Choose licensing options based on your SystemLink products and goals and assign licenses
to your systems.
-
Install Volume License Manager. Use the
following table to determine which installation option fits your needs.
Number of SystemLink Servers |
Installation Option |
Description |
1 |
Install VLM on the same computer as
SystemLink Server
|
- Reduces network complexity
- Ensures SystemLink Server and VLM can always
communicate
|
Install VLM on a remote computer, separate
from SystemLink Server
|
- Allows you to use an existing license server
- Requires connectivity between both machines
|
Multiple |
Install VLM with each SystemLink Server
installation
|
- Reduces network complexity
- Specifies node seat quantity for each server

Note
This
option may require multiple license agreements.
|
Install VLM on one license server for multiple SystemLink
Server installations
|
- Connects multiple SystemLink Servers and nodes to a
single license server
- Enables transferring licenses among servers
|
The computer on which you install VLM becomes a license
server.
-
Determine whether you need a standard server license or advanced server
license.
Server Type |
Description |
Standard |
- One workspace that includes all data and
systems
- One server per group
- One site or workgroup
|
Advanced |
- Multiple workspaces with granular access
control
- Single sign-on capabilities
- One server for all groups
- Multiple sites or workgroups
|
-
Purchase the server, user, and node licenses you will need.
SystemLink requires three license types:
License type |
Description |
Server (Standard or Advanced) |
Use a server license for each SystemLink server. |
Module node |
Use a module node license for each SystemLink module.
Examples of modules include the Software Configuration
Module, Asset Module, and Test Module
|
Module user |
Use a module user license for each user who will access a
module.
|
-
Launch VLM on the license server and import the new license agreement from the
SystemLink products you purchase.
If you need to modify your license file, email agreements@ni.com.
-
Launch NI License Manager and configure it to connect to your license
server.
Refer to the License Manager help for more
information.
-
Install SystemLink Server and follow the prompts to license it with your
license from VLM.
Refer to the VLM help for more information.
As you connect Windows or RT systems to your server, SystemLink will
automatically check out node licenses for each system that is registered to the
server.
The following table shows common setup scenarios and the licensing requirements for
each.
Scenario |
Licensing requirements |
- 10 Windows PCs
- 15 CompactRIO devices
- 1 central server with SystemLink and VLM
|
- VLM: 1 seat on same machine as SystemLink Server
- SystemLink Server: 1 seat
- SystemLink Module Node: 25 seats
- SystemLink Module User: 5 seats
|
- 1 server for production
- 1 server for development
- 50 PC-based test systems for production
- 10 targets for development
- Production and development systems will use different
license servers
|
- License server 1
- VLM: 1 seat
- SystemLink Server: 1 seat
- SystemLink Module Node: 50 seats
- SystemLink Module User: 5 seats
- License server 2
- VLM: 1 seat
- SystemLink Server: 1 seat
- SystemLink Module Node: 10 seats
- SystemLink Module User: 1 seat
|
- 3 servers to support 3 sites
- Each site has 100 PXI test systems
- All systems will use 1 central machine as a license
server
|
- VLM: 1 seat on remote machine
- SystemLink Server: 3 seats
- SystemLink Module Node: 300 seats
- SystemLink Module User: 10 seats
|