What is Alliance Partner Software?
Alliance Partner Software (APS)* is a software package purchased on an annual lease basis by NI Alliance Partners. It serves as the membership fee and includes a license to more than 60 NI software tools offered exclusively to our Alliance Partners at a 97 percent discount. The lease comes in bundles ranging from 1 to 100 seats. NI Alliance Partners are required to renew the NI Developer Suite SRL license annually to remain active in the Alliance Partner Network.
*This product was originally the NI Developer Suite Software Reference Library (SRL).
What is included in APS?
APS includes the following:
For the complete list of what is shipped with the product, see APS Components.
What is the usage policy per seat?
Each seat of the NI DS- SRL is under a named-user license and can be multisite. This implies the following:
Where can I find the EULA (End User License Agreement)?
EULAs are located in the \Shared\MDF\Legal\license directory.
Every machine with NI software installed will have a file in the Program Files directory called _Legal Information.txt that contains instructions how how/where to find all EULAs and other legal information on the system.
How can I install and activate my APS?
Install NI software from the APS disks or NI website as normal. If an Internet connection is available, activate software with a APS serial number as outlined in this FAQ under the “How Do I Activate My Product” section:
I do not have an Internet connection. How can I generate an activation code?
If an Internet connection is not available, you may generate an activation code by visiting NI Product Activation.
How Can I Find My Computer ID?
How can I find my Computer ID” section of the FAQ below. Enter your computer ID and serial number.
May I call or email National Instruments for assistance in obtaining activation codes?
Click here to contact an engineer, speak with customer service, or call a technical representative for more information.
Can my APS license be used with Virtual Machines or PC images?
APS licenses may be used on VMs or images. However, if those VMs or images are copied, then the NI software on those copies will no longer be activated. This is because the computer ID will not be the same for any copies made. In this situation, when LabVIEW or other software is launched, the following screen will result:
As indicated, the software will indicate "No License Available", which indicates an invalidated activation. Checking the NI License Manager utility will display information similar to below:
Re-activate the software by right clicking the item with a red exclamation and choosing “activate”. Enter your serial number when prompted.
APS changed to a lease model in July 2013. So, if a PC, Virtual Machine, or image was activated with a APS license before this time and then copied, a special case arises. The activation prior to July 2013 used a permanent time limit, while the new method expires after one year. The existing license files used by NI software will have a permanent time limit and will not be compatible with this new serial number.
In order to resolve this issue, the affected license files must be replaced with evaluation license files. The activation process should then be repeated.
To find an evaluation license file for affected software, module, or toolkit, visit the link below or search ni.com for evaluation license files. On the individual license file page, follow the installation instructions. Make a copy of the existing license file before replacing it with an evaluation license.
If the necessary evaluation license is not available, large volumes of license files must be replaced, or to ask further questions, contact NI support and reference this article.