What is the minimal set of software upgrades to go to 488.2.2.5 silently?

[ghanak]

Greetings

I'm trying to run a silent install for a GPIB-USB-B to GPIB-USB-HS controller (the 'B' now being obsolete).  I need to install the update(s) silently, with a VAX based station controlling a VXI chassis with Windows 2000 running on the slot 0.  I have it installing, but not within the constraints.  The problem is it takes about 40 minutes and four separate reboots, whereas the parent system is set up for a 5 to 10 minute install, with one reboot of the VXI chassis upon the slot 0 startup and intialization.  If I can get the installation time down (largely due to the time of downloading from VAX to VXI via ftp), the multiple reboot problem may become a non-issue.

I'm thinking this could be fixed if we can get by with installing the bare minimum out of the ni488225.exe file required to run the GPIB-USB-HS controller.  Currently, there's a Windows O/S service pack update, an ni-vxi 3.3.1 update, a patch to the ni-vxi 3.3.1 update, and the NI-488.2.25 update itself, which apparently needs a Visa update.  That's an awful lot for just wanting to install a GPIB-USB-HS driver and still keep GPIB-USB-B active, especially as it will have to run whenever the slot 0 in the VXI needs to be re-imaged or the parent system is re-started.  Is there a template spec for this sort of thing, and a list of required files out of the ni488225.exe?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated, and helpful responses greeted with loud public praise.

gh

[Sputnikrent]

Hi ghanak,

You should be able to create a silent installer for each individual installer with the options you want set up. You will have to create a Specification file that will hold the setup/installation information in it. There is a step by step guide to how you can do this here.

Unfortunately, I can't think of a way you can string the different installations together silently so that it will run through all the installers and perform the requisite reboots. Hope I was able to help!

[ghanak]

Hi Rasheel

Thanks for taking the time to reply!  Yes, I know the basics of the spec file, and how to use it.  What I don't know is the minimal file set.  I've got the multiple reboot problem figured out, if, and it's a big if, I can somehow get the run time (which translates directly to the size of the zip file I need to load) down to some small value.

I have what I've named a USB.ZIP and VXI.ZIP file to load.  The VXI.ZIP is the expanded and then recompressed nivxi331.exe file, while the USB.ZIP is the expanded and then recompressed ni488225.exe file.  The USB.ZIP file is over 365 MB, and it takes too long.  It also has all the documentation, multiple language file sinks, and other stuff I don't need.  Near as I can tell, a Visa upgrade is required to run the new NI USB-HS driver, but there must be some subset of all this stuff that is the bare minimum, with no bells, whistles, or any other sort of extras.   That's what I'd like to try next...pare this down to the minimum and see if what I have will work.

Got to go.  Thanks again for the reply.  If you have any insight into what I can leave out or what I can't leave out, I'd love to hear from you (or anyone else) again.  Remember through all this that the idea is to upgrade to the GPIB-USB-HS driver, with the GPIB-USB-B still functional.

Thanks!

Gary

[Sputnikrent]

So if I'm understanding correctly, you would also like to remove components from the installer itself, so as to shrink the installer file size down? Hm I'll have to look into this a bit more.

[ghanak]

Rasheel

Correct.  I currently rezip all the ni488.2.2.5 stuff into a USB.ZIP file (this action being required under the system constraints I'm working under).  If I can reduce the size of this USB.ZIP file, I'm hoping the process will take less time, thereby allowing the current system to handle it.  To reduce the reconstructed USB.ZIP file, I need to remove as much of the ni488.2.2.5 installation as I can.

Of course, the same thing applies to the VXI.ZIP file I reconstruct from the nivxi331.exe file, but it's about a fifth the size of the USB.ZIP file, so first things first...

Thanks again for looking at this!

Gary

[Sputnikrent]

Hi ghanak,

Okay, I think I have a clear idea of what you are looking to get here. However there are components "invisible" to the user that will go along with the installer (e.g. a new version of MAX, etc) which are going to be needed in order to communicate with the USB-GPIB-HS. I will look to see if it possible to remove the extraneous files that are part of the options (language, etc) when running the installer.

[Sputnikrent]

Hi ghanak,

Unfortunately it looks like there isn't a way to strip the NI 488.2 installer to any more basic components. This is because all of the driver components are an absolute necessity when working with any GPIB interface. MAX and the other utilities (troubleshooting, etc) are necessary in case customers run into problems so that we can troubleshoot effectively.

Hope this was helpful!

[ghanak]

Rasheel

Looks to be even a little weirder than it already seems to be.  I ran another manual install in an effort to create a new disk image.  Visa did not show up during the install selection processes as being necessary (though it may still have been installed as the new image was a lot bigger than the old).  However, our dependency issues stem not from the ni-488.2.2.5 itself, but from our need to have the resource manager run outside of measurement & automation (MAX).  In order to do that, we had to install the nivxi 3.3.1 patch, which meant we needed to install nivxi 3.3.1, and that's where all the rest of the baggage got added in.

So I'm not sure where we are.  An awful lot of things got 'upgraded' during this little driver change, and they're all inter-related, seems as if.  I'm going to work on using a new image for a while whilst I ponder the problem.  If you have any more cogitations, I'd be happy to hear them.

Thanks for all the help so far. 

Gary