Configuring Proxy Settings for SystemLink

Configure SystemLink for a network that uses a proxy server to ensure that your systems can access feeds from NI Package Manager.

You can only configure proxy settings for Windows systems. Ensure both the server and the client machines have Internet Explorer installed.

A proxy sits between a client machine and a server. Instead of the client connecting directly to the server, the client sends all requests to the proxy. The proxy forwards the requests to the server. The proxy also receives responses for the client.

Using a proxy enhances privacy and improves security. Proxies control what systems can access the network. The proxy can also limit the ability of the server to reach outside the local network. Configuring the proxy settings allows SystemLink to work within existing protections.

  1. Clear any existing proxy settings on your system in the following files:
    • C:\Program Files\National Instruments\NI Package Manager\Settings\nipkg.ini
    • %localappdata%\National Instruments\NI Package Manager\nipkg.ini
  2. On your SystemLink server, download Sysinternals PSTools and extract the ZIP archive.
  3. Open the command line utility as an administrator and navigate to the extracted folder.
  4. Enter one of the following commands:
    • psexec64 -u "nt authority\network service" -i cmd.exe for the network service user, which handles Systems Management
    • psexec64 -u "nt authority\system" -i cmd.exe for the system user, which handles Package Repository
    A new command prompt opens running as the corresponding user.
  5. In the new command prompt, enter whoami to verify the user.
  6. Enter C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe to launch Internet Explorer.
  7. In Internet Explorer, under Settings, click Internet Options » Connections » LAN Settings.
  8. Enable the Use a proxy server for your LAN checkbox and enter your proxy server information.
  9. Enable the Bypass proxy server for local addresses checkbox.
  10. If you configured the client to connect to the server using an IP address or fully qualified domain name (FQDN), click Advanced and add an exception for the hostname for your server.
  11. If the command prompt asks for additional proxy credentials, enter cmdkey /generic: <proxy-server-ip> /user:<username> /pass:<password>.
  12. Complete these steps for both the system and the network service user.
  13. On each client machine, complete these steps for the system user.