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Summary
Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software supports computer networks that are designed to meet the needs of a variety of organizations. These organizations can be small, medium, or large, and they have varying requirements for performance, high availability, and scalability. In this article, we will focus on the needs of a very small organization, consisting of a single Active Directory domain.
More Information
The simplest Active Directory topology supported by Lync Server 2010 is a computer network that is known as a single-domain forest. The following figure illustrates a Lync Server 2010 deployment in a single-domain Active Directory topology.

If you have a very small organization, and you want to employ Microsoft Lync Server 2010 as your business communication solution, you would likely use Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition server. The following features are available in Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition:
For information about the server roles, databases, and file shares that you can run on the same computer hardware as a Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition server deployment, see Server Collocation in a Standard Edition Server Deployment.
The following sections provide more information about the supported software and hardware configurations for Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition server.
Important Do not install both the Monitoring Server and the Archiving Server server roles on a Standard Edition server in a production environment.
Operating system requirements
Some of these software requirements apply only to specific server roles or components. For more information about the software requirements for Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition, see Additional Software Requirements.

- IM and presence
- Conferencing
- A/V conferencing
- Dial-in conferencing
- Enterprise voice
- Virtualization
For information about the server roles, databases, and file shares that you can run on the same computer hardware as a Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition server deployment, see Server Collocation in a Standard Edition Server Deployment.
The following sections provide more information about the supported software and hardware configurations for Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition server.
Server roles
The following server roles can be installed on the same computer:- Standard Edition server with A/V Conferencing service and Mediation service By default, the A/V Conferencing service and Mediation service are installed together. You can deploy the Mediation service as a separate server or pool. However, you cannot deploy A/V Conferencing service as a separate server or pool.
- Standard Edition server with Monitoring Server and Archiving Server (for testing only) You can install the Monitoring Server, the Archiving Server, or both on the Standard Edition server in a test environment.
Important Do not install both the Monitoring Server and the Archiving Server server roles on a Standard Edition server in a production environment.Databases
By default, the SQL Server Express back-end database is installed together with the Standard Edition server. Note the following restrictions:- You cannot move the back-end database to a separate computer.
- ou cannot install other SQL Server instances or additional SQL Server databases on the Standard Edition server.
Hardware Recommendations for Servers Running Lync Server 2010
Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software server roles and computers running Lync Server administrative tools require 64-bit hardware. The specific hardware that is used for Lync Server 2010 deployment can vary depending on size and usage requirements. For more information, see Server Hardware Platforms.Operating system requirements
- Lync Server 2010 servers are supported on Windows Server 2008 x64 and Windows Server 2008 R2 server operating systems.
- Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software administrative tools are installed by default on the server that is running Lync Server 2010. However, you can install administrative tools separately on other computers that are running Windows operating systems. For example, you can use a client computer running Windows 7 as an administrative console for planning purposes. For more information, see Server and Tools Operating System Support.
Certificate Infrastructure Support
By default, network communications in Lync Server 2010 are encrypted. Certificates are required for all internal servers that are running Lync Server 2010. Virtually all Lync Server data is protected on the network. This is accomplished by requiring all servers to use certificates and by using Kerberos authentication, TLS, Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol (SRTP), and other industry-standard encryption techniques, including 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:2667698 Lync certificate requirements for user access
Domain Name System (DNS) Infrastructure Support
Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software requires Domain Name System (DNS). For more information see Domain Name System (DNS) Infrastructure Support.Internet Information Services (IIS) Support
Several Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software components require Internet Information Services (IIS). For details about the IIS requirements for Lync Server 2010 components, see Internet Information Services (IIS) Requirements.Other software requirements
Lync Server 2010 requires the installation of other software on specific components prior to or during installation. For more information, see Additional Server Support and Requirements.Some of these software requirements apply only to specific server roles or components. For more information about the software requirements for Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition, see Additional Software Requirements.