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Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Tool: OCS IM Archive Viewer

  • Artikkeli

Customers sometimes ask how they can see archived instant messages after deploying the Microsoft Office Communication Server 2007 R2, Archiving Server. In response, we’ve developed a new tool called OCS IM Archive Viewer. Although there are some tools (recommended by support engineers at Microsoft) that can help customers retrieve instant messages from an archiving database, these tools don’t retrieve instant messages sent during a conference from an archiving database. You can download the OCS IM Archive Viewer tool from the Download Center.

Authors: Okan Gurer, Faruk Celik

Publication date: June 2011

Product versions: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Microsoft Lync Server 2010

Introduction

The OCS IM Archive Viewer tool provides an easy way to retrieve peer-to-peer instant messages and instant messages that were sent during a conference from your archiving database. You can download the OCS IM Archive Viewer tool from the Download Center.

Description

OCS IM Archive Viewer extends the functionality that is provided in the Updated—Windows PowerShell Script for Retrieving IM from an Archiving Database article.

Output

Use the instructions in this section to set up and use OCS IM Archive Viewer.

Set Up OCS IM Archive Viewer

1. Download OCS IM Archive Viewer.

2. Type the instance name of the SQL database in the OCS Archiving SQL Server Name field.

3. Type the database name in the OCS Archiving Database field. (The default Archiving Server database name is LcsLog.)

4. Click Connect to connect to the database. Notice that the Connect button has been replaced by the Disconnect button as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. OCS IM Archive Viewer v 1.0 dialog box

 

View Peer-to-Peer Instant Messages

1. Select the 1:1 option as shown in Figure 2.

2. Type the SIP address of each user of interest—one per field—in the From/To User1 field and the From/To User2 field.

3. To view all the instant messages that have been sent to and from only one user, type the SIP address of the user in the From/To User1 field.

4. Select a time interval for the instant messages that you want to retrieve, if needed.

5. Click Retrieve Messages to display the instant messages in the data grid window.

Figure 2. Options for retrieving peer-to-peer instant messages

 

View Conference Instant Messages

1. Select the Conference option as shown in Figure 3.

2. Specify the SIP address of a user in the From/To User1 field.

3. Click Retrieve Messages to display all instant messages that were sent during an instant messaging conference that included this user.

Figure 3. Options for retrieving instant messages that were sent during a conference

 

Render Instant Messages as HTML

OCS IM Archive Viewer provides the option to view instant messages as HTML. Click the Render the output as HTML in IE button to display the output in your browser as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5.

Figure 4. HTML output of retrieved peer-to-peer instant messages

 

Figure 5. HTML output of retrieved instant messages in a conference

 

Purpose

Use OCS IM Archive Viewer to easily retrieve peer-to-peer instant messages and instant messages that were sent during a conference from your archiving database.

Requirements

The Microsoft.NET Framework 2.x must be installed. The OCS IM Archive Viewer tool works with the archiving databases in both Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and Office Communications Server 2007. Currently, this tool has not been tested with the Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software Archiving database.

The following operating systems are supported:

  • Windows 7 operating system
  • Windows Vista operating system with Service Pack 1 (SP1)
  • Windows Vista operating system with Service Pack 2 (SP2)
  • Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system Service Pack 1 (SP1)
  • Windows Server 2003 operating system Service Pack 2 (SP2)

Summary

The OCS IM Archive Viewer tool can retrieve and display information from the Archiving back-end database. This tool enables customers to view archived peer-to-peer instant messages and instant messages sent during in a conference.

Additional Information

To learn more, check out the following articles and tools:

· Updated—PowerShell Script for Retrieving IM from Archiving Database

· ArchivingCDR Reporter (ArchivingCDRReporter.exe, ArchivingCDRReporter_Config.xml)

· Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Resource Kit Tools

Lync Server Resources

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Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    @Jon: Hi, Could you please share the exact error message ? If you get a stack trace appreciate if you can post here so we can take a look Faruk

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hi soder, Yes, it's already fixed and sorry about this delay. As we've received some other feedbacks than the one above, we experienced a bit delay. Even though it's just a tool, every single build needs to pass some internal processes because this tool is published on Microsoft Download Center and it needs to pass the processes every single Microsoft "product" pass. We'll do our best to finish the planned fixes, enhancements asap. Regards, Faruk

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    @darkstar3d, Was this error happened only once or you're receiving this error repeatedly ? I mean can you reproduce this issue at will ? As you see from the the stack trace, error appears when you clicked on "Connect" button. I'm wondering if you have tried running the OCS IM ArchiveViewer on top of the SQL Server where you're storing your OCS/Lync Archiving data (Trying a "local connection" to the SQL Server instead of "remote connection" just to avoid any issues between your machine to SQL Server) ? Thanks, Faruk

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    @Jim Please read my response on "10-26-2011 7:38 AM" about timeout error.

