Hello,

I first posted this question earlier this week in the SCCM forum (https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/d1190683-0339-4ad9-aca5-a6d36f8cd688/skype-for-business-deployment-wql-queries-and-old-data-records?forum=configmgrgeneral), but since there haven't been any replies, I'm hoping someone might be able to shed some light on the matter in this forum.

I have an interesting dilemma. 

We're trying to deploy Skype for Business to our workstations. We have Lync, in a three variations. They are:

- Workstations with Lync Basic 2013
- Workstations with Office 2013, which includes Lync 2013
- Workstations with O365 Pro Plus, which includes Lync 2013

We've approved and deployed updates KB3039779, KB2889853 and KB3054791 via SCCM, which should apply to the first two variations of Lync. We've also implemented GPO's across our domains that will turn on the automatic updates setting within O365, which should apply to the third variation. And we've also turned on the Skype for Business UI via Powershell for all users. 

As we talk to the user community, we're finding out that many workstations still do not have the Skype for Business UI. 

In an attempt to monitor the deployment, I have created different WQL queries. The first one is based on the SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.DisplayName, but that will only work for Lync Basic 2013, since the other instances of lync are wrapped up into the Office suites. 

The second one is based on SMS_G_System_SoftwareFile.FileName = "lync.exe" and SMS_G_System_SoftwareFile.FileVersion = 15.0.4719.1000, but as I looked through the results, I saw computers that I knew did not have Skype yet; they still have Lync. 

Finally, I created a third query to just look for workstations with "lync.exe" and its version, and that's when I threw in the towel; there were several workstations reporting that they had two or three instances of lync.exe, all different versions. I figured that there were some old records that needed to be purged in SCCM, so I changed the task "Delete Aged Collected Files from 90 to 10 days" on a Friday, hoping that would do the trick, but the results had not changed when I came back in on Monday morning. 

My questions are:

1. How has everyone else been deploying Skype for Business? 
2. How has everyone been monitoring the deployment of Skype for Business?
3. What do I need to do to clean up old records in SCCM? 

Hi Mike,

For your questions, I'm afraid this is not the best place to get answer from. I did some research, below answers are just for your reference. If you haven't get answers from SCCM forum yet, I recommend you post your question in this forum .

1. How has everyone else been deploying Skype for Business? 

"You may use WSUS or any other patch management system (e.g. SCCM) to perform remote updates for those machines. Alternatively, you can download the updates https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2889923 and use GPO to perform the remote installation when user logins to the desktop the next time the machine is being rebooted. Hope this helps!" ---referred from this thread

2. How has everyone been monitoring the deployment of Skype for Business?

If you are using SCCM to do the deployment, I think you can use the Monitor in Configuration Manager Console. Refer to this article.

3. What do I need to do to clean up old records in SCCM? 

Im not sure if expire update contents is an option. Here is a reference for you: This blog.

• Edited by Chloe WangMicrosoft employee, Moderator Tuesday, June 16, 2015 4:40 AM
• Proposed as answer by Chloe WangMicrosoft employee, Moderator Thursday, June 18, 2015 9:23 AM
• Marked as answer by Chloe WangMicrosoft employee, Moderator Tuesday, June 23, 2015 12:57 AM
• Unmarked as answer by Mike Ciccolo 16 hours 41 minutes ago

Hi Mike,

For your questions, I'm afraid this is not the best place to get answer from. I did some research, below answers are just for your reference. If you haven't get answers from SCCM forum yet, I recommend you post your question in this forum .

1. How has everyone else been deploying Skype for Business? 

"You may use WSUS or any other patch management system (e.g. SCCM) to perform remote updates for those machines. Alternatively, you can download the updates https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2889923 and use GPO to perform the remote installation when user logins to the desktop the next time the machine is being rebooted. Hope this helps!" ---referred from this thread

2. How has everyone been monitoring the deployment of Skype for Business?

If you are using SCCM to do the deployment, I think you can use the Monitor in Configuration Manager Console. Refer to this article.

3. What do I need to do to clean up old records in SCCM? 

Im not sure if expire update contents is an option. Here is a reference for you: This blog.

• Edited by Chloe WangMicrosoft employee, Moderator 2 hours 39 minutes ago

Hi Mike,

For your questions, I'm afraid this is not the best place to get answer from. I did some research, below answers are just for your reference. If you haven't get answers from SCCM forum yet, I recommend you post your question in this forum .

1. How has everyone else been deploying Skype for Business? 

"You may use WSUS or any other patch management system (e.g. SCCM) to perform remote updates for those machines. Alternatively, you can download the updates https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2889923 and use GPO to perform the remote installation when user logins to the desktop the next time the machine is being rebooted. Hope this helps!" ---referred from this thread

2. How has everyone been monitoring the deployment of Skype for Business?

If you are using SCCM to do the deployment, I think you can use the Monitor in Configuration Manager Console. Refer to this article.

3. What do I need to do to clean up old records in SCCM? 

Im not sure if expire update contents is an option. Here is a reference for you: This blog.

• Edited by Chloe WangMicrosoft employee, Moderator 2 hours 39 minutes ago

I appreciate your reply, but I unmarked it as the answer, as it did not answer my questions. 

I realize my SCCM-related questions are not meant for the Office forums, and belong in various forums. The reason  why I posted in here was because no one had replied to me in the SCCM forum, and I thought that perhaps folks in the Office section would be able to shed some light on the matter, since Skype comes bundled with the Office suites.  

I'll reword my questions and post in the Lync section. 

Thanks.