Got Enough Bandwidth for OCS R2?
Filed under: Conferencing, OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, OCS 2010, Reference, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
One quick point for today. When implementing an OCS 2007 R2 setup, make sure there's plenty of bandwidth available. Standard or Enterprise edition. With or without VoIP built-in.
One of our clients (a nationwide energy firm) uses OCS to communicate between branches. Initially this was facilitated by T1 lines. However a few weeks ago, we upgraded them to a DS3 line.
They'd had some issues beforehand - garbled calls, lost IM transmissions, general stability. Most of it came from problems the Unified Messaging server had.
That all vanished when the DS3 line was put in. Poof. More bandwidth = no more connection troubles. Just like that.
Not sure how much bandwidth you have available? Use Speakeasy's Bandwidth Speed Test. Compare the results to the Three UC Amigos' OCS 2007 Bandwidth Requirements . (Alternate reference: Mark Garcia's OCS Web Conferencing Bandwidth Charts.)
6 Things to Check Before an OCS Conference
Filed under: Conferencing, OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
You”re about to have your first full-on Live Meeting conference with a client! OCS is all set up; you”ve got the cameras ready in case they want to jump to video. VoIP is set up, Mediation server is a go, Edge server in place. Let’’s call them up, right?
Not so fast. Check a few things first. You wouldn”t want your first OCS conference to crash would you? Might cause problems with the client, if they think your conferencing setup isn”t up to snuff.
These are 6 things to check in your OCS setup before any conference is held. I”m assuming basic OCS functionality is already taken care of; these are things you might not think to check right away. But they can "tangle the lines" if they”re not addressed.
1. Test the VoIP connection by calling someone outside your internal network.
If they can”t hear you/you can”t hear them, there’’s a problem on the Mediation server or VoIP gateway. (Run video on this test too, if you plan to use video in the conference.)
2. Check the Edge server for invalid certificates.
A run-through of the Edge server’’s event log will tell you if there’’s any certificate issues creeping around. If so, these should be resolved. They could potentially mess up your client’’s external connection to your OCS setup if not.
3. Double-check your SIP domains.
If you used sip.domain.com (as most Edge servers do), make sure it’’s an FQDN (fully-qualified domain name) and it’’s not blocked by any firewall rules. This can scuttle any external connections if not checked.
4. Is public IM federation turned on & running?
Just in case you want to send over a link during the conference. If your SIP domains are okay, this shouldn”t have any configuration problems.
5. Run the OCS Remote Connectivity Analyzer.
This Analyzer is a Microsoft tool (beta) that tests remote connectivity to an OCS server. It will even auto-discover the needed port and Access Edge.
Ask your client to run the Analyzer on their end before the conference. It’’s free and web-based, so it should be quick & easy: https://www.testocsconnectivity.com/
(The Communications Server Team blog has a write-up on it here: Office Communications Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer - Communications Server Team Blog)
6. And as a last check, make sure that your Internet connection is solid.
If that goes down, well…there’’s not much else you can do, is there?
If everything checks out here - you”re ready to have your chat.
P.S. - Jeff Schertz of PointBridge Blogs has a detailed review of connectivity needs too. With a few handy diagrams.
Did I miss anything? Is there something you like to check in OCS before any big conference session? Let us know in the Comments. Be as detailed as you like; it helps everybody!
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JBuddy Messenger: An Office Communicator Alternative
Filed under: Conferencing, Instant Messaging (IM), OCS 2007
The client app that ships with OCS 2007 is called Office Communicator. When you ask the average user what OCS is, they”ll point to their Communicator window (which looks like this) and call that OCS.
Office Communicator Window
Communicator does its job very well. (I actually prefer it over most IM apps out there.) For a while I assumed it was the only OCS client app. You wouldn”t find a third-party alternative for a big Microsoft server, would you?
Well, it seems you would.
Here’’s JBuddy Messenger. A third-party OCS-capable IM app that runs in Java. I came across it in the TechNet OCS forums.
JBuddy Messenger Window
For Business IM
JBuddy starts out like Trillian or Adium - as a free multi-protocol IM client. But with licensing it becomes a business-level communications tool. In other words, you need a license to connect to OCS 2007 with it.
