Deploying Network-Published Shared Variables

Use network-published shared variables so VIs on distributed systems can share data across the network. LabVIEW identifies shared variables through a network path that includes the computer name (target name), project library name(s), and shared variable name. LabVIEW must create shared variables in the Shared Variable Engine before a test system can access the shared variables.

With a LabVIEW Project

When the test system executes VIs in the context a LabVIEW project, enable the Auto Deploy Shared Variables on First Load of any VI in a Project option and the Auto Undeploy Shared Variables on Last Unload of all VIs in a Project option in the LabVIEW Adapter Configuration dialog box to automatically deploy and undeploy shared variables defined in the LabVIEW project when the project is first loaded for execution.

Without a LabVIEW Project

When the test system executes VIs without a project, TestStand cannot automatically deploy shared variables. Therefore, you must deploy shared variables to the local computer in one of the following ways:

  • Manually deploy the shared variables in the LabVIEW development system using a LabVIEW project.
  • Use the Deploy Library step type to deploy or undeploy to the local computer the shared variables defined in a LabVIEW project library file or packed project library file, or to deploy or undeploy shared variables defined in LabVIEW project libraries within a selected LabVIEW project.
Note
  • The project library or packed project library must contain only shared variables and cannot contain any VI files.
  • TestStand can deploy a shared variable bound to another shared variable only when you use an NI Publish-Subscribe Protocol (NI-PSP) URL to bind the shared variable to deploy to another shared variable. If you attempt to use a Deploy Library step to deploy a shared variable to a variable in a LabVIEW project, the deployment fails. Refer to the LabVIEW Help for more information about deploying shared variables and NI-PSP URLs.
  • NI recommends that you do not use a Deploy Library step to deploy or undeploy shared variables when steps in different threads or executions might access the shared variables.
  • TestStand does not support calling a VI or DLL that programmatically deploys shared variables using the LabVIEW Deploy Library method on a LabVIEW Application reference or using the LabVIEW Deploy Items method on a LabVIEW Project reference. When you programmatically deploy shared variables, the TestStand or LabVIEW application might return an error and terminate. You can use the Deploy Library method from within a stand-alone executable without adverse effects on TestStand.
  • TestStand cannot auto-deploy shared variables defined in a LabVIEW packed project library specified in a LabVIEW project or in a LabVIEW project library saved in an LLB specified in a LabVIEW project.
  • TestStand cannot deploy project libraries that have shared variables that are aliased to existing shared variables in a project or an NI-PSP data item on the network.