How to remove the LastActive attribute from the aggregation state category in Lync Server 2010 or Lync Server 2013

This article describes how to remove the LastActive attribute from the aggregation state category in Microsoft Lync Server 2010 or Lync Server 2013. 

Note The Lync Server presence scheme includes a method for calculating and displaying how long a user has been away or offline. This is known as "Last Active." The LastActive attribute returns presence inquiries only from users who have the "Colleagues," "Workgroup," and "Friends and Family" privacy relationships. For more information about presence information in Lync Server, see the "References" section.

Lync Server always calculates the Last Active time stamp during presence aggregation for each user and stores it in a database. Last Active presence information is retrieved to satisfy individual presence inquiries and subscriptions by other users. This occurs according to the access level that the users were assigned. The design of the Last Active presence information has changed for the following reasons:

• Last Active presence information may be incorrectly interpreted as reflecting the actual user’s status at work. Therefore, users may rely on it to remotely monitor an employee’s activity. However, this behavior is not allowed in some countries.
• Last Active presence information that is provided to users should not disclose how long a user is away or offline for business reasons.

Note The aggregate presence data that is calculated by Lync Server contains the status history of each user’s endpoints if a user is signed to multiple endpoints. The status of each endpoint changes automatically in response to system events (such as logon, logoff, workstation lock and unlock, and network connectivity events), configured timeouts, scheduled meetings, and user activity. The status of each endpoint can also be changed manually by the user. In this situation, Last Active presence information cannot be considered as an accurate measure of the user’s presence. Instead, Last Active presence information is intended to provide additional information about the user’s availability and willingness to communicate.

For Lync Server 2010

To remove the LastActive attribute from the aggregation state category in Lync Server 2010, you must install the following update:

After you apply the update, you have to add a configuration entry in the configuration file on each instance of Lync Server 2010 for which you want to remove the LastActive attribute. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Create a text file that is named Rtcaggregate.exe.config and that includes the following configuration entry:
   
   

   <configuration>
       <appSettings>
         <add key="PublishLastActive" value="false" />
       </appSettings>
   </configuration>

2. Save the file to the following folder:
   %Installation Folder%\Microsoft Lync Server 2010\Server\Core\
3. Copy this file to the %Installation Folder%\Microsoft Lync Server 2010\Server\Core\ folder on every front-end computer in the pool in which you want to remove the LastActive attribute.
4. Restart the Front-End Server service (RtcSrv) to apply these changes.

Note This resolution affects only new data that is published after the update is applied. It does not fix old data. 

For Lync Server 2013

You do not have to apply any update to Lync Server 2013 for enabling this functionality. However, you must set up the configuration file on the Lync Server to stop the Last Active data from being published in presence. You have to add a configuration entry in the configuration file on each instance of Lync Server 2013 for which you want to remove the LastActive attribute.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Create a text file that is named Rtcaggregate.exe.config and that includes the following configuration entry:

   <configuration>
       <appSettings>
         <add key="PublishLastActive" value="false" />
       </appSettings>
   </configuration>

2. Save the file to the following folder:
   %Installation Folder%\Microsoft Lync Server 2013\Server\Core
3. Copy this file to the %Installation Folder%\Microsoft Lync Server 2013\Server\Core folder on every front-end computer in the pool from which you want to remove the LastActive attribute.
4. Restart the Front-End Server service (RtcSrv) to apply these changes.

Note This procedure must be performed on the Lync pools (EE/SE) that host users who want this attribute removed from the presence information. For EE pools, this must be performed on all FEs in the pool.

To work around this issue, users can change the privacy relationship of other users to the External Contacts option. In this configuration, other users can see less information than in the other privacy relationship options. For example, in this configuration, other users cannot see a meeting's subject and location.

For more information about Lync Server presence functionality, click the following link to download the document: