shared variable deployment error

[Jesquer]

Hi everyone, does anyone know of faced this issue before when trying to deploy shared variables on LabView?

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Initializing...
Calculating dependencies...
Checking items for conflicts. This operation could take a while...
Preparing items for download. This operation could take a while...
Deploying My Computer
Deploying Shared_Var.lvlib\\10.96.70.53\Shared_Var deployment failed (error: -2147220694, MAX:  (Hex 0x8004032A) Unable to access the configuration database because an incompatible data dictionary has been detected. This error may have been caused by a recently installed component. Note the steps you performed that led to this error and contact technical support at http://ni.com/support.).
Deployment completed with errors

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I appreciate any support you can share to solve this issue.

Regards

Javier

[Bob_Schor]

I assume you developed these Shared Variables in the context of a LabVIEW Project.  Could you attach a zipped version of the Project (make a copy of the Project, include a few VIs that use the Shared Variables, and, of course, the Project File itself)?  Are you deploying to another PC, to a Real-Time system, or simply to the Local Host?

Have you installed a new release of LabVIEW recently?  If so, did you install the same version on all the Targets involved with the Shared Variable?

What happens when you examine the Shared Variable deployment with the NI Distributed System Manager?

Bob Schor

[Jesquer]

Hi Bob, thank you for your quick response.

Im new using shared variables, so what I was planing to do is to develop some firs application project I can use to interface with dashboard. Something I need to let you know is, from my desktop I was able to create a small project with two shared variables (added to this), and I was able to see/control those from my ipad using dashboard. But, when I was tryaing to implement shared vars from my laptop computer, then I faced the error when trying to run (deploy vars). Recently I installed TestStand 2014 on my laptop (not sure if this could be affecting other software module from my NI installation)., I gues it could be as you mentioned. So, do you thing am I need to review software version / compatibility ? which could be the implied modules? MAX? DAQmx? etc?

I added my project example to you, so you just need to rename extension from .dpf to .rar and you going to be ready to go.

I appreciate your quick support and any further idea you could share to me. 

Regards

Javier

[Bob_Schor]

The Good News is that you aren't crazy -- I'm having the same problem as you.  I know what the problem is, namely that the NI Variable Engine, the Service that manages the Shared Variables, is not running (or even installed) on my PC.  I've been trying to find out why, so far without luck, but I'm still looking.

The only time I've used Shared Variables was with LabVIEW Real-Time, and they were deployed to a remote PXI, which did host the SVE, so other than the fact that Shared Variables are still too flaky for me to use, it at least worked, "in principle".  I'll followup with what I'm able to learn.

Bob Schor

[PatrickLye]

I have seen a problem with shared variable deployment where the service was not starting correctly. I had to go in, start the service manually, and the program ran fine. This was on machines that were underpowered. I first cleared this up by getting rid of the PC manufacturer's bloatware, but later I just bought newer, bigger, better, and faster computers for replacement and also got rid of the PC manufacturer's bloatware.

These days I won't use a PC that isn't a new i7, with a fresh load, a minimum of 16 GB of RAM, and I've even begun going with SSD for speeding up the boot sequences. They are getting pretty cost effective in a 120 GB size.

Granted, I still don't trust them to do anything that could hurt anyone, but for operator interfaces, lighting beacons, turning on heater elements they are pretty dependable. For other items I go to cRIO.

The times that the engine didn't deploy for me on installation was when I didn't have the correct setting when building the installer early on with my first major LabVIEW project.

[Bob_Schor]

I've learned some things, but still am puzzled (and still haven't managed to get the SVE running on Windows 7).  Here's what I've tried:

Home PC, multiple versions of LabVIEW installed, including LabVIEW 2015.  Only "devices" are cameras.  On this system, there is no NI Variable Engine service installed.  When I installed LabVIEW 2015 a month ago, I did not install any Devices (as I basically have none).  It occurred to me that DAQmx might be required, so I did a re-install of 2015 specifying DAQmx, the Camera drivers, and VISA.  Still no Variable Engine service.  I'd seen some references to the DSC Module, so I tried installing that, as well -- still no SVE.

