposed, any server name in the form of <servername>.<URI domain> is allowed. For example, for sip:[email protected], the host sip.litwareinc.com is always allowed whether strict policy is implemented or not. Server77.litwareinc.com, sipfed. litwareinc.com, and ap.litwareinc.com are also allowed if a strict naming policy is not enabled. The following server names are never allowed because they do not closely fit the domain that the user’s URI specified, and therefore the client does not trust these servers as valid logon points: sip.eng.litwareinc.com, sip.litwareinc.net, sip.com, sip.litwareinc.com.cpandl.com, and so on.

This close validation between the host name and the URI is done because the only configuration with which the client is provided is the SIP URI. Because of this, the client must be careful not to allow DNS attacks that enable the client to connect to any middle point that could thereby intercept Communicator traffic. By having close validation between the URI and the host names that are allowed for logon, Communicator can be more certain that the certificate the user is validating has authority for the domain to which he is trying to log on.

After the host name is identified, Communicator also resolves the host name to an IP address. This usually happens as the result of the DNS SRV request, but until the IP address is resolved, Communicator cannot connect.

In the latest version of Communicator, you can manually specify an internal and external server to which to log on. Communicator always attempts to connect to the internal server if it is available, but it will connect to the external server as an alternative. Earlier versions of Communicator have only a single manual entry, which makes it difficult to accommodate mobile workers. With the ability to specify an internal and external server, administrators can configure and enable portable computers and other mobile devices to work across internal and external networks. This increased functionality also accommodates companies where the domain in the user’s URI is not the same as their SIP enterprise server’s domain. Because the administrator can configure Communicator (for example, on a laptop), the user does not need to remember the internal or external servers, and administrators do not have to publish DNS SRV records for all the domains they want to support for remote access users.

Understanding Office Communicator Compatibility

This section describes the way in which Office Communicator 2007 R2 is compatible with previous versions of Office Communicator, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange Server, and Microsoft Windows. The following topics are discussed:

  • Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Office Communicator 2005 compatibility

  • Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Microsoft Office compatibility

  • Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Exchange Server compatibility

  • Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Windows compatibility

  • Exchange Server Communication interfaces

Communicator 2005 and Communicator 2007 R2 Compatibility

Table 19-3 describes the features supported in Communicator 2005 and Communicator 2007 R2.

Table 19-3. Communicator 2007 R2 and Communicator 2005 Compatibility

FEATURE

COMMUNICATOR 2005

COMMENTS

Instant messages

Supports only plain text in IM

Office Communicator 2007 R2 has an 8-kilobyte (KB) limit on IM message size and supports .rtf and .ink extensions

Multiparty IM

Can receive multiple IM and perform sentGroup IM dial-out

Office Communicator 2007 R2 can receive mesh-based multiple instant messages but can only create IM multipoint control unit (MCU)–based group IM

File transfer

Supported

Supported in Office Communicator 2007 R2

Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Microsoft Office Compatibility

Table 19-4 describes the features supported in various versions of Microsoft Office and Office Communicator 2007 R2.

Table 19-4. Communicator 2007 R2 and Microsoft Office Compatibility

MICROSOFT OFFICE VERSION

SUPPORTED IN OFFICE COMMUNICATOR 2007 R2?

COMMENTS

Office 2000

No

Office 2000 does not support

Office Communicator 2007 R2

Office XP SP3

Yes

Contacts are supported; however, there is no Persona menu (only INFO line)

Office 2003 SP3

Yes

  • Persona menu

  • Call capability

  • IM reply capability

  • Search of folders and notifications

Office 2007 SP1

Yes

  • Consistent presence icon

  • Ability to reply with IM or Conference

  • Tagging

  • Contextual data

Microsoft Exchange Server and Office Communicator 2007 R2 Compatibility

Table 19-5 describes the features that are supported in various versions of Exchange Server and Office Communicator 2007 R2.

Table 19-5. Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Microsoft Exchange Server Compatibility

EXCHANGE SERVER VERSION

SUPPORTED IN OFFICE COMMUNICATOR 2007 R2?

COMMENTS

Exchange Server 5.5

No

Not supported

Exchange Server 2000

Yes

MAPI only

Exchange Server 2003

Yes

Extended MAPI only

Exchange Server 2007

Yes

Time-of-the-day forwarding is available only with Exchange Web Services; note that public folders are optional in Exchange Server 2007

Note

Office Communicator 2007 depends on Microsoft Office Outlook to install the Extended Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) on the client computer. Thus, all the features in Table 19-5 require Office Outlook.

Microsoft Windows and Office Communicator 2007 R2 Compatibility

Table 19-6 describes the features that are supported in various versions of Windows and Office Communicator 2007 R2.

Table 19-6. Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Microsoft Windows Compatibility

MICROSOFT WINDOWS VERSION

SUPPORTED IN OFFICE COMMUNICATOR 2007 R2?

COMMENTS

Windows 2000 SP4

Yes

Must have Microsoft DirectX 9.0 installed

Windows XP SP2

Yes

Windows 2003 Server SP2

Yes

Windows Vista SP1

Yes

Exchange Server Communication Interfaces

Table 19-7 describes the various versions of Exchange Server–related communication interfaces for Office Communicator 2007 R2.

