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Configuring Client Version Filtering

Topic Last Modified: 2009-04-26

The Client Version Filter application provides you with a way to specify the version of clients that are supported in your Office Communications Server 2007 R2 environment. When two clients of differing versions interact, the features that are available to either client can be limited by the capabilities of the other released client. To make the greatest use of features included in Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and to improve the overall user experience, you can use the Client Version Filter to restrict the client versions that are used in your Office Communications Server environment. Using the Client Version Filter can also help improve costs associated with supporting multiple client versions.

The Client Version Filter application is a managed program that is installed by default on the following Office Communications Server 2007 R2 server roles:

  • Standard Edition server
  • Enterprise pool Front End Servers
  • Access Edge Servers

Note

If you are running Office Communications Server 2007 R2 in a mixed environment, you can use the Client Version Filter application with Office Communications Server 2007 or Office Communications Server 2007 R2. The Client Version Filter is not supported on Live Communications Server 2005.

The Client Version Filter provides filtering for the clients in the following list, as well as for any other client that you design a user agent for:

  • Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 instant messaging client
  • Real-Time Communications instant messaging client
  • Real-Time Communications and Collaboration client
  • Unified Communications Client Platform client
  • Office Communicator 2007 R2 instant messaging client
  • Windows Messenger instant messaging client
  • Microsoft Office Communicator Web Access instant messaging client
  • Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile instant messaging client
  • Office Live Meeting client

When a supported client logs on or is invited to a session, the Client Version Filter application checks the SIP User Agent header to determine the client version. Depending on the version of the client, the Client Version Filter application does one of the following:

  • Allows the client to log on to the pool (Allow).
  • Prevents the client from logging on to the pool (Block).
  • Blocks the client from logging on and presents the user with a message that indicates the user is using a client that is not supported. The message comes from the URL that you specify (Block with Static URL).
  • Blocks the client from logging on and starts an installation package that updates the client to the correct version (Block and Upgrade). This option is available for Office Communicator only. This option is not available for Access Edge Servers.
  • Allows the client to log on and starts an installation package that updates the client to the correct version (Allow and Upgrade). This option is available for Office Communicator only. This option is not available for Access Edge Servers.

Each pool maintains a client version control list that you configure. This list contains the client versions you want to filter and the appropriate action for each client version. The Client Version Filter can act according to a specific client version number. It can also act according to a client version that is less than or equal to or greater than or equal to the version number that you specify. The Client Version Filter also includes a configuration option that specifies the default action for clients that are not included in the client version control list.

When you configure the Client Version Filter, you specify the way in which clients are handled during logon. The Client Version Filter provides options for configuring the following:

  • The User Agent header. This is the name of the agent for the client version.
  • The client version number. This includes the major version number, the minor version number, the build number, and the QFE number. The number is presented in the following format: <major version>.<minor version>.<build number>.<qfe number>.
  • The matching rules. These specify the comparison operations to perform to identify the specific version or range of versions of the client to which the filtering action is to apply.
  • The action to take based on client version. Available values are Allow, Block, and Block with Static URL. If the client is Office Communicator, the value can also be Block and Update or Allow and Update.
  • The client download URL. This is used only for the Block with Static URL option.
  • The client update location. This is used only for the Block and Update and Allow and Update options.

A default list of filters is installed when you install Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition. You can edit any of the preceding options for an existing filter, or you can create a new filter. You can use wildcards when specifying the client version number.

Important

The filters are listed in their order of precedence. For example, if you have filter that allows Office Communicator clients with a version 1.5 or later to connect, followed by a filter blocking clients earlier than version 2.0, the first filter takes precedence, and Office Communicator 1.5 clients can connect.

Client version filters in the version control list act on specific criteria. However, you also need to configure a default filter to apply to clients that do not match any other client version filter, specifying one of the following:

  • To allow the client to log on, click Allow.
  • To prevent the client from logging on, click Block.
  • To prevent the client from logging on and display a message indicating that the client version is not supported, click Block with Static URL. The message comes from the URL that you specify.

Use the procedures in this section to do the following:

  • Create or edit a client version filter.
  • Configure the default behavior if there is no match.

