This content is not available in your preferred language.

The content is shown in another available language. Your browser may include features that can help translate the text.

Changing FTP Server Password for Real-Time Controllers

Updated Nov 12, 2020

Environment

Software

  • LabVIEW Real-Time Module

Operating System

  • LabVIEW Real-Time (NI Linux Real-Time)

This tutorial outlines how to password protect a Real-Time (RT) controller from unwanted FTP Clients by changing the FTP Server Password on the Real-Time Operating System.

Navigating to your RT Controller in MAX

  1. Open MAX by navigating to Start»All Programs»National Instruments»Measurement & Automation.
  2. Left-click the symbol next to Remote Systems
  3. Right-click the RT target, and select Set Permissions.

Depending on whether or not you have "NI Web-based Configuration and Monitoring" installed, you'll take different steps to set the password.
 

"NI Web-based Configuration and Monitoring" NOT installed

  • Enter your new password twice in the dialog box, and click OK

"NI Web-based Configuration and Monitoring" installed

  • Log into the web server by clicking Login at the top of the navigation bar.  The default username and password is admin with a blank password
  • Click on Change Password
  • Type in your desired password twice in the new dialog box, and click OK
  • Click on the Save button to save your changes
  • Click OK on the dialog box requesting you to log out of the system
 

Configuring your Real-Time FTP Server

The FTP server's password is the same as the new password specified in the previous step. The Real-Time FTP server ignores the username. Therefore, any username can be entered when logging into the FTP server. If you wish to connect through Internet Explorer to a password protected FTP server, you must specify a username and password in the URL. A properly formatted URL is:

ftp://username:password@ip_address

username:This is any username. Internet Explorer requires a username, but the Real-Time controller will ignore it.
password: This is the password set when locking your controller.
ip_address: This is the IP address or DNS name of your controller.

For example:
The URL of ftp://a:locked@10.0.35.196 would open an FTP session to the controller of IP address 10.0.35.196 with a password of locked. 

Note: If you specify only the IP address of a password protected controller in the URL (and don't specify a username and password), you will be prompted for a username and password in a popup dialog box.  A screenshot of a prompt that you will see using Windows Explorer is below

Note: All Real-Time Linux targets will not have the FTP Server installed by default.  You will need to install the FTP Server through the Software tab in Measurement & Automation Explorer. Real-Time Linux targets  feature a WebDAV Server providing secure file system access over HTTP and HTTPS with NIAuth digest authentication.  WebDAV is the recommended method for file transfers.