Part I and Part II of this blog post series covers basic of key designs considerations, typical server configuration in traditional datacenter environment, Azure IaaS nomenclature and mapping Azure IaaS components with traditional datacenter. This part of the blog post covers the limitation of Azure IaaS for Skype for Business Server.

First, let me describe the Skype for Business role wise limitations.

Supported: Server role such as Back End server is fully supported because it uses SQL server in the background and SQL server is a supported application on Azure IaaS.

Technically feasible: Technically feasible server roles are those server role that can be deployed but there is no performance study data exist.

Technically not feasible: Technically not feasible server role are those server roles their recommended configuration can’t be met on Azure IaaS. However, technically you may deploy these roles on Azure IaaS VM.

Above mentioned “technically not feasible” server roles are lacking technically because of network configuration most of the time. As everybody knows that Lync/Skype for Business is network intensive application and network requirement are little complex for Skype for Business deployment. Following are the key limitations in Skype for Business deployment on Azure IaaS:

• All the VMs type doesn’t support more than one NIC. If you don’t select right VM in the beginning, you will have to redeploy the VM to support more than one NIC.
• Azure IaaS doesn’t support multiple VNet for single VM.
• Quality of Services can’t be configured as you can’t access Network switch deployed in Azure datacenter.
• Enterprise Voice can’t be configured.
• Video Integration Server configuration is difficult if you have Skype for Business infra on Azure IaaS.

Though, these functionality may be enabled in future but as of now not available. Therefore, Microsoft doesn’t recommend or support Lync / Skype for Business deployment on Azure IaaS.