Hypervisor Shared Memory Error Message

[Shazlan]

Hi all,

I've set up a Hypervisor system using a PXIe-1082 and PXIe-8135. During the set-up (using Hypervisor Manager), there's no problem. However, when the system restarts into Windows Hypervisor mode, I couldn't connect to the RT system. If I load the Virtual Console, I receive the error attached. In MAX, at first, I could see the system as remote device. However, I could change the software inside RT, the devices didn't give any list of PXI modules installed. If I reboot into the Safe Mode, I could install the software but I still couldn't see the modules connected to my RT system in MAX.

Please advice, what's going on and how to solve this.

[timtamslam · Accepted solution]

You'll want to make sure you get to a point first where you can see the RT side in remote systems whenever you boot into Hypervisor mode. Common issues with this are that you aren't bridging the network connection and the Windows side can't find it. You can always boot directly into RT (via bios setting) and view the console out to see what IP settings it is using and try to manually connect it by IP in MAX when you're back in Hypervisor mode. 

If you can't see the modules in the chassis there are two things I can immediately think of. First, make sure to add and identify the chassis under the RT target in MAX. Then make sure you have all of the required device drivers for the modules you're using installed on the target. Things like RIO for FPGA Targets, XNET for XNET hardware, DAQmx for DAQ hardware, etc. 

[Shazlan]

Hi Tim,

Thank you. I came across a few issues and had to settle that first before did what you suggested. The biggest culprit was the hard drive partition. I had it formatted to exFAT and not FAT32. So, I reformat the hard drive to FAT32, reinstall Hypervisor and reapply the settings. This worked initially (the system console managed to see the RT system) but then, suddenly, it didn't worked again. I went into RT mode, installed all the software there (using my laptop and physical connection) and then, went in back to Hypervisor. It didn't work straight away, I got error saying I'm missing ph_exec.exe file and there were some issues here and there, but I couldn't remember the details.

Anyway, now I got it to work. I'm able to see it MAX and in LabVIEW. However, when I first try to connect with the RT system using LabVIEW, it says that the system is missing nihypshmAPI.dll - I don't know what this is. I went into RT image folder in Windows, found this file and symply copied and pasted it to C:\ni-rt\system. Then, when I tried to reconnect with RT using LabVIEW, the error pop-up is no longer there. Is this the proper way to do it? Why was this file missing in the first place?

Also, although now I am able to see the RT system in MAX and from LabVIEW, I'm still not able to 'connect' my Virtual Console'. See attached. Why is this so? Should I be concern?

Lastly, I've set the system such that the RAM for Windows is just 1.2GB - I need a decent size in RT for image processing. I realized that, with nothing actively running, the RAM in Windows is already almost 700MB. I think, once I load the program and with displaying all the images and mappings, 500MB isn't sufficient. Is there any way I could minimize the RAM by removing some Windows components (but wouldn't affect the overall functionality of the system)? Will Hypervisor work if I install WES7, instead?

Please advice. Thanks.

[timtamslam]

Glad we're making some progress. 

However, when I first try to connect with the RT system using LabVIEW, it says that the system is missing nihypshmAPI.dll - I don't know what this is. I went into RT image folder in Windows, found this file and symply copied and pasted it to C:\ni-rt\system. Then, when I tried to reconnect with RT using LabVIEW, the error pop-up is no longer there. Is this the proper way to do it? Why was this file missing in the first place?

• nihypshmAPI.dll likely provides the interface between the LabVIEW Hypervisor Shared Memory VIs and the physical shared memory on the system. Manually moving it from the RT Images folder to the destination on the target is not the recommended process. So, when you install software onto the target that is basically what it does. It will ftp required files from the host side to the target. However, the way its managed is by the different install options in the Software install window in MAX. When you pick a component to install, MAX knows (based on what you select) what are all of the files you need (.dlls, config files, etc) to place on the target and where exactly they need to go. If you do this manually there isn't a guarantee that you will be placing down all of the correct dependencies and that they are going to the correct location. My suspicion as to why that file was originally missing leads into the next question. 

Also, although now I am able to see the RT system in MAX and from LabVIEW, I'm still not able to 'connect' my Virtual Console'. See attached. Why is this so? Should I be concern?

• The error message that shows up clearly points out the missing software component for the target. After booting into Hypervisor mode, locate your target in MAX and select "Add/Remove Programs". Make sure that "Real-Time Hypervisor Shared Memory" is installed. This should provide the dependencies needed for the Virtual Console to work and likely the .dll you mentioned above in the first question. 

Lastly, I've set the system such that the RAM for Windows is just 1.2GB - I need a decent size in RT for image processing. I realized that, with nothing actively running, the RAM in Windows is already almost 700MB. I think, once I load the program and with displaying all the images and mappings, 500MB isn't sufficient. Is there any way I could minimize the RAM by removing some Windows components (but wouldn't affect the overall functionality of the system)? Will Hypervisor work if I install WES7, instead?

• That amount sounds about right. Windows will claim a large amount of memory but is usually very good about it. Honestly I would just try out what you have, keep an eye on your performance, and  address the memory issue if it comes up during development. The problem is that it is not very simple to reduce the maximum amount that Windows will use (in my experience, at least). To word it another way, typically when users run into issues with needing more memory in Windows they end up just buying more RAM and not focusing on minimizing Windows default maximum usage. You will not be able to use WES7 with NI Hypervisor. The supported Windows OS's are Windows XP and Windows 7 (introduced in Hypervisor 3.0). 

Let me know if anything else comes up 

[Shazlan]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your feedback. I've gone through MAX in Hypervisor mode to look for Real-Time Hypervisor Shared Memory to be installed to my RT system. However, I couldn't find it in the list. I just realized that if I go into Hypervisor Safe Mode, the virtual console is working and it clearly says that the "NI Real-Time Hypervisor Shared Memory support version 5.0.0d23 initialized", which I presumed means it is installed correctly. If I looked into MAX >> My System >> Software list, I couldn't find NI Real-Time Hypervisor there either (I assume that for any software to be installed to RT, it has to be listed in My System >> Software first as an indication that it is installed). I'm pretty sure Hypervisor is installed, else I wouldn't get to this point... would I?

Any idea where I could have done wrong?

Awaiting for your advices. Thank you.

[timtamslam]

I mispoke before. I took a look at it on one of my test machines to confirm and the place where you want to check for shared memory installation is on the Windows side. If you go to the Programs and Features and select to Uninstall or change a program. Head to the National Instruments software option. In the list, we're looking for NI Real-Time Hyperivsor, select to Modify that. In the list, make sure that NI Real-Time Hypervisor #.# Shared Memory is installed, specifically the Real-Time support subcategory as well. 

[tiba.shokatpour@gmail.com]

Hi

I have a NI PXIe - 8135, we run both "Windows 7 64bit" and "LabVIEW Real-Time" operating systems on PXI.

I want to run both operating systems simultaneously on PXI. So in NI tutorial found that NI Real-Time Hypervisor for Windows software enables to run simultaneously (http://www.ni.com/tutorial/11801/en/ )

In this link in section "1. Factory Preinstallation" said this software is preinstalled, but I can't find in this path [ Start >> Program Files >> National Instruments>NI Real-Time Hypervisor Manager]

Then I decided to install it and found that  NI Real-Time Hypervisor 3.0 for Window software supports Windows 7

but I can't found Hypervisor patch version 3.0 (http://www.ni.com/en-rs/support/downloads/software-products/download.hypervisor.html )

Please help me how to run "windows 7" and "LabVIEW Real-Time" simultaneously on PXI?

Regards.