Cloud Connector Edition Coexistence alongside On-Premises not on roadmap

[Deleted]

Update 11/10/2017: We heard at Microsoft Ignite that making CCE work alongside SfB Server in the same customer/topology is no longer on the roadmap for CCE. Instead, if you have SfB Server and wanted CCE alongside it, Microsft is recommending instead a small deployment of SfB Server in the OPCH model or AudioCodes CloudBond which is essentially a single “CCE like” appliance but it runs full server so can run OPCH. Sonus’ CCE can also run Server on the appliance blade in “OPCH model” but they don’t have a SKU to buy it/have it officially supported by them in this model. Note all these models run full SfBS server in the “appliance”. Here is the official announcement from Paul Cannon 

Paul Cannon’s announcement: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Skype-for-Business-Blog/New-CCE-version-due-later-in-November...

Great news that CCE 2.0 is out. For those who missed it; in the really good Skype Broadcast from @Oliver Chiu and @Bill Verthein, as well as going over new 2.0 features, Bill gave some details of this upcoming feature.

Many customers have SfBS deployed, possibly already in Hybrid but also want to deploy CCE, today that is blocked; you must be either SFBO and CCE or SfBO and SfBS hybrid. Why would you want both? Some examples:

• Customer has an existing SfBS, Lync2013S or Lync2010S deployment (with or without EV) and wants to move to SfBO/Cloud PBX without making further investments in server infrastructure
• A global customer has SfBS in some regions/countries, but now another country wants to deploy Cloud PBX with CCE and is blocked
• A customer has a small feature requirement for SfBS that isn’t available on SfBO today (server-side call recording for example) but would like to deploy the lighter weight CCE everywhere else

Coexistence is now due in CCE “2.1” (Bill used “2.1” to represent the “next version”). It requires some updates in the SfBO service and SfBS (specifically the Federation edge) hence it’s taking a little longer. As always, information and dates given at the development stage are subject to change.

• Coexistence will require the next version of CCE, “2.1” due “US Fall” which is October, November, December, or CY2017 Q4
• It will be supported for SfBS Hybrid
• It will be supported for Lync2013S Hybrid, but like OPCH you will require at least one SfBS pool and Federation Edge. So if you’re a Lync 2013 Install holding out for CCE get deploying at least one SfBS pool now
• Coexistence will Require Cumulative Update 6 (CU6) on SfBS (not yet released)
• Lync 2010 or OCS 2007 R2 will unsurprisingly not be supported, so if you are on these and want to move to CCE you’ll need to look at other upgrade and or migration options
• Private TAP (Technology Adoption Program, similar to “preview”) is due to start in August 2017

I wrote a blog post with a bit more detail here for those interested:

http://tomtalks.uk/2017/07/cloud-connector-edition-2-1-coexistence-premises-hybrid-due-2017-quarter-...

[#2]

Hi Tom. Great article! Do you have any information about media bypass to online users using OPCH? It doesn't work currently. The media always go to Mediation for online users that are in corp network. I've tried do make the steps to enable media bypass in my Tenant, but I figured out that the service "hybridconfig" that runs into CCE and FrontEnd is different. It is very important to have media bypass working in the scenario SFBO x SFBS. If you have any information that you can share I appreciate. Thank You!

[#3]

Great question, let me see if I can find anything out.

thanks

Tom

[#4]

I've asked around and there are currently no plans to make media Bypass work with OPCH.

Best bet it to architect considering that all media will need to be mediated. I appreciate that limits some of your options compared to a SfB Server setup. If it's a real blocker it would be good to hear your use case and issue(s).

thanks

Tom

[#5]

Hi Tom! Sorry for the delayed reply and thanks for yours.

Actually I think it is not a blocker, but if you can optimize media flows, why not?

I am working in a project where the customer has a lot of branch offices connected via MPLS to the central site. They have SfB Server in hybrid mode with O365, but all of the users are online. They just keep the onprem servers because an integration that they have with Polycom for videoconferencing.

Now they want to replace the legacy telephony for SfB replacing the old PBXs for media gateways in the branch offices. The idea was to use CCE in coexistence with onprem (in the same site) just because media bypass to keep the media traffic local in branch offices. I particularly don't like this scenario, but it was the one that was clear in Microsoft's roadmap to use media bypass and keet the integration with videoconferencing working together (they don't want to use RealConnect for O365). I think that the best topology would be SFBO x OPCH because I could use all of the telephony features available in SfB Onprem, like voice policies, translation rules, etc. But I don't think that makes sense to send the traffic from a user in a branch office to the Mediation of central site and have this traffic back to the gateway. I know that if I deploy a Mediation on each branch office, I solve the problem, but I wouldn't like to have more servers in branch offices and a gateway that I can run a virtual machine inside it is very expensive. So... That is the point... If I could use media bypass to online users with OPCH I would keep the current videoconferencing integration working, wouldn't need to have Mediation Servers in each branch office and would keep the traffic locally for the branch office users. I don't know if it is a bit confusing, but if it is not clear, I can try to show you a topology or something like that. Thank you again! :)