VBS4 Deployment Options

VBS4 supports a large range of use case options from single computer usage to multi-room combined simulation and specialist display solutions.

• Most use cases include the deployment of a VBS World Server to host a Dedicated Server to manage the simulation and stream the scenario with high-fidelity terrain.
• VBS4 supports an Offline use case using a Dedicated Server to act as the host where the power and flexibility of VBS World Server is not required.
• VBS4 uses the same installer on all Client computers and the operation type is determined by the VBS4 startup options for each computer.

Refer to the following for an overview of which deployment type is most suitable for different use cases:

• Single Computer Deployment
• Group Training
• Custom Group Training
• High-Load Training Exercises
• Multi-Room Combined Simulation
• Multi-Product Combined Simulation
• Specialist Display Solutions

Single Computer Deployment

Running VBS4 on a single computer is suitable for the following use cases:

• Single-User Training using the Training Battlespace
• Scenario Design
• AAR Playback

Follow this process:

1. Install VBS World Server on a single computer if you need to save or access data on it.

   For more information, see Installing VBS World Server.

2. Install VBS4 on a single computer.

   For more information, see Installing VBS4.

3. Use VBS Launcher using the appropriate settings in the Basic tab to start VBS4 for your use case:

   • For Single-User Training, select Admin, and use the VBS4 Offline option without a specified Dedicated Server.

     For more information, see Training Battlespace in the VBS4 Trainee Manual.

   • For Scenario Design, select Admin, and use the VBS4 Offline option without a specified Dedicated Server.

     For more information, see Scenario Preparation in the VBS4 Editor Manual.

      NOTE To save or export your Battlespace to the VBS World Server, use the Admin preset with the VBS4 Online option and specify the VBS World Server IP Address.

   • For AAR Playback, select Admin, and use the VBS4 Offline option without a specified Dedicated Server.

     For more information, see After Action Review (AAR) in the VBS4 AAR Manual.

      NOTE To access AAR Recordings on the VBS World Server, use the use the Admin preset with the VBS4 Online option and specify the VBS World Server IP Address.

   For more information, see Starting VBS4.

Group Training

For Scenario Execution as Group Training, deploy a VBS World Server, one or more VBS4 Admin Clients to manage the scenario, and VBS4 User Clients for the participants.

1	Router
2	Admin Clients
3	User Clients
4	VBS World Server

Follow this process:

1. Install VBS World Server on its own computer.

   For more information, see Installing VBS World Server.

2. Install VBS4 on the Admin and User Clients.

    NOTE All computers must be on the same network for VBS4 to communicate automatically.

   For more information, see Installing VBS4.

3. Use a VBS4 Client to create your training exercise.

   For more information, see Scenario Preparation in the VBS4 Editor Manual.

4. Start VBS World Server:

   Run \VWS_Installation\vws_start.exe

5. Use VBS Launcher with the applicable Admin settings in the Basic tab to start VBS4 on the Admin Clients to manage the scenario:

   • Select Admin.
   • Use VBS4 Online to connect to a specified VBS World Server.

   To administer a multi-player scenario, see Scenario Execution in the VBS4 Instructor Manual.

6. Use VBS Launcher with the applicable settings in the Basic tab to start VBS4 on each User Client to participate in the scenario:

   • Use VBS4 Online to connect to a specified VBS World Server.

   To participate in a multi-user scenario, see Joining a Scenario in the VBS4 Trainee Manual.

Custom Group Training

For some use cases, such as training stations dedicated to a specific scenario, the use of a VBS World Server is not required. For these use cases, VBS4 supports an Offline use case where a VBS4 Client installation starts as a Dedicated Server to host the Scenario.

1	Router
2	Admin Clients
3	User Clients
4	Dedicated Server

Follow this process:

1. Install VBS4 on the Dedicated Server, the VBS4 Admin Clients and all VBS4 User Clients.

    NOTE All computers must be on the same network for VBS4 to communicate automatically.

   For more information, see Installing VBS4.

2. Use the Dedicated Server computer to create your training exercise.

   For more information, see Scenario Preparation in the VBS4 Editor Manual.

    NOTE If you create the Scenario on another computer, copy it to the Dedicated Server before running the exercise.

3. On the Dedicated Server, use VBS Launcher with the Dedicated Server preset to start VBS4 and host the Scenario.

   For more information, see Dedicated Server in the VBS4 Administrator Manual.

4. On an Admin Client, use VBS Launcher with the applicable Admin settings in the Basic tab to start VBS4 and manage the scenario:

   • Select Admin.
   • Use VBS4 Offline to connect to a specified Dedicated Server.

   To administer a multi-player scenario, see Scenario Execution in the VBS4 Instructor Manual.

