Adventures in Technology

IPAD 3 photo leaked

2012-01-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

Those lucky Canadians have already had a chance to buy the new IPAD 3 dubbed "Claypad" due to it's new flexible screen.

The new unit comes with an updated screen that is virtually unbreakable and as an added bonus finger smudge resistant.

The unit's are also shipping with an updated power supply/wall charger which can be molded to fit any wall outlet in the world...talk about Apple innovation!!!

At this point it appears that these ipad's were the result of a very clever fraudster and the local authorities are investigating. Sorry if I got your hopes up for an actual IPAD 3 but it will probably just look like the old ones with an extra $100 added to the price tag.

Go Android go...hehe.

Siri Hack Allows Voice-Controlled Home Automation

2012-01-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

We've looked at quite a few Siri-based hacks, but this one takes things to yet another level. It focuses on total home automation, allowing you to enable scheduled actions using Siri and the possibility of control while away from your home.

There are plenty of Siri hacks out there, mostly based on the proxy server. We've looked at setups that allow control of lights, curtains, and fans, as well as more advanced things like unlocking the front door.

This hack, developed by Mark Hodder, uses the same Siri proxy server running on a MacBook and X10 board/modules along with an ioBridge, which allows you to control things like lights, home appliances etc.

The X10 board controls different modules that have appliances plugged into them, and you can even plug in surge protectors to a module to control groups of appliances easily. The ioBridge allows this control to be accessed and controlled by a web server.

Hodder explains:

The first step is to get SiriProxy running successfully and the ioBridge module setup with X10. Next you can create individual PHP files for each action and upload them to a folder on your website. Finally create a custom Siri voice command to open the URL of the PHP file you uploaded – this automatically triggers the X10 action and turns the device on or off.

You could even set up scripts to go to CRON jobs, enabling commands like "turn on the Christmas lights at 9 PM," as well as chained commands like "turn off all house lights at 11 PM."

Hodder has also mentioned that this won't work when you leave your home Wi-Fi network, unless you setup a VPN to execute these commands securely from anywhere, a lot like the 2011 Chevy Cruze. Here's a video of the system in action:

Tip: How to Delete Gmail Messages on Your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch

2012-01-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

One of the annoying things if you use the Mail app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch for Gmail or Google Apps account is that when you delete the email, by default Gmail will archive the message instead of sending it to the Trash folder.

Yesterday, Google tweeted that you can finally configure Google Sync to delete messages on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

You can follow these simple steps to enable the "Delete Email as Trash" feature in Google Sync:

Go to m.google.com/sync (update: please note that the Google Sync features are only available only if you've setup your Gmail account as a Microsoft Exchange account)
Here you should see a list of your iOS devices that are configured to use Gmail
Tap on the relevant iOS device.
You should now see an option to Enable "Delete Email as Trash", tap to select this option.

Then tap on the save button.

That's it, now when you tap on the Delete button in the Mail app on that iOS device, Gmail should send the email to the Trash folder instead of archiving it.

Note:

If you're thought you already had this feature. You had probably set up your email account as a Gmail account rather than Microsoft Exchange account.

Google Sync features are available only via Microsoft Exchange. Google Sync via Microsoft Exchange includes features such as push, which means that the emails will be delivered to your iOS device as soon as it arrives, unlike the regular Gmail account, which retrieves emails at the frequency of every x minutes.

How to Upgrade to iOS 5 Today, Without Any Developer Account

2012-01-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

One day and iOS 5 has been hacked already. Gizmodo reader and Apple lover Mert Erdir has discovered how to upgrade to iOS 5 without developer accounts, using a simple backdoor. Everyone can do it following these extremely simple instructions:
The method exploits a security flaw in the activation screen, apparently related to the Voice Over system. Here's how to do it.
Warning: While this operation should be simple, we are not responsible for what you do to your iPhone. Once completed, you will not be able to connect to a carrier. Proceed at your own risk.

Download and install iOS 5

1. Download the iOS 5 IPSW file from the web (it's easy and readily available. Just Google it and torrent it down).
2. Update your iPhone using iTunes. To do this, connect your iPhone to your computer, click on the Check for Update button with the Option (Mac) or Shift (PC) key pressed. Select the iOS 5 IPSW file from the place you downloaded it to.
3. Wait until it upgrades. A new activation screen will appear.

Activate iOS 5

1. Triple click the home button. This will activate the Voice Over.
2. Triple click the home button and Emergency Call will appear.
3. Click on Emergency Call and, while it's switching, swipe with your three fingers down.
4. The Notification Center will appear!
5. Click on the Weather widget. The Weather app will load.
6. Click on the home button to exit to the iPhone's springboard.
That's it. Your iPhone is activated and fully operative. Enjoy and thank Mert Erdir for this clever link. He has this words to say:

My will is not to do something harmful to anyone, I just wanted to get the attention of Apple, the company I'm in love with; and maybe one day have a chance to talk to/meet Steve Jobs himself. You can reach me on Twitter for further questions.
I found this because I don't have much cash to get an IOS Developer account, so donations for a young developer will be appreciated. They can be made on my blog (not in english). You'll see the PayPal donate button on the right. Thanks!

So send the kid some dollars so he can become a pro developer. With his patience and creativity finding this iOS 5 backdoor, I'm sure he will do a great job.

10 Things You Should Know About Facebook Timeline

2012-01-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

After several weeks of delay, Facebook has finally made Timeline accessible to all users. It was originally unveiled in early September and was scheduled to be public by the end of that month.
Between September and now, it has been available to users who had a developer account, giving Facebook a beta period to let a self-selected group of users test it out and provide feedback. Anyone with a developer account, which is free, could sign up for Timeline and enable it; and they could also see other users who had enabled it with a developer account.
Due to Facebook's history of not being so forthcoming with users regarding new features and privacy concerns about those features, I put my hands on the new Timeline early, back in September, to learn as much as I could about it and to put together some answers and tips for people when Timeline became publicly available, as it is now.
Here's a summary of what I've learned. If you're not ready to turn on Timeline for yourself, you can take a tour of it in the slideshow below.

Q: What is Facebook Timeline?
A: Timeline is a new feature in Facebook that replaces the profile page. It shows the story of your life, as you choose to tell it or as Facebook has recorded it, in a visual, scrolling, ordered timeline. It's a cross between visual blog and online scrapbook. Fun fact: Facebook Timeline was accidentally released very briefly to the public back in December 2010 when it was called "Facebook Memories," but it was promptly removed.

Q: How can I get Facebook Timeline?
A: Go to the Facebook Timeline announcement page and look at the bottom of the page for a green button that says "Get Timeline."

Q: What appears on my Timeline?
A: Status updates, photos, friendships made, as well as job history, marital status changes, and other information that you've recorded in your profile.

Q: Is the Timeline replacing my Facebook wall?
A: Yes and no. Timeline will replace your profile page and wall, only after you opt into it and either publish it or seven days after you enable it.
When you log into Facebook and go to Facebook.com, that feed page of Recent Stories will still be the same. But, when you or visitors go to your unique Facebook URL, such as http://www.facebook.com/jillduffyNYC, they'll be able to see your Timeline instead of your old profile information and wall.

Q: I'm worry about privacy! Who can see my Facebook Timeline?
A: Everyone on Facebook will be able to see your Timeline in general, but not everyone will be able to see every post.
The seven day waiting period between when you sign up for Timeline and when it goes live gives you the opportunity to delete items or change the permission settings post by post, photo by photo, and so on.
Every Timeline entry has a pen icon in the upper right corner where you can edit the permissions. See the image above for an example.

Q: Can I restrict which people who can see certain pieces of information, photos, and other details of my Timeline?
A: Yes! In the same way that you can manage who can see a status update or photo, you can limit who sees all the entries of your Timeline. Each entry has a drop-down menu next to it that lets you filter who can see the item.

Q: Can I delete status updates, images, and other content from my Timeline?
A: Yes! Deleting is an option. Just click that pen icon to edit, and you'll see "delete."

Q: When is Facebook Timeline available?
A: Now!

Q: It sounds like you've tried out Facebook Timeline. How is it?
A: I must admit that I liked playing with it a lot more than I liked filling in standard profile information. I set up Timeline on a Facebook account that doesn't have too much data in it, so it didn't feel overwhelming, but I could see how an active Facebook user would feel totally bowled over the first time he or she opened the Timeline. Thankfully, the Timeline has a "publish" button (much like a blog), so you have an opportunity to spend some time teasing it into shape, adding the permissions you want, deleting or marking private images you don't want everyone to see, and so forth. If you don't press the publish button within seven days of setting up your Timeline, however, it will go live automatically!
Most Facebook users, I think, will want to dedicate some time to combing through their information before hitting publish, but it's by and large a one-time setup process. After the one-time setup, new Timeline entries will come from your Facebook activity, and you'll be adding permissions and making other adjustments as you go.
I also like how you can add life events, either current or back-dated. Some of the life events are pre-set in Facebook, like getting a new job and buying a home, but you can also create a custom life event or milestone.

Q: What are some of the cons?
A: The dimensions for display images is unconventional, and I found that I didn't like how most of my images looked when I uploaded them without manipulating their size and dimensions. You can drag an image around the viewer space, but you can't crop or resize from directly within Facebook. (I'm taking bets now on how soon Facebook will build an image editor, or acquire a company that already makes one.)
You can back-date new entries on your timeline with a nice calendar that lets you quickly jump to a year in the past, and optionally, you can add a month. If you want to add a memory from your childhood or back-date photos from your past, it's pretty easy to do so.

