exact list of configuration files to make 2 installations equal

[ebalci]

Hi,

We are trying to achieve some standardization and centralization about our TestStand usage within the factory.

• Same report options,
• same database options & schema,
• same users,
• same custom data types,
• same station settings,
• same station globals (since we have clones of some standard test stations), etc.

The number of such test stations are growing rapidly and it is getting harder to sync all modifications to other "sibling" and "cousin" stations by copying those cfg files around.

We thought that a good starting point is to centralize the configuration files (all those I am aware of are .ini files), by placing our standard configuration files on a network location and pointing to those folders from each test station.

We have a number of different versions (from 3.5 to 2012) on separate machines, so we will create separate network folders for each of those specific versions used.

So far so good.

However, I am not sure I am aware of all configuration files for any version.

Maybe it is just me getting old, but earlier versions (like 3.5) seemed easier to handle, while recent versions seem to scatter the files a little bit more.

Questions:

1- How does this centralization method sound to you? Do you think we are on the correct path for handling the problem?

2- What is the exact list of files (or list of folders) that makes 2 TestStand installations (of the same version) on 2 separate machines "behave" exactly the same (in terms of the user configurable settings I mentioned above)?

Best regards,

[D-Cubed]

Hi Eren,

Have you seen the TestStand Help document: Configuration Files?  This provides information about all the TestStand configuration files and their uses.

The recommended method for distributing configuration files is to create a TestStand distribution with only the TestStand cfg directory.  This way you can install it on the new TestStand systems from a common installer. There is also a Shared Drive Deployment Reference which is part of the NI TestStand Advanced Architecture series.

The method you mentioned in item 1 seems like it would work as long as you have included all the configuration files you want to use in the network cfg directory.  It is not the recommended method, but it could work in theory.

Please let me know if these references are of any help.

Warm Regards,

[ebalci]

Thank you D,

The Shared Drive Deployment Reference is a good document for my question.

But I understand what we are trying to achieve is not possible completely.

Especially, not being able to share TestExec.ini is the big obstecle.

However, the hybrid approach of keeping local copies of network shared config files is a good option.

I wish I knew the best tool for that..

[D-Cubed]

Hi Eren,

You can share your entire Cfg directory by having TestStand reference a network location. You can save the contents of Cfg, and have all instances of TestStand refer to that directory. The Cfg directory contains TestExec.ini.

To set the TestStand default configuration directory you can select Configure»Station Options»Preferences and modify the Configuration Directory field. This is by default C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\TestStand 2012\Cfg. However, this can be a Cfg file hosted on a network.

While this is not best practice, it is possible.

Warm Regards