Thread: Installing OCS 2007

Now comes the real task. If you are sure that all pre-requisites have been installed on machines and all are in the same do¬main then you can start with the OCS in¬stallation process. Place the OCS 2007 DVD in the drive and initiate the installa¬tion by clicking on the setup file. On the first screen you get three different scenar¬ios to deploy on:

1.Consolidated Topology: Deploy a pool and install all components on a physical server.

2.Expanded Topology: Deploy a pool and install each front end server on separate machines.

3. Deploy other server roles such as OCS archiving and CDR server, edge server, etc.

In the fitst step the schema, forest and domain of your Active Directory is prepared for OCS 2007. For initiating the process click on 'Prepare Active Direc¬tory' link and you get a new wizard with five different steps. The first step is to pre¬pare the schema. For this, click on the 'Run' button in the 'Prep Schema' option. A new schema preparation wizard comes up. Here, click on Next to proceed. This provides you with two options. First take up a default schema file which is inside the OCS directory or you can specify your own schema file. To specify your own schema file click on the browse button and navigate to the location of your file. Select the file and click on Ok. Click on Next and then click on Finish to complete the wizard. Next comes preparing Forest.



For this, click on 'Run' in the 'Prep Forest' section. A Forest preparation wizard ap¬pears. Now, click on 'Next' to proceed. You get an option for storing global set¬ting. First store the global setting in the system container (recommended) and the second option is configuration partition, which is used for storing at the root of the domain. Choose the first one and proceed. Next select the domain of your ADS and the SIP domain and proceed. Fi¬nally click on 'Finish' to complete the wiz¬ard. In the next wizard, ie domain preparation, no input is required; so with a couple of clicks the wizard can be completed.

Now you have to create an enterprise pool. Click on 'Run' under the create en¬terprise pool section to launch a wizard. Click on Next and specify the pool name and path where the MS SQL instance is running. Now click on Next twice. If you have any existing database with the same name then you have the option of replacing it by checking the 'Replace ex¬isting database' check box provided in this set. Click on Next and provide the path to the shared folder where OCS can store content (an FQDN path). You need three such folders with full rights (read, write and modify). Next provide the folder for storing address books, ie the third folder that you have created. Click on Next and then click on Finish to com¬plete the wizard.

Now we'll configure the pools. Click on 'Run' under the 'Configure Pool' sec¬tion. Select the existing pool name from the drop down box you just created and click on Next. Then add the SIP domain to your environment, if it is not already in your domain, else check if your domain is listed and click on Next. If your domain name is not present in the list, then add the domain by clicking on the 'Add' but¬ton. Next check how you want your clients to login. You have two different op¬tions, one will use DNS SRV records and the second is to do it manually. Next select the SIP domain supported by the pool and click on Next. Again click on 'Next' and then on 'Finish' to complete the wizard.

Next configure the Certificate by clicking on 'Run' under the 'configure certificate'section. Choose 'create a new certificate' and proceed. Then, select the first option i.e. 'send request immediately to an online certification authority' and click on Next. Then you have to specify the certificate name and bit length, name of the organization and unit, the subject name and location information like coun¬try name, state, etc. Keep clicking Next as you complete this information. Lastly, se¬lect the certificate authority from the drop down list.

Finally, when everything has been in¬stalled and configured, start OCS 2007 services by clicking on 'Run' under the 'Start service' section. You can also vali¬date the server functionality by clicking on 'validate server functionality' link in step 8. All you have to do is to enable DC for your ADS users from 'Active Directory Users and Computers' MMC and right click on the user and say 'Enable UC.'
Next month we will go beyond this and talk about deploying some interest¬ing features in OCS 2007.