Jailbreak 5.0.1 Untethered (iOS 5) – iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad, iPod Touch 4G, 3G

2012-01-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

There are two ways to jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 untethered. If you are already on a tethered jailbreak, you can just download a Cydia package, and if not you will just need to run Redsn0w on your computer. NOTE: This will not work for the iPhone 4S or iPad 2, although those jailbreaks should be coming soon. Also, this will not work on iOS 5.0, so update to 5.0.1 before you try it. Option 1: Already Jailbroken Tethered If you already have a tethered jailbreak, just reload your data in Cydia and search for the package “Corona”. Install it and you jailbreak should now be untethered.

———————————————————————————

Option 2: Not Jailbroken This will probably be the case for most people, and means that you have not had any jailbreak applied to your device. If this is so, jsut follow the directions below to jailbreak your device untethered.

Step 1: Download the latest version of Redsn0w (0.9.10 beta 1) from here.

Step 2: Open Redsn0w. You should see this screen:

Step 3: select “Jailbreak”. You should now be at this screen:

Step 4: Plug your device into the computer and turn it off. Then click “Next >”.

Step 5: Follow the on screen directions to put your device into DFU mode. Your screen should look like this:

Step 6: Let Redsn0w complete the process, and you should be done! Leave a comment telling us how it worked for you, and subscribe to our newsletter below to be notified if and when the jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 is released.

Video tutorial:

2012-01-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

Indian government’s ultra low-cost tablet ‘Aakash’ is finally in front of us. The official launch comes after nearly one year telecom minister Kapil Sibal flaunted a prototype of the device. Previously nicknamed as ‘Sakshat’, the Aakash is being touted as the “world’s cheapest tablet”.

The tablet is considered to be a significant accomplishment for the government, which believes the device will bridge the gap between the rural India and the ongoing technology boom in the country. Of late we have got several queries regarding the new Aakash tablet, so we’ve decided to give you a Facts post, which will help you find answers to most of your queries. Availability: The government will roll out 100,000 units of the Aakash tablet initially. The details of the availability of the device are bit sketchy. The government says it will distribute the device to students through the institutions they are studying. So, best way to find out exact availability of Aakash tablet is to contact your concerned department of your college/institution. Commercially, the device will be launched in November.

Pre-booking for the Aakash tablet (retail version is known as UbiSlate) has already started. For more info on pre-booking click here. rice: Well, the Aakash tablet will be available for students at a subsidised price of nearly Rs. 1,730. However, the exact price of the Aakash is nearly Rs. 2,276, which the government paid for its procurement. As per the official website, the Aakash tablet a.k.a UbiSlate will be commercially available at Rs. 2,999. Plans: As per official website, UbiSlate will come with an unlimited mobile Internet at Rs.98/month.

Specs: The Aakash tablet comes with a seven-inch 800x400 resistive touchscreen. It runs on Android 2.2 Froyo OS and is powered by 366 MHz + HD video co-processor. For connectivity, it has an inbuilt WiFI support and can connect a datacard for 3G and GPRS connectivity. The device comes with a 2GB of storage memory, which can be extended up to 32GB via microSD. It has a 256 MB RAM. The device supports document formats: DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODP and can run PDF viewer, Text editor. It has a 2,100 mAh battery which is promised to give 3 hours of backup depending upon usage.Check out more spec details here.

Versions: Yes, there are two versions of the Aakash tablet. The subsidised Aakash tablet will miss few features such as inbuilt cellular modem and SIM to access Internet. The retail version is likely to sport full-fledged specs as announced by the government. Developed by: The Aakash tablet is designed, developed and manufactured by a Canada-based firm called DataWind in co-ordination with IIT Rajasthan. According to reports, DataWind plans to launch a high end version of the device in less price sensitive markets such as the UK and US. Media seems to love tagging India as the “cheapest market”, especially after the launch of Tata Nano. However, it’s not same for the Aakash. After some search on Internet, we found out that there are a number of tablets available in the same price range and that too with better specs. We already have a seven-inch tablet running Android 2.2 OS with an 800 MHZ Cortex-A8 processor, 256 MB RAM and 2GB hard drive, built-in camera at a price of $ 39.71. And if you slightly go up, you have Maxtouuch 7inch Tablet PC. Similarly, there a number of Chinese companies offering tablets running various Android versions with better processors between the price range of $40-50. The Aakash tablet offers nothing extraordinary other than its ultra low price. If it is overhauled on the specs front with a slight price hike, the Aakash could catch up with other high end but affordable tablets in the market. So, if the retail price for a single unit from an Indian retailer for a more powerful tablet is Rs 5,000 ($100). We are almost sure that the same tablet can be ordered in bulk to get the pricing down to the range of $50. The point is, perhaps the specifications and technology for the Aakash tablet could have been better, especially when you count the exemptions of duty and other benefits that would have been applied to the $35 project. Going by the specifications and the fact that the tablet with run Android 2.2, it's performance might just be below acceptable levels. Unless the Google Android 2.2 OS on the Aakash tablet is heavily modified for performance boost on slower processors, the lag and response of the tablet with a resistive screen can result in a frustrating experience. We hope to get our hands on the $35 gadget soon, we will reserve our final verdict for the detailed review.

Are companies ready for Android?

2012-01-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

Security is still an issue to consider as the trickle of BYO Android phones turns into a flood. With Android smartphones overtaking Apple's iOS market share in May last year, it's inevitable companies will be asked to integrate the open operating system into their closed networks. But questions remain over Android's suitability for corporate environments, especially when it comes to security. Malware continues to haunt the Android Market, with a number of smartphone games recently removed by Google after it was revealed they contained code for an SMS scam affecting users with European SIM cards. Juniper Networks said late last year Android malware had jumped 472 per cent with most of the growth in threats comes from apps available from sites not associated with Google's Android Market. Marc Maiffret, CTO of digital security consultant eEye, doubts business is ready for Android. He sees its fragmentary nature as the biggest stumbling block. "Android gets a bad rap but the OS itself isn't that bad from a security perspective," he says. "The problem is the lack of timely updates from (hardware) manufacturers who create their own modified versions." Michelle Savage, spokesperson for US mobile security provider NetQuin says "employees and IT managers are simply not prepared for a world running on handhelds". Unlike Apple, Google neither screens apps nor fully controls the distribution of software updates. The result is an environment more like that of Linux, with versions as varied as the environments they occupy. David Astley, IT Operations Manager for Australia/NZ optometrist chain Specsavers, helped oversee a move from Blackberry to Android across the corporate fleet following a move to Gmail as the company email server. "We're reading what everyone else is, that there's a shift toward BYO," Astley says. "There are lots of ways people can get around security by emailing attachments and using USB devices." Astley says Specsavers is testing thin client technology as a way to avoid such workarounds. That is something Matthew Toohey, general manager information services for iiNet, has already put in place. "We'll allow staff to use any device to access systems, though we'll retain strict control within secure networks by enforcing port-level security, encryption, multiple passwords, auto lockouts and 802.1x authorisation regardless of wired or wireless. Networks are segregated based on security requirements," Toohey says. Rodney Gedda, analyst with telecommunications industry research company Telsyte, however says Android already has some serious security backing. "[The big security vendors] are supporting Android, which flies in the face of the scare-mongering. We're talking about large companies with their reputations on the line – if it was a hot potato they wouldn't do that." In fact, Gedda says, implementing a security policy might be preferable on Android over others. "Android has better access to lower level components like the kernel. iOS, by contrast, is a very closed ecosystem and everything has to go through Apple's vetting process." As a minimum, says Savage, companies should insist on the basics of phone security. "A sound corporate policy might start with the simple mandate of locking and secure passwords for mobile devices and a loss-prevention security system that locks and wipes the device if it gets lost of stolen." Google says its operating system is safe. As Android product manager Gabe Cohen claims on his blog, the latest version of the OS 'Ice Cream Sandwich provides full internal storage encryption on both phones and tablets. We openly share how we implemented encryption within Android, and will soon open-source our implementation for further review within the Android community.' Sean Greene works for US data recovery firm Evidence Solutions, a company now allowing employees to bring their own Android devices to work to access company data, and he says the best defence can simply be to recruit staff as gatekeepers. "Keeping malware out of a system is done through user education, not software," Greene says.

Google to debut Android tablet

2012-01-14T17:32:00.001-08:00

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt has revealed that the company is planning to bring its flagship Android tablet to the market in the next six months to rival Apple’s iPad. “In the next six months we plan to market a tablet of the highest quality,” Schmidt told an Italian newspaper.

Google has already had a hand in the development of the Motorola Xoom, but like other Android tablets, it suffered disappointing sales in a market dominated by the iPad. Since then Google has itself become a major hardware manufacturer via its 12.5 billion dollars acquisition Motorola’s devices division, which is currently under consideration by competition authorities. According to The Telegraph, Schmidt paid tribute to Steve Jobs'' role in kickstarting the tablet market, describing the iPad as “amazing”. “Steve Jobs was the Michelangelo of our time. A friend of mine and a unique character, able to combine creativity and visionary genius with an extraordinary engineering ability,” the paper quoted him, as saying. “Steve realised the revolutionary potential of the tablet and created an amazing product like the iPad,” he added. Schmidt said that competition between Android smartphones and the iPhone will be “brutal”. In the smartphone market, Google designs the Nexus range as both a testing ground for new versions of Android and to show off cutting-edge hardware. Samsung manufactures the most recent device, the Galaxy Nexus.

