teststand tool manual - digchipapplication-notes.digchip.com/018/18-24970.pdf · 2009. 2. 8. · vr...

Virtu^l R^ck®

TestStand Tool Manual

Part Number VRTM-T2-750-DOC Innovative Technologies, Inc.

Copyright © 2006 Innovative Technologies, Inc All Rights Reserved

This documentation and the software described in it are copyrighted with all rights reserved. Under the copyright laws, neither the documentation nor the software may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Innovative Technologies, Inc., (ITI) except in the manner described in this manual.

ITI does not warrant that the Virtual Rack® software package will function properly in every hardware/software environment. Virtual Rack® may not work in combination with modified versions of the operating system, in conjunction with certain memory-resident programs, with certain print-spooling or file facility programs, or with certain printers supplied by independent manufacturers.

Although ITI has tested the software and reviewed the documentation, ITI MAKES NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THIS SOFTWARE OR DOCUMENTATION, THEIR QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. AS A RESULT, THIS SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION ARE LICENSED "AS IS", AND YOU, THE LICENSEE, ARE ASSUMING THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THEIR QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE.

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Copyright © 2006 Innovative Technologies, Inc. 7080 Donlon Way, Suite 109 Dublin, California, U.S.A., 94568 (925) 803-2880 www.VirtualRack.com

All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States.

Virtual Rack® is a trademark of Innovative Technologies, Inc. All brand names and product names used in this documentation are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

The Virtual Rack® software has U.S. and International Patents Pending.


Virtual Rack® TestStand Tool Manual

VR TESTSTAND TOOL..........................................................................5

VR TestStand Collective View................................................................................................................5

VR TestStand Hierarchy.........................................................................................................................5

VR TestStand Interfaces ........................................................................................................................6 TestStand Engine Interface ................................................................................................................6 TestStand Sequence File Interface ....................................................................................................8 TestStand Sequence Interface ...........................................................................................................9

VR TestStand and VR Macro Recorder Operations.............................................................................10 Selecting Macro Recorder Target .....................................................................................................10 Begin Macro......................................................................................................................................11 New Macro........................................................................................................................................11 Insert Step.........................................................................................................................................12 End Macro.........................................................................................................................................12 Edit Macro .........................................................................................................................................13 Play Macro ........................................................................................................................................14 Macro Shortcuts................................................................................................................................14

VR TestStand Context Menus ..............................................................................................................16

VR TestStand Tasks.............................................................................................................................20

VR TestStand Views.............................................................................................................................21 TestStand Sequence View................................................................................................................21 TestStand Sequence File View.........................................................................................................23 TestStand Engine View.....................................................................................................................27



List of Figures:

Figure 1 TestStand Tool located under VR Tools Collection .................................................................5 Figure 2 TestStand hierarchy in VR Explorer........................................................................................6 Figure 3 TestStand Engine Interface in VR Collective Tree..................................................................7 Figure 4 TestStand Engine Interface Table...........................................................................................8 Figure 5 TestStand SequenceFiles Collection Entries..........................................................................8 Figure 6 TestStand Sequence File Interface Table...............................................................................9 Figure 7 Collection of Sequences within a Sequence File ..................................................................10 Figure 8 TestStand Sequence Interface Table....................................................................................10 Figure 9 Selecting TestStand as the Macro Recorder Target.............................................................10 Figure 10 Begin Macro toolbar menu item ..........................................................................................11 Figure 11 VR TestStand recording file path query ..............................................................................11 Figure 12 VR TestStand active recording sequence panel.................................................................12 Figure 13 TestStand Sequence Editor ................................................................................................13 Figure 14 Accept Changes dialog .......................................................................................................14 Figure 15 Form based Macro Shortcut Panel .....................................................................................16 Figure 16 Watch based Macro Shortcut Panel....................................................................................16 Figure 17 VR TestStand context menu for numeric property..............................................................16 Figure 18 Servlet specific TestStand recording options......................................................................19 Figure 19 VR TestStand task entry .....................................................................................................20 Figure 20 VR TestStand sequence view .............................................................................................21 Figure 21 Sequence View Context Menus Table ................................................................................23 Figure 22 VR TestStand sequence file view .......................................................................................24 Figure 23 VR TestStand sequence file execution toolbar ...................................................................24 Figure 24 VR TestStand sequence file execution toolbar menu .........................................................24 Figure 25 VR TestStand sequence file sub-sequence toolbar............................................................25 Figure 26 VR TestStand sequence file report view.............................................................................26 Figure 27 VR TestStand engine view..................................................................................................27 Figure 28 VR TestStand engine view toolbar......................................................................................27 Figure 29 TestStand Engine Context Menu Table ..............................................................................28

