Requirements

On this page you will learn what are the hardware and software requirements to be able to use the MSP Challenge Simulation Platform.

All requirements are based on tests run on hardware available to us (BUas). It might be possible to run on older versions of Windows and on different hardware with lower-strength CPU and/or RAM. However, this has not been tested and is thus not supported.

We are continuously developing and testing the software, and thus will update this page as we learn and support more.

Client Requirements

Hardware

Operating System	Either of the following: Windows 10 (64-bit and up-to-date, at least version 1909) Windows 11 (up-to-date) macOS (up-to-date, at least High Sierra 10.13)
CPU	Intel Core i5 6th+ generation, or comparable
Memory	8 GB RAM
Free Space	1 GB
Graphics Hardware	Not Necessary
Sound Hardware	Not Necessary
Networking	Cabled (UTP) or Wireless (WIFI), but as fast and reliable as you can get it

Software

No additional software is required, only the MSP Challenge Client installation or unzip is necessary.

Do you use virus scanning or firewall software on top of or instead of the Windows Security default ones (also known as Windows Defender)? Think of Norton, Avast, McAfee, ... Expect them to throw some spanners in the works. They might start scanning files, slowing things down, blocking use until you indicate that the MSP Challenge Client software can and should be trusted. That's all up to you, we cannot help you with that.

Server Requirements

Hardware

Operating System	Either of the following: Windows 10 (64-bit and up-to-date, at least version 1909) Windows 11 (up-to-date) Windows Server 2016 or 2019 (up-to-date) Linux, through Docker (at least version 24.0.5), with Docker Compose (at least version 2.20.2). Docker has its own Linux requirements. Note that you can of course also use Docker on Windows, if you prefer. The same Docker (Compose) version requirements apply. Docker has its own Windows requirements.
CPU	Intel Core i7 7th+ generation, or comparable
Memory	16 GB RAM
Free Space	50 GB (although highly dependent on how you use the server software)
Graphics Hardware	Not Necessary
Sound Hardware	Not Necessary
Networking	Cabled (UTP) or Wireless (WIFI), but as fast and reliable as you can get it

We recommend setting up a local area network using your own (Wifi) router to which your MSP Challenge server and clients connect. This gives you full control and reduces risks of e.g. network congestion or strict network security policies.

You can of course just use an existing local area network (cabled or wireless). See the the port usage notes below under Software.

The closer (in terms of network) the server is to the clients, the better the performance will be. In other words: try to avoid latency and lag (i.e., communication problems) by ensuring a fast and reliable connection between server and all its connected clients.

Software

When you run the MSP Challenge Windows full platform installer, beware that the following additional software will be installed:

• Python 3.8.x
• XAMPP 7.x.x, specifically the Apache2 web server with PHP8 and MySQL (MariaDB).
• Several background services, all starting with 'MSP': MSPApache, MSPMySQL, MSPWsServer

When you use Docker, all required software are included in the containers that are set up for you. No need to worry about that.

Ports

• On Windows, when using the full-platform installer, ports 80 and 45001 should be opened for incoming and outgoing connections.
• On Linux or Windows, when using Docker, port 443 should be opened for incoming and outgoing connections. Indeed, on Docker the connections are secured by default.

Peripherals

You will need to use a Keyboard and Mouse to navigate the Client and the Server Manager applications. While it is possible to use a trackpad or a touchscreen, it'll be strenuous and likely annoying.