Expert Tips from the CompuCom Microsoft Licensing Desk

With the introduction of Lync Server 2010 came some long-awaited options for IT managers… virtualization and easy-to-deploy multi-role servers. For the first time in Microsoft’s Unified Communications solution, these configurations are fully supported and are quickly becoming the norm in Lync deployments. While this can make things easier when designing the architecture, it can also complicate things when it comes to the correct way to license the servers. Here are some of the key areas for companies to consider:

• A Lync Server license is required for each physical or virtual instance of the Lync Front End Server Role.
• Both Standard and Enterprise editions can be installed and configured in many server roles.
• Server roles are Lync 2010 instances that run a specialized set of functionalities, such as audio/video conferencing, edge services, etc.
• Some server roles are considered to be additional software and do not require a Lync 2010 server license. For these roles, you may run any number of instances directly with the Front End Server Role. The server roles that do not require additional licenses are:
  

- Archiving & Monitoring Role
- A/V Conferencing Server Role
- Central Management Server Role
- Mediation Role
- US Application Server Role
- Director Server Role
- Edge Server Role
- Web Conferencing Server Role
- Lync Web App Server Role
- Reach Application Server Role