Dell Unified Communication Solution with Microsoft Lync Server 2013 for Single Site Implementation A Dell Reference Architecture for Lync Server 2013 Solution for a single site with up to 1,000 users Dell Global Solutions Engineering October 2013 1 Reference Architecture | DellTM Unified Communication Solution with Microsoft® Lync® Server 2013 for Single Site Implementation | Version 1.
Revisions Date Description October 2013 Initial release TM TM © 2013 Dell Inc. All Rights Reserved. Dell , the Dell logo, PowerEdge and other Dell names and marks are trademarks of Dell Inc. in the US and worldwide. Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the ® U.S and other countries. Microsoft , Windows, Lync, Hyper-V and Windows Server are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 2 Microsoft Lync Server 2013 ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 3 Audience ........................................................................................................
.2.5 Client Devices ................................................................................................................................................................ 36 4 5 Verification ................................................................................................................................................................................ 38 6 Conclusion ................................................................................................................
Acknowledgements This Reference Architecture was produced by the following members of the Dell Global Solutions Engineering team: Engineering: Akshai Parthasarathy, Ajay Kakkar, Archana Rao and Ravikanth Chaganti Additional contributors: Jane Wong, Debra Slapak, Paul Robichaux, Curtis Johnstone, Michael Przytula, Pratik Mehta, Jaiwant Virk, Stephen McMaster, Frank Steiner and Sonus Networks 5 Reference Architecture | DellTM Unified Communication Solution with Microsoft® Lync® Server 2013 for Single Site I
1 Introduction Unified Communication is becoming increasingly critical for organizations to have an efficient, flexible and effective work experience. It not only enables and provides the benefits of having real-time communication between peers, whether local, remote or geographically disbursed, but also enables instant communication with partners, suppliers and directly with customers. Further, all of these capabilities are provided while reducing the telephony, travel and IT cost.
1.1 Audience This reference architecture is intended for IT professionals and administrators interested in designing and deploying an end-to-end, real-time collaboration solution using Microsoft Lync Server 2013 on Dell servers and networking, third-party gateways/session border controllers, and associated client devices. While the reference architecture provides an overview of the important solution components, the reader is expected to have an understanding of Lync Server 2013 and voice gateways.
2 Microsoft Lync Server 2013 Microsoft Lync Server 2013 enables instant messaging and presence, audio and video conferencing, web conferencing, and voice-interoperability. Its functionality can be extended by the use of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunks or PBXs/voice gateways to communicate with users on the telephony network (PSTN).
encryption/decryption and transcoding. Traffic encryption and decryption is made possible by the use of TLS (Transport Layer Security) instead of traditional TCP. This is more secure than transmitting clear traffic over the wire. Transcoding refers to the process of converting media streams between different audio codecs. Transcoding becomes necessary if the telephony codec used is not G.711, i.e. the codec used by Lync. • Director Server—This is an optional role in Lync Server 2013.
through simple URLs. Some of these features include meeting content downloads, address book downloads, location information and Lync Web App. HTTP and HTTPS traffic is routed to the Reverse Proxy, which then forwards the requests to the Front End Server. 2.1 Lync 2013 Standard Edition with Backup Registrar Pool Microsoft Lync Server 2013 provides the option of using paired Standard Edition pools, one as the primary registrar and the second as the backup registrar.
3 Dell Unified Communication Solution Reference Architecture A high-level diagram of the reference architecture is depicted in Figure 1. It shows a customer scenario that consists of a single site only. For voice connectivity, the site may have either ISDN (T1/E1) or SIP trunk connections provided by Internet Telephony Service Provide/Public Switched Telephone Network ITSP/PSTN providers.
• • • As expected, to support these crucial Lync Server componets, sufficient computing and storage resouce should be allocated to fulfill the demand from the targeted number of users. The design should incorporate high availability to ensure minimal service downtime. Therefore, multiple instances of those important server roles are utilized to avoid a single point of failure. Lync Server Edge Architecture: Edge Servers and the Reverse Proxy Servers are located at the perimeter network.
• • Application-level high availability entails utilizing multiple instances of server roles to provide services in the event of a failure. By ensuring that there is no single point of failure at the application level, service downtime to the end user is minimized. Infrastructure high availability is provided when a hardware resource fails; there is another preconfigured resource that takes over.
3.2 Lync Server 2013 Core Architecture When deploying a Lync solution, the first step is to articulate a design that will address the communication requirements across the enterprise. The following section provides the design framework adequate for 1,000 Lync users with instant messaging, audio/video, web conferencing and Enterprise Voice communication modalities. The primary component of this architecture is a paired Lync Server 2013 Standard Edition server pool that serves these different modalities.
• performance compromise. In addition, consolidating these roles saves administration costs and eases management. Using internal server storage. With a different RAID set within the server chassis for the guest VM, host OS and SQL database, costs are reduced while application best practices and performance requirements are met. The use of internal storage instead of external direct-attached arrays or SANs is more cost effective and simplifies deployment.
enhanced web conferencing experience. In this reference architecture, two OWS servers are deployed to enable high availability. Table 1 presents a VM resource summary for the Lync Server core architecture. Table 1 Purpose 3.2.
