While configuring my demo environment with Exchange 2010 Sp1, and Lync RC, I was triggered to find out how one can configure Exchange 2010 Sp1 to configure OWA to enable a mailbox-enabled user to chat using OWA, as is configured in our Microsoft working environment :-)

Demo Environment

I have an Exchange 2010 Sp1 CAS-HUB-MBX, called cs14ex.lync.local, and one Lync RC Enterprise Ed pool, called Pool.lync.local. My two test users, user1 and user2 have been enabled for Lync, and are able to sign-in to Lync. Logging into OWA shows no Lync integration at all…

A closer look using the Exchange Management Shell, reveals there is no InstantMessaging integration configured!

Step 1. Deploy Web Service Provider

You will need to download and install the OCS R2 Web Service Provider on your Exchange Client Access server. Since I’m running my Exchange 2010 Sp1 on a Windows 2008 R2, I need to install not only the Web Service Provider, and its hotfix, but also a specific hotfix when running it on a Windows 2008 R2.

• OCS 2007 R2 Web Service Provider: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=CA107AB1-63C8-4C6A-816D-17961393D2B8&displaylang=en
• Hotfix for the OCS 2007 R2 Web Service Provider: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=45C94403-39FA-44D3-BE23-07F25A2D25C7
• Update Unified Communications Managed API 2.0 Redist (64 Bit) Hotfix KB 2282949: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=1F565A42-71D2-4FBD-8AE0-4B179E8F02AB
• When running Exchange2010 Sp1 on a Windows 2008 R2, include the following UCMAREDIST Update, available here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=b3b02475-150c-41fa-844a-c10a517040f4

In the picture below you can see the files I installed, and in which order!

Step 2. Configure your Exchange 2010 Sp1 Client Access server

Using the Shell, you can configure your Client Access server OWA-virtual directory for InstantMessaging integration with OCS.

Important here are the parameters:

• InstantMessagingCertificateThumbprint = the thumbprint of the certificate which is enabled for the service IIS on your CAS!
• InstantMessagingServerName = the Lync pool name
• InstantMessagingType = OCS
• InstantMessagingEnabled = $True :-)

Step 3. Configure your Lync RC

Step 3.1 Use Topology Builder to add a new Trusted Application Pool

You should disable the replication of configuration data to this pool, to prevent CMS from trying to replicate to your Exchange server!

After creating this new trusted application pool, don’t forget to publish the topology!

After publishing the topology, a look in the Lync Shell, reveals that the cstrustedapplicationpool has been created :-)

And since I used a single computer, there will be also a csTrustedApplicationComputer

Step 3.2 Use the CS Shell to add a New-CsTrustedApplication

Using the Lync Shell, you need to add ExchangeOutlookWebAccess as a CsTrustedApplication! Make sure you define:

• TrustedApplicationPoolFqdn = FQDN of your OWA server
• Port = any un-used port

Step 4. Check :-)

Logging into OWA as User2, things look different than they did before my actions!

And User2 can start a chat with User 1…

Who can decide to respond….

Lync RC and Exchange 2010 Sp1 rock :-)

And special thanks to Jens & Edwin for helping me find missing pieces :-)

Update: Jens has posted a follow-up on what you need to keep in mind when you have a CAS in your Exchange 2010 Sp1 environment, which is also running the UM server role, and where you have configured the link between Lync RC and Exchange already! Check it out here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/jenstr/archive/2010/09/23/exchange-2010-rtm-sp1-owa-im-integration-with-microsoft-lync-server-2010.aspx

Ilse

Shameless Copy-Paste from ProExchange

Once again we managed to get the Exchange Product team over to Belgium to meet up with the Belgian UC Community.  This is your chance to ask the questions you always wanted to ask or that never got answered.  Both Ross Smith IV and Greg Tailor will be @ our event to answer all your questions and explain all the things you ever wanted to know about Exchange.

"Given the short notice....but we know you’ve heard the marketing messages about Exchange 2010, but what do those messages mean?  How does talking about the technical underpinnings behind the large mailbox vision, the native data protection features, and Microsoft's archiving and compliance strategies sound?