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    It is working perfectly with Lync 2010... you only need to run it with elevated privileges

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 08, 2011
    Is it working with Lync Archiving role?

  • Anonymous
    June 08, 2011
    As per as my tests, yes it is working on Lync Archiving database as well. Please share all your experiences if you face any issue. Thanks.

  • Anonymous
    October 25, 2011
    A customer asks: "I am trying to use your tool for querying my OCS Archive database. However, it gives me a time out when attempting to do so. I have tried the OCS Archive viewer on both the same system that is hosting the OCS Archive database, and a separate system. I get an error message which appears to be a timeout." Any ideas here, folks?

  • Anonymous
    February 03, 2012
    Hi Faruk: did you manage to fix this issue? "Very soon" has already expired a couple of months ago :)

  • Anonymous
    March 18, 2012
    Faruk: you are suggesting that as the time of writing my post here, the downloadable version of the tool is still experiencing the issue?

  • Anonymous
    April 24, 2012
    Adding this reader comment (sent to NextHop feedback alias): "Is there an issue with this tool when trying to pull conversations using the 1:1 Messages button?  I get all data instead of the data just between the two dates entered."

  • Anonymous
    April 24, 2012
    A reader asks (sent to NextHop feedback alias): "I am trying to use your tool for querying my OCS Archive database, however it gives me a time out when attempting to do so. I have tried the OCS Archive viewer on both the same system that is hosting the OCS Archive database, and a separate system. I get the below error message which appears to be a timeout."

  • Anonymous
    July 05, 2012
    Hi When trying to use this tool (v1.0) to retrieve conference conversations I get an error 'failed to convert parameter value from a Guid to a Int32' Retrieving a 1:1 conversation works fine only getting the error for the conference chat. Any ideas on how to resolve? Thank you

  • Anonymous
    July 10, 2012
    @Faruk error msg:- Unhandled exception has occurred in your application. if you click continue, the application will ignore this error and attempt to continue. if you click quit, the application will close immediately. Failed to convert parameter value from guid to a int32. is this the rest of what you require:- ************** Exception Text ************** System.InvalidCastException: Failed to convert parameter value from a Guid to a Int32. ---> System.InvalidCastException: Object must implement IConvertible.   at System.Convert.ChangeType(Object value, Type conversionType, IFormatProvider provider)   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlParameter.CoerceValue(Object value, MetaType destinationType)   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlParameter.CoerceValue(Object value, MetaType destinationType)   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlParameter.GetCoercedValue()   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlParameter.Validate(Int32 index, Boolean isCommandProc)   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.BuildParamList(TdsParser parser, SqlParameterCollection parameters)   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.BuildExecuteSql(CommandBehavior behavior, String commandText, SqlParameterCollection parameters, _SqlRPC& rpc)   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReaderTds(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, Boolean async)   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, String method, DbAsyncResult result)   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, String method)   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior behavior, String method)   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteReader()   at OCSArchiveViewer.Form1.parseBody()   at OCSArchiveViewer.Form1.btnGetMessages_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)   at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam) Jon

  • Anonymous
    August 02, 2012
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    August 31, 2012
    I am trying to use this tool, and when I try to get it to even connect, I am getting the timeout error.  Any thoughts?

  • Anonymous
    September 26, 2012
    hi, i test in OCS and Lync and work fine,but have a bug, date filter no work, when retrive mesages, retrive all. thanks

  • Anonymous
    January 09, 2013
    This is rediculous the date filter does not work on 1:1. I have tired it with several user accounts and all data for the past year is being pulled up. I only need the IMs for 2 days. Is there a new version of this tool or has it been sent to the "End of Life" graveyard?