Why so opaque?

If you’ve done much sifting through Lync Server logs, you have probably noticed the SIP URIs that have an extra parameter tacked on the end named opaque. You may have wondered what all of this opaque stuff means, and what purpose it serves. This post will explain the opaque parameter, so that you can interpret it in Lync logs, use it in your applications, and impress your friends at parties (actually, maybe only at Lync user group meetings). Continue reading “Why so opaque?” »

What is a GRUU?

The term “GRUU” comes up fairly often in Lync development, and I wanted to use this post to give a brief overview of what it means and why you would use one.

GRUUs in their natural habitat?

Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, a GRUU is not a large herd animal or a part of the small intestine. The initials actually stand for “Globally Routable User-Agent URI,” which may or may not clarify things for you at all. The definition of a GRUU is explained in an IETF document which you can find here. In a nutshell, a GRUU is a SIP URI which has a few properties:

Continue reading “What is a GRUU?” »