If you're looking to ramp on Lync Online (and Office365) here are some useful resources well worth a visit

Hi All

Last week I put together a Lync On Premises resources list and that has been pretty popular, so I figured I'd put together a Lync Online resources list too.

I've been developing this list as I am teaching a Lync Online Administration workshop in a week or two, and my plan is to give it out to students. So I had to share with the wider community. I hope you enjoy it.

BTW, i'll make sure I keep it up to date with new useful information as I find it.

Happy Lync'ing.

Steve

PS. If you are after more Lync On Premises content have a look at my useful resources list here https://blogs.msdn.com/b/canberrapfe/archive/2014/06/13/if-your-looking-to-ramp-on-lync-here-are-some-useful-lync-resources-well-worth-investigating.aspx

Fantastic Blogs I highly recommend you follow:

• Office 365 Blog - https://community.office365.com/en-us/blogs/office_365_community_blog/default.aspx;
• PlankyTronix (great for Office 365 Identity Tidbits) - https://blogs.msdn.com/b/plankytronixx There are some great primers in this blog, like Kerberos Primer, ADFS SSO Primer and all sorts of deep content. ;
• Cloud PFE Blog - https://blogs.technet.com/b/cloudpfe;
• Blog World - https://blogs.technet.com/b/nexthop/p/blog_world.aspx
• Office 365 Technology Blog - https://blogs.office.com/?filter=true&filter-product=lync;
• AADSync Support - https://blogs.technet.com/b/aadsyncsupport/
• In the cloud - https://blogs.technet.com/b/in_the_cloud/

Lync Online Lab Resources:

• What is going to be the most useful Lab resource is to get yourself a trial Office 365/Lync Online tenant in the cloud. You can use this trial tenant to do things like play around with directory synchronisation from your lab into a real Office 365 Tenant. The trial tenant's only last for a month, but that is usually good enough to get you comfortable with how things work. Go here to get your trial Lync Online/Office 365 Tenant https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/office-365/redir/XT103040305.aspx.
• Lync Online Ignite Content (including labs) - https://ignite.office.com/office365. This is a pretty neat resource, where you can play with a simulated Office 365 lab (with some audio based instructions on what to do in the lab). It's good for getting you started with Office 365 before using in production. It's a bit simulated though as is not a real test environment. A couple of the lab titles in this set include:
  • Installing and Configuring Active Directory synchronization - https://guides.officeignite.com/Guides/Installing%20and%20Configuring%20Active%20Directory%20Synchronization.htm
  • Preparing your AD for Federation - https://guides.officeignite.com/Guides/Preparing%20Your%20Environment%20for%20Active%20Directory%20Federation%20Services.htm
  • Installing and Configuring ADFS - https://guides.officeignite.com/Guides/Installing%20and%20Configuring%20Active%20Directory%20Federation%20Services.htm

Lync Online Resources:

