The Lync SDN API (later rebranded as the Skype for Business SDN Interface) is a RESTful, subscription-based framework that allows network infrastructure to dynamically optimize and prioritize real-time voice, video, and collaboration traffic. In traditional setups, networks cannot differentiate between generic encrypted packets and critical real-time communication. The Lync SDN API bridges this gap by acting as a northbound controller interface, feeding live diagnostic and session data directly to the network management plane. Core Architecture and Components
The system relies on a two-tier architectural model designed to capture and distribute real-time Call Quality of Experience (QoE) and session details without introducing overhead to individual server endpoints.
Lync Dialog Listener (LDL): This component must be installed as a service on every Microsoft Lync Front-End Server. It monitors SIP dialogs (INVITE, BYE, ACK) in real time, parses the Session Description Protocol (SDP) fields to identify media streams, and immediately forwards this raw data via HTTP/HTTPS POST to the management tier.
Lync Dialog Manager / SDN Manager (LDM): Acting as the central hub, the SDN Manager processes the incoming streams from multiple LDL components. It deduplicates events, applies algorithmic throttling, and reformats the telemetry data into standardized XML formats (SDNInterface.Schema.C.xsd or the updated Schema.D.xsd).
Subscribers (Network Controllers): These are third-party network elements (such as hardware from HPE Aruba, Cisco, or Extreme Networks) that subscribe to the SDN Manager via a webhook-style REST API. Key Capabilities for Developers
Developers leveraging this framework do not write standard client-side features; instead, they build integrations that respond to changing infrastructure requirements.
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