running telnet labwin program executable from another machine

[qsa301]

I have a LabWin program that uses the telnet protocol to control a power switch. When I run the program from the machine that I compile the LabWin from, it runs fine. However, when I try to run its release executable from another machine, it does not seem to be opening a telnet session. Is there a specific file I am missing that I should copy on the other machine?

[MJF]

How did you install the program on the other machine?

Did you build a distribution kit or did you just copy the executable over?

If you just copied it, you may well be missing something needed for the program to run correctly. The best way to ensure that all needed drivers and DLL files make it to your end-user target machine is to let the distribution kit do it for you.

[qsa301]

Thanks a lot Martin. Doing build using the distribution list worked.

[MJF]

Happy to help. It used to be that you could just install the runtime environment, VISA, GPIB and a couple of other things (maybe) and all would be well if you just copied your executable over. That really isn't the case anymore. When installing a new application on a new machine, you really want to use the distribution kit mechanism to do so. Yeah, it is a bit of a pain in that it takes a while to build the kit and maybe find those CVI CDs you have buried in a pile somewhere so it can add the appropriate drivers but it saves a lot of headaches in trying to figure out what might be missing when you have a problem just like the one you experienced.

Once you have installed using the distribution kit, you can just copy new versions of the file over the old one as long as nothing else has changed. I tend to do this during debugging and development of upgrades but when it comes to deployment, I always use the distribution kit and make sure I roll the file and product version numbers in the Build->Target Settings->Version Info... dialog. This ensures that all components are always up to date when I have a new release.

One thing to be aware of though, if you do not change the target directory for the distribution kit when you change versions, it will overwrite the previous version. You have to manually change the target directory by editing the distribution file, you also have to manually change the installer version number if you want it to change with your program version. (Two things I wish NI would change, I would like it to automatically create a new target directory and roll the installer version when I change application versions).