Minimum set Windows services needed to run GPIB-USB-HS

[Laz77]

In a very memory constrained Win7 32bit system.

What are the minimum set of Windows NI services needed to run GPIB-USB-HS and TCP/IP LAN communications (e.g. Citadel 4, niSvcLoc etc)?

I have read https://www.ni.com/en/support/documentation/supplemental/13/list-of-windows-services-installed-by-ni...

which describes the services but doesn't give sufficiently clear information for a casual user to determine their necessity. I would like a matrix that shows which of those is necessary for our case or at least some guidelines...

[ikaiser]

Hello Laz77,

I could try giving it a shot as I believe to have some understanding of Window's Services. Could you elaborate a bit more on what kind of TCP/IP communication you are doing?

Are you using Shared Variables or just programmatic TCP data transfer?

[Laz77]

Hei - just using Python with PyVisa - so basic TCP against a port.

[ikaiser]

Hi,

I have no experience with PyVISA. From reading it's description ("PyVISA is a Python package that enables you to control all kinds of measurement devices independently of the interface") I'd expect that it only needs a minimal set of Services, if any. You asked this in the context of LabVIEW - are you using LabVIEW at all or just NI-VISA? And where do you implement the TCP communication? I guess that is also in Python?

Have you tried setting the Windows Services in question to Startup=Manual, Status="", then starting your App and observing which Services are started? This should give you an indication of what Services are needed.

You could also disable them one by one and check if your Application is still working,

[Laz77]

Don't want/need Labview but do want NI MAX.

Of course I can do trial and error - I was just hoping that NI could provide a clearer list (e.g. a matrix) of which services are really necessary, because installing the drivers seems to install a lot of services that I don't need. E.g. I can probably disable the following, but I am somewhat guessing:

Service: NIDomainService Process: nidmsrv.exe

Description: Provides a domain server for NI Shared Variable security.

If Disabled: If this service is stopped or disabled, this machine will be unable to act as a domain when configuring shar ed variable security.

[ikaiser]

I think there is no list available that details which services are necessary for running without affecting a particular application because this is very difficult to determine. Each service is affecting different parts of the software on the machine in question, and even further that is based on which functions are or are not used in the scope of your application.

In regards of your question about a the cleanest possible system, I tried figured out which services are needed on my machine (Windows 10) to run MAX. These are the services needed for NI MAX to work:

• NI Configuration Manager
• NI Domain Service
• NI License Server (only if it is installed)
• NI LXI Discovery Service
• NI mDNS Responder Service (this one is a dependency for other services)
• NI Network Discovery
• NI PSP Service Locator (this one is a dependency for other services)
• NI PXI Resource Manager (probably only if you are working on a PXI)
• NI Service Locator
• NI Time Synchronization
• NI Variable Engine

Keep in mind that all, not only the above the services are essential to the functionality of NI software. Each service has its own responsibility. Disabling one or several could have negative consequences. They should be running as they are configured during installation.

hth,

[ikaiser]

I just found out the matrix you asked for almost exists: Windows Services Installed by a Specific NI Software Product, Spring 2016 

Keep in mind this are the services installed by NI MAX itself. If you install some more drivers/software, MAX might need additional services contact those.