• Lync Connectivity Test Tool - https://www.testocsconnectivity.com
• Office 365 Portal - https://portal.microsoftonline.com/default.aspx;
• Lync Online Sign In Troubleshooter - https://aka.ms/LyncSignIn;
• Lync Online Admin Center - https://admin0e.online.lync.com/lscp;
• Lync Labs in the cloud - https://ignite.office.com/lync;
• Exchange Online Admin Center - https://outlook.office365.com/ecp;
• Microsoft Partner Learning Blog *lots of good O365 Videos* - https://blogs.technet.com/b/ptsblog/;
• Identity Cleanup Tool - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36832;
• Office 365 Plans - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj819284.aspx and https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn168948.aspx;
• Deployment Readiness Tool - https://portal.microsoftonline.com/tools;
• Lync Web Scheduler - https://sched.lync.com/?locale=en-US&userExperience=1500;
• Lync Online Troubleshooting Tool - https://g.microsoftonline.com/0BX20en/629
• Lync Online Sign In Troubleshooting Tool - https://aka.ms/LyncSignIn
• Lync 2013 Pre-Call Diagnostics Tool - https://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/lync-2013-precall-diagnostics/9607fe33-2b51-403d-9615-c23f248e7c88;
• Visio Online - https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=317348;
• Lync Online Powershell - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39366
• Lync Online Cmdlets - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj994021.aspx
• Using Remote Powershell for Lync Online - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn362831.aspx;
• Windows PowerShell Getting Started Guide - https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=235637   
• Manage Windows Azure Active Directory by using Windows PowerShell - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj151815.aspx;
• Office 365 PowerShell Command Builder Blog - https://blogs.technet.com/b/educloud/archive/2011/10/17/useful-powershell-command-builder-tool-to-help-you-design-powershell-scripts-for-your-office-365-tenant.aspx 
• Office 365 PowerShell Command Builder Tool - https://www.microsoft.com/resources/TechNet/en-us/Office/media/WindowsPowerShell/WindowsPowerShellCommandBuilder.html 
• MOSDAL - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=626
• OnRAMP - https://onramp.office365.com/OnRamp
• Lync Online Administrator Training - https://labs.officeignite.com/Office%20365%20Guides.htm
• Lync Guides - https://officeignitelabs.cloudguides.com/Lync%20Guides.htm
• Office 365 URLs and IP Addresses - https://technet.microsoft.com/library/hh373144.aspx
• Office 365 Adoption and Learning - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/dn342872;
• Office 365 Adoption Kit - Office 365 Adoption Kit;
• Update your firewall to support these CRLs for Lync Online - https://blogs.technet.com/b/lync/archive/2014/04/16/update-your-firewall-now-with-this-new-crl-endpoint.aspx;
• Change Management Guide for Enterprises - https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/download/details.aspx?id=40187;
• Office 365 Learning Centre - https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/redir/FX102821134;
• Connecting to Lync Online with Powershell - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn362795.aspx
• Remote Powershell Lync Online - https://blogs.office.com/2013/08/19/remote-powershell-for-lync-online/
• Lync Online: Powershell and Hybrid Troubleshooting https://blogs.technet.com/b/nexthop/archive/2013/04/17/lync-online-powershell-and-hybrid-troubleshooting.aspx
• Free Powershell eBooks - https://powershell.org/wp/ebooks/;
• Lync Online Remote Powershell Script Demo - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=41953
• Configuring DirSync and SSO with ADFS - https://blogs.technet.com/b/ptsblog/archive/2013/05/07/office-365-configuring-dirsync-and-single-sign-on-with-adfs.aspx;

Directory Synchronisation Resources:

• Configure filtering for directory synchronization - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj710171.aspx;
• How to install the Windows Azure Active Directory Sync Tool - https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/19098.howto-install-the-windows-azure-active-directory-sync-tool.aspx;
• How to set up Password Sync - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn246918.aspx;
• Deploy Office 365 Directory Synchronization in Microsoft Azure - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn635310(v=office.15).aspx;
• Backup and Restore Instructions for the DirSync Database - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42524;
• Directory Synchronisation Password Sync FAQ - https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/18096.dirsyncwindows-azure-ad-password-sync-frequently-asked-questions.aspx;
• Installation Guide - https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=393942;
• How to configure password reset to write passwords back to on-premises AD - https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/azure/dn688249.aspx#BKMK_2;
• Convert ImmutableID to GUID Script - https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/office/Covert-DirSyncMS-Online-5f3563b1;
• Single-sign-on between on-premise apps, Windows Azure apps and Office 365 services - https://blogs.msdn.com/b/plankytronixx/archive/2010/11/27/single-sign-on-between-on-premise-apps-windows-azure-apps-and-office-365-services.aspx;
• Plan for directory synchronization for Office 365 - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh852469.aspx;
• Best Practices for Deploying and Managing the Windows Azure Active Directory Sync Tool - https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/17370.best-practices-for-deploying-and-managing-the-windows-azure-active-directory-sync-tool.aspx#How_to_deploy_on_a_Domain_Controller;
• IDFix Tool - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36832;
• AADSync Beta Tool - https://connect.microsoft.com/site433/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?DownloadID=53361;
• Teched ADFS resources - https://channel9.msdn.com/Search?term=active%20directory%20federation%20services%203.0#ch9Search;
• ADFS in Windows Server 2012 R2 Hands on Lab from Teched - https://channel9.msdn.com/events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2014/PCIT-H324#fbid=;

Great Lync Online (and Directory Sync) Teched Videos

• Microsoft Office 365 Directory and Access Management with Windows Azure Active Directory - https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/MEC/2014/DMI309 ;
• Introduction to Windows Azure Active Directory - https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2013/WAD-B309;
• Office 365 Directory Synchronisation and Federation Options - https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2014/OFC-B317#fbid=;
• Multi-Factor Authentication for Microsoft Office 365 - https://channel9.msdn.com/events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2014/OFC-B250;
• Introduction to Office365 Identity Management - https://channel9.msdn.com/events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2014/OFC-B222 
• Lync Network Assessment Videos - https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/Lync-Network-Readiness-Assessment (Thanks Marcel)
• John Craddock is a pretty handy presenter you can check out his ADFS presentations here - https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Speakers/John-Craddock;
• Brian Puhl also appears to be pretty handy in the ADFS space, check out his presentations here - https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Speakers/Brian-Puhl;