Lync Server 2010 Troubleshooting Tips

2011-11-22T09:06:00.001-08:00

When deploying Lync Server 2010 you will most likely come across a lot of strange behaviour and stuff that don’t work as expected due to configuration errors or environmental issues. I will in this post try to collect the solutions and articles I find and update along the way, to have troubleshooting tips in one place. Please let me know if any good blog posts or articles that solve some specific problems is not listed here.
General Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting Lync may be a daunting task since there is a lot of elements that is involved in a deployment. Over the years troubleshooting OCS and Lync I have found a routine for eliminating problems. If you have deployed Lync Server and there is connectivity issues or some features not working I usually go about it in the following order:

Remember to run the Lync Control Panel, Lync Server Management Shell, BPA and other tools by right clicking and choose “Run as administrator”
Check that services are running
- Use PS command: Get-CsWindowsService -ExcludeActivityLevel | ft Name, Status
Start any stopped services
- Use PS onliner: Get-CsWindowsService -ExcludeActivityLevel | where {$_.Status -like "Stopped"} | Start-CsWindowsService
Check CMS replication
- Use PS command: Get-CsManagementStoreReplicationStatus
Check Event Viewer on Server and Client if there are any errors
Open the Topology Builder, check for misconfiguration
Check that ports are open and listening using the PortQueryUI tool
- Download it here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310099
- Use netstat: netstat -an | find /i “5060″
Install the Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Resource Kit Tools, if its not already installed
- Download it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=80cc5ce7-970d-4fd2-8731-d5d7d0829266&displaylang=en
Run the TopologyValidator from the Resource Kit
- Using the Lync Topology Validator: http://www.confusedamused.com/notebook/using-the-lync-topology-validator/
Install and run Lync Server 2010, Best Practices Analyzer
- Download it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=030548df-0dc7-4f86-b8a9-2f5ec8de8ba5&displaylang=en
Break out Lync Logging tool and analyze traffic with Snooper from the Resource Kit
- Lync Logging Tool: http://www.ultimate-communications.com/2010/11/how-to-troubleshoot-lync-using-lync-server-logging-tool-snooper-v4/
- Snooper: http://blogs.technet.com/b/drrez/archive/2011/01/17/microsoft-lync-server-2010-resource-kit-tool-snooper.aspx
Analyze protocol traffic with Network Monitor or Wireshark
- Network Monitor: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=983b941d-06cb-4658-b7f6-3088333d062f&displaylang=en
- Wireshark: http://www.wireshark.org/
- Wireshark Capture Tips: http://blog.schertz.name/2011/10/wireshark-capture-tips/
Stress test the solution to see if load is the issue, download and install Lync Server 2010, Stress and Performance Tool
- Download it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=94b5f191-6d80-4dec-94c2-fca57995f8b7&displaylang=en

If you have any tips of commands or tools not listed here, please let me know
Deployment Troubleshooting

Lync Server 2010 Setup or Remove Lync Components Fails on Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1: http://blogs.technet.com/b/nexthop/archive/2011/03/15/lync-server-2010-setup-or-remove-lync-components-fails-on-windows-server-2008-r2-sp1.aspx
Error 0×80070020 when you try to run Setup Lync Server Components: http://msunified.net/2010/12/15/error-0×80070020-when-you-try-to-run-setup-lync-server-components/
Dedicated Lync Server 2010 Mediation Server with two NIC’s: http://msunified.net/2011/02/22/dedicated-lync-server-2010-mediation-server-with-two-nics/
Message Queuing Issues on Microsoft Lync Server 2010: http://blogs.technet.com/b/nexthop/archive/2011/05/03/troubleshooting-microsoft-message-queuing-issues-on-microsoft-lync-server-2010.aspx
Error Deploying Lync 2010 Monitoring Reports: http://waveformation.com/2011/03/31/error-deploying-lync-2010-monitoring-reports/
Troubleshooting Lync Edge, XMPP Gateway, and TLS Negotiation Errors: http://blogs.pointbridge.com/Blogs/Crockett_keenan/Pages/Post.aspx?_ID=7

Client Troubleshooting

How to check SRV records for OCS/Lync and Exchange: http://msunified.net/2010/08/09/how-to-check-srv-records-for-ocs-and-exchange/
Lync cannot verify that the server is trusted for your sign-in address: http://blogs.technet.com/b/jenstr/archive/2011/02/10/lync-cannot-verify-that-the-server-is-trusted-for-your-sign-in-address.aspx
Troubleshooting Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Clients: Help Desk Resource: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=4222e61c-c199-47e0-b649-495b12d0b5e7&displaylang=en
TechNet Article Troubleshooting Clients: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg195811.aspx
TechNet Article Troubleshooting Devices: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg425952.aspx
Troubleshooting Connectivity for Mac clients: http://blogs.technet.com/b/nexthop/archive/2010/12/13/troubleshooting-connectivity-for-messenger-for-mac-7-0-2-and-communicator-for-mac-2011-with-communications-server-2007-r2-and-lync-server-2010.aspx
Lync 2010 stopped joining Online Meetings: http://trogjels.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/lync-stopped-joining-online-meetings/

Control Panel Troubleshooting:

TechNet Article Troubleshooting Lync Server 2010 Control Panel: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg195689.aspx
“Insufficient access rights to perform the operation” when attempting a move user or enable user command: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2466000#appliesto
Lync Control Panel Fails When Moving Legacy Users: http://blogs.pointbridge.com/Blogs/Crockett_keenan/Pages/Post.aspx?_ID=4

Post Deployment

Stale OCS objects showing up in Lync BPA: http://msunified.net/2011/04/13/stale-ocs-objects-showing-up-in-lync-bpa/
Lync Server Front End: Lost connection to the Web Conferencing Edge Server: http://msunified.net/2011/02/09/lync-server-front-end-lost-connection-to-the-web-conferencing-edge-server/
Troubleshooting Archiving Server: http://blogs.technet.com/b/nexthop/archive/2011/05/09/troubleshooting-archiving-server.aspx
Understanding and Troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange Server Integration White Paper: http://blogs.technet.com/b/nexthop/archive/2011/05/11/understanding-and-troubleshooting-microsoft-exchange-server-integration-white-paper.aspx
Logging on a Lync Enterprise Pool – Federation Troubleshooting: http://ocsguy.com/2011/07/11/logging-on-a-lync-enterprise-pool/

Also se the Lync Resource Kit Book chapter about Troubleshooting Basics: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=8c64a1e1-f0b3-479c-a265-e480875c61d8&displaylang=en

How to Check if you are running Lync Server Evaluation or Licensed Version

2011-11-22T09:04:00.001-08:00

Found a simple cmdlet to verify this: Get-CsServerVersion

When run it will attempt to
Read the registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Real-Time Communications\{A593FD00-64F1-4288-A6F4-E699ED9DCA35}\Type
Based on that registry value, the cmdlet will then report back the version number of the software and the Lync Server licensing information the local computer and report back one of the following:

That the Lync Server volume license key has been installed on the computer, meaning that no updating is necessary.
That the Lync Server evaluation license key has been installed, meaning that the computer must be updated.
That no volume license key is required on the computer. Updating from the evaluation version to the licensed version is only required on Front End Servers, Directors, and Edge Servers.

What if Evaluation Version is installed and you have to upgrade to Licensed Version?

Log on to the computer as a local administrator
Click Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft Lync Server 2010, and then click Lync Server Management Shell
In the Lync Server Management Shell, type the following command and then press ENTER:

msiexec.exe /fvomus server.msi EVALTOFULL=1 /qb
Note that you might need to specify the full path to the file server.msi. This file can be found in the Setup folder of the Lync Server Volume media installation files.

After Setup finishes running, type the following from the command prompt and then press ENTER:

Enable-CsComputer
Repeat this procedure on any other Front End Server, Director, or Edge Server running an evaluation copy of Lync Server
This procedure should also be performed on any Branch Office Servers that were deployed by using the Lync Server media installation files

Using Get-CsServerVersion will also show you

What Version Number you are running
What patches has been installed
For tips on determining if the latest CU has been installed see

Lee Desmond’s Blog article:
Lync Server 2010 – Which Version Do I Really have?: http://www.leedesmond.com/weblog/?p=744

How to check SRV records for OCS, Lync and Exchange

2011-11-22T09:01:00.001-08:00

A critical part of an OCS deployment is SRV records for automatic sign in. It is critical that these are present and configured correct. An easy way to check them is using nslookup. Below are how to check SRV records and what SRV records need to be present.

Open cmd
Type: nslookup
Type: set type=all
Type the SRV record to list its content

For OCS 2007 R2

External
- _sip._tls.domain.com
  - Usually points to Access EDGE FQDN on port 443
- _sipfederationtls._tcp.domain.com
  - Usually points to Access EDGE FQDN on port 5061
Internal
- _sipinternaltls._tcp.domain.com
  - Usually points to Pool name with correct sip domain on port 5061

For Exchange 2007/2010

External autodiscover
- _autodiscover._tcp.domain.com
  - Usually points to owa FQDN listener with NTLM negotiate on port 443

Microsoft Exchange UM 2010 FAX

2011-11-22T08:46:00.001-08:00

FAX was a built in feature with Exchange UM 2007...and in UM 2010 it has been removed. What is required is for the addition of a FAX Server, hosted service or a T.38 capable gateway.
All of the Exchange implementations will have a VoIP component because of the SIP signaling used for the Exchange voice ports. As a result we rely heavily on the T.38 protocol.

T.38 is a faxing standard and protocol that enables faxing over an IP-based network. An IP-based network that uses the T.38 protocol uses Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and MIME to send the message to a recipient's mailbox. T.38 allows for IP fax transmissions for IP-enabled fax devices and fax gateways. The devices can include IP network-based hosts such as client computers and printers. In Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging, the fax images are separate documents encoded as .tif files and attached to an e-mail message. Both the e-mail message and the .tif file attachment are sent to the recipient's Exchange 2010 UM-enabled mailbox.
Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging relies on the gateway's abilities to translate or convert Time Division Multiplex (TDM) or telephony circuit-switched based protocols like Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and QSIG from a PBX to IP-based or VoIP-based protocols like Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP), or T.38 for receiving fax messages. The IP gateway is integral to the functionality and operation of Unified Messaging. The IP gateway is responsible for sensing fax tones. Unified Messaging servers rely on the IP gateway to send a notification that a fax has been detected. Then the Unified Messaging server will renegotiate the media session and use the T.38 protocol.

