Topic Last Modified: 2012-09-17

In Lync Server 2013, you define sites on your network that contain Lync Server 2013 components. A site is a set of computers that are well-connected by a high-speed, low-latency network, such as a single local area network (LAN) or two networks connected by a high-speed fiber optic network.

A Front End pool is a set of Front End Servers that are configured identically and work together to provide services for a common group of users. A pool provides scalability and failover capability to your users. Each server in a pool must run an identical server role or roles. A Standard Edition server, designed for small organizations, also defines a pool and runs on a single server. This enables you to have Lync Server 2013 functionality for a lesser cost, but does not provide a true high-availability solution.

The following phases describe the process of a pool migration from Lync Server 2010 to Lync Server 2013. For multiple sites containing multiple pools, each individual pool should follow this phased approach.

  1. Phase 1: Plan Your Migration from Lync Server 2010

  2. Phase 2: Prepare for Migration

  3. Phase 3: Deploy Lync Server 2013 Pilot Pool

  4. Phase 4: Move test users to the Pilot Pool

  5. Phase 5: Add Lync Server 2013 Edge Server to Pilot Pool

  6. Phase 6: Move from Pilot Deployment into Production

  7. Phase 7: Complete Post-Migration Tasks

  8. Phase 8: Decommission Legacy Pools