This article will describe the process of deploying NI SystemLink server on the Alibaba Cloud Elastic Compute Service(ECS).

SystemLink is an intelligent Systems and Data Management application software. Designed for engineering use cases, SystemLink software combines focused applications and data services that accelerate time-to-knowledge and time-to-market by leveraging comprehensive real-time information.

Elastic Compute Service (ECS) is a high-performance, stable, reliable, and scalable IaaS-level service provided by Alibaba Cloud. Deploying SystemLink on the ECS will enable you to manage distributed systems and collect measurement data, testing data across regions through wide area network.

Note, as SystemLink is an application software which NI continuous invest, this article will be updated when there are changes in the following new versions. The SystemLink 2020 R3 is the latest version when this article is published.

Checking the Resource Configuration of ECS Instance

1. Ensure the ECS Instance configuration meets the requirements of SystemLink server, refer to NI SystemLink 2020 R3 Readme - System Requirements for details.

Install SystemLink Server on the ECS Instance

1. Prerequisite knowledge
   • Refer to Download Individual Offline Installers for NI Software for how to download offline installer of NI software.
   • Refer to External Link: Connect to a Windows instance from a local client  for how to connect to the Alibaba Cloud ECS instances.
2. Upload SystemLink offline installer to ECS and install it
   • Visit NI website to download SystemLink offline installer to local machine, refer to SystemLink Suite download page.
   • Upload SystemLink offline installer to the ECS instance, refer to External Link: Send local files to ECS instances for detailed process.
   • Open installer and choose the add-ons module based on your applications, refer to Overview of the SystemLink Platform to know more about SystemLink add-ons.
     

Setting up SystemLink Server after Installation

1. Configure NI Web Server on the ECS, refer to NI Web Server 18.2 and Later Manual - Configuring NI Web Server .
2. Setting up ECS instance security group rules
   • Check required ports based on the add-on you installed, refer to Setting Up a SystemLink Server for port list.
   • Log in to ECS instance console and open the required, refer to External Link: Add security group rules.
     
   • Note, sometimes the network port may not available after the creation of ECS instance security group rules, please open the 8080 at the same time when you are in this situation.
3. Test the SystemLink server with the ECS public IP and SystemLink server port which you configured in NI Web Server.
   

Optional Steps for Connecting Remote Sources to Enhance Scalability and Fault Tolerance

• Descriptions
  • From version 2020 R3, SystemLink is started to support access remote sources to separate application services with data storage service to meet required IT policy.
• Connecting to a remote mongo database
  1. Setting up a mongo database
     • Option 1, leverage standard mongoDB service of Alibaba Cloud, refer to External Link: Alibaba Cloud ApsaraDB for MongoDB.
     • Option 2, setting up a mongo database on the other ECS, which means you need another ECS Instance, refer to External Link: Install MongoDB Community Edition for detailed process.
  2. Connect SystemLink server with your mongo database, refer to SystemLink Manual - Connecting to a Remote Mongo Database.
     • Note, please confirm the account of mongo database you used has full permissions.
       

• Connecting to a remote file share
  1. Setting up a remote file share
     • Leverage File Storage NAS service of Alibaba Cloud, refer to External Link: Alibaba Cloud File Storage NAS.
     • Note, as of the latest version, SystemLink 2020R3 doesn’t support the Object Storage Service(OSS) of Alibaba Cloud.
  2. Connect SystemLink server with NAS service, refer to SystemLink Manual - Connecting to a Remote File Share.