Monitoring communication sessions in Lync Server 2013

 Jul 01, 2014

In Microsoft Lync Server 2013, the monitoring role is required to collect performance metrics about the communication sessions. Previously, monitoring required an additional server, but in Lync Server 2013, the monitoring role can be collocated to the front-end servers. Now, each front-end server can directly communicate with the monitoring and archiving databases. I’ll elaborate more about this in this post. As seen in the image below, the monitoring and archiving roles are configured from the topology builder.

http://www.nhaustralia.com.au/courses/applications/outlook-2013-level-1?City=Brisbane

The monitoring services consists of four main components:

  1. The data collection agents – they are automatically installed on every front-end server and they are responsible for collection performance data.
  2. Monitoring databases – they are the SQL Server databases that store the collected data. The databases can be collocated on the back end SQL instance or on a different computer.
  3. Microsoft Systems Centre Operations Manager (SCOM) Management Pack – this is an optional component. These management packs can help to produce more real time alerts showing the health of call reliability and media quality.
  4. Monitoring server reports – this is also an optional component, and contains several out of the box reports on usage, media quality information and call diagnostic information.

The call detail records collected by Lync can be used to capture the information related to the VoIP calls, IM messages, Audio – Video conversations, meetings, application sharing and file transfers. The call details records are beneficial for billing purpose. You can then use SQL queries to extract information from the CDR database (image below).

http://www.nhaustralia.com.au/courses/applications/outlook-2013-level-1?City=Brisbane

The Quality of Experiences (QOE) records capture information about participants, device names, drivers, IP addresses, and endpoint types involved in calls and sessions. Lync Server 2013 uses Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services to publish monitoring server reports. The reports are published to a web server and you can use a browser to view the reports. You also have the capability to schedule the report delivery to your email address. However, in order to do this, you must install the monitoring server reports on the instance of SQL Server running the Reporting Services. To learn more about the monitoring roles in Lync Server 2013, take a look at New Horizons’ 20336 – Core Solutions of Microsoft Lync Server 2013 training course.

http://www.nhaustralia.com.au/courses/applications/outlook-2013-level-1?City=Brisbane

How do your Excel skills stack up?   

Test Now  

About the Author:

San Roy  

San is a highly skilled IT Infrastructure professional with over 15 years experience in a technical training capacity. Throughout his career as a technical training consultant San Has been responsible for the development of numerous IT professionals, providing knowledge and expertise in the areas of Server Operating Systems, Database Management Systems, Messaging and Collaboration. San primarily specialises in delivering training in Microsoft products including Windows Server OS, Windows Client OS, SQL Server, SharePoint Server and Exchange Server. Through his years of practical experience as a technical trainer he is able to provide added insight and value to students that reach beyond the scope of a standard course outline. San has established himself as one of New Horizons’ preferred trainers by continually bringing a combination of technical expertise and personality to the classroom each day.

Read full bio
top