When a call is received into a PBX, the PBX forwards the call to the appropriate extension. If a ring-no-answer occurs at the user's extension number, the PBX forwards the call to an IP gateway, and the IP gateway forwards the fax call to the appropriate Unified Messaging server. When the call is received by the Unified Messaging server, the Unified Messaging server must decide whether it's a voice call or a fax call. When the SIP protocol is used, the Unified Messaging server processes the call as a voice message. However, if the T.38 protocol is used from the IP gateway, the Unified Messaging server recognizes that the call is for a fax and processes the call. Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging forwards incoming fax calls to a dedicated fax partner server, which then establishes the fax call with the fax sender and receives the fax on behalf of the UM-enabled user. The fax partner's server then sends the fax included as a .tif attachment in the SMTP message to the recipient's mailbox.
When an incoming T.38 fax signal is sent from the IP gateway to the Exchange 2010 UM server, the UM server queries Active Directory using LDAP to determine if the intended recipient of the incoming fax call is allowed to receive incoming fax messages and to determine the SIP address of the fax partner server. After these have been checked, the UM server sends a fax call referral request to the IP gateway or SIP peer, which then forwards the fax request on to the fax partner server. After the fax call has been successfully established, the fax sender sends the fax media and data to a fax partner server. After the fax media and data has been received by the fax partner server, the fax partner server sends an e-mail message to a Hub Transport server using SMTP that contains a .tif image of the fax message and special X-headers to the intended fax recipient.
After the fax message is authenticated and is sent from a valid fax partner server, the UM mailbox assistant on the Mailbox server issues an RPC call to the UM server. By doing this, the UM server ensures that the fax message properties match those of fax messages that are created by an Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging server. Finally, the UM server again submits the final fax message, which includes the e-mail message and .tif attachment for the incoming fax, to a Hub Transport server. Then, using MAPI RPC, the completed and formatted version of the fax message is delivered to the intended recipient. The following figure shows the steps that are involved when an incoming fax is received.

What would a tech blog be without the protocol exchange:

An incoming call to a UM pilot number is directed to UM as an INVITE with a voice (RTP/audio) SDP profile (1). UM accepts the invitation and media streams are established. After the call has been established, fax transmission is initiated by the caller (2). The SIP peer detects the calling fax tone (CNG). The SIP peer issues a re-INVITE to the UM server, this time specifying a fax (T.38 or G.711) profile in the SDP (3). UM responds to the invitation with a 200 OK that places the SIP peer “on hold” (4). UM issues a REFER, referring the SIP (CNG) peer to a fax partner solution end point, obtained from its configuration data (5). The SIP peer sends the fax session INVITE to the fax partner solution (6). The fax partner solution accepts the invitation, and a media session is established with the SIP peer.

Configuring FAXING:
By default, when you install the Unified Messaging server role, the server isn't configured to allow incoming fax calls to be processed or delivered to a UM-enabled user. To configure Exchange 2010 UM with a fax partner server, you must configure the UM mailbox policy and configure authentication between the UM server and the fax partner server. For more information, see Deploy and Configure Incoming Faxing.

Single DID:

When you enable a user for Unified Messaging by using the Enable Unified Messaging wizard or the Enable-UMMailbox cmdlet, you must specify at least a single extension number for the user. This extension number is enabled on a per-user basis and must be unique within a given dial plan. The extension is used by Unified Messaging to locate the correct user in Active Directory and to deliver voice and fax messages to the user's Exchange 2010 mailbox. For more information, see Enable-UMMailbox.
In this scenario, the user will use a single DID number for voice and fax. This configuration is easy to administer and doesn't waste additional DID numbers. If the user is away or on the phone when a fax call arrives, UM answers the call, detects the fax tone, creates the fax message, and sends it to the user.
However, in this scenario, the user may receive calls from fax machines. The user can:

Not answer the telephone when it rings so that the fax call will be forwarded and answered by a Unified Messaging server and the fax message will be created and forwarded to the user's mailbox.
Answer the fax call, and then transfer it to himself or herself so that the call will be forwarded and answered by a Unified Messaging server and the fax message will be created and forwarded to the user's mailbox.
Wait for the caller to retry sending the fax and let the fax call be transferred to a Unified Messaging server.

In summary, using a single DID number requires the user to perform additional actions to be able to receive fax messages.

Multiple DID:
When you enable a user for Unified Messaging, you must enter at least a single extension number for that user. However, you can also add multiple extension numbers for a UM-enabled user by using the SecondaryAddress parameter with the Set-Mailbox cmdlet. For more information, see Set-UMMailbox.

Adding multiple extension numbers is useful when a UM-enabled user:

Receives many faxes
Doesn't want to be bothered with answering the phone to receive a fax
Doesn't want to hear a fax tone when they answer their phone

Adding multiple extensions is more complex than using a single extension and may require additional configuration settings on a PBX. To configure multiple extension numbers for a UM-enabled user, you must have DID extension numbers that are available but aren't being used in your organization. Therefore, it isn't a good idea to use multiple numbers for a UM-enabled user if your organization has a limited number of available DID extension numbers.
The benefit of using multiple DID telephone numbers is that the UM-enabled user receives voice calls on one DID extension number and fax calls on the other DID extension number. Although, this may be more complex and requires additional configuration steps, using separate DID numbers for voice mail and fax calls is easier for the user.
If you configure two DID extension numbers for a specific user, the DID extension numbers can come from separate UM dial plans. In this scenario, you can create a dial plan, add Unified Messaging servers to the dial plan, and use a Unified Messaging server as a dedicated server that will receive fax calls and forward fax messages to the users. For more information, see Create a UM Dial Plan.
You have the following options for configuring multiple DID extension numbers for UM-enabled users:

Multiple DID numbers (one for fax without Unified Messaging and one for voice) This type of configuration is enabled on a per-user basis and is used when you have extra or unused DID extension numbers available. One DID extension number is published as the user’s voice mail number and the other DID extension number is published as the user's fax number. In this scenario, voice calls that are answered by a ring-no-answer or busy signal are forwarded to a Unified Messaging server, and a voice message is created and sent to the UM-enabled user's mailbox. The other extension number can be connected to a fax machine or to another computer that has a fax modem. Although this configuration is possible, it doesn't require that Unified Messaging servers process the fax calls, and fax messages won't be sent to the UM-enabled user's mailbox.
Multiple DID numbers (one for fax and one for voice) This type of configuration is enabled on a per-user basis and can be used when your organization has many DID extension numbers available. In this scenario, both DID extension numbers that are answered by a ring-no-answer or a busy signal are forwarded to a Unified Messaging server that will create a voice or fax message depending on the DID extension number that's called. Although the user will publish one number for voice and one for fax, the Unified Messaging server detects the type of call that's being received on the DID extension number and can create a voice or fax message from calls to either of the DID extension numbers. This is very useful when a user doesn't have a separate fax machine or dedicated computer that has a fax modem to answer incoming fax calls.
Two DID numbers (one “phantom” extension for fax and one for voice) This type of configuration is enabled on a per-user basis. It's basically the same as the configuration that uses two DID numbers (one for fax and one for voice). However, in this configuration, the number that's published for fax calls for the UM-enabled user is configured on the PBX as a “phantom” extension. Incoming calls that are received on this "phantom" DID extension number are always forwarded to a Unified Messaging server.
The advantage of this kind of configuration is that incoming fax calls are answered by a Unified Messaging server. When a ring-no-answer occurs, a fax is created and forwarded by the Unified Messaging server to the UM-enabled user's mailbox without disturbing the user. This happens because no telephone or fax device is positioned close to the user, and the user doesn't hear the ring of an incoming call.
The disadvantages of this kind of configuration are that you must have additional DID extensions available and you must configure the PBX to forward the call to a Unified Messaging server.

5 Tips for Configuring a Voice Gateway in Lync

2011-11-21T08:43:00.001-08:00

Here are 5 useful tips I found while recently configuring Lync inbound and outbound PSTN calling through an AudioCodes voice gateway – including some new features in Lync that made the job easier.

Tip #1: Use the new ‘Test Voice Routing’ Feature in the Lync Control Panel

The Test Voice Routing feature (in the “Voice Routing” section of the Lync Control Panel) is a very helpful tool for configuring outbound routing.
You can specify a sample number to dial, along with which dial plan and voice route that will process the call. You can then see what the normalized number looks like and whether it matched the PSTN usage and voice route that you expected. You can save these scenarios as test cases and re-run them after you make configuration changes.

Tip #2: Use the new PSTN Test Cmdlet’s

Lync server ships with a set of PSTN Connectivity Cmdlet’s. Several of these cmdlet’s can be used to test the Lync configuration and ability to make calls.
The Test-CsPstnOutboundCall cmdlet is particularly useful for testing outbound PSTN calling. It saves having to jump out-of-context from your Lync server to make a test call with the Lync client (or device) to ensure everything is configured correctly on the Front-End and Mediation server.
Here’s a sample run of the cmdlet:

> $cred1 = Get-Credential “ExampleDomain\User01″
> Test-CsPstnOutboundCall -TargetFqdn Pool01.example.com -TargetPstnPhoneNumber “+16135551234″ –UserSipAddress “sip:User01@example.com” -UserCredential $cred1

Sample output:

TargetFqdn : Pool01.example.com
Result     : Success
Latency    : 00:00:00.4362018
Error      :
Diagnosis :

The test cmdlet’s are synthetic transactions that can be scheduled to help monitor the PSTN connectivity.