Because JBuddy is written in Java, it works on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
As far as I can tell there is no support for voice or video. JBuddy is focused on Instant Messaging.
Why and When You”d Want to Use JBuddy
If you”re running OCS without VoIP
Say you aren”t planning on a VoIP install yet. Perhaps your office uses all cellphones. But you still need IM capability, and group chat would be nice.
Your Employees Use Different Instant Messaging Systems
While it’’s possible to set up third-party IM accounts in Office Communicator, JBuddy allows use of AIM, ICQ and Yahoo Messenger right away. With licensing it will operate with Jabber server, Lotus Sametime, and of course OCS 2007.
If you just want a fast, simple IM client for the office
JBuddy does the job.
In the end, it’’s nice to have choices. JBuddy is the first third-party messenger app to support OCS I”ve come across.
Because it doesn”t do conferencing and you need an enterprise license first, I”d only recommend JBuddy for small companies who use multiple IM systems and need a way to consolidate those. Otherwise, stick with Office Communicator.
Downloading JBuddy Messenger is free, but you”ll need to purchase an enterprise license to use all its business features (including OCS connectivity). http://www.zionsoftware.com/products/messenger/
If you”d like to try it out, request a 30-Day Evaluation License (free trial) here:
http://www.zionsoftware.com/products/messenger/request-eval.shtml
Top 3 Questions People Ask Us Re: Voice Over IP
Filed under: Conferencing, OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
For my third & final post regarding Top 3 Questions (related to OCS naturally), I”m putting up the questions we get on VoIP.
I should point out that we field a lot of questions on all these topics. OCS is a popular technology, and growing. We”re expecting 2010 to show an even bigger jump - mostly due to the cost savings clients get over PBX phone systems. Voice over IP makes for an appealing low-cost alternative.
However, the questions we get on VoIP itself usually veer toward the negative. I think it’’s because of old perceptions about the technology (from when it was first introduced) that still linger. Doesn”t worry us; every new technology had its initial troubles. If you”ve called us in the past year, then we”ve spoken via VoIP. Couldn”t tell the difference, could you?
Anyway, here are the Top 3 questions we get, and the answers we give.
1. If your network goes down, doesn”t VoIP go down too?
This one’’s repeated to us all the time. Verbatim. I think it’’s a leftover catchphrase from a telecom guy trying to stifle competition. For the most part it’’s true - if your VoIP runs through the same Internet lines as your network, it can go down if you lose your Internet. However, by using a dedicated line (as many of our OCS clients do), you avoid this problem.
2. I”ve heard this (VoIP) breaks up on you all the time. Is that true?
Not “all the time,” no. Every phone call runs the risk of breaking up when certain conditions are met - you”re driving, you”re in a tunnel, the weather changes, a hiccup on the phone network (it happens all the time)…
This arises because of the packet-transfer method VoIP employs to send voices. If packets get lost along the way, the person you”re talking to could lose a word here and there. However, VoIP these days builds in packet redundancy to avoid this exact issue.
3. Is it true you can”t make emergency calls?
Yes and no. 911′’s still a viable number. I think the concern here isn”t making the call, it’’s getting the full use of it. I”ll explain.
Because it’’s not on the phone network, emergency personnel may have difficulty tracing your location via VoIP like they do with regular phone calls. A very legitimate concern. That’’s being dealt with by hardware developers; soon it won”t be an issue. In the meantime, we recommend keeping a cellphone available in case of emergency.
Any more OCS/VoIP/related questions you”d like us to tackle? Leave a comment or email me.
Next week we”ll have a quick cautionary article about Presence, and then a holiday break. Hope your shopping’’s all done!
Technorati Tags:MicrosoftbusinesstechnologyOCS 2007VoIP
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The Top 3 Questions People Ask Us Re: OCS 2007
Filed under: Conferencing, Instant Messaging (IM), OCS 2007, Reference, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
When you”re experts in something, people ask you questions. The same questions. Over & over again.
