How to do a good database with DSC 8.0?

[Peachy]

Hi everyone!

I hope everybody is doing great!

Ok here's my problem. I send several messages to the support engineer and messages here about my weird problems. On the client computer I had this "lvrt.dll" and "nids.dll" errors and since we can't fix it, we decide today to format the computer and to start from the beginning.

What I install in the computer (in right order):

-LabVIEW 8.0 runtime engine

-Activation of Remote Panel (5 users)

-LabVIEW DSC 8.0 runtime

-Vision Acquisition Software

-Vision runtime engine 8.0

Is it the right order for the installation? Do you think it's going to do an error?

Ok now I want to create a database (I really need to know ALL the steps, because the errors from the other day came from there).

Here are the steps I THINK I need to do:

1. I create a library (Variables.lvlib) and I add a network published variable (alarm1).

2. In the Variables.lvlib proprieties:

       DSC Settings: Database -> Log to computer: L336

                                                    Database name: L336_Database

                                                    Database path: C:\L336\Database

3. In the alarm1 (boolean) proprieties:

       Variable -> Use Buffering is check and 50 number of booleans.

       Logging -> Enable Logging, Log Alarms & Events and Log Data are all check.

       Alarming -> Enable Alarming is check (and I configure the alarm).

4. I use the "Create Database.vi"

    Inputs of this VI: Computer name: L336

                               Database name: L336_Database

                               Database path: C:\L336\Database

5. I build a new application with the Create Database.vi only (with the inputs). The "Enable Enhanced DSC Runtime Support" is uncheck (so it's disable). I run it in the client computer.

6. I deploy my library with the "Deploy library.vi".

    Input: Library path: C:\builds\data\Variables.lvlib (I know it's the good path).

7. I build a new application with the Deploy library.vo only (with the input). The "Enable Enhanced DSC Runtime Support" is check (so it's enable). I run it in the client computer.

Alright, now I really need to know if ALL the steps are correct. Do you think I forget to do something? Do you think I do the steps in right order?

Last week I had a "lvrt.dll" error with the "Alarm & Event query.vi". When I simulate an alarm and read it with this VI, this error happened when I click on the X after stopping it. So I don't know if the error comes from the "Alarm & Event query.vi" of the database.....

Thank you very much for your time

Stephanie

[REM1]

Hello Stephanie,

I haven't forgotten about you.  I promise.

Your installation order looks fine.

You should not need steps 5 & 6 from your work order.  Deploying the library will create the database if needed.

As a check, try doing this...

• Install just the DSC runtime.  The DSC runtime includes the LabVIEW runtime
• Perform your work flow excluding steps 5 & 6
• If that works, or if you must have the vision software to run this test
• Install the vision software
• Perform the abbreviated work flow again.
• If all that works, try installing the LabVIEW runtime and activating the remote panel licenses.

This should, at least, give us a better understanding of where the issue is.

[Peachy]

Hi Robert!

Thanks for helping me again.

Yesturday I unintall all National Instruments software on my development computer. I have the Professional Development System... I tried to run my project and I get an error and everything closed. In the past months, I get the same error (http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=194704).... So I guess I have an error in my program but I send it twice to the support engineer and nobody found the problem. I don't know how they test my project but from what I know, the error happens when I have data in the database and when I read the data with "Alarm & Event query.vi". I know that the data is store well in the database (I can see it with MAX) but I can't read them with this VI. If they test my project with nothing in the database, my project works fine. I guess it's not a corrupt file because I reinstall everything more than 3 times now. I finish working on this project THIS friday (in 2 days!!!) and I would like to know why this Alarm & Event query.vi does that error. Is there any other way I can access old data from the database?

Why I have this error http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=194704 in the Development System and why I have this "nids.dll" error with the runtime? And why it's working for you and it's not for me?

I don't want to send my whole project on the forum, is there any way that I could send you my project Robert (if you want to help me, for sure!)?

This morning, I read what you ask me to do and we did something wrong with Windows (ahhh...) so I'm formatting the computer again. After reinstalling everything I'll try what you ask me to do. But if it's not working on the development system, I guess it won't work on the client computer also....

Why, why, why....

Stephanie

[Peachy]

Hi again,

Today we format the computer. First we intall Windows XP and then the drivers.

I did what you ask me: I intall only DSC runtime 8.0. I perform my application and then the alarms worked good. I simulate alarms with an array of boolean and the alarms were display where they were suppose to be. When I closed my project for the first time, I had this "lvrt.dll" error.... If I run it again, it's the same thing and one of my page cannot be open (the maintenance page, this VI is really simple but with a WMP ActiveX). I had this problem before and (I think) I solve it when I disable the database.

