Issue

While running ‘Enable-CsTopology’ you get an error stating that you dont have permission, refer below error.

Error: An error occurred: "Microsoft.Rtc.Management.ADConnect.ADOperationException" "Active Directory operation failed on "server.domain.com". You cannot retry this operation: "Access is denied
00000005: SecErr: DSID-031521D0, problem 4003 (INSUFF_ACCESS_RIGHTS), data 0

Solution

Found that its because the account which is running Enable-cstopology doesn’t have permission to run this command fist time as the account should have AD permission to run it fist time. So, run the command with an account which has Domain Admin permission and the issue got fixed.

In place upgrade from Lync 2013 to Skype for Business 2015

Prerequisites :- Please note that, this article is based on Lync 2013 Enterprise version upgrade on Windows 2008 R2 SP1. If you are using Lync 2013 on Windows 2012 then steps may be different.
1. Make sure that you have the latest CU installed on Lync 2013
2. Update SQL Express edition on all FE servers to SQL 2012 SP2, you can follow the article http://ucserver.blogspot.in/2015/07/update-sql-express-2012-with-service.html
3. Download and install 'KB2533623' https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2533623
4. Make sure you are using PowerShell version 6.2.9200.0 or later – if not then please download and install latest one.

Publish Topology
1. Install Skype for business Binaries and admin tools on a member server
2. Download corrupt topology from the the member server by using S4B topology builder
3. Right click on the pool which you want to do in place upgrade and choose ‘Upgrade to Skype for Business Server 2015..”

4. Click on ‘yes’

5. You can se the pool is been disappeared from Lync 2013 section

6. Make sure that the pool is visible under Skype section

7. Click on next
.
8. Next to continue..

9. Wait..

10. Review the log and click on ‘Finish’ once done.

Run upgrade on servers
1. Make sure that Lync services are in stopped state on FE servers in the pool where you are going do the update Run ‘Stop-CswindowsService’ all servers in the pool to stop the service

2. Mount the media and launch installation

3. You can see C++ 2013 is getting installed..

4. Select ‘Don’t check for updates right now’ [if you are running offline] and click on next

5. Accept the agreement and click on OK

6. You case the installation started, sit back and wait J it may take lot of time..

7. It may prompt for restarts, if it prompts then reboot by clicking on OK

8. Once the installation is done you can see green tick marks J. Click on OK to finish

9. It will remind you that you have to start the pool after installation, click on OK

10. Execute the installation on all other servers in the pool
11. Once the update is done on all servers then run ‘Start-CsPool –PoolFqdn <pool name>’ command on a FE server and make sure that the services are up on all servers.


Please note that ‘Start-CsPool’ new command introduced in S4B 2015 and by running this command you can start services on all servers in this pool. 

Update SQL Express 2012 with service pack on Lync 2013 server

I have recently come across a situation where I had to upgrade Lync server to Skype for business 2015 and as part of preparing I had to update SQL 2012 express with service pack. Below are the steps for the same.

1. Before starting the update you have to make sure the service is down on the server.
Go to ‘Lync server Management Shell’ and run ‘Stop-Cswindowsservice’

2. Change the location to the install souce location and run caommand ‘.\SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe /ACTION=Patch /allinstances /IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms’

3. You can see extract is going on...

4. Check ‘I accept the licence terms.’ And click on next to continue.

5. Make sure that all instaces are selected and click on next

6. Click on next to continue

7. Make sure you can see all “success” and click on close

8. Start Lync services and make sure that everything works

Error while disabling a user from Lync

 

Issue;-

While removing/disabling a user from Lync we got an error ‘Active Directory operation failed on “dc”. You cannot retry this operation:”insufficient access rights to perform the operation. Please refer below screenshot.

Solution:-

Solution was so simple even though I took lot of time to find the solution. “Protect object from accidental deletion” was set for the account from AD that is the reason it was not allowing to delete.

From Active Directory users and computer find the user and go to ‘Object’ from properties you can find this settings.

Move Lync 2010 CMS to 2013

Moving CMS to 2013 is very straight one and below are the steps to follow. In the article I also follow how to create replication only for the migrated DBs once the migration is done.

Preparing Lync Server 2013 Front End Servers before moving the Central Management Server

Use the procedures in this section to prepare the Lync Server 2013 Front End Servers before you move the Lync Server 2010 Central Management Server.

To prepare an Enterprise Edition Front End pool

1. On the Lync Server 2013 Enterprise Edition Front End pool where you want to relocate the Central Management Server: Log on to the computer where the Lync Server Management Shell is installed as a member of the RTCUniversalServerAdmins group. You must also have SQL Server database sysadmin user rights and permissions on the database where you want to install the Central Management store.

2. Open the Lync Server Management Shell.

3. To create the new Central Management store in the Lync Server 2013 SQL Server database, in the Lync Server Management Shell, type:

Install-CsDatabase -CentralManagementDatabase -SQLServerFQDN <FQDN of your SQL Server> -SQLInstanceName <name of instance>

Please note that if you are using the default instance then you dont have to mention that. In this example i am using default instance.

