Looking for a tutorial on how to use VI Server

[hecmar.arreola]

Hello.  Can anyone link me to a tutorial or article that covers the usage of VI Server across machines on the same network?

Also, can VI Server functionality be used inside executables created by developers suite w/o any running LabVIEW instances?

[Ben]

Start with

Search examples >>> Browse >>> Programmatically Controlling VIs >>> Dynamically Loading and Calling VIs >>> Server - VIServer - Example.vi

Look at the other examples in that section also.

Ben

[smercurio_fc]

By the way, the answer to your second question is yes. However, if you're loading a VI dynamically then when you create a project to build an executable you need to add the VI that gets loaded dynamically to the list of support files for the project, as it will not be automatically added to the list of VIs to compile for the executable.

[hecmar.arreola]

Hi Ben,

Those examples are actually really intense and hard for me to understand w/o  any real background knowledge on what VI Server is really about.  Do you know of any articles or something that will help me understand what VI Server is "all about?"

Does NI do any kind of training that is this high-level?  (Well, I consider this high-level LabVIEW, you may think it is pretty elementary).  My boss keeps asking me if I want to go to LabVIEW training and to be honest I think I'm pass a lot of the beginner and advance stuff and would be bored at most training semenars. 

[tst]

The VI server allows you to programmatically access and control VIs running in any LabVIEW instance. That instance can be the current one, another one on the same computer, on a different computer around the world or even on an RT target and working with them is the same in all cases.

It starts with calling Open App Reference, which recieves a computer name (or IP address) and a TCP port number. These determine the specific LabVIEW instance and from that point on you work on that instance using the reference you got from the function. See a simple example of connecting to a remote VI here. The same works with property and invoke nodes.

You should note that not all properties and methods work on remote instances. Each has a table in the online help with one of the lines being Available on Local LabVIEW Only. If this is true, it means that you can not use that property in a remote instance.