What I don't understand now is that I have the "lvrt.dll" error when I quit my project. Before, I had the "nids.dll" error when I simulated an alarm. I didn't change my code, it's the same thing...

So, what I did is:

1. Format computer

2. Install Windows XP

3. Install drivers + Norton ghost (because we wanted a backup)

4. I install Direct Link 3.8

5. I intall DSC runtime 8.0

6. I run my application on the client computer and I had "lvrt.dll" error when I quit it.

7. I run it again and it was the same thing as #6

8. I download and install DSC runtime 8.0.1

9. I run it again and it was the same thing as #6

So, it's not because of Vision or Remote panel... my development computer has Windows 2000 (who knows, maybe it comes from there).

I did some tests (without the application) on the development computer and it worked (sometimes yes and sometimes no). But when I tried to run the application on this computer, I had an error (the one few months ago).

Now it's lvrt.dll (when I quit), and before it was nids.dll (when there's a new alarm).....

Any ideas why and how to solve this?

Thank you very much

Stephanie

[Peachy]

Hi!

Hope everybody is doing great!

I just wanted to tell you a strange behavior of my program. Yesturday I did several tests on my development computer (not the executable) and (I don't know why) it worked well. So I decide to build an application with it. I run the application on the client computer and I had the "lvrt.dll" error when I closed it. So I decide to test the application on my development computer and I had an error (the one from few months). Then I tests my VI again on the development computer (not the executable) and it stops working (the error from few months). I even didn't open my VI, I didn't change anything in my code.

Really, I don't understand a thing....

Stephanie who really needs help

[MattP]

Hi Stephanie,

I apologize for not responding back to you sooner, I've spent much of the past few days in our test lab trying to reproduce the issue.  Let me give you an update on what has been happening on my end.  I was able to reproduce the crash from the large VI that you sent over once I changed the computer name it was trying to access from L336 to my machine for every database call.  When I closed the VI, LabVIEW froze, crashed and I had to restart LabVIEW, although I haven't found a direct explanation for this yet.  It is definitely a puzzling issue. 

My test machine is currently being reimaged so I can verify the RTS side once again.  My group is working on the issue, but one as complex as this will take some time to isolate the offending component, and since we keep hitting LabVIEW-level crashes we will be consulting our development team as well.

It doesn't look like you've done anything wrong in the code from what I can find, so if I can reproduce and isolate all of the issues you've encountered, we should be able to find the problem for you.

I will also test the system with our new release of LabVIEW and DSC, 8.20, to see if one of the many improvements we made to DSC was able to resolve the issue for us.  If you find any more information, please post it on this thread so we know which one to monitor.

[Peachy]

Thank you Matt for still helping me.

I'm on vacation now so I'm not working on my project. Anyway, I think I did a lot of testes from the last few weeks and I really don't know what I did wrong. If I'm right, I think the problem comes from the "Alarms & Event query.vi" when there's data in the database. I don't know why, but if my database is empty, my project works well. If I have data, I can see that the error comes when it's inside the "Alarm & Event query.vi" or when it finish the execution of this VI.

I'm "happy" that you finally reproduce the problem, so I won't the only one to try to solve the problem.

I hope you'll still help me because now I won't work full time on it.

If you need more info about the testes I did, just write back here.

Thank you again

Stephanie

[MattP]

Hi Stephanie,

The crash that we saw with the LVRT example that you sent is one that our developers have worked on for a similar issue, and for which they have implemented a fix in the latest version of the DSC Module (8.20).  I tested your application in that environment, and was able to create alarms, see them in the database view, and exit the program without any problems.  If you come back to this project, I'd recommend giving the new release a try, as it will probably relieve much of the frustration you've been running into.  You were not doing anything wrong, it was a fairly subtle bug in LabVIEW that was causing the issue.

[Peachy]

Hi Matt,

Where can I get the lastest version of LabVIEW DSC RTS (8.20)? We bought version 8.0 few times ago, is it going to cost something to upgrade? Is it available on the internet or we need to buy it again?

What you're telling me is to change version of LabVIEW DSC RTS ONLY?? I don't need to upgrade LabVIEW runtime on the client computer or LabVIEW and LABVIEW DSC module on my development machine? And it's going to work with my whole project?

Thank you very much, I hope it's going to work with this version

Stephanie

[unclebump]

You must upgrade all of them to 8.20. If you bought it within the last year you should get the upgrade mailed to you.