I”ve blogged about many of the things our customer ask us in the past. Still, a recap now and then doesn”t hurt. And since we”ve had several sales meetings that were almost cookie-cutter when it came to the questions they asked, I figured now’’s the time.
This is a trio of very common questions we get asked about Office Communications Server. (There’’s actually about 6 or 7, but I”ll save the rest for a later post.) If you”ve had a burning questions about OCS but thought it was too basic to ask? It’’s your lucky day.
1. What can we use it (OCS) for?
Use it to communicate with co-workers, clients and partners. Via text, voice or video. It runs all of that through the Office Communicator client on your desktop or mobile.
2. Does it work like a regular phone?
Yes, but not 100% the same. There are handsets you can use with OCS; that’’s pretty much a regular desktop phone for you. Otherwise, you can use the mic & speakers in your computer to have a voice conversation. Kind of like Skype, except OCS is more secure and incorporates tool for sharing business information while you chat.
Note: When people ask us about this, they”re also curious if OCS lets you talk with regular desk and cell phones too. The answer to that is yes, if you have an IP-PBX gateway installed. (We use gateways from Cisco, Aculab and Dialogic.)
3. Will it work with our phones?
Unless your phones are SIP-capable , no. Regular phones use standard telephone lines. OCS 2007′’s voice capabilities run through VoIP, which uses Internet connections. The tech’’s too new for the older phones to use. You”ll have to make some changes.
Any other OCS questions you”d like an answer to? Leave a comment, or email me. Next week I”ll post the Top 3 Questions we get about the new Exchange Server 2010.
Technorati Tags:MicrosoftbusinesstechnologyOCS 2007SIP
OCS Not Working? It May Be KB974571′’s Fault
Filed under: Conferencing, Instant Messaging (IM), OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
A few days ago OCS 2007 users couldn”t get online. Right after Patch Tuesday. OCS just refused to work. Why?
Turns out it’’s a bug with a new patch. KB974571, to be exact. Once it went live, it started blocking OCS and Live Communication Server installs. Reporting that “the evaluation license has expired.”
If this only happened to evaluation copies, that might make sense. (KB974571 was supposed to help with spoofing.) However, like a well-meaning but overzealous mother, it disrupted full-version installs as well. Enough that Microsoft escalated the bug to a Known Issue.
Doug Deitterick at TechNet Blogs posted this warning last week: Do NOT Apply KB974571 to LCS/OCS Servers.
So if this all went down last week, why am I blogging about it today? It’’s because we”re still receiving support calls. Apparently some offices were able to limp forward with partially-working OCS servers, unaware of KB974571′’s effect.
And also because the patch hasn”t been fixed yet. Right now, uninstalling the KB974571 patch is the only way to fix the problem. (OCS snaps right back when you do it, too.)
If your OCS 2007 and/or 2007 R2 haven”t worked since last week, check your server for KB974571′’s presence. If you have no communications capability, it’’s a safe bet that the patch is the problem. Uninstall it. Or call us to uninstall it, if you”re in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Microsoft’’s Security Bulletin on this issue: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/974571
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Time to Panic? OCS Users Can Talk with Gmail Users Now
Filed under: Conferencing, Instant Messaging (IM), OCS 2007 R2
A couple months ago I blogged on how to IM people on other networks from within OCS - MSN/Windows Live, AIM and Yahoo. But two other IM services were left off the list: Cisco’’s Jabber and Google Talk/Gmail.
At the time, OCS users couldn”t Instant Message Gmail users. Now they can.
Wait, users chatting with people on MORE Instant Messaging networks?! The horror! They won”t get anything done! The office will spend all day sending bad jokes and silly cat pictures to themselves!
Guess what? Microsoft just made it worse (better really, but doom-and-gloom attracts readers). And they did it for free!
Microsoft has released a new XMPP Gateway for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2. Download the Gateway here. Yes, it’’s a free download.
The OCS Team Blog has razor-sharp instructions on how to setup the new XMPP Gateway here:
Configuring XMPP Connectivity to Gmail
It requires a properly configured OCS 2007 R2 system, an Edge Server, and a server running Windows Server 2008 to host the gateway.
What does this gateway do?