5. On each User Client, use VBS Launcher with the applicable settings in the Basic tab to start VBS4 and participate in the scenario:

   • Use VBS4 Offline to connect to a specified Dedicated Server.

   To participate in a multi-user scenario, see Joining a Scenario in the VBS4 Trainee Manual.

High-Load Training Exercises

For even larger training scenarios with many participants and a very large number of simulation objects, Simulation Clients can provide additional computing resources to host the simulation and maintain performance.

1	Router
2	Admin Clients
3	User Clients
4	VBS World Server or Dedicated Server
5	Simulation Clients

1. Install VBS World Server on its own computer.

   For more information, see Installing VBS World Server.

    NOTE

   If a VBS World Server is not required, install VBS4 on a Dedicated Server.

   For more information, see Installing VBS4 and Dedicated Server in the VBS4 Administrator Manual.

2. Install VBS4 on the Simulation Clients, VBS4 Admin Clients, all VBS4 User Clients.

    NOTE All computers must be on the same network for VBS4 to communicate automatically.

   For more information, see Installing VBS4 and Simulation Clients in the VBS4 Administrator Manual.

3. Use a VBS4 Client to create your training exercise.

   For more information, see Scenario Preparation in the VBS4 Editor Manual.

4. Start VBS World Server:

   Run \VWS_Installation\vws_start.exe

    NOTE If a VBS World Server is not required, use VBS Launcher with the Dedicated Server preset to host the Scenario on a Dedicated Server.

5. Use VBS Launcher with the -simulationclient option to start the Simulation Clients.

6. Use VBS Launcher with the applicable Admin settings in the Basic tab to start VBS4 on the Admin Clients to manage the scenario:

   • Select Admin.
   • Use VBS4 Online to connect to a specified VBS World Server.
   • Use VBS4 Offline to connect to a specified Dedicated Server.

   To administer a multi-player scenario, see Scenario Execution in the VBS4 Instructor Manual.

7. Use VBS Launcher with the applicable settings in the Basic tab to start VBS4 on each User Client to participate in the scenario.

   • Use VBS4 Online to connect to a specified VBS World Server.
   • Use VBS4 Offline to connect to a specified Dedicated Server.

   To participate in a multi-user scenario, see Joining a Scenario in the VBS4 Trainee Manual.

More specific setups are available by setting the Simulation Client type. For more information, see Simulation Clients in the VBS4 Administrator Manual.

Multi-Room Combined Simulation

VBS Gateway enables multiple instances of VBS4 to host different sets of simulation objects as part of a combined simulation where entities managed by each instance of VBS4 appear as external entities in the other instances of VBS4.

1	Room 1 - VBS World Server or Dedicated Server running VBS Gateway.
2	Room 1 - VBS World Server or Dedicated Server running VBS Gateway.

This scenario may be appropriate for all previously described deployment scenarios. Follow the appropriate process for each deployment type, replacing the preset with the equivalent Gateway preset, or by additionally selecting the -gateway option on the VBS4 instances that are hosting simulation objects.

For more information, see VBS Gateway Overview in the VBS Gateway Manual.

Multi-Product Combined Simulation

VBS Gateway enables VBS4 to participate in combined simulations with other HLA or DIS compliant simulation products where entities managed by each product appear as external entities in the other products.

1	Room 1 - VBS World Server or Dedicated Server running VBS Gateway.
2	Room 2 - HLA/DIS compliant Simulation Product

 NOTE VBS World Server requires additional configuration to enable VBS Gateway. For more information, see Configure Dedicated Server for VBS World Server in the VBS World Server Manual.

This scenario may be appropriate for all previously described deployment scenarios. Follow the appropriate process for the VBS4 deployment type, replacing the preset with the equivalent Gateway preset, or by additionally selecting the -gateway option on the VBS4 instance that is hosting simulation objects.

For more information, see VBS Gateway Overview in the VBS Gateway Manual.

Start the other simulation products as appropriate.

Specialist Display Solutions

For graphically demanding deployments, such as output to domes, use VBS4 to host the simulation objects and transmit to a CIGI-compliant Image Generation product to render high quality graphics.

1	Room 1 - VBS World Server or Dedicated Server hosting the scenario.
2	Room 2 - CIGI-compliant IG product.

This scenario may combine with any of the previously described deployment scenarios. Follow the appropriate process for the VBS4 deployment type, with the following additional startup options:

• To transmit to VBS IG or another CIGI-compliant IG product, start VBS4 with the -gateway startup parameter.
• To transmit to VBS Blue IG, start VBS4 with the -interopHost parameter.

For more information, see VBS CIGI Host in the VBS CIGI Host Manual.

Start the Image Generation product as appropriate.

 NOTE Bohemia Interactive Simulations recommended Image Generation solution is VBS Blue IG. For more information, contact sales@bisimulations.com.