Efficiently Distributing VLA Software

Learn about different types of NI software and how to distribute them in the most effective manner to reduce footprint on disk and setup time.

Different types of NI Software

NI Developer Suite is a bundle of software and can contain the other types of software. TestStand and DIAdem are usually combined with LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, or Meaurement Studio, but operate standalone as well. On the contrary, modules and toolkits must be used with the related application software.  Device drivers are hardware dependent, but can work with all software. The image below shows how the different types of NI software relate to each other.

 
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LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Measurement Studio, TestStand, and DIAdem all have several packages (ex: Full and Professional) and versions (ex: 8.0 and 8.2.1). Modules for LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI must be the same version for the software to interact properly.

Multiple software packages on Single CD

NI has taken advantage of activation and multiple packages of software are on a single CD. For example, LabVIEW Evaluation, LabVIEW Base Development System, LabVIEW Full Development System, and LabVIEW Professional Development System are all on a single CD. Activation unlocks different components of the software.  When using NI Volume License Manager (NI VLM) 2.1, you can create network installers for all different LabVIEW packages at one time. The image below shows how the different CDs in Developer Suite are set up. Developer Suite gives permission for the software in white.

Note: LabWindows/CVI Base Development System and LabWindows/CVI Full Development System are not on the same CD.

Efficiently Using Network Installers

Network installers allow you to put NI software on a company server for end users to download, while NI VLM or FLEXnet Manager handles all permissions. Network installers contain four components: the software installer, permission requests for licenses, VLA Admininstrator information, and connection information about the server hosting NI VLM or FLEXnet Manager. Network installers are not included in FLEXnet Manager, but can be created in NI VLM and used by FLEXnet Manager. It will provide the same functionality as with NI VLM except FLEXnet Manager does not support permission requests. Watch the Creating a Network Installer  video to learn how to create network installers.

NI VLM 2.1 creates an easy way to combine network installers for single software installers. For example, LabVIEW Full Development System, LabVIEW Professional Development System, and NI Developer Suite Core licenses all include the same LabVIEW installer. NI VLM 2.1 allows you to combine the three network installers to all call the same LabVIEW installer. In this example the network installer would have the folder hierarchy below:

• LabVIEW 8.2.1
  • LabVIEW Full Development System
  • LabVIEW Professional Development System
  •  NI Developer Suite Core LabVIEW

This feature works well with different groups using the same software as well. For example if 4^th Floor Manufacturing is using LabVIEW Full Development System, 5^th Floor Manufacturing is using LabVIEW Professional Development System, and 6^th Floor Manufacturing is using LabVIEW Professional Development System, you could label the network installers to be applicable to the different groups. In this example the network installer would have the folder hierarchy below:

• LabVIEW 8.2.1
  • 4^th Floor Manufacturing
  • 5^th Floor Manufacturing
  • 6^th Floor Manufacturing

If you are a Developer Suite Customer, you should take advantage of the grouped network installers. Create network installers for the different software installers and then create a Developer Suite folder than includes redirected folders to all the different software installers. This will allow you to group everything in Developer Suite together, without create a huge footprint on disk. In this example the folder hierarchy would look like this:

• NI Developer Suite Core
  • Shortcut to NI Developer Suite Core LabVIEW
  • Shortcut to NI Developer Suite Core LabWindows/CVI
  • Shortcut to NI Developer Suite Core Measurement
  • Shortcut to NI Developer Suite Core LabVIEW Signal Express
  • Toolkits

To learn more how to set up network installers in NI VLM 2.1 see Getting Started with NI Volume License Manager and the NI Volume License Manager Videos.

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