I remoted into my Work PC, where I'm doing LabVIEW Real-Time development, and have a connection to a PXI that can host Shared Variables.  The PC does not have the Variable Engine service (but, then, I was hosting on the PXI).

I also have another PC where I have deployed my RT system (and did some development there, as well).  This is running LabVIEW 2014, as it is a "Production Machine".  Curiously, this machine is running the Variable Engine Service, and it is possible to Start and Stop the Local Shared Variable Engine from the Distributed System Manager without the "There is no Service" error message.

I'm puzzled.  My suspicion is that LabVIEW 2015 has clobbered the SVE.  Question for Javier -- what version of LabVIEW are you running?  Another question for Patrick -- have you seen a Shared Variable Engine on a PC running LabVIEW 2015?

I may need to wait until I get back to work on Monday to puzzle out why some of my machines at work have the Variable Engine service and some do not.  This is too peculiar a puzzle to abandon ...

Bob Schor

[Bob_Schor]

Another piece of evidence -- I have a Windows 7 VM that has only LabVIEW 2012 installed (on my home PC).  The NI Variable Engine is running as a Service.

Installing multiple versions of LabVIEW has always been "tricky", but in recent years (since about LabVIEW 2011) it has become more problematic.  Sigh.

BS

[PatrickLye]

Bob,

Sorry about the delay. I didn't have 2015 loaded on anything and that took quite a while. I loaded it up on a Win 7 box at home, which I was planning to do anyway, and the SVE works fine.

This box has had 2013 and 2014 installed previously, but the were uninstalled earlier this year. So this wasn't a truly clean install, but it doesn't have multiple current versions of LabVIEW loaded on it.

[Bob_Schor]

Patrick,

     I just realized that I have a VM with Win 7 x64 and (only) LabVIEW 2015.  Guess what -- it has the NI Variable Engine service.  So I downloaded Javier's code, ran it, it deployed without error, and ran.  I set the slider to around 4, used Distributed System Manager to show that the Boolean (>= 3) was True and the Dbl was 4.2 something.

     So the SVE is Alive and Well in LabVIEW 2015.  Not sure why Javier is having a problem, unless it is an example of a multiple installation of LabVIEW (such as I have on several of my PCs).

Bob Schor

[Bob_Schor]

Here is the current situation with Shared Variables and LabVIEW 2015 -- I have six machines, all Windows 7 Pro x64, running LabVIEW.  Three of the machines run earlier versions of LabVIEW (typically 2012 and 2014) plus LabVIEW 2015, two run earlier versions of LabVIEW without having LabVIEW 2015 installed, and one runs only LabVIEW 2015.  All of the LabVIEW installations include base LabVIEW plus the LabVIEW Real Time Module (I mention this because it might be significant).

On the three machines with LabVIEW 2015 "on top of" earlier versions, the NI Variable Engine service is no longer installed, and the Shared Variable Engine cannot be run.  On the three machines with either no LabVIEW 2015 (two examples) or only LabVIEW 2015 (one example), the NI Variable Engine service is installed, and the Shared Variable Engine is running.

I have just logged a "Bug Report" to NI, explaining this situation and hoping for a resolution.  In the past, when installations have gone awry (which, it seems to me, I've experienced yearly since LabVIEW 2011), fixes have included doing a "Repair" on one or more modules, a process which takes considerable time and can involve literally dozens of DVD swaps.  I'm hoping NI can, instead, provide a "patch" that will reinstall or reactivate the already-installed NI Variable Engine.

As I learn more, I will post it here.  For now, my advice would be that if you are running LabVIEW 2015, need Shared Variables, and cannot start the Shared Variable Engine (but get Error -1967362042), you have two options that will probably work:

1. Uninstall all National Instruments products.  Reboot, then install only LabVIEW 2015.
2. Repair all National Instrument products.  Be sure to have all of the Installation media for all versions of LabVIEW installed on your machine available.  It is helpful to know which modules and toolkits are on which DVDs, because the prompt will say something like "Mount the DVD with the 2014-SP1 Vision Module" (and you say "but which DVD is that, DVD1, DVD2, or DVD3?).

Bob Schor