Copyright © 2006 Innovative Technologies, Inc All Rights Reserved 4


VR TestStand Tool The Virtual Rack® TestStand Tool wraps the powerful sequencing capabilities of the National Instrument’s TestStand sequencing software. TestStand is a powerful, flexible test management software program, able to execute tests created in a variety of test development environments. VR TestStand converts and connects the TestStand API to the VR Matrix, making it accessible to any VR component or client on the network. For example, the user can configure a VR property out of bounds event to execute a TestStand sequence, even from a remote computer.

VR TestStand Collective View The VR TestStand Tool is located under the Tools collection of any VR Process :

Figure 1 TestStand Tool located under VR Tools Collection

VR TestStand Hierarchy The National Instruments TestStand software is internally organized as a hierarchy with a global engine per process, with as many sequence files opened as desired, with each sequence file containing one or more sequences. Sequences finally contain one or more steps.

The VR TestStand mirrors this hierarchy with a TestStand engine object ( ) that contains the open sequence files ( ), which in turn contain a list of sequences ( ). This hierarchy can be seen and explored via the VR Collective Tree in the VR Explorer by expanding the TestStand Tool node:

Copyright © 2006 Innovative Technologies, Inc All Rights Reserved 5


Figure 2 TestStand hierarchy in VR Explorer

VR TestStand’s most notable feature is its ability to act as a recorder target for the VR Macro Recorder.

The VR Macro Recorder is covered in detail in the VR Explorer Manual. Briefly, with the click of a button, users can start recording property changes, action\method invocations, and evaluated measurements directly into a recorder target such as a TestStand sequence. Users can create complex hardware test sequences without TestStand training, without any regard to the hardware communication protocol, or even what computer or rack the hardware is running on.

VR TestStand Interfaces The VR TestStand Tool exposes three interfaces, from each of the engine, sequence file and sequence objects. These interfaces are fully available by browsing the TestStand Tool in the VR Collective tree. Browsing to these levels is not normally required by the operator because most of the TestStand capability is also available via customized toolbars, context menus, and tools & services entries through VR Explorer and the VR Macro Recorder.

TestStand Engine Interface

The VR TestStand Engine Interface exposes properties and methods that are involved with managing the set of Sequence Files loaded, and attributes of how TestStand is to operate within the VR Process. This interface is located under the TestStand Tool node in the VR Collective Tree:


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Figure 3 TestStand Engine Interface in VR Collective Tree

The following table lists the capabilities of the TestStand Engine Interface:

CloseAll Close all open sequence files. CloseSequenceFile Close a sequence file by file path.

CommentNameSelect Controls the label assigned to recorded steps:

Name Uses the object name

URL Relative Uses a relative URL

URL Full Uses an absolute URL

Label Uses the object label field ExecuteAll Execute all open sequences. ExecuteSequenceFile Execute a sequence file. If the sequence file

is already open, this method will execute the in memory version of the file. If the sequence file is not open, this method will open the file, execute, then close the file.

ExecuteTemplateFile Execute a vrt template file. OpenSequenceFile Open a sequence file, with an option to

execute. RecordURLStyle Controls how recorded steps reference VR

objects.

