Basic questions about NI Package architectures

[Konan__]

1. Can I make a LabVIEW software that checks for updates located on NI SystemLink local server (no internet) ?
2. Can I make a LabVIEW software that checks for updates located on NI SystemLink cloud service ?
3. Can I make a LabVIEW software that checks for updates located on folder share (only using feeds file + the package) ?
4. I have LV 2017 and application builder 2017. Can I produce packages and feeds with NI package builder and nipm-feed-manager-gui ? What are my limitations if I don't upgrade to LV2019?

By "checks for update" I mean the classic user experience, that is :

1. the software can manually checks for update, and the result is "up to date" or a modal window with "updates available", install now or later, etc..
2. the software can check automatically for update (at the start or periodically)

I am reading the documentation but as far as I understand, the current implementation expect that the user will have to manually launch Package manager and check/start the update.

I need a "pull" implementation so that I am 100% sure to have my software update anywhere in the world.

I can't "push" my software into 200 locations spread among 20 countries 🙂

Thanks

[sirwin]

There was an excellent presentation by DMC at NIWeek this year about automatically updating packages.

Automating App Distribution and Installation using SystemLink and NIPM

Basically, you can have the software query the SystemLink feed and see if there's an updated package available, and prompt the user to update. This is all done using the NIPM API downloaded with VI package manager. It accesses the NIPM Command Line Interface for all of its functions. If it determines that there's an updated package, it launches a separate executable that handles the update process. The executable that's being updated is closed and removed from memory, then the updater "uninstalls" the existing package and "installs" the newest package.

You can build packages using NI Package Builder and I think post them to a feed using the GUI. One caveat is you need to manually assign dependencies in the NI Package Builder. Using the Package Builder integrated into LV2018+ will automatically select the needed dependencies. Either way, these dependencies need to be in a feed that the target computer can access. 

[Konan__]

I've found a pretty serious limitation of the package builder (19.0) : you can't create shortcuts to your exe. 

LV2019 application builder has it... 

I need to wait an update of the package builder...

Also, where are the VIs of the  "Option 3: Integrated Application Updates" of DMC presentation? I wasn't at NI week, I don't understand if it is a free API or it's a proprietary solution (in this case, it is not listed in their website)

( DMC NI Pkg Update Manager.exe )

[ryan_sheppard]

SystemLink API

Above is a link to the SystemLink API. You can also find the NIPM API on Allen's GitHub page.