Peter,
Excellent questions. When running a VI through remote panels all of the VI's execution happens on the server side. Only the front panel and updates to it are sent to the client. So...
1) Can
we access files on the host computer through the remote front panel.
Is there a way to access files on the client computer from the remote
front panel?
All file access functions will operate on the server filesystem. There is no way for the VI to access the client filesystem. If you need access to the client filesystem then you would need to distribute a client application instead of using remote panels. If all you need is file upload/download then you could get away with a web application in the same HTML page that contains the remote panel.
2) Are there any timing issues with regard to the remote connection?
Absolutely! You are transferring UI updates over a network. If that network is slow your UI is not going to be very snappy. That said- the only times I have heard real complaints about performance are if the UI is really complicated or the server is running on small embedded target in a monitoring outpost in Asia with a satellite internet connection and you are trying to access it from Ohio- They saw some lag with that one.
3) What types of functionality loss occur through the remote connection?
The functionality that you can expect to lose are going to be UI related. VI server methods that manipulate front panel controls may work strangely or not at all. The rule of thumb is to minimize VI server usage in a VI that will be viewed over remote panels. ActiveX controls don't work at all- this shouldn't be much of a shock when you think about it. I've already mentioned File IO. There are no doubt more things that aren't available but this is what comes to mind.
4) Can I expect Real-time?
In the UI or in VI execution?
For UI- No, see #2. I should say that the UI will update in real-time and will be good for viewing data summaries, checking status, etc. I wouldn't rely on it for crucial timing issues - like alerting the user to press the big red button so the dam doesn't crumble drowning the village below. What if the network goes down?
For execution, Yes you should expect real-time. As with any IO the remote panel UI updates will run at a lower priority that your VI execution.
I hope that answers some questions.
Nathan
Message Edited by NathanK on 10-31-2008 10:57 AM
