Checking to see if a process is running

[wd8ivl]

Hello List,

The virus checker our company uses will randomly start a process and scan the PC's hard drive & memory, taking over the PC's processor.  There is apparently no way to "throttle" the utilization back, and I've seen it go to 99%.  So you can only imagine what this does to my test applications.

Is there a way to poll the "Task Manager" to see if the process is running and what percentage of the CPU this thing is eating?  I could then display a screen to my test operators that the application is unavailable.

Running Windows 7 and Labview 2011.

Thanks,

Mike

[0utlaw]

Hello Mike,

I think this is what you're looking for:

Community Example: Performance Monitor VI

https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-2051

That example demonstrates using .NET to retrieve the information you noted you were looking for.

Regards,

[srikrishnaNF]

Hi wd8ivl,

  I had implemented a VI which will display the CPU utilisation.

  Find it in the attachments.

Regards,

Srikrishna.J

[crossrulz]

Do you have a requirement that your test set needs to be on the company network?  I make a point of not connecting test systems to the company network for this very reason.  I don't put on any extra security other than what Windows has by default.  That is by far the best way to ensure random processes (like virus scan) doesn't affect your tests.

[wd8ivl]

Srikrishna,

I just got into the office and will check out yours an the earlier solution.  Thank you.

crossrulz,

Unfortunately, the PCs have to be connected to the company network to get test recipes and write test data.  And with a couple of dozen test cells scattered around the campus, it could never be managed by "sneaker-net". 

I have been arguing with IT that my systems don't need virus protection, because the users can't get to the box (to plug in a "Flash Drive" or DVD) because they are inside of an electrical enclosure, and because they have no keyboard or mouse...the only input device the user has is a barcode scanner....so the only way my system could get a virus is from the network...and IT should be able to stop it before it gets to me....OK...getting down from my soapbox now.

Mike  

[crossrulz]

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srikrishnaNF wrote:  I had implemented a VI which will display the CPU utilisation.

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Interesting VI.  Found that it needed a lot of tweaks though.  It doesn't do too well when dealing with multicore.  So I added a divide by the number of logical cores.  I also changed the check time to an actual wait.  This removes the need to subtract the 1.5 seconds from the CPU timing.  Also changed the FOR loop to stop when it finds the right process instead of going through all of the processes.

[crossrulz]

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@wd8ivl wrote:OK...getting down from my soapbox now.

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We've all been there many times.  Keep up the good fight.