Tip #3: Use the Get-CsWindowsService Cmdlet to See the Current Activity on the Lync Mediation Role

The Get-CsWindowsService Cmdlet returns an ActivityLevel value which can be used to see the current number of outbound and inbound calls on a Mediation server. This is handy and a quick way to see if a call is currently being processed by the mediation server.
Sample cmdlet run:

> Get-CsWindowsService -Name RTCMEDSRV -ComputerName MEDSERVER01 | fl -property ActivityLevel

Sample Output:

> ActivityLevel : Current Outbound Calls=0, Current Inbound Calls=0, Current Outbound Priority Calls=0, Current Inbound Priority Calls=0

Tip #4: Use Snooper.exe Version 4 from the New Lync Resource Kit to View the Call Logs on the Lync Mediation Server

The Lync resource kit was released on November 18, 2010: Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Resource Kit Tools.
It includes a version of Snooper.exe that can be used to analyze the call log files on the Lync Mediation server.

Tip #5: Consider Creating a Static Route if you are Getting a “503 Service Unavailable” because the “Gateway peer in outbound call is not found in topology document”

If you are getting this error, consider creating a static phone route with the ReplaceHost parameter. In a nutshell, depending on your outbound calling scenario, the host portion of the SIP INVITE that is sent to the Mediation server might contain a domain name and not IP address of the Voice Gateway. The domain name isn’t a part of the Topology, hence the error the “Gateway peer in outbound call is not found in topology document”. The ReplaceHost parameter used in the New-CsStaticRoute cmdlet will replace the host portion with the actual next hop destination – the voice gateway – which is part of the topology.

Lync E911 Considerations and Configuration

2011-11-21T08:35:00.001-08:00

I have recently been working with a number of clients that are interested in deploying Enhanced 911 (E911) with Lync Server and there is one thing in common…. They have a lot of questions about the capabilities and functionality. When thinking about how end users will connect their Lync client to the environment we know there will be a couple of different scenarios:

A user with a phone at a desk
A common area phone
A roaming user with a laptop
A user with Lync installed on their desktop with only a soft phone

Thankfully, Lync has an answer for each of these scenarios, plus more! There are numerous ways you can automatically set the location of a user, and if you can’t identify their location automatically you can (and should) prompt them to enter their location. Think about a scenario where an employee working from home calls 911 from Lync. The call would be routed out the PSTN at the office. The Caller-ID would exist in the legacy PS-ALI database controlled by your local telco and most likely would not be associated with your home address and your call would get sent to the wrong PSAP.
This is where E911 comes in. With more offices going to a “hoteling” scenario and the significant increase in remote and travelling workforces, tools like Lync need to be smart enough to follow them where they go and work like they did in the office.
The configuration of E911 is not difficult; however, it requires planning in advance and consideration of the following:

What detail on location proximity do you need to provide to the emergency responder? Most laws are specifying a range in square feet (ie: 5,000 sq ft).
How will you assign an E911 policy to users?
Will you have multiple locations with security desks that you would like to inform in the event of an emergency?
What will you do in the event the Lync environment or WAN is down when trying to make 911 calls?

In many situations, the answers to these questions are very similar. Many customers want the flexibility to inform a security desk for larger offices, hospital buildings or retail facilities. This notification can be transmitted with a simple IM message indicating the person (or device) that called 911, their location and even the ability to conference in a security officer or security operations center.
The configuration detailed below includes 2 main sites (LA and NY) as well as outlines how a branch office and mobile user would utilize enhanced 911.
Our Lync configuration is a single Enterprise Pool which houses all users in our NY offices. Each branch office has a Survivable Branch Appliance deployed with local PSTN connections for alarm and emergency purposes only. We will be utilizing E911 services provided by 911Enable (Connexon) which at the time that this post was published is the only certified enhanced 911 service provider for Lync. Our network infrastructure consists of LLDP compatible switches and wireless access points.
We will configure the following in Lync:

A Location Policy for each site
A route for 911 for each site
A failover route for 911 for each site
A PSTN usage for 911 at each site
Location Information Services (LIS)
- Civic Address
- Switch Port for LLDP-MED
- Wireless Access Point BSSID
- Network Subnets for Lync clients
- Validate the LIS database Civic addresses
- A disclaimer for remote users

Lync Routing Configuration

First, we will configure the routes and PSTN usages required to make calls to 911.
Our Routes will be called E911(NY) and E911(LA), shown below is our E911(NY) voice route. The route will match the pattern +911. A normalization rule has been created that will add a + to all numbers dialed that are exactly “911″. In addition, we are suppressing caller ID and supplying a local number that is in the legacy PS-ALI database in case of a failure of 911 enable providing the location information to the PSAP. This will typically be the telephone number of your building security desk if you have one at the location.

Now to the PSTN usage which will reference this route. Our PSTN Usage will be called E911 (NY) and will use the route E911(NY) that we just created.

Since we do not have a global security operations center and our operations have local security offices, we will want to define a location policy per site. This will allow us to send security notifications via IM to the local security desk and to conference in the security desk number. We have already configured our sites in the topology and will be creating the Location Policy for the New York Site in the example below. Note however that we are creating a Location Policy that is scoped at for a User not for the Site. This policy will be assigned later to a Communications Server Network Site which is not the same as the Topology Builder Site, the main reason for this is when a user travels to a different site they will get a Location Policy based on the Network Site they are in (based on their subnet and the configuration of the CsNetworkSite). In the policy, I am requiring users to enter the location if it is not automatically applied by the Lync LIS detection. I am also enabling enhanced emergency services and assigning the E911(NY) PSTN usage to this site. In addition, I am sending a IM message to the security officer (NYSecurity@unplugthepbx.com) and conferencing in the security desk number. The conference URI does not have to be a Lync EV number, it could be any phone and if so should be in the format sip:+1<10digitnumber>@domain.com so it is routable by Lync.

In the event the WAN is out or the Mediation server pool that routes to the 911Enable SIP trunk is unavailable, it will still be necessary to allow users to make 911 calls. In this case, we will need to build a failover Route, PSTN usage, and assign that to a voice policy that gets assigned to a user. The configuration is shown below:
A new route is created called 911Failover that matches the same string as the 911Enable route. The failover route will point to a local gateway or in our case the SBA (Survivable Branch Appliance) gateway component.

Our PSTN usage for failover routing will utilize the route seen below.

The next step is to ensure the route list is ordered properly and has the E911 usage listed above the 911 Failover route. This will ensure that the E911 route will be preferred over the failover route and the failover route will only be used after the E911 route is marked as unavailable.

Location Information Service (LIS) Configuration

There are a number of PowerShell commands that perform various configuration tasks within the LIS. Those commands and some samples are shown below:
Set-CsLisPort

The Switch ChassisID and Port number are used in Set-CsLisPort to create an association between a switch port and a location. It can be difficult to identify what information is being provided to a phone via LLDP broadcast messages, but by using network monitor you can view the LLDP packet (even though Windows 7 does not honor LLDP broadcast messages). This will help you identify how the switch manufacturer identifies the switch port id.
I have configured a single switch port with the command:
Set-CsLisPort –ChassisID 3c-4a-92-30-ec-00 –PortId 7 –Description “New York Wired Connections” –Location “New York Wired” – CompanyName “UnplugThePBX” –HouseNumber “12345″ –PreDirectional N -StreetName “Cedar” –StreetSuffix “Dr” –City “New York” –State “NY” –PostalCode 98765 –Country US

Set-CsLisWirelessAccessPoint

Lync clients that run on laptops with mobile users and do not typically connect to a wired network can receive location information based on the wireless access point they are connected to. This information is entered into the LIS is based on the access point BSSID. To configure wireless provisioning the following command can be used:
Set-CsLisWirelessAccessPoint -BSSID 00-19-5b-7f-77-0D –Description “New York Wireless Connections 3^rd Floor” –Location “New York 3^rd Floor Wireless” – CompanyName “UnplugThePBX” –HouseNumber “12345″ –PreDirectional N -StreetName “Cedar” –StreetSuffix “Dr” –City “New York” –State “NY” –PostalCode 98765 –Country US

Set-CsLisSubnet

Lync softphone clients (non IP phones) cannot use LLDP-MED for location provisioning. Therefore we need to identify a way to determine their location when they are connected to the corporate network and not to a wireless base station. To do this, we will utilize network subnets which generally are consolidated to a floor, building wing, department, or other location. To configure a subnet:
Set-CsLisSubnet –Subnet 10.10.10.0 -–Description “New York” –Location “New York 1^st Floor” – CompanyName “UnplugThePBX” –HouseNumber “12345″ –PreDirectional N -StreetName “Cedar” –StreetSuffix “Dr” –City “New York” –State “NY” –PostalCode 98765 –Country US

Set-CsLisProvider

Lync requires the addresses entered to the LIS are validated against the 3^rd party provider’s Master Street Address Guide to ensure the correct address is provided to the PSAP and the correct PSAP is contacted for the address. To do so, the E911 provider will provide a web service URL and certificate used to authenticate against the provider’s web service. This is done by completing the following:
Set-CsLisProvider –ServiceProviderName “911 Enable” –ValidationServiceURL “https://www.911enable.com/ocsvalidation” –CertFileName “C:\temp\911enablevalidation.pfx”

Set-CsEnhancedEmergencyServiceDisclaimer

For users that are remote, users can be prompted to enter their address. Many times it also makes sense to provide a disclaimer to inform them of what should be expected when they call 911. We talk with many customers who want remote employees to use their personal phone, hotel phone, or mobile phone to dial 911 in the event of an emergency and avoid using their Lync client. An optional cmdlet provides the ability to display a global disclaimer to users who cannot have their location automatically detected. The example below directs users to use their personal cell phone in the event of an emergency.
New-CSEnhancedEmergencyServiceDisclaimer –Identity Global –Body “Please use your personal cell phone to dial 911 in the event of an emergency”
Note: The disclaimer message is configured globally. There is currently no ability to provide disclaimers per site or per pool.
New-CsNetworkSite

