SystemLink and Package Distribution

[Aaron_G]

Per my understanding (and I am just starting to set up a system to allow me to play with this), SystemLink should allow me to register PC's and cRIO's in order to simplify application distribution (as package files/feeds).However, my customer system comprises multiple private networks. Would the following use case be considered valid, or is it a violation of the licensing?

Customer System comprises multiple devices we will call a Machine. Each Machine has a private network consisting of multiple ethernet based instruments(mostly communicating via Modbus TCP but a smattering of custom protocols), several PLC's (again mostly Modbus TCP for these), a cRIO-9033, a NI-9149, and several "instruments" that are running embedded PC's with LabVIEW programs.

Right now, to distribute updates, the customer uses a Gateway PC (one port on corporate network, one port to private Machine network), and uses a combination of:

• Remote Desktop/TeamViewer to log onto the embedded PC's to stop the application, copy either an updated EXE or new installer over, and reboot the PC.
• MAX (CDF) or RAD to update the cRIO-9033
• RAD to update the NI-9149

However, most of the instruments in the Machine would not have access to a SystemLink Server on the corporate network. Would setting up a Laptop, that is moved from Machine to Machine to simplify pushing updates violate the licensing agreement? Or as long as the user bought enough connections to handle every single instrument in each machine as if they were all live at the same time even though only a subset are, is the licensing valid?

Does SystemLink support pushing packages (really, just the channel list) to NI 9149 devices?

Is there a "SystemLink Lite" redirector or proxy that could be installed on the PCs that bridge the corporate network with the private networks?

[JoshuaP]

One option the you could do on the Gateway PC is "share" the ethernet port for the corporate network.

https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/share-internet-connection-windows-ethernet-wi-fi

This creates a virtual NAT and will allow the cRIO-9033 and any other Windows PC to connect to the SL Server via the Gateway PC. I've used it in the past when I had a cRIO directly connected to a PC and it worked fine.

I don't think using a laptop would be a violation of the license agreement.  You would still have to have enough node license to register each system you want to manage even if you are moving it around and only one is connected at a time.  The license are checked out/in when the systems are added/remove.  It doesn't matter if they are connected or not.

Also, I don't think SystemLink can currently support pushing packages to a NI 9149, however I need to double check on that.

[Aaron_G]

Would bridging the connection confuse System Link since every internal machine network has the same IP Settings? For example, all 9033's have 192.168.20.111 and all 9149's are 192.168.10.112? Likewise, in the moving the laptop scenario, would having multiple 9033's with the same IP address (different MAC/SN#) confuse the system?

[JoshuaP]

SystemLink doesn't care what the actual IP addresses are, unlike MAX.  The targets connect to the server, it doesn't connect to them.  The IP address that are shown in SL are just what the target reports when it connects and it won't care if they all have the same address.

You likely won't be able to discover and add the targets from SystemLink, however if you use MAX from a PC on the network with the targets you specify the IP/hostname of the SystemLink server and then approve the targets when they initially connect.