NI TestStand Base Deployment Engine License

[mrbean]

Since I haven't ordered this yet, I wanted to get a little clearer picture of the inner workings ...

I plan to order NI TestStand Base Deployment Engine License for our target system that we'll ship in a few months.  Right now, it has LabVIEW 8.5, TestStand 4.0, and DIAdem 10.2 on it, as we're also using it for development.  When we ship, we don't want the user to be able to create/edit sequence files, or to open up VIs and make modifications.  DIAdem, however, they will use as their post-test data mining tool, so it must remain fully functional.

(1) Would I use the NI License Manager and (a) deactivate TestStand and LabVIEW, then (b) activate them with the activation code I receive with the NI TestStand Base Deployment Engine License?

(2) Would this disable the user's edit capability for BOTH TestStand AND LabVIEW, but leave DIAdem unchanged?

(3) To protect our intellectual property, would I still need to either (a) place our VI's in a DLL, (b) lock them, (c) disable their block diagrams (while using the deployment/distribution tools).

[mhousel]

I have a similar question.

For one installation I was given a set of TestStand Base Deployment CD's for a test controller that we will be deploying a test application consisting of a TestStand sequence and associated LabWindows/CVI DLL.

In the next case all I have is a piece of paper.  But I need to deploy a similar test application.  No, these aren't the same place and I can't use the other places CD's ;-(

We got some sort of nebulous instruction on the phone that I was unable to understand.

What does one do with the 'piece of paper' that represents a TestStand Base Deployment license as opposed to a set of 4 CD's that represent a TestStand Base Deployment license?

Thanks

[Joe_H]

Mhousel,

You only need one set of CD's for multiple licenses. No license is tied to any CD. When you are prompted for the serial # all you do is put int eh one that want to use. Heck really you do not even need the CD's at all. you can download the trial version and activate it with the deployment license you have.

[Jervin Justin]

Hi mrbean,

Jhoskins is right, all you need are the multiple licenses, you don't need a set of CD's for each license.

As far as your questions specific you your application, you are right on the ball.

1. Using NI License Manager, deactivate LabVIEW and switch your TestStand activation to the deployment activation using the deployment activation code.
2. Yes, this should leave DIAdem still activated and fully functional.
3. Either of those options (dll, locking/disabling block diagram) would work to protect your Intellectual Property.

Hope this helps!

[mrbean]

The activation of the Base Deployment license disables the TestStand Sequence Editor, correct?  What does it do to LabVIEW?

[RayFarmer]

Hi,

I believe you would have to have a separate runtime license for the labview.

Regards

Ray Farmer

[mhousel]

Thanks,

---

@Jhoskins wrote:

Mhousel,

You only need one set of CD's for multiple licenses. No license is tied to any CD. When you are prompted for the serial # all you do is put int eh one that want to use. Heck really you do not even need the CD's at all. you can download the trial version and activate it with the deployment license you have.

---

That is the piece of information that I was missing.  I was associating the S/N that came withour CD's as the license for that setof CD's (Like WIndoze, et. al.)

[Jervin Justin]

Hi mrbean,

Activating TestStand with the Base Deployment license should disable the sequence editor. I would refer to the following document that enumerates the differences between the different license types:
http://www.ni.com/teststand/depcompare.htm

If you already have LabVIEW installed, it will not make any changes to the LabVIEW license. You mentioned that you don't want to allow the users to be able to open up the VI's so you might also want to uninstall LabVIEW and install (if you don't have it) the LabVIEW Runtime Engine.
http://www.ni.com/support/

Also, you would have to set your LabVIEW adaptor in TestStand to use the LabVIEW Runtime Engine instead of LabVIEW.
From TestStand, click Configure»Adaptors..., select the LabVIEW adaptor and click Configure. From the dialog box that pops open, pick the LabVIEW Runtime Engine instead of the Development System.

Hope this helps.

[mrbean]

Great stuff.  Thanks.

So, just to summarize, I'd probably want to (1) Install TestStand, (2) Activate it with the Base Deployment License (to disable the sequence editor), (3) Install the LabVIEW 8.5 Runtime Engine (4) Configure TestStand's LabVIEW adapter to work with the Engine, not the development environment.

If I create a TestStand / LabVIEW deployment, would I need to check the LV Engine install?

[~jiggawax~]

Not if you already have it on the machine you are deploying to.  But it doesn't hurt to check it because the installer checks to see if it's already there and if it is then it just ignores it.  If it isn't then it installs the engine.  It just makes your deployment package larger to include it.

Message Edited by ~jiggawax~ on 02-20-2008 11:54 AM