3.2.2 Storage for Lync, SQL, and Hypervisor All physical servers hosting the entire Lync core infrastructure leverage internal server storage. Using local storage instead of iSCSI or Fibre Channel SANs or direct-attached external arrays is a cost-effective solution for this small Lync deployment. The internal server storage in this design has been logically partitioned into three separate storage blocks with multiple RAID sets, which comprise separate disks.
Dynamic and differencing disks are not recommended since guaranteeing optimum performance and consistent user experience even under peak load is the primary design objective. 3.2.4 Best Practices In addition to design considerations, certain best practices must also be considered while deploying Lync Server 2013 on Hyper-V. These best practices are detailed below. 3.2.4.
3.2.4.2 Lync-Specific Best Practices Shown below are some of the best practices specific to Lync: • • • • • • • Use two Lync Standard Edition Server in a paired pool or three Lync Front Ends in an Enterprise pool. 5 Doing so abides by the Microsoft Best Practice. This ensures best use of the “brick architecture” in Lync Server 2013 Enterprise Edition and that there is a copy of user data on each of the three Front Ends. Place similar VMs on separate hosts.
• • • 3.3 for conferencing, the Front End VM may need to periodically request increased memory from the hypervisor instead of being guaranteed resources. Use fixed disks instead of dynamic disks. The use of fixed disks (or pass-through disks) guarantees best performance and is recommended for production environments. Microsoft recommends that physical CPUs not be oversubscribed by the VMs residing on the host.
Figure 4 Lync Server Edge Architecture The recommended configuration details of the VMs are provided in Table 3. Table 3 Purpose VMs Lync Server 2013 Edge Pool 2 Reverse Proxy 2 3.3.1 Lync Edge Architecture VM Resources Total Virtual CPU (vCPUs) Total Memory (GB) 4 16 4 8 Edge Network Architecture Figure 5 details the network connectivity for each of the PowerEdge R420 servers hosting the Edge and Reverse Proxy server VMs.
connectivity. Separate virtual switches are created on each of the teams and each of the VMs has a separate virtual NIC connecting to the internal and external networks, as depicted in Figure 5. Figure 5 Network Architecture for Edge/Reverse Proxy Hosts The internal network connects to the Lync core architecture and Lync clients on the LAN. The external network allows access for authenticated Lync clients from the Internet. 3.3.
• • • Downloading files from the address book service Accessing the Lync Web App client Enabling the Lync 2013 client, Lync Windows Store app and Lync 2013 mobile client to locate the Lync Discover (autodiscover) URLs and use Unified Communications Web API (UCWA), etc. Per Microsoft recommendation, these web services are made available to external users by publishing them through external simple URLs.
The enterprise connectivity options, as shown in Figure 6, are: • • • T1/E1 connectivity from PSTN to a media gateway, which in turn connects to the Lync infrastructure via SIP SIP trunk from an ITSP to an SBC, which then connects to Lync infrastructure via SIP PBX connecting to a media gateway via a T1/E1, which in turn connects to the Lync infrastructure via SIP If connecting to a SIP trunk via an on-premise SBC, consider placing the SBC in the perimeter network to provide the appropriate level of secur
3.4.1 Sonus SBC 1000/2000 The Sonus SBC 1000/2000 is a Microsoft-qualified enhanced media gateway that has a session border controller (SBC) for SIP trunking and gateway operation for T1/E1 telecom connectivity. The SBC 1000 offers two 1GbE ports for SIP trunking and two T1/E1 interfaces while SBC 2000 offers four 1GbE ports for SIP trunking and sixteen T1/E1 interfaces.
Figure 8 Signaling Group Example As shown in the Figure 8 screenshot, the signaling group is set as a trunk to calls being sent outbound on the “from Lync” routing table. Inbound calls will be directed to the SIP server table specified as the “Lync Central Mediation Server Pool.” • 26 Call Routing Tables: These rules define how a call should be routed. For example, a routing table associated with the Lync signaling group will most likely be set to forward calls to specific outbound interfaces.
Figure 9 Call Routing Tables Example As shown in Figure 9, the default route for the Lync signaling group specifies two entries. The first entry is a T1/E1 interface and the second entry is a SIP trunk. In this particular example, the SBC is being used as both a gateway and a session border controller. • Phone Number Transformations: In order to route calls between virtual trunks/signaling groups, number transformations may become necessary.
For detailed information on Sonus SBC 1000 configuration, please refer to the Sonus Online Support Portal. 3.5 End-User Client Connectivity End-user client connectivity is achieved via the Lync 2013 desktop or mobile clients, Lync Web App, Lync Windows Store App, Lync Phone Edition or through specialized Lync devices. The Lync 2013 desktop clients can be installed on Windows-based desktops, laptops or hybrids, such as the Dell™ XPS 12 Ultrabook™.
