LabVIEW VIs can use shared variables deployed on remote targets. NI recommends specifying these VIs using a LabVIEW project, which also has the remote target defined, and executing these VIs using a LabVIEW project from TestStand.

When you deploy a LabVIEW project library or execute these VIs in TestStand on a remote target, LabVIEW must determine how to resolve the target name stored in the network path for the variable. When you configure a target in a LabVIEW project, LabVIEW stores the IP address for the target in an aliases file located in the same directory as the project. The aliases file uses the same base name as the project and a .aliases file extension.

When executing VIs in the main application instance, the server you configured the LabVIEW Adapter to use in the LabVIEW Adapter Configuration dialog box determines the aliases file LabVIEW uses in the following ways:

  • LabVIEW Run-Time Engine—LabVIEW looks for an aliases file with the same name and location as the TestStand application, such as SeqEdit.aliases for the TestStand Sequence Editor and TestExec.aliases for a TestStand User Interface. You must quit and restart the TestStand application after you copy the aliases file from the project directory to the application directory.
  • Development System—LabVIEW looks for an aliases file, LabVIEW.aliases, located in the same directory as the LabVIEW development system executable. You must quit and restart LabVIEW after you copy the aliases file from the project directory to the LabVIEW directory.
  • Other Executable—LabVIEW looks for an aliases file with the same name and location as the LabVIEW executable server, such as TestStandLVRTS.aliases for TestStandLVRTS.exe and TestExec.aliases for a user interface. You must quit and restart the executable after you copy the aliases file from the project directory to the executable directory.

When the test system executes VIs specified in a LabVIEW project, LabVIEW looks for an alias file with the same name and location as the specified LabVIEW project.

Note Ensure the alias file is not read-only to allow LabVIEW to update the file, if necessary, on the deployed computer.