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Set Up an Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Federation Clearinghouse

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:14:00 +0000

Check out this post on NextHop, our new Communications Server IT Pro web portal.
This article provides some guidance about how to set up a Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 federation clearinghouse deployment. The goal of the clearinghouse is to simplify Public IM Connectivity (PIC) (such as AOL, The Microsoft Network (MSN), and Yahoo) with existing on-premise Office Communications Server 2007 R2 deployments. The clearinghouse model also facilitates relationships between member organizations.

Protecting the Edge Server Against DoS and Password Brute Force Attacks in Office Communications Server

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:12:00 +0000

Check out this post on NextHop, our new Communications Server IT Pro web portal.
Companies that allow employees to sign in to Office Communications Server remotely from the Internet can be susceptible to denial-of-service (DoS) and brute-force attacks. These kinds of attacks involve guessing users’ passwords or locking out user accounts when too many incorrect password attempts are made to a valid Active Directory user account when password policy is enforced.

Ten Steps to PowerShell Scripting with Office Communications Server 2007 R2

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:07:00 +0000

Check out this post on NextHop, our new Communications Server IT Pro web portal.
Windows PowerShell can be used as a management tool for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2. PowerShell is one of most versatile scripting environments available on the market today.

Use a Friendly FQDN when You Configure Communications Server 2007 R2 and Outlook Web App Integration

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:26:00 +0000

Check out this post on NextHop, our new Communications Server IT Pro web portal.
Outlook Web App now supports the use of SIP client integration with Office Communications Server. This provides a great feature set for users, but there are some things you must do when integrating with Communications Server to make it all work.

Archiving Report for OCS 2007 R2

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:26:00 +0000

The Archiving Report* is meant to provide an easy way to pull information out of the archiving database. It builds on the functionality provided by the Archiving PowerShell script that was written (http://communicationsserverteam.com/archive/2009/09/28/584.aspx) and adds a GUI interface, the ability to filter by date, and message formatting. It has been tested against OCS 2007 R2 and SRS 2005.

Installation
1.       Open Report Manager – http(s):///Reports
2.       Click on New Folder
3.       Give the folder a name – i.e. OCSArchivingReport
4.       Click OK
5.       Click on the folder you just created
6.       Click on Upload File
7.       Browse to the location where you downloaded OCSArchivingReport.rdl and select the file
8.       Click OK to upload the report
9.       Click on New Data Source
10.   Enter LcsLog for the Data Source name
11.   Enter Data Source=;Initial Catalog=LcsLog for the Connection String
a.       Replace with your SQL server\instance
12.   Select the Windows integrated security radio button
13.   Click OK
14.   Click on OCSArchivingReport
a.       You will see [...]

Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) Program

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:39:00 +0000

Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) Program: Recognizes, Develops, Certifies Technical Excellence
How do senior IT professionals differentiate themselves from the competition? The MCM program, through intensive training by world class experts, plus extensive written and lab-based testing, certifies only the most qualified. As an MCM you’ll join an elite community of Microsoft software and technology experts, and you’ll be recognized as one of the top Microsoft technology experts in the world. Learn more about the Microsoft Certified Master Program

Free Instructor-Led Training for end-users: Introduction to Office Communicator

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:02:37 +0000

Do you have end users that need Office Communicator training? Are your users maximizing the basic features of OC? Microsoft now offers a free instructor-led session that introduces key Office Communicator usage scenarios through live demonstrations and hands-on activities.
This live course is held in a virtual classroom via Office Live Meeting. It will allow hands-on experience to build knowledge, skills, and confidence to use Office Communicator more effectively.
These features will be covered in this high-level overview:

Instant Messaging
Presence
Contact Management
Audio and Video
Desktop Sharing
Office Application Integration
Add a Live Meeting
Communicator Web Access

Click here to register: https://events.livemeeting.com/967/15027/reg.aspx?pc=05
We hope to see your users at an upcoming session!

Check out the improved Downloads pages on the TechCenter

Brandon — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:41:00 +0000

We’ve been working on the Downloads page on the Communications Server TechCenter! Check out the improvements:
·         Separate pages devoted to 2007 R2 Downloads and 2007 Downloads;
·         Clearer categorization of available 2007 R2 downloads;
·         And most importantly…more of the good stuff: More listings!

Find even more links than before to all the tools and resources that our team produces, including new links to Office Communications Server 2007 R2:
·         Best Practices Analyzer (for both 2007 and 2007 R2 versions)
·         Capacity Planning Tool
·         Edge Planning Tool
·         Planning Tool
·         Resource Kit Tools (64-bit)
·         Web Scheduler

…as well as links to:
·         Agent Communications Panel for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0
·         Language packs for CWA, Response Group Service, and Speech
·         Communicator Multilingual User Interface
·         Management packs
·         Communicator Mobile (for Pocket PC, Smartphone, and Java)

The new 2007 R2 page now also includes links to all downloadable, technical product documentation for 2007 R2, including:
·         Collections of the full IT Pro library
·         Pointers to the [...]

Urgent: Known issue under investigation with KB974571 and LCS/OCS

Brandon — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:26:00 +0000

October 24 Update – The MS09-56: Vulnerabilities in CryptoAPI could allow spoofing article has been updated with a Known Issues section and FIX for the LCS and OCS product. That article is the authorized content as it requires the proper groups to coordinate and confirm the data published. We thank those of you who both reported this issue to us as well as helped blog/tweet to help reduce the number of customers deploying the patch until this issue is resolved.
We also want to note that for future issues with security fixes should be reported through support in order to be properly tracked and escalated and that it will be the official communication vehicle.

118 blogs for OCS/UC (and counting)

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:00:42 +0000

Looking for information on OCS or UC? The @DrRez Twitter team (http://twitter.com/DrRez) pulled this blog and forum list together and will grow and maintain it over time. If you know of a good blog that focuses on OCS or UC technologies, please leave us a pointer in the comments. They are presented in alphabetical order. We hope that this post will be helpful as you look to see what the community is doing with the technology.

(e)Mail Insecurity
a new message has arrived
A Single Point of Contact
Aaron Tiensivu’s Blog
Active Directory Blog
AllTop Screen for Unified Communications
Am I Done?
Anderson Patricio’s Blog
Ars Technica
Bill & Greg’s Most Excellent Adventure
Brettjo :: Microsoft Exchange Messaging
Byron Spurlock’s Blog – LCS, OCS, & VOIP Insight
Chief Architect’s Corner
Chris and Robin’s Technology blog
Chris Mayo’s Blog – Unified Communications Development
Communications [...]