Running LabVIEW 7.1 on Windows 2003 Server with Terminal Services

Question

We are setting up a newtork based solution with LabView. I have looked for documentation on installing LV 7.1 on a Windows 2003 server to run the applications and then have destkops connect to it. Can this be done with a Terminal Services Access solution? Another words, if we were to purchase the LV Volume License Manager, can you install LV 7.1 onto a Windows 2003 server and run the application through TS across a 1GB backbone from the desktop, which makes the server do all the processing?

Answer 1

On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 07:42:13 -0500, ITIQ wrote:
> By running a session through Terminal Services you are NOT running
> anything on the desktop it all runs on the server. So if the software
> was installed on the server and you had the correct number of licenses
> that you allow to connect through Terminal Services, would this not be
> allowed under the EULA?
Sorry for the delay. I'm surprised Philip didn't get back to us... Phil
are you there? Based on his comments, I think he misunderstands your
situation (no offense Phil).
You and I are both talking about the same thing. You basically want a
terminal server license. NI will not provide it. They told me (over the
phone) to get a multi-seat license (MSL). IMO, that's unacceptable. I
expect a LV license taylored specifically for thin client networks. A
multi-seat license is for -->installing<-- on multiple machines. It
conforms to a totally different set of rules. One big one, an MSL assumes
that you intend to run LV locally to interact with DAQ hardware. Since
this won't be done with the thin client, you shouldn't have to pay for it.
> I am not sure if the question is if the license is valid or not, I am
> first just trying to figure out if you can even install LV on a Windows
> 2003 server and run it through a Terminal Services Session.
Since you are talking about a Microsoft operating system, I would say this
cannot be done without some additional/costly junk installed.
Here's another option. If the people you're supporting don't have any
platform dependent things like ActiveX in their LV applications, you
should consider using a Linux-based terminal server. I know for a fact it
works.
I've assisted in setting up a network like this before:
* One Linux terminal server with LabVIEW for Linux (Full Dev)
* One WinXP box on the network with LabVIEW for Win (Prof Dev)
* 5 cheap thin clients
They developed LabVIEW source code on the thin clients and then compiled
packages on the WinXP box for distribution to their customers. The WinXP
was only used for compiles so they just hopped on when necessary. The
eventual plan is for the thin clients to simply open a RemoteDesktop
(using RDP) terminal session and do the compiles from there. I'm not sure
how to do that yet... on the Windows side.
> I see the comments on calling VIs through LV. I am a Network Engineer
> not a LV Developer, so unfortunately I do not know what a VI is. All I
> am looking to do is run low end PCs with LV if I have to, but use the
> server as the workhorse to process all sims etc.
Phil must have thought you needed a LV application to access the front
panel controls of another LV application running on a remote machine. The
VI server is handy in that area but useless in your case.
Hey, you wanna hear about cheap network infrastructure? We bought our
thin client boxes for $15 each! Go to ltsp.org if you want more info on
configuring Linux as a terminal server.
You, and anyone else, can also email me at gnu_voodoo [at] netzero [dot]
com for questions/comments.