The LabVIEW Run-time engine (RTE) is needed for compiled LabVIEW exes to run. So if you have any applications (exes) written in LabVIEW 5.1.1 then the RTE would need to be installed on the machine that uses those exes.
It basically consists of the shared primative functions in LabVIEW as well as the code needed to actually run the LabVIEW exes. The LabVIEW RTE is similiar in behavior as other languages RTEs.
Message Edited by Evan on 02-24-2006 10:18 AM