Topic Last Modified: 2013-10-29

All server roles support the same Windows Server operating systems. The required operating system support for other server roles, such as database servers, depends on what software you install on those servers.

Lync Server 2013 administrative tools are installed by default on the server running Lync Server 2013, but you can install administrative tools separately on other computers running Windows operating systems. For example, you can use a client computer running Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) as an administrative console for planning purposes.

Important:
Lync Server 2013 is available only in 64-bit, which requires 64-bit hardware and 64-bit editions of Windows Server. This means that all server roles and computers running Lync Server 2013 administrative tools run a 64-bit edition operating system.

Operating Systems for Server Roles

Lync Server 2013 supports the 64-bit editions of the following operating systems:

  • The Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) Standard operating system (required) or latest service pack (recommended)

  • The Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 Enterprise operating system (required) or latest service pack (recommended)

  • The Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 Datacenter operating system (required) or latest service pack (recommended)

  • The Windows Server 2012 Standard operating system

  • The Windows Server 2012 Datacenter operating system

  • The Windows Server 2012 R2 operating systems are supported with the Cumulative Updates for Lync Server 2013: October 2013.

Lync Server 2013 is not supported on the following:

  • The Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012

  • The Windows Web Server 2008 R2 operating system or the Windows Web Server 2012 operating system

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition or Windows Server 2012 HPC Edition

Operating Systems for Other Servers

Operating system support for servers other than those on which you deploy Lync Server 2013 server roles depends on the software that you plan to install on those servers. For details about requirements for Back End Servers and other database servers, see Database software support in the Supportability documentation. For details about requirements for reverse proxy servers (for Edge deployment), see Internet Information Services (IIS) support in the Supportability documentation. For details about other software requirements, including infrastructure and virtualization support, see the other topics in the Server software and infrastructure support section of the Supportability documentation.

Additional Operating Systems for Administrative Tools

Lync Server 2013 supports installation of the administrative tools, which includes the Topology Builder, on computers running any of the 64-bit editions of the operating systems supported for deployment of server roles (as described in the previous section). Additionally, you can install administrative tools on the 64-bit editions of the following operating systems:

  • The Windows 7 operating system with SP1 operating system (required) or latest service pack (recommended)

  • The Windows 8 operating or latest service pack (recommended)