Table 19-7. Exchange Server Communication Interfaces

COMMUNICATION INTERFACE

EXCHANGE SERVER VERSION

SUPPORTED FEATURES

Outlook object model

N/A

  • Send e-mail

  • Schedule meetings

  • Receive seed information for Exchange Web Services (in Outlook)

  • Open Voice Mail folder

  • Open the Missed Conversation folder

  • Find previous conversations

MAPI

Exchange Server 2000, Exchange Server 2003, and Exchange Server 2007

  • Create a Conversation History folder

  • Write call logs

  • Write missed calls

  • Read Contact information

  • Receive voice mail notifications (new item in the Search folder)

  • Receive missed conversation notifications (new item in the Search folder)

  • Read self free/busy (public folder)

  • Read self Out of Office note

Exchange Web Services

Exchange Server 2007

  • Read self free/busy (no public folder)

  • Read Working Hours (related to free/busy)

  • Read self Out of Office note (Out of Office service present)

Note

Office Communicator 2007 R2 depends on Exchange MAPI or Exchange Web Services to determine an active user’s own free/busy status. After the free/busy information is retrieved, it is published into the presence containers to be seen by others.

MUI Pack for Office Communicator 2007 R2

Office Communicator 2007 is available in several languages, each with its own installer package. In addition, a Multilingual User Interface (MUI) package for Office Communicator 2007 is available. The MUI package for Office Communicator 2007 contains the localized resources for the user interface in Office Communicator.

The following issues must be taken into account when installing the Office Communicator 2007 MUI package:

  • The MUI package installs 36 languages (Listed in Table 19-8).

    Table 19-8. MUI Package for Office Communicator Languages

    LANGUAGE COUNTRY/REGION

    LCID HEX

    LCID DEC

    Arabic, Saudi Arabia

    0401

    1025

    Bulgarian

    0402

    1026

    Chinese, People’s Republic of China

    0804

    2052

    Chinese, Taiwan

    0404

    1028

    Chinese, Hong Kong SAR

    0c04

    3076

    Croatian

    041a

    1050

    Czech

    0405

    1029

    Danish

    0406

    1030

    Dutch, Netherlands

    0413

    1043

    English, United States

    0409

    1033

    Estonian

    0425

    1061

    Finnish

    040b

    1035

    French, France

    040c

    1036

    German, Germany

    0407

    1031

    Greek

    0408

    1032

    Hebrew

    040d

    1037

    Hindi

    0439

    1081

    Hungarian

    040e

    1038

    Italian, Italy

    0410

    1040

    Japanese

    0411

    1041

    Korean

    0412

    1042

    Latvian

    0426

    1062

    Lithuanian

    0427

    1063

    Norwegian (Bokmål)

    0414

    1044

    Polish

    0415

    1045

    Portuguese, Brazil

    0416

    1046

    Portuguese, Portugal

    0816

    2070

    Romanian

    0418

    1048

    Russian

    0419

    1049

    Serbian (Latin)

    081a

    2074

    Slovak

    041b

    1051

    Slovenian

    0424

    1060

    Spanish, Spain (Modern)

    0c0a

    3082

    Swedish

    041d

    1053

    Thai

    041e

    1054

    Turkish

    041f

    1055

    Ukrainian

    0422

    1058

  • No custom installation option is available.

  • The MUI Setup will automatically determine the language used by the computer operating system and display that language during setup.

  • You can select any of the 36 languages to be displayed by Office Communicator 2007 independent of the language that is installed for the Office Communicator 2007 client. For example, if the Spanish version of Office Communicator 2007 is installed on your computer, you can select the French language from the MUI pack to display Office Communicator 2007 in French.

  • When Office Communicator 2007 is removed from your computer, the MUI package for Office Communicator 2007 remains on the computer and must be removed separately.

To install the MUI package for Office Communicator 2007, visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=133740.

Table 19-8 lists the languages and regions installed with the MUI package for Office Communicator 2007 R2 in their locale identifier (LCID) hexadecimal and decimal format.

To select a language for MUI for Office Communicator 2007, do the following.

  1. In the Office Communicator 2007 title bar, click the down arrow, click Tools, and click Options, as shown in Figure 19-6.

    Opening the Options dialog box in Office Communicator 2007

    Figure 19-6. Opening the Options dialog box in Office Communicator 2007

  2. Click the General tab and then, under Language, select a language, as shown in Figure 19-7.

    Selecting languages for the MUI package

    Figure 19-7. Selecting languages for the MUI package

You can also use the Microsoft Registry Editor to configure the language for the MUI pack. To use the Registry Editor to select a language, perform the following steps.

  1. Click Start, click Run, and type Regedt32.

  2. Under My Computer, click HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

  3. Click Software, click Microsoft, and then click Communicator.

  4. Double-click Language and (referring to Table 19-8) type the LCID for the language/ region.

  5. Click OK and close the Registry Editor.

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