Configuring Location Policy

 

Topic Last Modified: 2012-06-11

The location policy is used to apply settings that relate to Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) functionality and to apply location settings for users or contacts. The location policy determines whether a user is enabled for E9-1-1, and also determines the specific behavior of an emergency call. For example, you can use the location policy to define what number constitutes an emergency call (911 in the United States), whether corporate security is automatically notified, and how the call is routed.

You can configure location policies from the Network Configuration group in Lync Server Control Panel. From the Lync Server Control Panel you can view, create, modify, or delete location policies.

To view location policies

  1. From a user account that is a member of the RTCUniversalServerAdmins group (or has equivalent user rights), or is assigned to the CsAdministrator role, log on to any computer in your internal deployment.

  2. Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Lync Server Control Panel. For details about the different methods you can use to start Lync Server Control Panel, see Open Lync Server Administrative Tools.

  3. In the left navigation bar, click Network Configuration, and then click Location Policy.

A single policy, called Global, exists by default and cannot be deleted or renamed. However, you can modify the Global policy. This policy will apply to all users and contacts, unless you create site policies or per-user policies. Per-user policies must be applied to specific users.

To create a new location policy

  1. From a user account that is a member of the RTCUniversalServerAdmins group (or has equivalent user rights), or is assigned to the CsAdministrator role, log on to any computer in your internal deployment.

  2. Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Lync Server Control Panel. For details about the different methods you can use to start Lync Server Control Panel, see Open Lync Server Administrative Tools.

  3. In the left navigation bar, click Network Configuration, and then click Location Policy.

  4. On the Location Policy page, click New, and then select the type of policy that you want to create:

    • To create a site policy, click Site policy. In Select a Site, choose the site to which you want the policy applied, and then click OK. On the New Location Policy page, the Scope field contains the value Site, and the Name field contains the name of the site that you chose. You cannot modify either of these fields. A site policy is automatically applied to all users on the specified site and overrides the global policy for those users.

    • To create a User policy, click User policy. In the New Location Policy, the Scope field contains the value User. You cannot modify this value. In the Name field, type the name that you want to give this policy. A user policy does not automatically apply to any users. After creating the user policy, you must manually grant the policy to the users or network sites to which you want to policy to apply.

  5. Fill in the remaining fields as follows:

    • Enable enhanced emergency services   Select this check box to enable the users who are associated with this policy for E9-1-1. When emergency services are enabled, Microsoft Lync Server 2010 clients will retrieve location information on registration and include that information when an emergency call is made.

    • Location   Specify one of the following values:

      • Required   The user will be prompted to input location information when the client registers at a new location. The user can dismiss the prompt without entering any information. If information is entered, an emergency call will first be answered by the emergency services provider to verify the location before being routed to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) operator (that is, the 911 operator).

      • Not Required   The user will not be prompted for a location. When a call is made with no location information, the emergency services provider will answer the call and ask for a location.

      • Disclaimer   This option is the same as Required, except that the user cannot dismiss the prompt without entering location information. The user can still complete an emergency call, but no other calls can be completed without entering the information. In addition, disclaimer text will be displayed to the user that alerts them to the consequences of declining to enter location information. To set the disclaimer text, you must run the Set-CsEnhancedEmergencyServiceDisclaimer cmdlet at command line by using the Lync Server Management Shell. For details, see Set-CsEnhancedEmergencyServiceDisclaimer in the Lync Server Management Shell documentation.

    • Use location for emergency services only   Location information can be used by the Microsoft Lync 2010 client for various reasons (for example, to notify teammates of your current location). Select this check box to ensure that location information is available only for use with an emergency call.

    • PSTN usage   The public switched telephone network (PSTN) usage that will be used to determine which voice route will be used to route emergency calls from clients that use this profile. The route associated with this usage should point to a SIP trunk dedicated to emergency calls or to an Emergency Location Identification Number (ELIN) gateway that routes emergency calls to the nearest Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

    • Emergency dial number   The number that is dialed to reach emergency services. In the United States, this value is 911. The string must consist of the digits 0 through 9, and it can be from 1 to 10 digits in length.

