Let us install LV on virtual machines

[Intaris]

As outlined in a post in the NI forums HERE, and seeing as I'm currently being forced to re-install several LV versions on my Laptop (Have been doing so since yesterday!) I want to re-iterate my affinity for having LV installed in a Virtual PC.

Memory problems, Hard disk crashes, Virii, stupid user: there are many reasons why an OS would need to be re-installed.  In my case it happens that my HDD was on its way out.  I think this may be linked to many crashes I have been experiencing over the last 8-9 months.  I am nor re-installing ALL of my LV versions.  This is a major pain in the tuchas.  I have backups, but I would rather re-install since I don't know when the data corruption started.

Being a nice law-abiding citizen (or a sucker, depends on who you ask) I don't want to violate NI's EULA by installing each LV Version (Ideally each quarterly update)on a separate VM.  This violates rather quickly the "install on 3 PCs rule").

Please please let us install on many Virtual PCs as long as they are not distributed amongst other users.....

Did I say PLEASE?

Shane

[crelf]

Can you please post the actual license agreement text that you're referring to?

[Intaris]

I find the text in the EULA a bit unclear, not being a Lawyer and all.

This is why I linked to a post on ni.com asking for clarification on the subject.

A document outlining NI's official stance on VMs is also available HERE.

It essentially equates a VM with a phsyical computer thus limiting the user (single seat licence) to 3 installs total including physical AND virtual PCs.

Shane.

[rolfk]

I would personally make a differentiation here. If you install LabVIEW 8.6 into several VMs, then I can understand that NI wants to limit that. However if I install all of my different LabVIEW versions into an individual VM on the same computer I do not feel like there is a problem with that.

I have an SSP for those versions so feel entitled to install them all on my development machine and think installing them in several VMs for the sake of containing each system with its correct subsystems and tools is simply a valid request. Or NI must go and work its installers over so they won't mess with older LabVIEW versions installed on the same computer. 😉 

[Intaris]

Rolf,

That's essentially what I'm getting at.

Maybe we could approach it so that each VERSION is allowed three installs so that installs of LabVIEW 6.1 doesn't affect my installations of 8.2.1 or 8.5.1 as long as there is only one version running at any given time.

Each major LV version is not SO much of a problem because they can be installed in parallel but all other modules (Vision, Motion, VISA and so on) can only have a single version installed.

I also had a customer who INSISTED on me using 8.20 which of course cannot be installed alongside 8.2.1 so a VM was the ONLY real answer.

I raised the question in the NI forum hoping for a sensible answer (I also believe it's a perfectly valid request especially since I get 4 or 5 DVDs every three months!) but alas 'tis not to be.

With Virtualisation becoming more and more popular (My favourite Virtualbox just got SMP support!) this will have to be addressed or else NI will just have to turn a blind eye to rampant abuse of their EULA as it is currently worded.