Device updater in OCS 2007 R2 versus update service in OCS 2007 R1

With Device updater in OCS 2007 R2...

You don't need to deal with the web interface to upload and approve updates.

You don't need to install the update server separately.

OCS 2007 R2 device updater doesn't need a sharepoint site anymoe.

You don't need the WINS record anymore (provided the phone device version is equal or above 1.0.522.103).

You need a dns record ucupdates-r2.<DNS domain> for OCS 2007 R2 device updater. The DNS domain should be mentioned in DHCP scope options.

Plug the phone and leave it even without sign in and it will take IP from the DHCP and then asks the DHCP for the Domain name provided in the scope options and after it does that it will go to the DNS and asks for the record ucupdates-r2 under that domain name it received and then it will know from which OCS it should get its updates.

Note: My experience with OCS 2007 R2 Device updater has been fantastic. While it was pathetic to handle OCS 2007 update service.

Do I need WINS record for OCS 2007 R2 Device Updater?

If curent version of OCS phone device is less than 1.0.522.103, you need a WINS record. the hostname is UCUPDATES pointing towards ip address of pool or server. (If its enterprise edition, it should be pool IP Address otherwise it should be OCS standard edition IP Address).

How to upload the Phone devices update in R2 device updater?

In the OCS 2007 R2 Admin Console, Right click the pool (or server if standard edition) and select Device Updater

a.       In the Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Device Update Service tool, click the Tools drop-down menu and select Upload .cab File.

b.       Navigate to the update file downloaded from Microsoft web site.

c.       Wait for the CAB Uploader to complete and then click OK.

d.       Notice you are taken to the Pending Updates tab and review the available Brands, Models, and Revisions.  This current version is 3.5.6907.0 or more.

Note: You need to download the latest version from here...

How to approve an Update.

a.       On the Pending Updates tab, select the Device Type that is the Polycom Brand – Model CX700 and click the Approve button.

b.       On the Confirm window, click Yes.

c.       Go to the Deployed Updates tab.

d.       This update is now available to all Office Communicator Phone Edition devices that connect to this Pool.

How does OCS Phone Edition finds out the download location?

OCS Phone device looks for the value of updatesServerInternalUrl which it receives from the OCS Server during login process.

OCS Phone device uses this url to download the phone device update.

How to check the value of updatesServerInternalUrl?

a.       In the OCS 2007 R2 Admin Console, right-click on the pool and select Logging Tool à New Debug Session.

b.       Once OCSLogger (the Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Logging Tool) opens, verify SIPStack is checked in the Components menu and click Start Logging.

c.       On a client machine, exit out of Office Communicator and relaunch Communicator and Sign In (you can use any account).

d.       Once the user is signed in, return to the OCS Server and in OCSLogger, click Stop Logging.

e.       Now click View Log Files, verify SIPStack is checked in the View Log Files window and click View.

f.       This should jump to the SUBSCRIBE response from the server to the user who signed in.  Scroll down and locate the updatesServerInternalUrl value. 

g.       Notice this value points us to https://Pool_FQDN/RequestHandler/ucdevice.upx.  

What if updatesServerInternalUrl doesn't have the value or right value?

On the OCS server, Start => run => type wbemtest => Connect => Root\CIMV2 => Enum Classes => Leave the super class name blank and click Ok => In query result, double click MSFT_SIPUpdatesServerSetting. This will open the property sheet of WMI attributes related to OCS Update server. Modify the following WMI Attribute InternalUpdatesDownloadUrl and enter the following value...

https://<fqdn of OCS Pool or SE Server>/RequestHandler/ucdevice.upx

Similarly mofdify the WMI attribute InternalUpdatesStoreURL as well and put the value as http://FQDN-front-end/DeviceUpdateFiles_Int

Why and how to Add a Test Device.

a.       Click on the Test Devices tab and click Add.

b.       In the Friendly name field, type a friendly name.

c.       Click the Identifier Type drop-down menu and note your two options of MAC address or Serial Number.  Choose MAC Address.

d.       In the Identifier field, type MAC Address of the device and click OK.

e.       At this point you would turn on your Office Communicator Phone Edition device.  The MAC Address matching as a Test Device would force an update to the device.  Assuming this is successful; you would continue to Approve the Brand/Model/Revision specific update.

Ensure that you can download the nbt file...

Open a browser and access following URL

http://ocs_pool_fqdn/DeviceUpdateFiles_Int/UCPhone/LG-Nortel/IP8540/A/ENU/ 3.5.6907.0/CPE/CPE.nbt

Accessing the above location should give an option to save the file. If it gives any error then you need to troubleshoot it.

At times, you can get following IIS errors

Use this kb http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942055 to resolve the above error.

A common cause of problems for the Enterprise version has to do with permissions in the shared updates folder.

When I was working with one of my customers (Ranjan from HCL), I got following error.