All Day Installation

[RobWCove]

As an Alliance Partner we have access to all of NI's software- which is marvelous.  When a new release comes out, it is an all day installation affair.  Virus scan can not be turned off.  Is there a solution anywhere?  We have clients who need to install RIO, FPGA and device drivers who are in a hurry but then spend a whole day downloading & installing.  Is there a better way?

[mikeporter]

Don't download -- or at least don't download more than once. Personally I have never seen a lot of difference from antivirus software.

You could also change it from being an all day affair to an all night one -- or an over the weekend one.

Mike...

[tst]

Perhaps a virutal machine where you install the stuff and then replicate the machine. VMs have their own issues (size, licenses, etc.), but it might work for you.

Alternatively, I seem to remember that a couple of years ago NI had a program where I think they had VMs with LV+FPGA installed on Amazon servers and sold access to those. I have no idea if that's still active and if it would work in your case, but it's another option.

[Bob_Schor]

Is there a way to combine a multi-DVD NI Distribution into a single folder?  There are common folders, but I'm not sure if the top-level files are unique ...   I understand that NI distributes some kits on a USB key -- is there a way for us to "roll our own"?

BS

[crossrulz]

---

@Bob_Schor wrote:

Is there a way to combine a multi-DVD NI Distribution into a single folder?

---

Yes: Merge Developer Suite DVDs

I successfully did this and put the full installer suite on a desktop with a shared driver (still fighting for a server to do this to).  I found that installer over my network was about the same speed as straight from the DVDs except for the fact that I did not have to change discs.

I also encourage NOT installing everything.  Just install what you need.  If all you do is RT and FPGA, then install LabVIEW, LV RT, and LV FPGA.  I also encourage the use of a compile server so that you do not have to install the FPGA compilers on all of your computers (~10GB each).  Just doing that cut down my install time from 6 hours to 2-3 hours (drivers included).  To that end, I am working on doing this as well: How Do I Automate the Installation of a Suited Installer?

[Sam_Sharp]

If you have a volume license agreement (I think it's a requirement...not sure if it's possible without it but it might be) you can create a volume license installer - this is an installer for NI products that can have the appropriate installation options preconfigured (e.g. which components to install). Saves a bit of time having to select which options to install/reinstall on each case. We have this and do the installation from a network location and because all of the installation media is on the network it doesn't prompt for you to insert discs etc.

There are a few knowledgebase/forum articles about this:

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/FFB8BE95AE72EF4D862573E5007659ED

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/2CC7BBE0A31756AE862573F3005C9904?OpenDocument

http://forums.ni.com/t5/Volume-License-Manager-and/Welcome-to-the-Volume-License-Manager-and-Automat...

[RobWCove]

That's the best idea so far.  Cutting back on the installation is possible, but as a consultant my clients' needs are pretty much everywhere in the LabVIEW world.  I could cut out the CVI install.

One thought I had was a new utility from NI.  It would take an installation request, look at your license(s), analyze your installed base and determine what needed to be installed?  Then it could contact NI to assemble a single download.  That download could then install in a single session without user interaction.  ( How often have we returned to work in the morning and seen 'Please insert disk X of Y' or 'Do you accept the following Z licenses? )  No more disk swapping and only one dialog at the front.  Idyllic.

[Sam_Sharp]

I think for newer versions of LabVIEW there is a web-based installer which will only download/install the components you select from the internet: http://www.ni.com/download/web-based-installer-developer-suite-february-2015/5218/en/

[Hooovahh]

---

@Sam_Sharp wrote:

I think for newer versions of LabVIEW there is a web-based installer which will only download/install the components you select from the internet: http://www.ni.com/download/web-based-installer-developer-suite-february-2015/5218/en/

---

Yup, I sorta like this method, but I've only used it once.  You run the web installer and you are given the option to just download and install later.  You pick the products you want, including device drivers, LabVIEW, toolkits etc.  Then it downloads them.  Then you copy that folder to a network location or external drive and run the setup.  Then you can install software picking the products you want.  If they've been downloaded before it installs them without any prompts for swapping disks.

Of course having physical disks is going to be faster than a download, but you get the option of only including the things you use.