Use Full Path Full URL path used in steps. This locks the sequence to one target


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computer.

Use Relative Path URL has relative computer. This allows the sequence to execute on multiple computers.

TerminateAll Terminate all active executions. Version Version of National Instrument’s TestStand

engine. Figure 4 TestStand Engine Interface Table

TestStand Sequence File Interface

The TestStand Sequence File Interface exposes properties and methods for managing a single Sequence File that has been loaded into memory. Every Sequence File loaded is added to the SequenceFiles collection of the TestStand Tool:

Figure 5 TestStand SequenceFiles Collection Entries

Each of the entries in the SequenceFiles collection represents a single Sequence File loaded in memory. Expanding the entry will display the following collection of capabilities:

Execute UUT Execute the sequence file in a loop. ExecuteSinglePass Execute the sequence file once.


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FilePath File path of the sequence file. Read only. IsDirty Indicates that the in memory version of the

sequence file differs from the version on the hard drive.

IsExecuting Indicates that the sequence file is currently executing. The sequence file can only have one active execution at a time.

LastExecutionReportFilePath

File path of the report file generated during the last execution. Read only.

Save Commit sequence file changes to disk. Terminate Terminate the active execution.

Figure 6 TestStand Sequence File Interface Table

TestStand Sequence Interface

Each Sequence File entry additionally contains a “Sequences” collection. Expanding the Sequences collection will reveal of the individual sequences contained within the parent Sequence File:


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Figure 7 Collection of Sequences within a Sequence File

Further expanding a Sequence entry will reveal the Sequence Interface, which exposes the ability to execute the individual sequence:

Execute Execute the sequence, single pass. Figure 8 TestStand Sequence Interface Table

VR TestStand and VR Macro Recorder Operations When the VR Macro Recorder is recording and NI TestStand has been designated as the target recorder, then all the operations performed via the VR Explorer are inserted as individual steps in the selected TestStand sequence. The following sections walk through beginning a Macro, appending steps, and ending the Macro.

Selecting Macro Recorder Target

The VR Explorer can designate any recordable Server as a Recorder target. To select TestStand as the recorder target, first select TestStand under the Tools, and then Select the \\Record\Set Recorder menu item under the Record button of the MORE toolbar:

Figure 9 Selecting TestStand as the Macro Recorder Target

If only one possible macro recorder target exists in the current process, then this is auto-selected as the target recorder.


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Begin Macro

To begin recording a Macro, the user selects the ‘Record …’ menu command from the MORE toolbar:

Figure 10 Begin Macro toolbar menu item

New Macro

If a Macro is not already active, then this will also ask the operator to either create a new Macro, or open an existing Macro. The following dialog allows the user to select:

Figure 11 VR TestStand recording file path query


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After making the selection, an active recording sequence panel will popup with the record light indicator flashing ( ) in the toolbar:

Figure 12 VR TestStand active recording sequence panel

Insert Step

A flashing record indicator indicates that recording is active, and any subsequent user activity will be recorded. Each operator interaction is inserted to the sequence as an individual step. Recorded operations can be done anywhere in the VR Explorer including the VR Collective tree, the Task Bar, any VR Panels, Forms, Watches, and Controls.

Interactive recording always records the default step of any given servlet. Each servlet or server exposes varied additional step types as well. These steps can be inserted by right clicking on the component, and picking from the component’s list of available step types. These are listed under the \\Tools & Services\TestStand context menu. This topic is covered under the VR TestStand Context Menu section of this manual

End Macro

Users can start and stop the recording at any time by simply pressing the record button, presses the toolbar stop button ( ) or closes the popup sequence panel.

Note: A sequence cannot be executed during recording.


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Edit Macro

Macros can be easily edited in place by using the Sequence View’s toolbar and Context Menus. Editing allows you to modify the recorded steps as well as add additional steps for control flow, logic, and branching.

