The Network Aficionado: Skype for Business Enterprise 2015 Front-end server

This article provides step by step installation of a Skype for Business Enterprise 2015 Front-end server.

The diagram of the installation scenario is as follows:

The steps deployments are represented by the diagram below:

Environment prerequisites for deploying Skype for Business Server 2015

Active directory supported topologies:

Single forest with single domain
Single forest with a single tree and multiple domains
Single forest with multiple trees and disjoint namespaces
Multiple forests in a central forest topology
Multiple forests in a resource forest topology
Multiple forests in a Skype for Business resource forest topology with Exchange Online

Forest / Domain functional level supported:

Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008

Supported Domain Controller Operating System:

Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008

Supported operating systems for Skype for Business:
Windows Server 2012 R2 Enterprise OS
Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard OS
Windows Server 2012 Datacenter OS with SP1
Windows Server 2012 Standard OS with SP1
Windows Server 2008 R2 (Migration from Lync Server 2013 only

Supported database for Skype for Business

Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Enterprise (64-bit edition)
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Enterprise (64-bit edition)
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise (64-bit edition)
Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Standard (64-bit edition)
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Standard (64-bit edition)
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard (64-bit edition

HA backend support for Skype for Business:

SQL Mirroring
SQL Clustering
SQL Always On

Applications required on all Skype for Business servers:

Windows PowerShell 3.0
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
Windows Identity Foundation
Remote Server Administration Tools

Applications as needed on the standard front-end and enterprise servers:

Internet Information Services (IIS)

Common HTTP Features

Default Document
HTTP Errors
Static Content

Health and Diagnostics

HTTP Logging
Logging Tools
Tracing

Performance

Static Content Compression
Dynamic Content Compression

Security
Request Filtering
Client Certificate Mapping Authentication
Windows Authentication

Application Development

.NET Extensibility 3.5
.NET Extensibility 4.5
ASP.NET 3.5
ASP.NET 4.5
ISAPI Extensions
ISAPI Filters

Management Tools

IIS Management Console
IIS Management Scripts and Tools

Windows Media Format Runtime
.NET Framework 3.5
Silverlight

Installation prerequisites

The prerequisites automatically installation is possible using the following PowerShellscript deployment:
Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework-Core, RSAT-ADDS, Windows-Identity-Foundation, Web-Server, Web-Static-Content, Web-Default-Doc, Web-Http-Errors, Web-Dir-Browsing, Web-Asp-Net, Web-Net-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Http-Logging, Web-Log-Libraries, Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Http-Tracing, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Filtering, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Dyn-Compression, NET-WCF-HTTP-Activation45, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Mgmt-Tools, Web-Scripting-Tools, Web-Mgmt-Compat, Server-Media-Foundation, BITS
Start a PowerShell window in administrator mode and copy and paste the script above:

NOTE: A server restart is required for the completion of the installation prerequisites

3) Step 1: Creating a File Share
Create a server other than the front end a shared file server and add the local administrator group with rights:

Full Control
Change
Read

4) Step 2: Installing the administration tools
Open the Skype for Business Server 2015 ISO and run the setup

Click Install Administrative Tools

Applications Skype for Business Server 2015 are now available on the server

Step 3: Preparing Active Directory

Like its predecessor, Skype for Business Server 2015 is closely linked with Active Directory.Before deploying the application part, an extension of the scheme, and the preparation of the forest and the field is an essential step.

This step is achieved with the wizard Skype for Business or PowerShell.

Step 4: Scheme Preparation

Start Step 1 "Prepare schema"

In the wizard "Prepare Schema", click next

Check the logs

Check replication:

Open ADSI Edit console

From the Action menu, click on "connect to" select: Schema

Search CN = ms-RTC-SIP-SchemaVersion

Check the following values:

rangeUpper = 1150

rangeLower = 3

Step 5: Forest preparation
In the wizard "Prepare Forest", click next

Check the logs

Verify the replication

Open a PowerShell window in Administration mode and type the following command:
Get-CsAdForest

Check the value

Step 6: Prepare Current Domain
In the wizard "Prepare Domain", click next

Check the logs

Verify the replication

Open a PowerShell window in Administration mode and type the following command:

Get-CsAdDomain -Domain nissarte.ca -GlobalSettingsDomainController ad2012.nissarte.ca

NOTE: Swap nissarte.ca and ad2012.nissarte.ca with the required URLs

Ensure the value reads: LC_DOMAINSETTINGS_STATE_READY

At this point, add your user account in the CSAdministrator group

Active Directory preparation is now completed

6) Step 7: Creating DNS records

The proper functioning of the solution based on the creation of specific DNS entries to allowusers to access services seamlessly.

In this example, the DNS are required:

Autodiscover : Lyncdiscoverinternal.nissarte.ca, A record, 10.0.1.52 (Skype FE)
Meeting: meet.nissarte.ca, A record, 10.0.1.52 (Skype FE)
Dialin: dialin.nissarte.ca, A record, 10.0.1.52 (Skype FE)
Administration: lyncadmin,nissarte.ca, A record, 10.0.1.52 (Skype FE)
Web scheduler: scheduler.nissarte.ca, A record, 10.0.1.52 (Skype FE)
Pool: lyncpoolfe01.nissarte.ca, A record, 10.0.1.52 (Skype FE)
Legacy Autodiscover: _sipinternaltls._tcp.nissarte.ca, SRV, lyncpoolfe01.nissarte.ca

Step 8: Creation of topology

We will now use the Skype for Business Topology Builder to define and configure our environment.

Skype for Business Start Topology Builder and choose new topology.

Specify the name of your domain SIP

Optionally, add the other areas of your environment sip here

Create your site:

Specify the website details

Click Next

We will now define the configuration for our Skype for Business Server 2015Enterprise pool

Specify the name registered in the DNS pool above, choose the Enterprise OptionPool.

Add the FQDN of all the servers from being part of the pool

Select the features you want to deploy in your environment.

At this stage, you may decide to collocate the mediation role

The installation of the Edge role will be seen in another article

Select New and specify the FQDN of your store SQL

Specify the location of the shared directory created in step 2

Specify the name of your external URL for Web Services Skype for Business

Specify the FQDN of your Office Web Apps Server 2013 to associate the pool Skype for Business Server 2015

Click Finish

Step 9: Refining the topology

Right click on Skype for Business Server and choose edit

Specify the URL of administration

Engage the CMS with the pool just described

Now the topology can be published

Step 10: Installing Components on the Front end server

Now that the topology is published, we can install components Front end server.

Make sure your server contains the latest update.

Select Install or Update Skype for Business Server System

Select Step 1 Install Local Configuration Store and click Run

Click Next

Select Step 2 Setup or Remove Skype for Business components

Select Step 3 Request, install or Assign Certificates
NOTE: Skype for Business Server includes support for the SHA-2 suite (SHA-2 uses digest lengths of 224, 256, 384 or 512 bits) of digest hash and signing algorithms for connections from clients running the Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Vista operating systems. To support external access using the SHA-2 suite, the external certificate is issued by a public CA that also can issue a certificate with the same bit length digest.

Select Default Certificate and select Request

Specify:

The certification authority issuing the certificate

The friendly name

Your organization information

SIP areas