Skype for Business Video Based Screen Sharing (VbSS) supported scenarios

Skype for Business has many useful features one of them is application sharing (Desktop sharing). Skype for Business supports screen sharing based on RDP (Remote Desktop protocol) and VbSS (Video-based Screen Sharing. The difference between VbSS and traditional screen-sharing has to do with the underlying protocols used, and what they excel at. Screen-sharing uses the remote desktop protocol (RDP), which is great at creating thousands of 1-to-1 sessions between people’s computers. Newer technology, VbSS, will make use of User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

Skype for Business Server wanted to improve people’s 1-to-1, and their 1-to-many (multi-party) conversations and meeting experiences. VbSS makes use of the media platform (which relies on UDP as the underlying protocol), with the goal of improving your video start times, the viewing quality of what you’re watching (especially if what you’re watching is moving fast), and reliability overall.

VbSS works better when you do:

1. All the users in your Skype for Business Server environment have screen resolutions higher than 1920 x 1080.
2. Make sure to open below ports and protocols:

1. Allow TCP/5065 port from Front End – Required for incoming SIP requests.
2. Allow TCP/UDP port 49152-65535 from Front End server – This requires for application Sharing media.
3. Allow Skype for Business clients TCP/UDP port 1024-65535 – This used for Application sharing.
   3. Make sure to update Skype for Business Server 2015 to July 2018 cumulative updates to allow to support Skype for Business Mac client.

There are situations where screen-sharing will transition to RDP:

• If your account is hosted in an environment where the ASMCU doesn’t meet the minimum build that supports VbSS.
• If someone who uses an older version of the Skype for Business client joins your session, for example anyone using any Windows client version that is lower than 16.0.6330.1000, Skype for Business Room System Devices, or Skype for Business Mobile Apps.
• If a user is sharing from the Skype for Business Web App.
• If someone starts any Program/Windows Sharing.
• If someone starts recording the session.
• If someone invokes Remote Screen Control during the session.
• Be aware that once the session transitions to RDP it will not transition back to VbSS. Again, the transition from VbSS is meant to be seamless, and, with hope, will not be easy to detect in most situations.
• Meetings with more than 250 participants (where VbSS is not currently supported).

Thank you.