My previous post provides a direct download link to the content I will be referencing in this blog post, the purpose of this post is to summarise the content whilst at the same time adding my opinion to the “improvements”.

So if you are anything like me you will be counting down the days to the upcoming #Skype4B webcasts, to which I received confirmation on my attendance for all sessions! (Lucky boy aren’t I?!).

Now for the content…

New Roles

Video Interoperability Server

• Must be on premise, supported in Hybrid topology.
• http://imaucblog.com/archive/2014/03/03/understanding-the-lync-video-interoperability-server-vis/ (Great Post!)

Call Quality Dashboard

• Personally – I love this 🙂
• A QoE Archive
• Cube based reports based on SQL Server analysis server which introduces significantly improved query return performance!
• HTML5 and JavaScript report portal
• Report Editing and Design
• Will ship initially as a web download parallel to Skype4B Server 😦

Enhanced Manageability Approaches

• IN PLACE UPGRADE 🙂
  • …..But only from 2013
  • Leverage existing investment in hardware
  • Smoother upgrade process
  • Aimed to reduce the overall cost for the deployment, with a goal of heading towards a ‘Smart Setup’

• SQL AlwaysOn
  • ….Finally 🙂
  • Mirroring is being depreciated in future versions, so we needed some direction!
  • AlwaysOn leverages WSFC (FYI)
  • Improved SQL reliability
• Patching
  • Invoke-CsComputerFailover
  • Invoke-CsComputerFailback
  • Stop and Start a Front end, taking it out of service to perform upgrades and patches
    • Cant wait to break my lab 🙂
  • Improved maintenance period schedules, 2-3 hours for a 12 FE pool (as opposed to 8-12 hours)
  • Leverages Windows Fabric, minimises quorum loss 🙂
• Smart Setup
  • Skype4B updates included as part of the server setup
    • 1: Check with Microsoft for Skype4B updates
    • 2: Download the updates
    • 3: install them prior to finishing the installation process

Deployment Options

Skype for Business Online

• The Multitenant Public Cloud Offering
• As we know it today, all servers will reside on line
• “No servers on premise” (Are you syncing AD?)
• There will be a limitation on the available #Skype4B features, as is the way with Lync Online vs. Lync Server
• No support for Quality of Service or CAC
• Single AD user forest + Multuple Office 365 tenants (per region) with different vanity/SIP domains (supported)
• Multiple user forests + multiple Office 365 tenants with different vanity/SIP domains (supported)
• multiple on premise user forest + single Office 365 tenant (unsupported)

On premises

• Single and multiple forest
• Of course, all #Skype4B functionality will be available with full control
• Typical AD forest topologies included
• Integration with Exchange On-Prem or Online

Hybrid

• Again, similar deployment model to the one we know today
• On premise infrastructure, integrated with an Online tenant
• “Doesn’t Work” with On premise <>Office 365 Dedicated
• “Doesn’t Work” with On premise <> SP hosted Lync
• Split domain can now also be used as the starting point, using hybrid functionality to revert on premise as and when required.
• Flexibility on where to home users, subject to cost, location, required functionality and so on…
• Support for Exchange on premise, hybrid or O365 MT