Can I Upgrade SystemLink Base in Place to SystemLink Server?

Issue Details

I have installed a SystemLink Base version which I've tested/used for a while, and now I would like to upgrade to SystemLink Server, in order to have access to more features and/or allow more users to log in and/or more systems connect at one time.  Can I upgrade my existing SystemLink Base instance in-place to become a SystemLink Server instance, or must I stand up the SystemLink Server instance on a new computer/virtual machine/cloud instance?

Solution

Yes, you will first need to contact NI agreements at services@ni.com to obtain a SystemLink Server volume license file (*.lic) that contains the licenses you need.  Then you can add those features and extra user connections and extra system connections to your existing SystemLink Base instance by following the below steps:

1. If there are any SystemLink Server modules you need and didn't initially install, launch the NI Package Manager and install them now.
       
2. The rest of the steps involve switching from SystemLink Base local licenses to SystemLink Server licenses hosted by NI Volume License Manager (NI VLM). This is what SystemLink Base local licenses look like in the  Access Control>>Licenses  page, before you make that change.
       
3. Install NI Volume License Manager (NI VLM) if you haven't already.  NI VLM can run either on the same computer as SystemLink Server or on a separate computer.
   
       
4. Once installed, launch the NI Volume License Manager (NI VLM) application.  If the full NI VLM application appears, select the menu File>>Install Agreement License File...
   
        
5. Otherwise this license file registration wizard will be the first thing you see.  Either way click Next to start to register your *.lic file.
    
      
6. Navigate to your *.lic file and click Next to begin loading it into NI Volume License Manager.
    
       
7. If this is the first SystemLink Server *.lic file you have loaded, you should select Do not import settings, then click Next
    
       
8. When in doubt, leave the port assignments at the default values.  If your IT team tells you to use different ports, this is where you can set them.  Enter the name and contact information of the NI VLM Administrator here, then click Next.
    
       
9. (Optional) you can configure email details here.  Click Next to proceed.
    
       
10. Click Finish if you are confident in all the information you've entered.
     
         
11. After the license file registration completes, you will be on the Status page, where you can see that the license server is stopped.  Click on Licenses to view the configured licenses.
     
         
12. Here on the Licenses page, you can see all the licenses contained in your *.lic file.  If all of your licenses are  Unmanaged Concurrent, then click Apply Changes and skip to step 19 below.
     
        
13. If, on the other hand, any of your licenses are Computer-Based, you will need to click Computers to view the configured computers, then follow all steps below.
     
          
14. Click Add Computer to define the SystemLink Server computer, which will be the only computer checking out SystemLink Server licenses.
     
           
15. Enter the Computer Name and Computer ID where you installed SystemLink Base, plus any other relevant information.  Click Add to make explicit license assignments.
     
         
16. Select all SystemLink Server licenses that appear here, then click Add to assign them to the SystemLink Server computer.
     
         
17. Click Save to finalize the computer profile.
     
         
18. IMPORTANT... you must click Apply Changes to commit all these changes to NI VLM.
     
        
19. Click Status to view the NI VLM license server info and current status.
     
         
20. Click Start Volume License Server, if you see it, to begin serving up the configured SystemLink Server licenses.
     
          
21. Now launch NI License Manager on the SystemLink Base computer.  Click the Network Licenses tab to view the accessed NI VLM licenses.
     
        
22. Click the Manage volume license servers link if you that is the only thing you see, in order to define which NI VLM computer to check out licenses from.
     
          
23. If you don't see that link, then select the Manage volume license servers... menu to define which NI VLM computer to check out licenses from.
     
         
24. Enter the computer name/ip address for the computer where NI VLM is installed, adding a colon and the port the NI VLM application is using, then click OK.
     
        
25. Click the Local Licenses tab to see any local licenses configured.
     
        
26. Right-click on each active SystemLink Base local license and select Deactivate in order to guarantee that only the NI VLM SystemLink Server licenses will be used.
     
        
27. Confirm your deactivation choices by clicking Yes.
     
         
28. Now all SystemLink Base local licenses will display with the white-dash-on-gray-circle deactivated icon.
     
        
29. Now open the NI SystemLink Server Configuration application and click Restart to force all SystemLink services to check out licenses anew.
     
         
30. Once all services are restarted, log into your SystemLink Base instance that is now using SystemLink Server NI VLM licenses.  This is what you should see in the  Access Control>>Licenses  page-- you now are using SystemLink Server.
     
    
    

Additional Information

The SystemLink Base and SystemLink Server installers are almost identical.  Assuming you've installed all the SystemLink Base modules you want to use in SystemLink Server, the only change needed is a licensing change.  The SystemLink Base "Small" and "Medium" licenses are unchanging local licenses.  All you need to do to expand beyond the 10 users and 25 connected systems allowed by the SystemLink Base "Medium" license is to disable the "Medium" local license and configure your SystemLink Base computer to use SystemLink Server licenses hosted by the NI Volume License Manager (NI VLM).
      
The only computer that ever checks out any SystemLink Server licenses from NI VLM is the computer where SystemLink Base or SystemLink Server are installed.  That means any explicit license assignments should ALWAYS be configured for the SystemLink Server computer, not for any client system computers or connecting users.  If you see any SystemLink Server User-Based licenses in NI VLM, then that was a mistake in the *.lic file, and you should ask for a new one.