What Are the Different NI Web Servers and How Are They Used?

Issue Details

NI has a couple of different Web Servers that work with different products and cover different use cases. They have very similar names, which may be used interchangeably, but each provides a different function. Use this guide to determine which Web Server you are using, and how to configure it.

Solution

Application Web Server

• Description: The NI Application Web Server loads Web Service applications which are deployed using LabVIEW. Stopping this service may cause deployed Web Service applications to become unavailable.
• Startup type: Automatic
• Command line: "C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\NI WebServer\ApplicationWebServer.exe" -user
• This is the standard Web Service that comes with most LabVIEW versions (up to 2019) and can be created from within a LabVIEW project or by building installer. This server can be configured using 2 different ways.
   

1. Web Server Page

• •  You can arrive to this dialog by going to Tools>>Options...>>Web Server tab.
  •  You can configure the debug server and Remote Panel Server by using this tool. 

2. Web-Based Configuration

• • You can open the Web-based Configuration & Monitoring utility in a web browser in two ways:
    1. Click the Configure Web Application Server button in the web server options page, shown above. 
    2. Right-click the Web Service project item in the Project Explorer of a LabVIEW project and select Application Web Server»Manage Web Server.
  • Note: Internet Explorer is the recommended browser for this interface.
  • Once the utility opens:
    • Click the Web Server Configuration button on the left-hand sidebar to configure both the Application Web Server and the System Web Server.
    • Click the Web Services Management button on the left-hand sidebar to view any deployed Web Services in the Deployed Web Services list. You might need to click the Refresh button to update the list and see newly published services.

System Web Server

• Description: The NI System Web Server provides NI Web Services and NI Web-based configuration and Monitoring utility. Stopping this service may cause some NI software to not function properly.
• Startup type: Automatic
• Command line: "C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\NI WebServer\SystemWebServer.exe" -system
• System Web Server is for internal NI web services, so you should not need to modify or interact with this service. It is built on the older Appweb-based NI Web Server that hosts a Silverlight based web interface and can be installed on Windows and Linux Real-Time targets.

NI Web Server

• Description: The NI Web Server hosts web applications and web UIs. Stopping this service may disable functionality in some NI software.
• Startup type: Automatic
• Command line: "C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\Web Server\httpd.exe" -k runservice
• The NI Web Server is the newer Apache-based Web Server that can be used to host SystemLink web interfaces and is shipped with NXG. Starting with LabVIEW 2020, this becomes the default NI Web Server. It is intended to replace the both the Application Web Server and the System Web Server.

This Web Server can be configured using the NI Web Server Configuration.