Deploying Custom Rules and Analysis Modules

You can deploy custom rules and analysis modules to use in analysis projects or to analyze individual files on other computers on which TestStand is installed. By default, when you import custom rules and analysis modules on a target computer, the TestStand Sequence Analyzer enables the rule for all new and existing projects on that computer. You must manually disable the rule in each project on the computer.

Complete the following steps to deploy custom rules and analysis modules by exporting the files from your computer, transferring the files to the target computer, and importing the files on the target computer.
Note If the rule ID of a custom rule you want to export conflicts with the rule ID of an existing rule on the target computer, the rule you export replaces the existing rule on the target computer. Similarly, if the path of a custom analysis module specification you want to export conflicts with an existing analysis module specification on the target computer, the custom analysis module specification you export replaces the existing analysis module specification on the target computer. You can update custom rules and analysis modules you already imported on the target computer using this behavior.
Note If the search directories on the target computer differ from the search directories on the computer from which you are exporting files, the sequence analyzer might not find the custom analysis modules and rule configuration modules associated with the custom rules you export. You can change the search directories on the target computer, or you can copy the custom analysis modules and rule configuration modules to a different location on the target computer.
Note If you use LabVIEW to implement an analysis module and you disable the Use LabVIEW Run-Time Engine option on the Edit Analysis Module dialog box, the sequence analyzer uses the LabVIEW Adapter settings on the target computer to determine whether to run the VI in the LabVIEW development system or in the LabVIEW RTE. If you enable the Use LabVIEW Run-Time Engine option, the sequence analyzer uses the LabVIEW RTE on the target computer. The sequence analyzer reports an error if the necessary LabVIEW RTE is not installed on the target computer.
  1. On your computer, launch the Configure Sequence Analyzer Available Rules dialog box.
  2. Click the Export button to launch the Export Items to File dialog box.
  3. In the Export Items to File dialog box, enable the custom rules and analysis module specifications you want to export in the Select Items to Export list.
  4. Click the Export button to launch a file dialog box, in which you create or browse to the rules file (.tsarules) to use. By default the sequence analyzer saves the file in the <TestStand Public>\Components\Analyzer directory.
  5. Click Close in the Export Items to File dialog box.
  6. Copy the VIs, .NET assemblies, and DLLs for your custom analysis modules and rule configuration modules to the same location on the target computer. Also copy strings files and any other supporting files the modules require to the target computer.
  7. Copy the rules file you created in step 4 on your computer to the same location on the target computer.
  8. On the target computer, launch the Configure Sequence Analyzer Available Rules dialog box.
  9. Click the Import button to launch the Import Items from File dialog box.
  10. Select the rules file you copied in step 7 in the Select File to Import From control.
  11. Enable the custom rules and analysis modules you want to import in the Select Items to Import list.
  12. Click the Import button to add the custom rules and analysis modules to the target computer.
  13. Click Close in the Import Items from File dialog box to return to the Configure Sequence Analyzer Available Rules dialog box.
You can also use the Sequence Analyzer Install Utility application to automatically import custom rules and analysis modules without user interaction from a rules file you create and export to a target computer.
Note Even when you use the Sequence Analyzer Install Utility application, you must manually copy the VIs, .NET assemblies, DLLs, strings files, and any other supporting files the exported analysis modules and rule configuration modules require to the target computer.