To create or edit a client version filter

  1. Open the Office Communications Server 2007 R2 snap-in.

  2. In the console tree, do one of the following:

    • To configure client version filtering for an Enterprise pool, expand Enterprise pools, right-click the server name, point to Filtering Tools, and then click Client Version Filter.
    • To configure client version filtering for a Standard Edition server, expand Standard Edition servers, right-click the name of the server, point to Filtering Tools, and then click Client Version Filter.

  3. On the Client Version Check tab, select the Enable version control check box, and then do one of the following:

    • To create a new client version filter, click Add. You can create multiple client version filters, but the criteria must be different for each filter.
    • To edit an existing client version filter, under Client application version control, click the filter you want to edit, and then click Edit.

  4. In the Add Version Filter dialog box, in the User Agent Header drop-down list box, either type the user agent header name, or click the type of client for which you want to create a filter:

    • For a Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 instant messaging client, click LCC.
    • For a Real-Time Communications instant messaging client, click RTC.
    • For a Real-Time Communications and Collaboration client, click RTCC.
    • For a Unified Communications Client Platform client, click UCCP.
    • For an Office Communicator 2007 R2 instant messaging client, click OC.
    • For a Windows Messenger instant messaging client, click WM.
    • For a Microsoft Office Communicator Web Access instant messaging client, click CWA.
    • For a Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile instant messaging client, click COMO.
    • For an Office Live Meeting client, click LMC.
    • For a Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 Phone Edition client, click OCPhone.

    Note

    You can use wildcards to specify the client type to filter.

  5. Under Version Information, do the following:

    • In Major version number, type the number that corresponds to the major release of the client.
    • In Minor version number, type the number that corresponds to the minor release of the client.
    • In Build number, type the number that corresponds to the major and minor release of the client.
    • In Qfe number, type the number that corresponds to the QFE release of the client.

    Note

    You can use wildcards to specify the client version number.

  6. To specify the matching operation for the client version you specified in the preceding steps, in the Select comparison operation to perform drop-down list box, click one of the following:

    • <  less than
    • <=  less than or equal to
    • =  equal to
    • >=  greater than or equal to
    • >  greater than or equal to

  7. To specify the action to perform when the criteria in the preceding steps are met, click one of the following in the Select the action to apply to this version drop-down list box:

    • To allow the client to log on, click Allow.
    • To prevent client from logging on, click Block.
    • To prevent the client from logging on and include a message, click Block with Static URL. You specify the URL later in this procedure.
    • To prevent the client from logging on and start an installation package to upgrade the client, click Block and Upgrade.
    • To allow client to log on and start an install package to upgrade the client, click Allow and Upgrade.

  8. If, in the previous step, you clicked Block with Static URL, in URL, type the client download URL to include in the message in the Information URL box.

  9. If, in the previous step, you clicked Block and Upgrade or Allow and Upgrade, in Folder that contains the upgrade images, type the path to the folder containing the upgrade.

    The image should be placed in a network share using the following structure: the folder location created above\Architecture\Version Number\Language\Architecture. You can also use the MSI uploader tool in the resource kit to automatically create the folder structure.

To configure the default behavior when there is no match

  1. Open the Office Communications Server 2007 R2 snap-in.

  2. In the console tree, do one of the following:

    • To configure client version filtering for an Enterprise pool, expand Enterprise pools, right-click the name of the pool, point to Filtering Tools, and then click Client Version Filter.
    • To configure client version filtering for a Standard Edition server, expand Standard Edition servers, right-click the name of the pool, point to Filtering Tools, and then click Client Version Filter.

  3. On the Client Version Check tab, under Default behavior if no match, in Action, click a value:

    • To allow the client to log on if the client version does not match any filter in the Client application version control list, click Allow.
    • To prevent the client from logging in if the client version does not match any filter in the Client application version control list, click Block.
    • To prevent the client from logging on if the client version does not match any filter in the Client application version control list and include a message that lists the URL from which to download a newer client, click Block with Static Url.

  4. If, in the previous step, you clicked Block with Static URL, in Url, type the client download URL to include in the message.