OBS-Replay-Buffer-for-IT-Support/README.md

OBS Replay Buffer for IT Support

IT support tool that runs OBS Studio's replay buffer silently on VDI sessions, giving users a system tray button to save the last N minutes of screen activity when an issue occurs. Clips are saved to a central UNC share organized by username.

How It Works

1. DEM runs Start-OBSReplayBuffer.ps1 as a logon task
2. The script validates all required project files are accessible, then deploys OBS config files to %APPDATA%\obs-studio\ automatically
3. OBS launches hidden with the replay buffer running — users never see the OBS interface
4. A system tray icon appears — right-click → Save Replay
5. The clip saves to \\server\ITCaptures\<username>\YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS.mkv

Architecture

Component	Role
DEM Logon Task	Runs Start-OBSReplayBuffer.ps1 at logon — only DEM task required
config.psd1	Central config — UNC path, buffer duration, OBS executable path
Start-OBSReplayBuffer.ps1	Validates project files, deploys OBS config, creates user capture folder, writes OBS profile, launches OBS + tray icon
Show-ReplayTray.ps1	WinForms system tray icon — right-click menu with Save Replay / Exit
Invoke-ReplaySave.ps1	Sends SaveReplayBuffer to OBS via WebSocket v5 (built into OBS 28+)
obs-config/	OBS config files — deployed to %APPDATA%\obs-studio\ at logon by the script

Repository Structure

obs-replay-buffer/
├── config.psd1
├── scripts/
│   ├── Start-OBSReplayBuffer.ps1
│   ├── Show-ReplayTray.ps1
│   └── Invoke-ReplaySave.ps1
└── obs-config/
    ├── global.ini
    ├── scenes/
    │   └── ITMonitor.json
    └── plugin_config/
        └── obs-websocket/
            └── config.json

Prerequisites

• OBS Studio 28+ — delivered via App Volumes AppStack or installed directly on the machine (WebSocket v5 is built in — no plugin needed)
• VMware DEM to run the logon task
• A UNC share writable by VDI users for clip storage
• A network share to host this repo's files, accessible from all VDI machines

App Volumes is optional. If OBS Studio is installed directly on the machine (e.g. via SCCM, Intune, or manual install), App Volumes is not required. Set OBSExecutable in config.psd1 to the correct path and the script will work as-is.

Configuration

Edit config.psd1 before deploying:

Key	Description	Default
UNCPath	Base UNC path for clip storage — username subfolder created automatically	\\server\ITCaptures
LogPath	Directory path for script logs — supports %USERNAME% and other environment variables; each script writes its own log file	\\server\ITLogs\%USERNAME%
BufferSeconds	Replay buffer duration in seconds	120
WebSocketPort	OBS WebSocket port — must match obs-config/plugin_config/obs-websocket/config.json	4455
OBSExecutable	Full path to obs64.exe on the target machine	C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit\obs64.exe
ProfileName	OBS profile name — must match the folder under obs-config/profiles/	ITMonitor
SceneCollection	OBS scene collection name — must match the filename under obs-config/scenes/	ITMonitor

Deployment

Step 1 — Host the repo on a network share

Place this repo (or a copy of it) on a share accessible from all target machines, e.g.:

\\stcu-fs01\IT-Tools\OBS-Record\

Step 2 — DEM: Logon task

Create one logon task in DEM (scoped to the target user group). Set it to not wait for completion.

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NonInteractive -WindowStyle Hidden -File "\\stcu-fs01\IT-Tools\OBS-Record\scripts\Start-OBSReplayBuffer.ps1"

This is the only DEM task needed. The script handles all config file deployment, folder creation, and launching both OBS and the tray icon. It will exit cleanly (code 1) if any required project file is inaccessible, or exit 0 if OBS is already running.

No DEM file transfer tasks are needed. The script deploys global.ini and the WebSocket config from the repo to %APPDATA%\obs-studio\ at each logon. basic.ini is written dynamically so the correct UNC path and primary monitor resolution are baked in per session.

Step 3 — OBS Studio (App Volumes or native install)

Option A — App Volumes: Assign the OBS AppStack to the same user group.

Option B — Native install: Ensure OBS Studio 28+ is installed at the path set in OBSExecutable in config.psd1. No other configuration is needed.

User Experience

• A shield icon appears in the system tray at logon — no other UI is visible
• Right-click the icon → Save Replay to save the last BufferSeconds of screen activity
• A Windows toast notification confirms success or failure (falls back to a message box if toast is unavailable)
• Clips appear at \\server\ITCaptures\<username>\ named by timestamp
• Logs are written to \\server\ITLogs\<username>\ — three files, one per script:
  • OBSReplayBuffer.log — startup and config deployment
  • OBSReplayBuffer-Tray.log — tray lifetime, save attempts, and results
  • OBSReplayBuffer-Save.log — WebSocket steps for each save attempt

Changing the Buffer Duration

Update BufferSeconds in config.psd1. The value is written into the OBS profile at each logon, so no repackaging or redeployment is needed.

Notes

Scene Collection JSON

The obs-config/scenes/ITMonitor.json file was generated to target monitor index 0 (primary display). If it does not capture correctly on first use:

1. Launch OBS normally on a test machine
2. Manually configure a Display Capture source pointed at the primary monitor
3. Save, then copy %APPDATA%\obs-studio\basic\scenes\ITMonitor.json back into this repo

OBS Tray Icon vs. IT Tray Icon

OBS places its own tray icon when minimized. Users will see two icons — the OBS icon and the IT Screen Recorder shield icon. The OBS icon can be right-clicked to quit OBS, which would break the replay buffer. If this is a concern, a future enhancement could suppress the OBS tray icon via an OBS config setting.