This blog post describes step by step deployment process of Persistent Chat pool. Before starting the deployment process, I want to address the basics of persistent chat. Persistent chat (aka group chat) server used to deploy group chat functionality which enables open IM conversations for a set of people belongs to a particular persistent chat group. Persistent Chat can have total 8 servers in a pool, max 4 active and 4 passive at any point of time. Persistent Chat is the only Lync/Skype for Business server pool which can be stretched between two sites. It has two databases mgc for core persistent chat data and mgc comp for persistent chat compliance data.

You should have minimum one Lync/Skype for Business server pool to associate persistent chat server or pool. In my preceding posts, I have covered step by step deployment of Skype for Business server Front End pool.

Please follow the step by step process to deploy persistent chat pool, given deployment has only single site and two sql 2014 servers for persistent chat databases.

Install sql server.

Join all the persistent chat servers to the domain and login with administrative account.

Go to the Front End Server or any Skype for Business management server where Skype for Business server administrative tools are installed.

Open topology builder and download topology from existing deployment.

Right click on Persistent Chat pools under site and select New Persistent Chat Pool…

Define persistent chat pool fqdn and select “This pool has multiple servers”.

Add all the servers which are going to be part of the persistent chat pool.

Set the properties of your pool.

Click on New to define the SQL Server store for Persistent Chat pool.

Enable mirroring and click on new to define mirror server.

Enable SQL server mirroring witness and click on new to define the witness.

Once you are done, click on Next.

Define SQL Server store for Persistent Chat compliance by selecting from drop down menu.

Once done, click on Next.

Define the file store for persistent chat, I am using the same store which used for Front End pool.

Once selected, click on Next.

Select the Front End pool as Next hop for Persistent Chat pool.

Go to the properties of the site and change the machine state “Make Active”.

Now, publish the topology.

Select the data store and click on Advanced..

Select “Use SQL Server instance defaults” and click on OK.

Select the mirror database and click on settings… to define “File share path” to configure mirroring.

Part II of this article will cover the installation steps of persistent chat servers.