Hi,

We have Lync Server 2010 FE and Edge running at our main  HQ, with two remote branch offices.  we are considering deploying Lync Enterprise Voice at one of the branch offices. the site is presently using a Nortel BCM 450, with 2 E1's. I would think a phased migration to Lync voice would be the best solution, with a mediation server at the branch office. Would appreciate any help on the deployment. The BCM also connects to a Nortel CS1000E and a Cisco UCM at the other offices. 

1. Would I need a gateway device to integrate Lync with the BCM? Where would it be best to place the gateway?

2. Would the users and phones need to be managed from the main office Lync Server?  

Thanks. Re

Hi,

There are a few ways to approach this scenario dependant on your requirements.

Typically, what you have presented so far would suit an SBA (survivable Branch Appliance) in your remote office. Naturally I'm assuming you already have a central lync site at your main office.

An SBA will give you a local registrar for users at that office, an embedded mediation server, and a gateway solution for PSTN connectivity.

You can terminate your E1 lines on the SBA, but should also consider moving to a SIP trunk instead of E1 as this would be a good time given you are looking at deploying voice there.

The gateway (SBA) will sit between your existing PBX and the PSTN, and all call flow will pass through the gateway to the legacy PBX.

By having this SBA, your branch users will be able to make external calls and operate within their own office even if their link (WAN) to the main office goes down. There will however be some limitations such as response groups and conferencing which will rely on the Lync FE at the main office.

With this SBA you are free to peel off and migrate users over to Lync at your own pace, all the time allowing call flow between systems and with the external PSTN.

In answer to your questions;

1.) It is prefered to use a gateway, but you could have direct SIP between the Lync and the legacy PBX (inter trunk routing).

2.) Users at the branch office would be registered against the SBA in the branch office. I don't understand the management question entirely, you can manage them from the Lync FE at your central office or the SBA at teh branch.

Quite a generalised answer to a broad scenario, but I'm happy to answer more specific questions you might have.

Kind regards
Ben

Thanks Ben,

I wasn't aware that the SBA would act as the mediation server as well. A few more queries, please

1. Fax integration would be through the SBA as well?

2. Would the lync users communicate with the Cisco UCM and the Nortel CS1000E,  through the SBA as well?

3. Does voice conferencing between Lync users at the branch require the Front End Server? 

Thanks again.

Ben nailed it. 

1) It depends on what kind of fax integration, you could get an SBA that supports analog or FXS ports and connect fax machines to it, but if you're talking about a fax server, then you'd need additional software.

2) Yes, calls would flow through the SBA to the gateway that is usually a part of the SBA, to the Nortel via the E1s.  The gateway may need to be able to support 4 E1s in this upstream configuration that Ben suggested, the two coming in from the PSTN, and two flowing back into your existing PBX environment.  Think of the gateway device like a router. 

3) Peer-to-peer voice will stay local to the branch, but a conference will hit an associated front end pool, yes.

4) Don't forget Exchange for voicemail if you need it. 

Hello All
also to add to this if you have a requirement for further FXS ports. (its worth noting in a gateway i.e.: Sonus SBC2000 you only get 4 ports!!) you would be better going down the Tenor FXS analogue gateways for a few hundred pounds.

Regards

Iain Smith

Please remember, if you see a post that helped you please click "Vote As Helpful" and if it answered your question please click "Mark As Answer". Thanks Again!

 http://www.northernlync.co.uk or twitter @northernlync

Hi,

There are a few ways to approach this scenario dependant on your requirements.

Typically, what you have presented so far would suit an SBA (survivable Branch Appliance) in your remote office. Naturally I'm assuming you already have a central lync site at your main office.

An SBA will give you a local registrar for users at that office, an embedded mediation server, and a gateway solution for PSTN connectivity.

You can terminate your E1 lines on the SBA, but should also consider moving to a SIP trunk instead of E1 as this would be a good time given you are looking at deploying voice there.

The gateway (SBA) will sit between your existing PBX and the PSTN, and all call flow will pass through the gateway to the legacy PBX.

By having this SBA, your branch users will be able to make external calls and operate within their own office even if their link (WAN) to the main office goes down. There will however be some limitations such as response groups and conferencing which will rely on the Lync FE at the main office.

With this SBA you are free to peel off and migrate users over to Lync at your own pace, all the time allowing call flow between systems and with the external PSTN.

In answer to your questions;

1.) It is prefered to use a gateway, but you could have direct SIP between the Lync and the legacy PBX (inter trunk routing).

2.) Users at the branch office would be registered against the SBA in the branch office. I don't understand the management question entirely, you can manage them from the Lync FE at your central office or the SBA at teh branch.

Quite a generalised answer to a broad scenario, but I'm happy to answer more specific questions you might have.

Kind regards
Ben

• Proposed as answer by Anthony Caragol 21 hours 29 minutes ago
• Marked as answer by MathewKEO 18 hours 12 minutes ago

Hi,

There are a few ways to approach this scenario dependant on your requirements.

Typically, what you have presented so far would suit an SBA (survivable Branch Appliance) in your remote office. Naturally I'm assuming you already have a central lync site at your main office.

An SBA will give you a local registrar for users at that office, an embedded mediation server, and a gateway solution for PSTN connectivity.

You can terminate your E1 lines on the SBA, but should also consider moving to a SIP trunk instead of E1 as this would be a good time given you are looking at deploying voice there.

The gateway (SBA) will sit between your existing PBX and the PSTN, and all call flow will pass through the gateway to the legacy PBX.

By having this SBA, your branch users will be able to make external calls and operate within their own office even if their link (WAN) to the main office goes down. There will however be some limitations such as response groups and conferencing which will rely on the Lync FE at the main office.

With this SBA you are free to peel off and migrate users over to Lync at your own pace, all the time allowing call flow between systems and with the external PSTN.

In answer to your questions;

1.) It is prefered to use a gateway, but you could have direct SIP between the Lync and the legacy PBX (inter trunk routing).

2.) Users at the branch office would be registered against the SBA in the branch office. I don't understand the management question entirely, you can manage them from the Lync FE at your central office or the SBA at teh branch.

Quite a generalised answer to a broad scenario, but I'm happy to answer more specific questions you might have.

Kind regards
Ben

• Proposed as answer by Anthony Caragol Wednesday, November 20, 2013 2:24 PM
• Marked as answer by MathewKEO Wednesday, November 20, 2013 5:41 PM

Thanks Anthony/Iain/Ben,

With a single Front End Server at the main HQ, the links would take a hit, if single or multiple conferencse were to occur at the branch site. Are there any alternatives to this? Could I perhaps have another Front End  at the remote site that would handle the conferences?

Thanks everyone again.

You're right, add a standard edition front end server with the mediation role and use the same gateway.  That will avoid the hit for PSTN conferences, but to remove a hit for video/web conferences you'll also need to consider an edge server and publishing the front end's external web services through that branch.