WAN-Dependent Productivity

A final consideration when planning the architecture is whether the users are still productive without a WAN connection. It is possible to design the Lync voice architecture with a survivable branch component or Front End pool so that voice is unaffected by a WAN outage, but it might not be worth the trouble if the users still cannot get any work done because they require WAN access. In this case a better solution might be to tell the users to go home or to the closest coffee shop to try to work. As Internet users, they can sign in through the Edge Servers and have full Lync capabilities, except for receiving PSTN calls through the isolated site. Outbound PSTN calls can be sent out a different media gateway via additional PSTN usages in the user voice policies. Features such as Enhanced Alternate Routing (EAR) from a telephony provider can be used to redirect inbound calls to an auto attendant in the datacenter or a main line in another site. Figure 32.7 displays an alternative option for businesses, in which workers have remote connectivity to the Lync infrastructure.

Figure 32.7. Remote workers during a WAN outage.