Active Directory

Like many other Microsoft applications, Lync Server has a high level of dependency on Active Directory (AD). Lync Server must be installed in an Active Directory environment, and there are certain attributes that must be available in the AD schema for Lync to install. For these reasons, Microsoft includes a set of wizards with the Lync media that assist administrators with preparing Active Directory to support Lync Server. Using these AD preparation wizards in the appropriate order makes this aspect of the Lync installation quite simple. However, since the health of the Lync environment is highly dependent on the health of Active Directory, it makes sense for administrators to perform a basic health check of AD prior to using the Lync AD preparation wizards.

Active Directory requirements for Lync include the following:

• All domain controllers in the forest must run Windows Server 2003 or higher.

• The domain functional level for domains where Lync Server is deployed must be Windows Server 2003 native or higher (not Windows Server 2003 mixed).

• The forest functional level for the forest must be Windows Server 2003 native or higher (not Windows Server 2003 mixed).