Software Defined Networking and Lync 2013

In mid-December, Microsoft  issued a Lync Software Defined Network API and related documentation to enable you and your applications to interface with Lync. This API can enable 3rd party applications to monitor, isolate and correct issues in a network that impact on Lync’s overall quality of experience.

There are three files included (you can download some or all of them!) :

• LyncSDNAPI.msi – this is a 1.6 MB MSI that installs the necessary APIs onto your machine.
• LyncSdnApiData.zip – this is a 287 KB zip file that contains a compiled HTML help file documenting and describing the API elements
• Microsoft Lync SDN API Documentation.pdf – this 1.2 MB PDF document describes the Lync SDN 1013 API interface.

The idea behind the API set is fairly straightforward. Lync deployments can end up with user experience impacted by overall network performance. This can in turn lead to both calls being dropped (or not even connected), as well as jittery audio. This API is designed to enable network management applications to all the relevant Lync network diagnostic data, including Lync Quality Of Experience information.

So while this API can’t be used directly to improve performance, what it does do is to provide network management vendors and other third parties with the ability to develop rich diagnostic tools to assist you in deploying Lync.

I can’t wait to see vendors taking advantage of this API!

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