4 Technical Specifications This section details the technical specifications for all of the physical and virtual components that make up this reference architecture for the Dell Unified Communication Solution. Figure 10 shows the complete logical view of the Dell Unified Communication Solution for a 1,000-user single-site deployment. Figure 10 Dell Unified Communication Solution 4.
Table 4 Virtual Machine Configuration Details 2 x Lync Front End VMs (includes Archiving-Monitoring and Audio-Video Conferencing Roles) Operating System Windows Server 2012 Virtual Machine Configuration Networks Software 6 x vCPU 32 GB RAM 1 x Virtual Network Adapter Lync Server 2013 Standard Edition 1 x SQL Server VM (for Archiving+Monitoring and Persistent Chat) Operating System Windows Server® 2012 Virtual Machine Configuration Networks Software Operating System Virtual Machine Configuration Networks
Table 4 has the details about the recommended configuration for the virtual machines that make up this solution. Based on the role performed by each virtual machine, optimum amounts of compute, memory, network and storage resources have been allocated. CPU resources are allocated to ensure that the core:vCPU ratio is not oversubscribed for delay-sensitive real-time traffic. Memory is allocated statically to each VM, ensuring that resources are guaranteed during peak usage hours.
Virtual Machines Hardware CPU RAM Networks Storage Operating System Virtual Machines Hardware 1 x Lync Standard Edition Virtual Machine Primary Lync Front End Standard Edition VM 1 x Office Web Apps Server Virtual Machine 1 x Persistent Chat Server Virtual Machine Host2 for Lync Core Server Dell PowerEdge R620 rack server with up to 10 x 2.
• On the hosts deployed for virtualizing the Lync Server roles, two Windows® Server 2012 Standard 10 edition licenses are stacked. This allows up to four virtual machines on the same physical server running Windows Server 2012 Standard edition. For the Edge Server role, one Windows Server 2012 Standard license is required.
provides up to 10 terabyte of internal storage. The preferred chassis is the option that accommodates 10 2.5-inch drives. For the perimeter network hosts, the platform chosen is the Dell PowerEdge R420 server equipped with two Intel Xeon processor E5-2420 CPUs with six cores per CPU. Memory support for the PowerEdge R420 server is up to 384 GB. The preferred chassis is the eight-drive option. Further details on Dell PowerEdge servers are available on the Dell PowerEdge Portfolio site.
Figure 13 Dell Networking S55 Layer 3 Top of Rack Switch Figure 14 Dell Networking 7048 Layer 3 Top of Rack Switch For client devices (access switches), Dell™ Networking 7048P Power over Ethernet can be used. These switches provide 30.8 watts per port for Lync clients, including the Polycom CX600 IP phones, and eliminate the need for an external power source. 4.2.
Figure 15 Dell Networking W-3200 Controller and Dell Networking W-AP135 Access Point 4.2.4 Sonus SBC 1000/2000 Gateway The SBC 1000/2000 are advanced session border controllers (SBC) built for smaller enterprise networks. It delivers robust security, high availability and proven interoperability with Lync Server 2013. The SBC 1000 is a versatile device that can work as a traditional gateway with T1/E1 trunks or as a session border controller with newer SIP trunks.
Figure 17 Dell Venue 8 Pro Tablet (left) and Dell XPS12 Convertible Ultrabook (right) The Polycom CX300, CX500 and CX600 are third-party desk phones that can be used as Lync endpoints. For a complete list of client devices available for Lync, please contact Dell Services. 37 Reference Architecture | DellTM Unified Communication Solution with Microsoft® Lync® Server 2013 for Single Site Implementation | Version 1.
5 Verification Verification of the topology involved a number of different scenarios in the lab. These included performance validation of Lync Server, quality of experience (QoE) results from monitoring server reports, validation of the Sonus SBC 1000 gateway and SBC configuration and performance, failover validation of the Lync Front End, and verification with Lync and Polycom clients.
true by changing the settings under Audio Conferencing to ensure that video conferencing load was simulated by the tool. In addition to performance analysis, Dell conducted a thorough investigation of other components in the architecture, including the Sonus SBC 1000 SBC/gateway. The SBC 1000 was validated for SIP trunking and T1/E1 connectivity, i.e. both as an SBC and as a gateway. In addition, the failover capability of the device in an active-active pair was also verified.
6 Conclusion The Dell Unified Communication Solution as presented in this reference architecture provides an end-toend Unified Communication solution for organizations with up to 1,000 users. This integrated solution uses Microsoft Lync Server 2013 as the Unified Communication software and is built on the wide ranging Dell product portfolio, including Dell servers, wired/wireless networking and client devices.
A Additional Resources Dell is focused on meeting your needs with proven services and support: http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/by-service-type-it-consulting or http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/services/unified-communications-consulting DellTechCenter.com is an IT community where you can connect with Dell customers and Dell employees for the purpose of sharing knowledge, best practices and information about Dell products and installations. Other references: • Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers: http://www.