    • Emergency dial mask   A number that you want to translate into the value of the emergency dial number value when it is dialed. For example, if you enter a value of 212 in this field and the emergency dial number field has a value of 911, a user who dials 212 will find that the call connects to 911. This makes it possible for alternate emergency numbers to be dialed and still have the call reach emergency services. For example, if someone from a country or region with a different emergency number attempts to dial that country or region’s number rather than the emergency number for the country or region they are currently in. You can define multiple emergency dial masks by separating the values with semicolons. For example: 212;414. Each character must be a digit 0 through 9, and the maximum length of the string is 100 characters.

      Important

      Be sure that the specified dial mask value is not the same as a number in a call park orbit range. Call park routing will take precedence over emergency dial string conversion. To see the existing call park orbit ranges, click Voice Features in the left navigation bar, and then click Call Park. For details, see Configure Phone Number Extensions for Parking Calls.

    • Notification URI   One or more SIP Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) to be notified when an emergency call is made. For example, the company security office can be notified through an instant message whenever an emergency call is made. If the caller’s location is available, that location will be included in the notification. Multiple SIP URIs can be included as a comma-separated list. For example: sip:security@litwareinc.com,sip:kmyer@litwareinc.com. Keep in mind that distribution lists and group URIs are not supported. The string must be from 1 to 256 characters in length and must begin with the prefix "sip:". Before you click in the Notification URI field, an example is displayed.

    • Conference URI   The SIP URI, in this case the telephone number, of a third party that will be conferenced in to any emergency calls that are made. For example, the company security office can receive a call when an emergency call is made and listen in or participate in that call (depending on the value supplied in the Conference mode field). The string must be from 1 to 256 characters in length and must begin with the prefix "sip:". An example is displayed until you click inside this field.

    • Conference mode   If you specify a value in the Conference URI field, the Conference mode determines whether a third party can participate in the call or can only listen in. Specify one of the following options:

      • One-way   A third party can listen only to the conversation between the caller and the PSAP operator.

      • Two-way   A third party can listen in and participate in the call between the caller and the PSAP operator.

  6. Click Commit.

    Important

    When you create a user policy, initially that policy does not apply to any users or network sites. To apply the policy to a user, click Users in the left navigation bar. Find the user to whom you want to apply the policy. On the Edit menu, click Show details. On the Edit Lync Server User page, select the new location policy from the Location policy drop-down list, and then click Commit.
    To apply the policy to a network site, click Network Configuration in the left navigation bar, and then click Site. Find the network site to which you want to apply the policy. On the Edit menu, click Show details. In Edit Site, select the new location policy from the Location policy drop-down list, and then click Commit.

To modify a location policy

  1. From a user account that is a member of the RTCUniversalServerAdmins group (or has equivalent user rights), or is assigned to the CsAdministrator role, log on to any computer in your internal deployment.

  2. Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Lync Server Control Panel. For details about the different methods you can use to start Lync Server Control Panel, see Open Lync Server Administrative Tools.

  3. In the left navigation bar, click Network Configuration, and then click Location Policy.

  4. On the Location Policy page, select the location policy that you want to modify.

  5. On the Edit menu, click Show details.

  6. On the Edit Location Policy page, modify the fields as necessary (for details, see step 5 in the "To create a new location policy" procedure earlier in this topic).

  7. Click Commit.

To delete a location policy

  1. From a user account that is a member of the RTCUniversalServerAdmins group (or has equivalent user rights), or is assigned to the CsAdministrator role, log on to any computer in your internal deployment.

  2. Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Lync Server Control Panel. For details about the different methods you can use to start Lync Server Control Panel, see Open Lync Server Administrative Tools.

  3. In the left navigation bar, click Network Configuration, and then click Location Policy.

  4. On the Location Policy page, select the location policy that you want to delete.

    Note

    You can delete more than one location policy at a time. To do this, press CTRL and select multiple policies while holding down the CTRL key. Or, to select all policies, click Select all on the Edit menu.

  5. On the Edit menu, click Delete.

  6. Click OK.

    Important

    You cannot delete the Global location policy. If you attempt to delete the Global policy, you will receive a warning message, and that policy will be reset to its default values.