SystemLink: from simple application to Silver Alliance specialisation
As an NI system integrator, Kentigen uses and deploys NI software across a variety of projects. From time to time the customer wants to deploy NI and other software on multiple stations with version maintenance. This was the point at which we at Kentigen became interested in SystemLink. The server-client architecture allows maintenance of multiple PCs from a single station or from PCs on the same network, as the SystemLink server interface can be accessed via IP address. Activities that would normally take a systems engineer a lot of time, such as installing multiple individual LabVIEW packages along with various dependencies (runtime engines), take only a few clicks with SystemLink:
- Install LabVIEW packages and other customer software via the web interface
- All dependencies are installed automatically together with the application software
A case study of a system update:
- 8-10 systems are already at the limit of the time payback
- Small application updates (no waiting for data copying)
- The manual update was performed by an experienced operator
The time saving increases with the size of the software package and the number of systems.
Based on the previous study, we have the following conclusions:
Monitoring system status
- Connected device management (similar to NI MAX)
- CPU load monitoring, RAM usage, HDD usage
- Self-stabilization, auto-calibration function, resetting the current control state.
This and other information can be sent from managed devices to SystemLink Server as tags through NI SkyLine Data Services. Alarms can also be configured - when a tag value exceeds a limit, the operator receives an email alert. Tag information can be displayed on a simple web-based user interface - the dashboard.
In addition to monitoring system status, SystemLink can associate:
- Test and measurement data from all test systems into a centralized data repository
- Calibration predictions and test result history
SystemLink is one of NI's newest products. We strive to keep up with the latest NI platform products. This helps us to design the most suitable solution for the customer. By presenting and grasping the benefits of SystemLink to the customer based on their needs, Kentigen has become a SystemLink Silver Partner of NI.
