Lync Web Services through the Reverse Proxy
phyler
As a Lync consultant, I get asked about what the Reverse Proxy does in the Lync Architecture frequently. I can always recite the basics off the top of my head such as Address Book download and Meeting Content but here is what actually is tied to it:
* Enabling external users to download meeting content for your meetings.
* Enabling external users to expand distribution groups.
* Enabling remote users to download files from the Address Book service.
* Accessing the Microsoft Lync Web App client.
* Accessing the Dial-in Conferencing Settings webpage.
* Accessing the Location Information service.
* Enabling external devices to connect to Device Update web service and obtain updates.
* Enabling mobile applications to automatically discover mobility URLs from the Internet.
One thing to note here is the last one. Just a week or so ago, the Lync Mobility Service was released. The Lync Mobility Service is published via the Reverse Proxy as well as the other pieces.
Here is the Microsoft Technet article describing the Reverse Proxy in detail: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398069.aspx
In the end, the Reverse Proxy, while not dependent to make the Lync client work, is a very important piece of the architecture. Ensuring that it is working properly can really help make your users experience with Lync better.