How do I setup Executable Files for Remote Access via the labview application that created the exe file or web access???

[BC-Triad002]

I've become quite confused with all of the details about in the Web Publishing Tool.  I've created the executable files and run-time installer on my laptop where the LV 8.2 Developer Suite is installed but the finished 'www' file contains a URL that points to my network server conection on the client side of the firewall.  That doesn't make sense for it to be that way in the field.  I'm going to copy all of the executable files created from my project over to 11 other laptops in a lab 20 miles away, each with it's own static IP address.  How will I be able to access them from my laptop at my desk if they have the URL that was copied by LV while my laptop was connected to the network is not accessible from the remote location?  Access to that address is forbidden outside of the proxy server.

My remote laptops are going to be running three vi files simultaneously from files with different names that I created from a copy of FTM1-Cntl1.vi.  The files are named FTM-Cntl1.vi, FTM1-Cntl2_2.vi and FTM1-Cntl3_2.vi.  This is an important feature that will make it possible for me to use each instance of the vi simultaneously.  But here's where the confusion really increases - how should I be configuring the Tools:Options for each of the vi files before I create executable files from them?

Each remote laptop will have it's own static IP address that I've assigned to each remote laptop.  Am I supposed to specify the port for each static IP address from within these options?

I've reviewed the LV help files on this subject but it's not making me very confident that I'm doing the right thing here and the more I read, the deeper I dig and the worse the confusion gets.

I can really use some guidance from an expert...

[Chris_Cilino]

BCU002,

I think that the KB titled 3U5H27MY: Can A LabVIEW 8.x Executable Or Installer Use Remote Front Panels? will answer most of the questions you've asked.

The tools»Options relate to settings for the development environment and shouldn't have much bearing on the exes you're creating. The VI Properties (File»VI Properties) and the Source File Settings section of the My Application Properties dialog box most directly affect the behavior of the VI itself. The good news is that you should have to change anything for your VI.

Give it a shot and let us know if you have any other questions.

Chris C

Message Edited by Chris_C. on 04-24-2007 09:56 AM

[BC-Triad002]

Hot-Dog!!    I think this is the key I've been looking for!!!  I tell you the truth though, this whole process of creating an executable file from a project needs to be defined in the LV help files EXACTLY as it appears in that 3U5H27MY link!!!!  Reading this has opened my eyes to several things that I wasn't doing correctly to enable remote web access and control of my application!!!

Two other important question does come to mind though.  1) What do I need to do about configuring a port for the application to listen to the network on?  I've already read somewhere in one of the tools>options dialogs from within the 'My Computer' properties where port 3363 is the registered default port for TCP/IP and I've also seen port 80 as the default port for the remote access configuration dialog where the server address must be entered at.  2) Which of these do I need to setup for my executable to function correctly on the remote laptop?  Or is it like you say - nothing to do?

One last question: If you run the web publishing tool from a PC that's connected to a network behind a firewall as most are now, the URL of the HTML file that is created by LV become embedded with a link to the same place where the project file resides.  Incidently that URL is useless if your trying to search for it on the remote PC because it points to a forbidden location beyond a proxy server.  Our network automatically stores a backup network copy of documents that are created on the PC.  The project file appears to be on the desktop of my PC, however it actually is being run from the network copy and that's causing the embedded URL to be created from the same place on the network.  The logical conclusion is to move the project file to the root drive of my PC and then try using the web publishing tool again. Does this sound familiar to you and make sense to you too?

[Chris_Cilino]

Hey BCU002,

Glad that article helped out!

So for the other two questions, the port 3363 I think you were referring to is located under VI Server Configuration. You would use this if you wanted to programmatically control LabVIEW running on multiple PCs. You use the "Open Application Reference" vi and then specify a port. The good news is that this isn't something you're going to have to worry about for remote front panels.

Now for the port 80, this is located under Web Server Configuration. This is the port that the web server will be broadcasting the remote front panel on. Port 80 is the standard port for a web server, so you won't have to change this because programs like IE are looking on port 80 for web information.

