Skype for Business Mobile Client Coming Soon

You may have recently seen an update to the Lync 2013 Windows Phone Mobile client where upon starting the app it informed you a new version was coming soon. A recent blog post explains the same – teasing us Windows Phone users but no date has been offered. Unfortunately at this time we only get to see the screenshots in the blog post and the notice in the app. However, it is nice to see that the Windows Phone is getting the application upgrade first with the others following.

 

Product

Version

KBs

Download

Lync 2013 for Windows Phone

5.9.1371.0

MS Download

 

http://blogs.bricomp.com/image.axd?picture=/Skype4B_WP_Mobile/Skype_Upgrade_for_WP.jpg

 

Additional Notes:
Lync Server 2013 build number is 5.0.8308.887

Lync 2013 Client build number is 15.0.4727.1001

Skype for Business Server 2015 build number is 6.0.9319.55

Lync Group Chat build number is 4.0.7577. 4409

Lync Group Chat Server build number 4.0.7577.4409

Lync Group Chat Admin build number 4.0.7577.4409

Lync Attendee build number is 4.0.7577.4461

Lync Attendant build number is 4.0.7577.4098

Lync Phone Editions build number is 4.0.7577.4463
Lync Phone Edition (Tanjay) build number is 4.0.7577.4463
Lync for Mac 2011 build number is 14.0.11

Lync 2013 for Windows Phone build number 5.9.1371.0

Lync 2013 for iPad build number 5.7.563

Lync 2013 for iPhone build number 5.7.563

Lync 2013 for Android build number 5.6.3.1
Lync 2013 for Android tablet build number 5.5.3.8919
Lync Windows Store App build number is March 2014

Lync Basic 2013 build number is 15.0.4420.1017
Lync VDI 2013 build number is 15.0.4420.1017


Lync 2013 to Skype for Business in-place Upgrade...the experience

I was sitting at my desk today, waiting for (ironically enough) a client's new Skype for Business install to complete in a far far away country when I decided - hey, I am not expecting calls today, why not do a quick in-place upgrade to S4B?

Quick was not the operative word here. For reference, I have two pools - once user pool and one Persistent Chat pool (need it for demos :)), and edge pool, and a few trusted apps. Once I began the process - installing the admin tools on an admin server (not Lync), I upgraded the topology for the two pools, published, and so far so good.

The required KB2982006 was not installed on my FE servers so that was where we started, which required a reboot. Had I been wise, I would have disabled the Lync services so I would not have to wait for them to start post reboot of the server only to shut them down again so I could begin the upgrade process. I started the process on both pools, all servers, all at the same time. This was not an issue since all the services are shut down anyway, so there was no apparent communication occurring anyway.

The process started at 2:30pm my local time and the PChat pool finished approximately 30 mins later (less to uninstall and reinstall). However, the user services pool ran for two hours. It appeared that the servers were doing little to nothing during every step so I can only assume there is some fail-safe code slowing the process of uninstall and reinstall down. As a reference, the installation of the new Skype pool was completed (along with the Edge) in under one hour (granted basic install, no config, no uninstall).

I am happy to say that after the long wait, everything came up as expected and worked as expected. The edge pool was the last thing that needed an upgrade but I was waiting to get the inside pools completed prior to starting that process. I suspect it will not take long but will complete tonight and post my timings.

In short - make sure you have the requirements met for in place upgrading and the time set aside. Since the entire pool is down during the process you will have some sort of outage unless users are rehomed.

UPDATE 5/12

The upgrade of the Edge pool went as expected. The total time for upgrade was 30 mins and like the inside pools above, both servers were upgraded at the same time. I did notice that when I upgraded the Edge pool in the topology, the Skype-Skype Federation Search was automatically enabled. While this is a feature I do want, if you do not, or perhaps do not have the port open on the edge servers (outbound 443), then this is something you would want to disable before publishing.