Next up – you will need to make sure you have network sites configured that unite your network regions to the appropriate location policy. You will have to create a network region, network site, and network subnet that will be associated with the location policy that we created previously named “New York City”. We will first create a Network Site as shown below:
New-CsNetworkSite –SiteID “NY1″ –NetworkRegionID “NorthAmerica” -LocationPolicy “New York Location Policy”
New-CsNetworkSubnet

After creating the site we will now assign subnets to that site:
New-CsNetworkSubnet –SubnetID “10.10.1.0″ –Maskbits “24″ –NetworkSiteID “NY1″

Gotchas

Now on to the important part – there are a few known issues or config items that you will want to address when configuring E911:

The Global Trunk Group configuration in Lync does not send PIDIFLO information by default. This prevents location information from being sent to the E911 provider. To enable this for the Global trunk run Set-TrunkConfiguration –EnablePIDIFLOSupport $True
IP Phones do not use the subnet as a fallback if the switch and port information is provided to the phone via LLDP-MED, but is not found in the LIS
Don’t forget to run Publish-CsLisConfiguration after each change to the LIS
Addresses not validated by the Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) will not be used by clients
Analog devices do not use Lync LIS, numbers will have to be added to the Legacy PS-ALI database the provider maintains.

2011-11-20T20:52:00.001-08:00

I've added a new tab for tech related books...look at the top of the page for the BOOKS tab...

Tech Days Vancouver 2011

2011-11-15T20:35:00.001-08:00

I attended Microsoft Tech Days in Vancouver over the next 2 days...should be fun seeing all the latest from MS.

Here's a blurb from the Microsoft website describing the event:

Year after year, thousands of technical professionals from across Canada come together to network with peers and experts and learn about the latest technologies from Microsoft. With a huge variety of technology sessions and hands on labs designed specifically for IT professionals and developers, Tech•Days is a learning experience like none other.

The conference was located in my hometown of Vancouver, BC...at the Vancouver Convention Center. We had nice views of the waterfront and the North Shore mountains.

There were several different tracks that I wanted to follow but in the end I focused on OCS/Lync and the Cloud. I took lot's of notes on key points and will be posting them up over the next couple of days. As well...the conference presentations will be shared once I've downloaded them.

Keep checking back for updated content!

META Keywords: Microsoft OCS Lync Exchange ExchangeUM VoIP UC Cloud Azure Virtualization VHD Voice PSTN E911 911 Windows Phone System Center Tech Days 2011 Vancouver BC Canada Conference Technet Consultant

Cisco default password comprehensive list

2011-11-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

All the default username and password list of CISCO router is given below:

Model  : CISCO - 1  
Protocol : TELNET
Username : admin
Password : admin

Model  : Cisco - 1200
Protocol : 
Username : Cisco
Password : Cisco

Model  : Cisco - 1300   
Protocol : 
Username : Cisco
Password : Cisco

Model  : Cisco - 1400  
Protocol : 
Username : [none]
Password : Cisco

Model  : CISCO - 2600     
Protocol : TELNET
Username : Administrator
Password : admin

Model  : CISCO - 3600  
Protocol : TELNET
Username : Administrator
Password : admin

Model  :  CISCO - 3700 
Protocol : TELNET
Username : cisco
Password : cisco

Model  : CISCO ATA-186 (VONAGE)        
Protocol : HTTP
Username : [blank]
Password : [blank]
      
Model  : CISCO - AIRONET  
Protocol : MULTI
Username : [none]
Password : _Cisco

Model  : CISCO - AIRONET    
Protocol : MULTI
Username : Cisco
Password : Cisco

Model  : CISCO - AIRONET 1200     
Protocol : HTTP
Username : root
Password : Cisco

Model  : CISCO AP1200
Protocol : MULTI
Username : Cisco
Password : Cisco

Model  : CISCO - CISO AIRONET 1100 SERIES   
Protocol : HTTP
Username : [none]
Password : Cisco

Model  : CISCO - CACHE ENGINE  
Protocol : CONSOLE
Username : admin
Password : diamond

Model  : CISCO - CATALYST 4000/5000/6000  
Protocol : SNMP
Username : [none]
Password : public/private/secret   

Model  : CISCO - CISCOWORKS 2000  
Protocol : -
Username : guest
Password : [none]

Model  : CISCO - CISCOWORKS 2000
Protocol : -
Username : admin
Password : cisco  

Model  : CISCO - CNR        
Protocol : CNR GUI
Username : admin
Password : changeme

Model  : CISCO - CONFIGMAKER       
Protocol : 
Username : cmaker
Password : cmaker

Model  : CISCO - CONTENT ENGINE      
Protocol : TELNET
Username : admin
Password : default

Model  : CISCO - CVA 122        
Protocol : TELNET
Username : admin
Password : admin

Model  :  Cisco - CS-MARS 
Protocol : 
Username : pnadmin
Password : pnadmin

Model  : CISCO - HSE        
Protocol : MULTI
Username : hsa
Password : hsadb 

Model  : CISCO - HSE
Protocol : MULTI
Username : root
Password : blender 

Model  : Cisco - IDS 
Protocol : MULTI
Username : root
Password : attack

Model  : Cisco - IDS 
Protocol : MULTI
Username : ripeop
Password : [no password]

Model  : Cisco - IDS 
Protocol : MULTI
Username : cisco
Password : cisco

Model  : Cisco - IDS 
Protocol : MULTI
Username : enable
Password : cisco

Model  : Cisco - IDS 
Protocol : MULTI
Username : enable
Password : cc

Model  : Cisco - IOS 2600 series  
Protocol : 
Username : Multi
Password : c

Model  : CISCO - PIX FIREWALL   
Protocol : TELNET
Username : [none]
Password : cisco

Model  : CISCO - NETRANGER/SECURE IDS  
Protocol : MULTI
Username : netrangr
Password : attack

Model  : CISCO - NETRANGER/SECURE IDS        
Protocol : MULTI
Username : root 
Password : attack

Model  : CISCO - VPN CONCENTRATOR 3000 SERIES  
Protocol : MULTI
Username : admin
Password : admin

Model  : CISCO - WLSE       
Protocol : MULTI
Username : root
Password : blender

Model  : CISCO - WLSE  
Protocol : MULTI
Username : wlse
Password : wlsedb

Secret Snoop Conference for Gov't Spying: Go Stealth, Hit a Hundred Thousand Targets

2011-11-11T21:32:00.001-08:00

Forget passive monitoring; go stealth to hit your target says the Hacking Team which sells hacking techniques and tools for invasive surveillance of the masses. Better yet, hit a hundred thousand targets. As the Police once sang, "Every breath you take and every move you make...I'll be watching you," and that seems to sum up the Italian vendor Hacking Team and what it pimps at Intelligence Support Systems (ISS) conferences.

Forget passive monitoring for government spying; go stealth to hit your target says the Hacking Team which sells hacking techniques and tools for invasive surveillance of the masses. Better yet, hit a hundred thousand targets. We looked at legal means, with a Trojan horse warrant for remote computer searches. But what about those areas of mass surveillance without a warrant that seem shaded grey and lawfully questionable to many of us concerned about privacy? There are interesting conferences in which the doors are locked to Joe and Jane Doe, but thrown wide open for intelligence agencies and law enforcement. So what goes on behind those doors that are shut to the general public? IIS World Americas is open only to "law enforcement, intelligence, homeland security analysts and telecom operators responsible for lawful interception, electronic investigations and network intelligence." There are many vendors of products that assist the government in spying, but the Hacking Team should send an eerie eavesdropping chill up your spine.
As the Police once sang, "Every breath you take and every move you make...I'll be watching you," and that seems to sum up the Italian Hacking Team services and what it pimps at Intelligence Support Systems (ISS) conferences. While there are many vendors at such conferences offered worldwide and allegedly for "lawful interception, criminal investigation and intelligence gathering," some stand out as ethically and legally questionable. We know cyber cops need ways to go after the evil cybercriminal elements hiding in cyberspace, but it's the "mass surveillance" and "without a warrant" that sets our privacy hackles on edge as that seems to assume anyone may be a bad guy needing monitored.
According to the spy-conference brochure [PDF], the Hacking Team Cyber Intelligence solutions include remote control systems that offer "total invisibility" and "total control over desktops and smartphones" as well as "the widest selection of infection vectors" and "easy installation on target devices." According to the company's brochure [PDF], different tools promise to "bypasses protection systems such as antivirus, antispyware and personal firewalls." The Hacking Team website proudly proclaims a wide variety of extra creepy and invasive surveillance tools for Big Brother:

Deploy a secret agent - Total control over your targets. Log everything you need. Always. Anywhere they are.

Go stealth and untraceable - Invisible to the target. Evade computer security.

Acquire relevant data - Interesting data never gets to the web, it stays on the device.

Defeat encryption - Thousands of encrypted communications per day. Get them in the clear.