You may see the installation is going-on. Wait for the run to finish

4. Confirm that the status of the Lync Server Front-End service is started.

 

Move the Lync Server 2010 Central Management Server to Lync Server 2013

 

1.On the Lync Server 2013 server that will be the Central Management Server: Log on to the computer where the Lync Server Management Shell is installed as a member of the RTCUniversalServerAdmins group. You must also have the SQL Server database administrator user rights and permissions.

2.Open Lync Server Management Shell.

3.In the Lync Server Management Shell, type:

Enable-CsTopology

 
And press enter

Warning:

If Enable-CsTopology is not successful, resolve the problem preventing the command from completing before continuing. If Enable-CsTopology is not successful, the move will fail and it may leave your topology in a state where there is no Central Management store.

4.On the Lync Server 2013 Front End Server or Front End pool, in the Lync Server Management Shell, type:

Move-CsManagementServer

5.Lync Server Management Shell displays the servers, file stores, database stores, and the service connection points of the Current State and the Proposed State. Read the information carefully and confirm that this is the intended source and destination. Type Y to continue.

6.Review any warnings or errors generated by the Move-CsManagementServer command and resolve them.

7.On the Lync Server 2013 server, open the Lync Server Deployment Wizard.

8.In Lync Server Deployment Wizard, click Install or Update Lync Server System, click Step 2: Setup or Remove Lync Server Components, click Next, review the summary, and then click Finish.

9.On the Lync Server FE servers, open the Lync Server Deployment Wizard.

10.In Lync Server Deployment Wizard, click Install or Update Lync Server System, click Step 2: Setup or Remove Lync Server Components, click Next, review the summary, and then click Finish.

11.To confirm that replication with the new Central Management store is occurring, in the Lync Server Management Shell, run ‘Get-CsManagementStoreReplicationStatus’ command and review the result.

Please note that, if you have a implemented mirroring for Lync 2013 databases then the migrated DBs will not be in getting a mirroring. To add the migrated DBs to mirroring you have to run the below command from Lync Management Shell. Please note that in this example ‘\\uclycdb003.ucserver.in\LyncSQLMirror$’ is my SQL share which is created for mirroring and ‘uclycdb001.ucserver.in’ is my primary database server where principle DBs are.

Install-CsMirrorDatabase -ConfiguredDatabases -FileShare "\\uclycdb003.ucserver.in\LyncSQLMirror$" -SqlServerFqdn "uclycdb001.ucserver.in" -ExcludeDatabaseList "cpsdyn","rgsdyn","rgsconfig","qoemetrics","lcscdr","rtcshared","rtcxds","rtcab"

Hope this will help, please let me know if you have any confusion so that i can try to help!

How to create a Dynamic Distribution Group with all Lync Users in it.

I am just finishing the migration of Lync 2010 to Lync 2013 for one of my client. While designing Lync 2013 infrastructure I had a question from my client on how to create a Exchange Dynamic DL with all Lync users in it. I was not able to answer this question at that time as customer is having a pure Exchange 2010 environment so I kept the question as parked and finally I could find a answer for  that. Please note that there is no straight way to do it from Exchange tools.

Here is the steps which I followed. Hope this will help someone who is looking for similar answer.

1. Logon to Exchange server and go to run and type ‘Adsiedit.msc’ and press enter Key
   
2. Right click on ADSIEdit console root and select ‘Connect to..’
   
3. Keep as default and click on next
   
4. Browse through and locate an OU where you want create the DL. Right click on the OU and select New>Object…
   
5. Select ‘msExchDynamicDistributionList’ and click on next.
   
6. Give a name. In this example its #LyncAllUsers and click on Next
   
7. Select ‘More Attributes’
   
8. Select ‘displayName’ and enter the name ‘#LyncAllUsers’ and click on set. Please change the name according to your requirement.
   
9. Select ‘Mail’ and enter the mail address ‘ ‘#LyncAllUsers@domain.com’ and click on set. Please change according to your requirement.
   
10. Select ‘MailNickname’ and enter ‘#LyncAllUsers’ and click on set. Please change according to your requirement.
    
11. Select ‘msExchangeDynamicDLFilter’ and enter ‘((objectClass=user) (| (msRTCSIP-UserEnabled=*) ) )’ and click on set. please note that this the most important step :)
    
12. Slect ‘ProxyAddresses’ and enter ‘#lyncAllUsers@domain.com’ and click on Add. Please change according to your requirement.
    
13. Finish.
    
14. Open Exchange Management Console and select Distribution group. Create a filter to show only ‘Dynamic Distribution Group’ and make sure that the newly create to DL is visible now.
    
15. Right click on the DL and go to properties.
    
16. You may get below warning, click on OK
    
17. Go to ‘Filter’ tab and use ‘Browse..’ option and select to root of the domain so that the filter will be applied for entire items in the domain and click on ‘Apply’. Click on ‘Preview’ to see the all members.
    
    Note;If you get an error stating that there is no primary smtp address then go to e-mail tab and set a primary address.
18. Open outlook in online mode or open OWA and make sure that the desired DL is visible in GAL.