The XMPP Gateway allows interoperability between your OCS 2007 R2 system, and user accounts on Gmail & Cisco’’s Jabber. In other words, you can add Gmail & Jabber users like you would any OCS contact in Office Communicator. See their current status with Presence, and send Instant Messages if they”re available.
(This also means Office Communicator’’s logging capability will record your conversations. Which most IM networks don”t do unless you specify. More on why this is handy later.)
Why install this at all? Won”t it just distract employees even more?
Nope. In fact, I can think of two big reasons why being able to chat with Gmail & Jabber users is good. Before I list them though, I should clarify something about Gmail.
Recently Google added the ability to chat into Gmail’’s interface. (There’’s a FAQ page for it here.) This means everyone who has a Gmail account can IM other Gmail users right from Firefox/Internet Explorer.
Why is this important? Because the first advantage of installing the XMPP Gateway is…
1. It lets you chat with clients & partners who don”t have OCS 2007.
Not everyone uses OCS (yet), so it’’s no guarantee that a client or partner will have it. However, it’’s a pretty safe bet they have Gmail accounts. Which means using this gateway, you can chat with them. Even hold conferences online.
That’’s a huge advantage right there. Some firms only deal with clients through phone and email, usually if they”re overseas or far enough away that time zones factor in. This gateway provides a no-cost way to add IM to that mix.
2. It makes adding OCS more attractive.
If you”re waffling over buying OCS, the ability to IM people on several networks does have some value incentive. Adding chat with Gmail, AIM and MSN/Windows Live increases OCS” usability, like I described above. It also means users will take to it more easily, if they know they can add in colleagues. Or clients. Or even (gasp!) friends.
A final note: Microsoft also dropped PIC license requirements for Windows Live and AIM. You can federate with AIM automatically, if you have a standard CAL for OCS 2007.
Having more Instant Messaging options CAN cause distraction instead of productivity. The whole ”time to panic” thing isn”t completely ridiculous. I addressed this back in May with my “Is There a Reason to Use Instant Messaging in Business?” post.
However, IM is another communication tool. Try the XMPP Gateway out if you already use IM. Or if it”d help with client communications. Chances are, being able to chat with people on the largest webmail provider in the world might just help you out.
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OCS 2007 R2 Web Scheduler Released for Free Download
While we were finishing up the new site (which you can see at www.planetmagpie.com if you like), Microsoft was sneaky and released a new OCS tool!
It’’s called Web Scheduler. It lets you schedule an OCS conference using your browser, instead of Outlook or the Office Communicator desktop client. When you don”t have Outlook open, or can”t get to it for some reason, you can still join conference calls.
The Web Scheduler is pretty small too - less than 2MB. I get the feeling it”ll be included in the next update. But we can start using it in the meantime!
Uses for the Web Scheduler
Web Scheduler lets you:
- Schedule a new Live Meeting conference or conference call.
- View/change details of an existing conference.
- Check the schedules of conference attendees.
- Send out email invitations to conference participants (by using a configured SMTP mail server).
- Join a conference.
I”m thinking of two potentials where an OCS Web Scheduler would be handy.
One, on smartphones. Use OCS as a bridge from your iPhone/Android mobile into a conference while off-site. (Yes, the Office Communicator can do this from phones too. It’’s always good to have a Web-based alternative though.)
Two, when you”re on someone else’’s computer or network. On-site with a client perhaps, or logging in from home.
Any other ideas? Let us know in the Comments.
Technical Details
Web Scheduler is a 64-bit tool. It works on Windows Server 2003 (Standard and Enterprise x64 Edition) and Windows Server 2008. An SMTP server like Microsoft Exchange Server is needed for sending out email invitations in Web Scheduler.
To download Web Scheduler for Microsoft OCS 2007 R2, visit this Microsoft.com page: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6d6848ec-e7d6-41f4-82d9-5bed3526fcbd&displaylang=en
This IS a free download, but of course you”ll need OCS 2007 R2 to run it.
I”ll see about some more technical details - maybe instructions for use - for a later post. Setup is detailed on the above page. Have fun with Web Scheduler!