Monitor a hundred thousand targets? Grrr, who exactly are the targets here, truly cybercriminals, terrorists or cyberspies? This is supposed to be legal, so are there a hundred thousand warrants? In Operation Ghost Click, the FBI busted seven cybercriminals who managed to infect 4 million computers with malware. 7, not 100,000 cyberthugs. Another nugget from the Hacking Team's brochure states [PDF], "Sensitive data is often exchanged using encrypted channels. Most of it never goes on the net. Sometimes your target is even outside your monitoring domain. You need something more." Or how about this one? "Attack your target either remotely or locally using several installation vectors. Do that while the target is browsing the internet, opening a document file, receiving an SMS or crossing the borders with his laptop."
At the ISS conference that was in Washington, the brochure [PDF] advertised the Hacking Team would present:

Empowering Cyber Intelligence Operations: a stealth, spyware-like software to attack, infect and collect evidence from Computers and Smartphones

Remote Control System 7: The ultimate cyber-intelligence solution for covertly monitoring Computers and Smartphones

Remote Control System 7: an in-depth, live demonstration of infection vectors and attack techniques for targeting Computers and Smartphones!

The Hacking Team is not alone and by far not the only vendor selling monitoring tools to intelligence agencies or teaching law enforcement the 'best' snooping methods. Some vendors, tools, and presentations stressed "lawful." For example, Telesoft Technologies provides "lawful intercept" and presented Understanding Passive Monitoring Techniques for Mass Intercept and Mass Location Tracking. Gigamon held a session covering You Can't Catch What You Can't See: Traffic Visibility-The Cornerstone of Lawful Intercept. While the Gamma Group offered Government IT Intrusion: Applied Hacking Techniques Used by Government Agencies, it also sells handy-dandy surveillance vans and equipment. Vupen which exclusively sells exploits to the government was also present at the ISS conference where it presented Exploiting Computer and Mobile Vulnerabilities for Electronic Surveillance.
As security is a one-way paradigm pointed out, cybercriminals "hide behind a confusing web of cyber laws" and "rely on the anonymous function" of the Internet. In many cases, it ties the hands of law enforcement. These creepy people are what threatens anonymity in cyberspace. Ntrepid is a bit infamous for the Pentagon's sock puppets, despite DHS documentation that "actual terrorists already assume online communications are compromised." Ntrepid taught Countermeasures to Identify Cybercriminals Hiding on the Internet.
We looked at this ISS World Americas conference and Big Browser hiding in your browser a bit last year. As for the Certified Lies...well this year we've seen plenty of major CA players that fell victim to this. There's not much you can do, if for some reason you are a target, except wait until whomever is snooping realizes you are dull and boring; that there's nothing to see here, and moves on to spy on someone else. I have no big gripe with lawful intercepts, as in with a warrant, to catch the real bad guys. Cybersecurity is challenging to say the least, but let's hope the government only aims at the bad guys with eavesdropping tools such as those sold by the Hacking Team.
'Fair Use' - image by The Hacking Team brochure

Apple selling unlocked, contract-free iPhone 4S

2011-11-11T21:29:00.001-08:00

iPhone 4S buyers looking for an unlocked version of the new phone can now grab one directly from Apple.
The company has just started selling an unlocked and contract-free version of its new phone. In a nutshell, that means you can use the iPhone 4S without shelling out money for the usual two-year carrier contract. You can then jump from one network to another by picking up and inserting a micro-SIM card, which is available from each supported carrier.
An unlocked phone is especially handy for people who travel around the world and want to be able to use it across a range of countries and carriers.
Of course, there are one or two catches.
The unlocked edition of the iPhone 4S supports only GSM carriers, so using the phone with CDMA-based Verizon Wireless or Sprint is not an option. And since there's no two-year contract, you'll pay the full, non-subsidized price for the phone. The 16GB iPhone 4S runs $649, the 32GB version costs $749, and the 64GB model is priced at $849.
Apple's Web site currently shows a wait time of one to two weeks for the unlocked iPhone, the same number of weeks you'd wait for the regular subsidized version. As usual, you can buy the phone in either black or white.
Apple had initially teased users in early October that it would unveil an unlocked iPhone 4S sometime this month.
The company also sells an unlocked iPhone 4 for $549 and an unlocked 3GS for $375.

Apple iPad Means Business with VMware View™ Virtual Desktops

2011-11-10T07:01:00.001-08:00

Available on Apple App Store, New VMware View Client for iPad lets enterprise and government users access their virtual desktops from anywhere

PALO ALTO, Calif. – March 9, 2011 — VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, today announced the availability of VMware View™ Client for iPad on the Apple App Store for free. Enabling Apple iPad users to access their virtual Windows ¹ desktops, applications and data from anywhere, the new VMware View Client, in combination with VMware View, delivers a modern desktop optimized for the iPad’s high-resolution Multi-Touch display.

“The growing popularity of the iPad in business presents a new opportunity for enterprise IT organizations to empower their mobile workforces by providing users with anytime access to business critical apps on the go,” said Christopher Young, vice president and general manager, End-User Computing, VMware. “With VMware View™ Client for iPad, employees and enterprises get a win-win combination – a complete, secure virtual desktop solution they trust, paired with the unique touch interface of the iPad employees have come to love in their consumer lives.”

Growing Use of iPad in the Enterprise:
Serving families in Central California, Children’s Hospital Central California is one of the 10 largest hospitals of its type in the United States. Recently, the Hospital deployed VMware View to provide secure, “Follow-me Desktops,” that move from room-to-room with clinicians and staff as they treat their patients. The hospital has plans to deploy VMware View Client for iPad.

“The iPad could fundamentally change the way our clinicians and staff approach their IT needs,” said Kirk Larson, chief information officer, Children’s Hospital Central California. “Now with VMware View™ Client for iPad, our caregivers can have the freedom to access a patient’s electronic medical records anywhere in the hospital via an iPad on a secure VMware View desktop. This could not only improve patient care but may enable us to dramatically reduce costs and simplify device management.”

End-User Freedom. IT Control:
VMware’s End-User Computing vision seeks to free end users and IT organizations from more than two decades of complex, device-centric computing and deliver a more user-centric, consumer cloud experience for the enterprise. The new VMware View Client for iPad provides a simple and secure way for end users to access virtual Windows desktops, applications and data from their iPad.

VMware View is a complete, virtual desktop solution that enables enterprises to improve security and lower operating costs, while simplifying desktop administration and management by establishing a modern, end-user computing architecture. The result is a more flexible, centrally hosted computing model that provides IT with greater control and end users with freedom to access to their desktop across the broadest set of devices.

VMware View Client for iPad features include:

Modern Desktop Experience – The new VMware View Client is the first iPad app to deliver Windows-based virtual desktops while taking advantage of the superior user experience provided by PC-over-IP (PCoIP) display protocol, creating a highly responsive and flexible user experience.
Intuitive, Multi-Touch Support – Custom gestures on the new VMware View Client enable quick and easy navigation around the virtual desktop by taking advantage of iPad’s Multi-Touch display. An innovative on-screen track pad lets users leverage a more traditional mouse interface with the iPad’s keyboard for efficient text input.
Secure, Instant-on Windows Desktops – VMware View Security Server support for PCoIP allows for a simple, secure remote connection and authentication to a user’s Windows desktop over a WiFi or 3G network. Reconnecting to a View Desktop ² is made even easier with the ability to select and connect to a list of recently connected desktops.
Device and iOS Support – Support for the iPad Keyboard Dock and Bluetooth keyboards makes text input even easier while the iPad VGA connector allows you to connect to an external monitor. VMware View Client for iPad supports iOS 4.2 and iOS 4.3.

For additional details on VMware View, go to www.vmware.com/products/view.

How You Can Still Snag a Cheap HP TouchPad Tablet

2011-11-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hewlett Packard created a lot of interest for its cancelled TouchPad tablet when it slashed the price to $99 for the 16GB model and $149 for the 32GB model, and it didn't take long for the OEM and its retail partners to run out of stock. That's old news. But did you know you can still buy a discounted TouchPad? You have two options for picking up a TouchPad on the cheap, and both come with caveats (and one with a time limit).

Your first option is to head over to BestBuy.com and shop a bundle deal. Best Buy currently has stock of an untold number of 32GB TouchPad models, and the electronics chain is selling them on its website and in Best Buy mobile stores for $150 with the purchase of a qualifying HP or Compaq computer. That's not such a bad deal if you're the market for a new system to begin with, but if not, that's a big caveat to swallow.

There's also a second option. In less than two hours from the time of this writing, TigerDirect will begin selling a bundle of its own that includes the 32GB TouchPad and several accessories. The price runs $280 and includes:

HP 32GB TouchPad Tablet
Belkin 10.1-inch Tablet Case
Belkin FlipBlade Tablet Stand
Creative Labs D80 Bluetooth Speakers
HP 16GB USB Flash Drive

No PC purchase required, just a willingness to spend an additional $130 over the fire sale price of a 32GB HP TouchPad in exchange for bundled items. Oh, and you'll have to act fast. TigerDirect anticipates selling out in "mere minutes" once the deal goes live at 2:30PM Eastern Time, which "means it could be sold out at 2:32PM ET."

How to Make iMessage Work Better Across Multiple Devices

2011-10-15T22:57:00.000-07:00

How to Make iMessage Work Better Across Multiple Devices

My significant other and I share and iTunes account (don't tell!), so after I updated my iPad and her iPhone, she started receiving all my iMessages. Whoops! Turns out, though, it's easy to associate different identities to different devices in iMessages, even if they share the same Apple ID—handy if you share an account with someone, have multiple iDevices of your own and want to set up separate buckets, or just want to change the address you send or receive message from (your "Caller ID"). Here's how.

Associate a New Email with iMessage on Your Device

Everything you need to do lives in the Messages tab of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch's Settings app, so launch Settings and tap on Messages.
By default, iMessage will receive messages via your Apple ID email address and, if you have an iPhone, your phone number. That's why, for example, my wife was getting my iMessages. You can't remove an email address until you've replaced it, so from the Messages setting, tap Receive At > Add Another Email.
Type in the new email address you'd like to associate with that device.
Once the email's been entered, Apple will send a verification email to that address. When you receive it, just click the activation link and the new address will now be linked to that device.
Finally, you can remove the original association by tapping the email address you want to remove and then tapping Remove This Email.