On to the second question. When you create the html file, LabVIEW displays the url you'd need to type in in order to access that html file hosted on your development PC. That URL isn't actually a part of the VI itself. Here's what happening behind the scenes.

1. You launch a vi and it is therefore loaded into memory.

2. There is an html document that is located in the www directory and is therefore being "served" by the LabVIEW web server.

3. When you type in the url which is usually something like http://machine name/viname.vi, LabVIEW looks for the VI in memory that the html document refers to and then you can connect to the remote front panel.

Hope this demystifies this process a little bit more. Let us know if you have more questions!

Chris C

[Chris_Cilino]

Hey BCU002,

Glad that article helped out!

So for the other two questions, the port 3363 I think you were referring to is located under VI Server Configuration. You would use this if you wanted to programmatically control LabVIEW running on multiple PCs. You use the "Open Application Reference" vi and then specify a port. The good news is that this isn't something you're going to have to worry about for remote front panels.

Now for the port 80, this is located under Web Server Configuration. This is the port that the web server will be broadcasting the remote front panel on. Port 80 is the standard port for a web server, so you won't have to change this because programs like IE are looking on port 80 for web information.

On to the second question. When you create the html file, LabVIEW displays the url you'd need to type in in order to access that html file hosted on your development PC. That URL isn't actually a part of the VI itself. Here's what happening behind the scenes.

1. You launch a vi and it is therefore loaded into memory.

2. There is an html document that is located in the www directory and is therefore being "served" by the LabVIEW web server.

3. When you type in the url which is usually something like http://machine name/viname.vi, LabVIEW looks for the VI in memory that the html document refers to and then you can connect to the remote front panel.

Hope this demystifies this process a little bit more. Let us know if you have more questions!

Chris C

[BC-Triad002]

So that I understand the opposite scenrio as it applies to my situation here's whatI think I should do and correct me if I'm wrong.

1. When I'm using my development PC at my office to connect with the remote PC in the lab in another county (or another continent for that matter) I select from the menu at the top of te screen: Operate>>Connect To Remote Panel from my development PC at my office.
2. Type in the IP address for the specific remote machine that I want to view in another remote location along with the name of the top level vi that's running on the remote machine.
3. Request control.

That's it?

More questions:

1. Does Labview make it possible for me to upload updated vi files to the remote machine from my development machine via my development PC?
2. Will I be able to control the remote PC application the same way that I can while sitting in front of it?
3. Will I be able to launch NI Spy on the remote PC from my office PC?
4. Can the NI Spy Capture on the remote PC be viewed friom my office PC?

[Chris_Cilino]

BCU002,

I'm not an NI Spy wiz so I'll address you're other questions first and then we can move on.

I've actually never used the Operate>>Connect to remote panel option before. I typically just open up Internet explorer and type in the URL such as http://computer (or IP address)/viname.html. Give that a shot. (One thing I've forgotten to mention, you have to have the run time engine installed on the PC that will be used to view the remote front panel. The runtime engine can be found here. LabVIEW Run-time Engine Version 8.2.1 for Windows 2000/Vista x64/Vista x86/XP)

Now on to the other questions:

"Does Labview make it possible for me to upload updated vi files ...." this functionality isn't built into LabVIEW so you'd have to manually transfer the files or use and FTP server. LabVIEW does have FTP VIs so you could write a program to transfer the files, assuming you install and FTP server.

"Will I be able to control the remote PC application ...." You'll be able to interact with the controls and indicators as if you were in the development environment. You won't have access to the block diagram or be able to edit anything.

As the next step, I would make a very simple vi and then turn it into a remote front panel running on your PC. Use internet explorer to connect to it...... I think you'll find it's pretty cool!

Chris C

[BC-Triad002]

Chris,

The local PC tha will be used to view the remote panel is my PC; the one with the LV development suite installed on it.  I should't have to do anything on my local compter except to open LV and then go about connecting to the remote PC.  So I wouldn't need to install anything on the local PC because it's already installed.  Correct?

[Chris_Cilino]

You got it! The PC that already has LabVIEW also has the runtime engine needed to view remote front panles installed.

Chris C