IMU2

[Tubacap]

I know this has been talked about before, but I'm excited and I wanted to share.

I finally got the IMU to work today.  I got everything from tasking, to signing in the aircrew, to going through the entire set of sorties.  I even started it on LAN mode and was running two different computers imputting on the same data.  What I need to figure out is how to do it in Virtual mode, but that is going to happen with hosting from someone else before I can start it.

I would just like to say that it rocked to finally get all of the bugs worked out in my head and to get everything to work!

Now... if I was brave, I would just upload to WMIRS, but I think for this time I am going to manually edit WMIRS.  Babysteps..

[w7sar]

You've done what I am working on doing!  Can you shed some light.
When we used IMU2 during the certification phase of the C4 (CAP Crisis Coordination Center) in Utah, I discovered this to be an excellent utility.

Here's our scenario.  I would like to have the IMU look at a share database located on another laptop -- AND -- be able to use a wireless card to access the Internet to look at weather, TFRs, e-mail, etc. 

I'm guessing I need to use two wireless cards (or one wired and one wireless) and tell IMU to look at the laptop where the dB is located.

But...I have not figured out how to change IMU to look at either a shared dB or a local dB if I want to switch from shared to stand-alone.  I cannot  find a option to do this.  So I am thining I need two IMU applications, one shared, one standalone?

Thoughts?  Suggestions?  Wisdom?

Thanks!

Jerry Wellman
Utah

[Tubacap]

Jerry,
You need a wireless network.  If you have a router, you have a potential for one.   You need to actually manually set up a wireless network through the network configuration utility in XP.  Then flip it onto a stick and take it to the other computers on the network.
After you set up the network, you need to do the following:

1.  Then make sure the database folder is shared on all computers. 
2.  Open the IMU on one of the computers, select LAN and make sure the computer is the host.  Make sure you write down what the name is.
3.  Open up the IMU on the other computers in LAN mode, and then enter in the host name you wrote down in the last step.

You should be up and running then.  This only works for computers in the same LAN, so you have to be working in close proximity to each other.  I don't have any experience in the Virtual mode, which allows you to share the information across the internet as opposed to a LAN.  I do believe that you need to host the database somewhere, and we are working on that in PAWG, but I don't know how to do it yet.

Hope that helps!  It is definitely a great resource.

[genejackson]

Jerry,

Like Tubacap mentioned, setup a LAN and run it from there with the primary database on one particular PC.  Here in VAWG, we've used it extensively even with the primary PC being located across the state.   You just set the IP address of that PC into the settings of the IMU setup.   Works great and we can run missions without having to be sitting immediately next to each other at a mission base.

Our primary IMU guru is Mike Portanova, Jefferson 4.  He is the Wing DC and his email is mport@cox.net.   You can tell him I gave his email to you and I know he'd be willing to help get you going. 

Gene Jackson
Group I CC
VAWG

[Tubacap]

So in VAWG, does someone offer up their computer with a static IP?  In this setup mode, do you run it in LAN or virtual?  This is an interesting option to full time hosting!

[genejackson]

We only run the IMU across the web with a static IP during a big mission (or SAR-EVAL), etc.   The host person downloads the current database, we upload the data to each respective laptop.   Host person (usually the primary IC) then opens the mission in IMU and we each log in with our credentials and run our respective areas.   In a large mission, I typically run the brief/debrief section so that is the area I am most experienced in from a multip-user scenario.   When I run a mission that is Squadron or Group sized, then as the IC-2,  I just use my laptop and do all the entries myself.    It sure does make life easy for checking credentials,  preparing all the end of mission paperwork, etc.   I especially like how it interfaces with WMIRS and does the entries for you in WMIRS as you open the mission.

Again, Mike Portanova is a true guru with this program and is on first name basis with the programmer.

[Tom_Charpentier]

Our xeperience in Bishop last week was that "Virtual Mode" ran very slow over a wireless internet connection. It has run fine for us with wired high speed connections. We ended up running a "Local" LAN and uploading sortie data individually to update WMIRS.

When you attempt to upload all mission data, IMU checks for errors and will not let you proceed without correcting those errors that were found. Individual sorties can be uploaded and updated from the Flight Operations screen when still incomplete.

Opening a mission in IMU will not open the mission in WMIRS. You must open the WMIRS mission seperately and prior to IMU boot up if you're running in the "Virtual" mode.

TC