Petty simple, right? That took care of my problem (now my wife doesn't get my iMessages), associates her iMessage with her email address, and we can continue blissfully enjoying a shared iTunes account.

Change Your iMessage "Caller ID"

Last, you can adjust what shows up as your iMessage "address" in your recipient's messages in the Caller ID section. Open Settings > Messages > Receive At > Caller ID. You have the option of setting your Caller ID to any email address you've associated with iMessage or, if you have an iPhone, your phone number.

How To: Build an OCS and UM lab with phone integration

2011-10-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

To quickly set up a lab for testing phone integration you need at least three servers for OCS and Exchange roles. One additional server is needed for Active Directory and Certificate Authority.
I would recommend using a 64-bit machine installed with Windows Server 2003 x64 and Virtual Server 2005 R2. Virtual Server can then host the Office Communication Server 2007 roles and even the Domain Controller if needed. Exchange Server 2007 will be installed on the host machine (all roles for this setup can co-exist on the same machine).
Then you need a VOIP/SIP gateway, for this documentation I'll be referring to the Audiocodes MP-114 FXO SIP Gateway but other products with same capabilities exist.
Note: The Audiocodes MP-114 product is not supported for enterprise deployment of OCS, the setup described here is only for lab use. Virtualization of OCS2007 is not supported in a production environment.
For this simple lab your existing desk phone will be handled by whatever PBX you have installed and the SIP gateway will "listen in" on a second line that the PBX has been configured to use for the same extension as your desk phone. You can also use a completely different extension for testing.
A very high level diagram of the communication flow in the lab set up will look like this:

Configuring the SIP gateway

First you need to download the OCS compatible .ini file from AudioCodes' web site - you need the "FXO (One-to-One option)" download for this setup. (Update: It appears that AudioCodes no longer provide this .ini file, please contact AudioCodes Support for information).
Follow the quick guide available on the same page for basic setup of the MP-114. (Default IP address of the device may be 10.1.10.10 - it was in my case).
When configuring endpoint phone number, use your full phone number.
I prefer to do as little phone number manipulation as possible in the MP-114 but you need to convert the incoming phone extension into a full E.164 compliant number so it will match your phone number in OCS.
It is by far the easiest to do all your phone number normalization in OCS and just pass on the "finished" number to the MP-114, more about this in the Mediation Server section.
Just let the MP-114 route all inbound calls to your number.
As this is a test setup you may want your desk phone to ring a couple of times before your lab environment kicks in, this can be done by configuring the FXONumberOfRings under http://mp-114/AdminPage to the number of rings you want before the MP-114 reacts.
A good way to see what happens when inbound calls are made is to monitor the ports on the main page of the administration interface. Click the port (Port 3 in this case as only FXO ports should be connected to a PBX), select port settings and then SIP. This way you can see if inbound calls are translated and routed properly (fields are only populated during a call).
The MP-114 will allow you to connect an analog phone directly and use that for dialing in but it makes more sense to connect it to a PBX for testing.

Install Mediation Server

Essential reading before starting is the Enterprise Voice Planning and Deployment Guide.
I assume that you already have an OCS2007 front end server running with client connectivity so just install the Mediation Server role on a different server using the OCS2007 Deployment Wizard.
Configure listening IP address for both Communication Server and Gateway to the servers address. Leave location profile as "(None)" - we'll configure that later.
Next Hop Connections: FQDN of your front end server and IP address of the SIP gateway (MP-114 in this scenario).
Create a certificate for the the server from the same CA as you did for the front end server.
Assign a Line URI telephone number to your users in E.164 format through the OCS2007 console or ADUC; select "Enable Enterprise Voice" and input the full phone number as: "tel:+4544890100" (this is an example number, use one that fits into your numbering scheme).

Configuring Exchange UM

Under Organization Configuration\Unified Messaging:
Create a UM Dial Plan (Shell cmdlets are documented in the deployment guide so I'll show the GUI):

Give the dial plan a name and use as many digits for extension as you desire.
Add the dial plan to the UM server object under Server Configuration\Unified Messaging.
Create a new UM Auto Attendant; simply name it AutoAttendant and select the dial plan you created before. Associate an extension number with your Auto Attendant that doesn't conflict with other numbers. Make sure you enable and speech enable the Auto Attendant by checking the two checkboxes at the bottom.
Run the ExchUCUtil.ps1 script.
This will set permissions on the Exchange Org and UM containers and add the OCS front end server as IP gateway for the UM server.
Don't forget to enable users for UM... ;o)

Configure Mediation Server

Run the Exchange UM Integration Utility (found under: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007\Server\Support\OcsUMUtil.exe on your front end server)
Press "Load Data"
If the list shows your Exchange UM dial plan, press "Add" and select phone number defined in Exchange UM under phone number and "Auto-Attendant" under Contact Type.
Press OK
The tool will say that no matching location profile exists so lets go ahead and create one now:
Right click the forest name in the OCS2007 console, select Properties; Voice Properties
Add a new profile, using the name OcsUMUtil found.
Add as many Normalization Rules to the profile as you need. This is very well documented in the deployment guide but a fast one to get you going:

Name: Local extension
Phone pattern regular expression: ^([1-9]\d{3})$
Translation pattern regular expression: +454489$1

The pattern regular expression will look for any 4 digit number starting with 1-9 and pass it on to the translation as variable $1 - the translation will prefix it with +454489 (so it conforms to E.164 numbering this way OCS can match a 4 digit local extension to the full number you have configured on your OCS/UM users).
Phone Usages and Policies are not very important for this small lab setup just assign "Default Usage" to "Default Policy".
In Routes, create a new route called "Default Route", set the Target regular expression to ".*" to let all numbers that does not match an internal user to be routed. (You can set it to "^\+45" to only allow national calls, other country codes will then fail to route).
Set the gateway address to your Mediation Server and select "Default Usage" under Phone usages.
Assign the Location Profile to the Mediation Server object in the OCS2007 console.
A very good tool to verify that your call routing is working is the Enterprise Voice Route Helper available for download in the Office Communications Server 2007 Resource Kit Tools.
Your OC client should look like this if phone integration is configured properly:

FBI rolling out nationwide face search and recognition system

2011-10-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

The FBI is about to roll out a nationwide facial recognition system with a goal of matching a name to every unidentified face in photos. It's called the Next Generation Identification system and it will do much more than recognize faces; the $1 billion overhaul will combine biometric identifiers like fingerprints, palms, iris scans and voice recordings.

The FBI intends to go nationwide with a facial recognition service; testing will begin in Michigan, Washington, Florida and North Carolina by the middle of January 2012. By 2014, this new face search tool will be available to criminal justice professionals nationwide. One of the goals is to put a name to every photo already collected by law enforcement. For example, the FBI may have a picture on hand of Joe Doe but not know his name, and is therefore unable to determine if Doe is a "person of interest." The FBI's new Next Generation Identification (NGI) system will change all that by eliminating "the missing links."
Nick Megna, a unit chief at the FBI's criminal justice information services division, told Nextgov, "The new facial recognition service can help provide that missing link by retrieving a list of mug shots ranked in order of similarity to the features of the subject in the photo."

Nextgov reported the system is being overhauled to a tune of $1 billion to be faster and more accurate as well as add other biometric markers like "iris scans and voice recordings." The NGI contract for a better "plug and play" recognition system was previously awarded to Lockheed Martin.
The FBI reported that NGI capabilities include:

Quality Check Automation with "faster response times and more consistent processing decisions" in regard to fingerprint processing.
Interstate Photo System Enhancements with facial recognition capabilities and "the ability to accept and search for photographs of scars, marks, and tattoos."
Disposition Reporting Improvements with more options aimed at increasing electronic submissions of "disposition data."
Advanced Fingerprint Identification Technology
Enhanced IAFIS Repository involving an "Iris Repository: This repository will provide the submission of Iris data, provide retrieval capability, provide Iris search capability, and provide Iris maintenance capability."
FBI National Palm Print System

Of the multimodal biometrics, the FBI reported, "The NGI Program will advance the integration strategies and indexing of additional biometric data that will provide the framework for a future multimodal system that will facilitate biometric fusion identification techniques." According to the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS), "The world's largest repository of criminal fingerprints and history records is being searched in a flash by investigators and police professionals working to catch crooks and terrorists. . . . That's just the beginning of what goes on at CJIS."
According to "Combating fraud with face recognition" on Scribd, proposed uses for the FBI facial recognition include:

The 2010 annual FBI / CJIS report [PDF] stated that the NGI program made progress on many different initiatives, including the piloting a new rapid search system based on the Repository for Individuals of Special Concern (RISC) with six law enforcement agencies. Other highlights from topics discussed that year included "privacy issues, operational prototypes, technology, interoperability of systems, real-time biometric capture and identifications, finding fugitives and missing persons with facial recognition, and rapidly processing DNA in a booking environment."
Privacy and civil liberty advocates are concerned about photos being uploaded by local law enforcement upon arrest, but those same people may not actually be convicted of anything. Jim Harper, director of information policy at the libertarian Cato Institute, said "It might be appropriate to have nonconvicted people out of that system," but the FBI declined to comment upon it. Harper said that face recognition via Google and Facebook would be "more accurate" due to the dozens of photos of the same individual. Law enforcement may only have a couple of mug shots which could cause false positives where a person is incorrectly identified.
Each piece of the FBI system ties together into a fairly alarming service for massive surveillance, identification and tracking. AxXiom for Liberty has an excellent "refresher" on biometric data that has been collected to be used as an "instrument of global identification, tracking and control."