DNS Requirements for Simple URLs
Topic Last Modified: 2011-03-23
Microsoft Lync Server 2010 introduces simple URLs, which make joining meetings easier for your users, and make getting to Microsoft Lync Server 2010 administrative tools easier for your administrators. For details about simple URLs, see Planning for Simple URLs.
Lync Server 2010 supports the following three simple URLs: Meet, Dial-In, and Admin. You are required to set up simple URLs for Meet and Dial-In, and the Admin simple URL is optional. The Domain Name System (DNS) records that you need to support simple URLs depend on how you have defined these simple URLs. There are three different ways you can define the URLs.
Simple URL Option 1
In Option 1, you create a new base URL for each simple URL.
Note
When a user clicks a simple URL meeting link, the server that the DNS A record resolves to determines the correct client software to start. After the client software is started, it automatically communicates with the pool where the conference is hosted. This way, users are directed to the appropriate server for meeting content no matter which server or pool the simple URL DNS A records resolve to.
Simple URL Option 1
Simple URL |
Example |
Meet |
https://meet.contoso.com, https://meet.fabrikam.com, and so on (one for each SIP domain in your organization) |
Dial-in |
https://dialin.contoso.com |
Admin |
https://admin.contoso.com |
If you use Option 1, you must define the following:
For each Meet simple URL, you need a DNS A record that resolves the URL to the IP address of the Director, if you have one deployed. Otherwise, it should resolve to the IP address of the load balancer of a Front End pool. If you have not deployed a pool and are using a Standard Edition server deployment, the DNS A record must resolve to the IP address of one Standard Edition server in your organization.
If you have more than one SIP domain in your organization and you use this option, you must create Meet simple URLs for each SIP domain and you need a DNS A record for each Meet simple URL. For example, if you have both contoso.com and fabrikam.com, you will create DNS A records for both https://meet.contoso.com and https://meet.fabrikam.com.
Alternatively, if you have multiple SIP domains and you want to minimize the DNS record and certificate requirements for these simple URLs, use Option 3 as described later in this topic.
For the Dial-in simple URL, you need a DNS A record that resolves the URL to the IP address of the Director, if you have one deployed. Otherwise, it should resolve to the IP address of the load balancer of a Front End pool. If you have not deployed a pool and are using a Standard Edition server deployment, the DNS A record must resolve to the IP address of one Standard Edition server in your organization.
The Admin simple URL is internal only. It requires a DNS A record that resolves the URL to the IP address of the Director, if you have one deployed. Otherwise, it should resolve to the IP address of the load balancer of a Front End pool. If you have not deployed a pool and are using a Standard Edition server deployment, the DNS A record must resolve to the IP address of one Standard Edition server in your organization.
Simple URL Option 2
With Option 2, the Meet, Dial-in, and Admin simple URLs all have a common base URL, such as lync.contoso.com. Therefore, you need only one DNS A record for these simple URLs, which resolves lync.contoso.com to the IP address of a Director pool or Front End pool. If you have not deployed a pool and are using a Standard Edition server deployment, the DNS A record must resolve to the IP address of one Standard Edition server in your organization.
Note that if you have more than one SIP domain in your organization, you must still create Meet simple URLs for each SIP domain and you need a DNS A record for each Meet simple URL. In this example, while three simple URLs are all based on lync.contoso.com, an additional Meet simple URL for fabrikam.com is set up with a different base URL. In this example, you must create DNS A records for both https://lync.contoso.com and https://lync.fabrikam.com. Simple URL Option 3 shows another way to handle naming and DNS A records if you have multiple SIP domains.
Simple URL Option 2
Simple URL |
Example |
Meet |
https://lync.contoso.com/Meet, https://lync.fabrikam.com/Meet, and so on (one for each SIP domain in your organization) |
Dial-in |
https://lync.contoso.com/Dialin |
Admin |
https://lync.contoso.com/Admin |
Simple URL Option 3
Option 3 is most useful if you have many SIP domains, and you want them to have separate simple URLs but want to minimize the DNS record and certificate requirements for these simple URLs. In this example, you need only one DNS A record, which resolves lync.contoso.com to the IP address of a Director pool or Front End pool.
Simple URL Option 3
Simple URL |
Example |
Meet |
https://lync.contoso.com/contosoSIPdomain/Meet https://lync.contoso.com/fabrikamSIPdomain/Meet |
Dial-in |
https://lync.contoso.com/contosoSIPdomain/Dialin https://lync.contoso.com/fabrikamSIPdomain/Dialin |
Admin |
https://lync.contoso.com/contosoSIPdomain/Admin https://lync.contoso.com/fabrikamSIPdomain/Admin |