Are you waiting for a way to fire all your Exchange questions/hopes/fears to members of the product team themselves? Here's your chance..."

In addition if you have any questions you would like the speakers to address during the sessions please don't hesitate to submit them to info@pro-exchange.be

Agenda:

       18h30   Reception (there will be sandwiches and drinks)

       19h00   Meet the Exchange team with Q&A

       21h00   Closing

When:

Thursday 7th of oktober 2010

Where:

Microsoft Offices (Diegem)
Corporate Village
Da Vincilaan 3
1935 Zaventem
Belgium

Ross Smith IV
Principal Program Manager, Microsoft
Within the Exchange Server Product Group, Ross Smith is a member of the Customer Experience team and has the following focus areas:

• Help resolve and preempt critical customer escalations
• Assist in defining improvements to, implementing, and running Exchange’s next-generation Sustained Engineering Experience process
• Collaborate to produce documentation and provide customer, Microsoft Services, and Product Group coordination and education.

He joined Microsoft in 2001 as a Messaging Systems Engineer working for Microsoft IT focusing on Exchange Server 2000 and SharePoint designs. After a stint in Microsoft IT, he moved to Premier as an Alliance Support Consultant supporting and designing a variety of customers’ Exchange and Active Directory implementations. Prior to joining the product group, Smith was a Senior Messaging Technology Architect in the Exchange Center of Excellence (ECoE). The ECoE’s goal was to provide high impact, value, and volume expertise to Microsoft customers, Microsoft field personnel, and the product groups. While within the ECoE, he developed intellectual property (IP) used to develop solutions like the Exchange Risk Assessment, Desired Configuration Monitoring, and Service Level Management offerings. His deep focus on all aspects of Exchange including storage, high availability, security, client access, and transport has led to IP being developed and leveraged as best practices in customer presentations, whitepapers, blog postings, Exchange Masters training, and field readiness areas. Over the last few years, he has published quite a bit of content, including the Exchange 2007 Mailbox Storage Requirements Calculator and the Continuous Replication Deep Dive Whitepaper. Smith regularly presents at industry conferences on Exchange and is also a trainer for the Microsoft Certified Master | Exchange Server program.

Greg Taylor
I started out teaching little old ladies in the UK how to use PC based Point Of Sale Systems in a retail chain. I eventually became the IT Manager for that training company. I broke a lot of computers in the early days. In 2000 I got into consulting, working for a few different Gold Partners over a few years before I joined MCS in the UK in 2005. I was fortunate to go through the Exchange Ranger (MCM) Program in 2005, achieved MCA | Messaging certification, and after a few years of working with some of Microsoft’s biggest customers, I ended up running that program. Early in 2010 I moved to the Exchange Product Team where I am currently a PM in the Customer Experience team working in Redmond, where my role is to deal with customer escalations, produce guidance on how to work with Exchange, and I’m lucky enough to get to do presentations as well, where I strive to baffle and bamboozle my audience with deep information about Exchange that up until that point, they couldn’t even have imagined. It’s an art.

When

Thursday, October 07, 2010 from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM (GMT+0100)

Outlook Calendar

Where

Microsoft Offices (Diegem)
Corporate Village
Da Vincilaan 3
1935 Zaventem
Belgium

Hosted By

PROEXCHANGE

The primary goal of the Pro-Exchange user group is to be a central meeting point for all Unified Communications knowledge in Belgium. As user group, we are focused on IT professionals who are passionate about Microsoft Exchange Server and the other members of the Unified Communications portfolio, like Microsoft Office Communications Server.

I will be there, so I hope to see you there!

For registration, click here: http://exchangeteam.eventbrite.com/?ref=eivte&invite=NDgxMjk5L2lsc2UudmFuY3JpZWtpbmdlQGdtYWlsLmNvbS8w%0A&utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=invite

Ilse

This blog post is now available here:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/ilvancri/archive/2010/09/22/configuring-exchange-2010-sp1-and-lync-rc-to-enable-owa-as-lync-endpoint.aspx

Ilse