Month: December 2012

Lync 2010 – CU Updates and the SQL Database dropping when ran with User account without sysadmins to the database.

~ northernuc ~ 2 Comments

So Microsoft brings out the Cumulative updates periodically for Lync 2010, at the time of writing this seems to be quarterly. As part of the update there is a requirement to update the Lync backend SQL databases with the update which in it own right is a simple update, yet time and time again i hear how people have royally screwed up there Lync environment by not understanding the SQL update instructions OR when they dont have the right permissions to the SQL database when running the update. <sysadmins is required to the databases>

(Below are the Note instructions for SQL as part of the Lync CU updates and where to run the Update from)

<<

Install-CsDatabase -Update -ConfiguredDatabases -SqlServerFqdn <EEBE.Fqdn> -UseDefaultSqlPaths

Notes

  • In a Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition environment, run the cmdlet from the Standard Edition server.
  • In a Lync Server 2010 Enterprise Edition environment in which the archiving/monitoring services are collocated with an Enterprise Edition back-end server, run this cmdlet from the Enterprise Edition back-end server.
  • In a Lync Server 2010 Enterprise Edition environment in which the archiving/monitoring services are not collocated with an Enterprise Edition back-end server , run this cmdlet from the Enterprise Edition front-end server.

If the RTCDyn databases are removed after you run the cmdlet without the UseDefaultSqlPaths parameter, run the following cmdlet to restore the RTCDyn databases:

Install-CsDatabase -Update -ConfiguredDatabases -SqlServerFqdn < EEBE.Fqdn > -DatabasePaths <RtcDyn log path>, <RtcDyn data path>

Note The RtcDyn log is located under the path of the rtcdyn.ldf file. The RtcDyn data is located under the path of the rtcdyn.mdf file.

>>

I have experienced first hand when a client runs the update in error (User account does not have sysadmin rights to the Lync databases) and drops the SQL databases, with no way of restoring them. If you are reading this blog as your in the same predicament then do the following to get your Lync environment back online.

ERROR FROM SQL IN THE LOGS

Failed to create database rtcdyn
Error (
name: Error
description:
number: -2147221242
message:
)
—————
Exit code: ERROR_CREATE_DB (-4)

or this one in the deployment log

Error: Script failed (code “ERROR_CREATE_DB”) when installing “BackendStore” on “lync2010SQL01.northernlync.local”. For details, see the following log file: “C:\Users\lyncadmin\AppData\Local\Temp\Create-BackendStore-lyncdbserver.domain.com-[2012_12_24][22_48_19].log”

The users inability to create the necessary databases during this process causes the Lync system to go offline. But dont fear its easily resolved by adding the install account as sysadmin and re-running the Install-CSDatabase command.

Simple!

Rgds

Iain Smith

 

 

Lync 2010 Phone Devices Get Music On Hold

~ northernuc ~ 2 Comments

Microsoft have released a new update for all the Lync Phone Edition devices including the polycom CX range, Aastra 67xx range, HP 41xx range.

This update is a significant one as it introduces the long awaited music on hold feature to the Lync Phones.

Be sure to update your phones with the December update here. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/gg131945.aspx

Then to upload the  updates into Lync do the following.

–    To install the Lync updates download the required download using the link above then copy the download onto one of your front-end servers in location c:/temp. The download will be called UCUpdate.exe (do not rename the downloaded file)

2012-12-28_09-14-38

–    Now run the .exe from within that location and this will add .cab files to the same location

2012-12-28_09-15-51

–    The next step which you need to do is execute a management shell command from within the Lync Frontend. What this will do is add the .cab files into Lync for selection to be able to update the lync phone devices.

Run the following command <changing the red context>

Import-CsDeviceUpdate -Identity service:WebServer:lync2010.northernlync.local -FileName C:\temp\UCUpdates.cab

–    Once the command has completed, you can now go into the Lync Control Panel and navigate to the Voice options and Device tab where you will see in the page the new device versions available.

At this stage you can either commit the change to all you lync phone devices or you can use the test device tab and select just a handful of device using their MAC address to update. Once you are happy with the update then publish the change to all your Lync Phone devices. (NOTE: I would recommend doing the update after working hours to ensure your users don’t experience outage on the device or via their desktop while the update is carried out).

Regards

Iain Smith