Installing a NI Product Package as a Volume License Administrator

This tutorial explains the process for Volume License Administrators to use NI Package Manager (NIPM) and install products directly.
 

Introduction

Most Volume License Administrators use a DVD or USB drive to create a Volume License Installer to make NI software available to their end users. For other administrators follow these procedures to download LabVIEW NXG and make it available to your end users without needing a DVD or USB drive.

Find and Prepare Files to Transfer

1. From an online machine navigate your browser to http://www.ni.com/en-us/shop/labview.html

2. Follow the path to download LabVIEW NXG. Note that you will need to provide your NI User Account (NIUA) to login to the website.

3. Download in install LabVIEW NXG. With your download you will also obtain NI Package Manager.
    

Locate LabVIEW NXG in NI Package Manager (NIPM)

1. On the left menu, choose Programming Environments

2. Locate LabVIEW NXG.

3. Select Install

4. When installation is complete, open the Installed tab, search for your product, and select it.

5. Select the What’s Included tab, and hover over the product name to see its internal package name in the hover text.
    

Locate the Package Name of the Repository

1. Open Package Manager. Because you installed by downloading the software (as opposed to using a DVD or USB drive) you need to create a feed to support installation by your end users.

2. Navigate to the Installed section.

3. Scroll over the software you want to make available to your end users – in this case LabVIEW NXG.

4. The package name appears first in the associated pop-up screen.
    

Create a Package Repository

1. Using command line prompts you can create your own package repository.  Open a Command Prompt by searching for cmd.exe.

2. Change your drive to the location of package manager.
    

   1. Example:  cd C:\Program Files\National Instruments\NI Package Manager
       

3. Identity the software you want to provide for your end users and the destination.  In this example we are providing LabVIEW NXG in the Temp folder.
    

   1. Example:  nipkg.exe download --all-deps --destination-dir="C:\repositories\temp" ni-labview-ng

   2. The folder name "C:\repositories\temp" must be able to be accessed by your end users, but the package name (ni-labview-ng) must be the package you found in Step 3.

   3. To download more than one package at a time put a space between the package names.
       

4. You will see a screen similar to this which means you are executing your command line.
    

Create a Custom Feed

1. Continue to use the COMMAND PROMPT for the next steps.  Be sure that the folder is accessible by your end users and use the same folder you used in Step 4.
    

   1. Example:  nipkg.exe feed-create "C:\repositories\temp"

   2. You will see a screen similar to this which means you are executing your command line.
       

2. You will see a screen similar to this which means you are executing your command line.

Move to Your End Users Computer and Install 

1. Use the feed you created at your End Users Computer.

2. Download and Install NI Package Manager.

3. Open NI Package Manager and select the Settings Gear (all the way to the right).

4. Click the checkbox Show Available Packages and Feed Management Tools.

5. Select Feeds then Add.

6. Type in a descriptive name for the feed.

7. Browse to your product package folder location (from Step 5) for the Feed URL

8. Navigate to the Packages tab (at the top).

9. Select Install to install the package feed.
    

   1. The installation will include any product you included in the feed.  In our example we only included LabVIEW NXG, however you can include as many options as are available in Package Manager (such as application software, drivers, etc)..
       

Redirect NI License Manager (NILM) to the License Manager Server

1. Navigate to NI License Manager.

2. Choose the option for Network Licenses

3. Choose Manage volume license servers

4. Enter the name of the Volume License Server and choose OK.

5. Verify the server is found.

6. NILM will now use the Volume License Server.