Properties of steps can also be modified to configure step behavior with regards to sequence pass/fail criteria, skipping options, looping, variable usage, etc. The complete array of TestStand step features and configuration are exposed by right clicking on any step in the Sequence:

Figure 13 TestStand Sequence Editor

The possible step modifications made through the editor are expansive and covered in the National Instruments TestStand documentation.


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The National Instruments TestStand external sequence editor and debugger may also be used to edit Macro sequences created by the Virtual Rack®. Editing can be accomplished simultaneously by accepting changes in both the VR and TestStand every time the file is saved to disk:

Figure 14 Accept Changes dialog

Play Macro

Macros can be played back at anytime from various locations.

If the Macro Sequence View is already open, then the Macro can be played back by simply pressing the triangular play button ( ) on the Sequence View toolbar.

Macros can also be played from the Sequence File View, the TestStand Engine View, and as always, directly from the VR Collective Tree view. Playing Macros from these locations is covered later in this manual.

Macro Shortcuts

It is quite often useful to create your own collection of helpful Macros for the operations that you perform on a specific rack of equipment. As you conduct daily operations, consider the ease of doing your operations normally once after hitting the record button. From then on, conducting the same operations can be done by playing the Macro. As time goes on and procedures change, you can manually edit the Macro and/or record appended steps to the Macro.


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After a while, you may have quite a few Macros recorded and would like a way to quickly find and invoke any one of them. Collections of Macro shortcuts are used to facilitate this capability.

A Macro shortcut is actually just a Sequence Control button that invokes a specific Macro. If you have a dozen helpful Macros, then you would want to have a dozen Macro one-click buttons available for pressing.

Forms and/or Watches can be used as Shortcut Panels to host the array of Macro shortcut buttons. To create a Macro Shortcuts Panel, follow these steps:

1) Record one or more helpful Macros into a Sequence File. 2) Add a step to your Mount Sequence to load this sequence file at startup. 3) Open an existing or new Form and/or Watch. 4) Drag the Sequence from each Macro in the VR Collective Tree you want a

shortcut for onto the Form and/or Watch.

The Form or Watch that you created will now have a button for each Macro as a shortcut. You can add additional controls of course as well as helpful text and graphics to the helper panel. Below are example Macro Shortcut Panels:


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Figure 15 Form based Macro Shortcut Panel

Figure 16 Watch based Macro Shortcut Panel

VR TestStand Context Menus The VR TestStand Context menu exposes additional step recording options available for the step type. The following is an example of the VR TestStand context menu for a numeric property object.

Figure 17 VR TestStand context menu for numeric property


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Different VR object types expose different recording options.

Bitmap Type Recording Options

Numeric Properties

Record Write Numeric Value

Record a step to write the numeric property. The value used defaults to the value of the numeric property at the time of recording.

Record Read Numeric Value

Record a step to read the numeric value and write it into a local TestStand variable.

Record a Numeric Limit Test

Record a test step that fails when the property value is different than the comparison value. The comparison value defaults to the property value at the time of recording.

Boolean Properties

Record Write Boolean Value

Record a step to write the boolean property. The value used defaults to the value of the boolean property at the time of recording.

Record Read Boolean Value

Record a step to read the boolean value and write it into a local TestStand variable.

Record Pass\Fail Test

Record a test step that will fail when the boolean value is FALSE.

Record Numeric Limit Test

Record a test step that fails when the property value is different than the comparison value. The comparison value defaults to the boolean value at the time of recording.

String Properties

Record Write String Value

Record a step to write the string property. The value


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used defaults to the value of the string property at the time of recording.

Record Read String Value

Record a step to read the string value and write it into a local TestStand variable.

Record String Value Test

Record a test step that fails when the string value is different than the comparison value. The comparison value defaults to the string value at the time of recording.

Action Record Action Invoke

Record a step to invoke the action synchronously. Method Record Method Invoke

Record a step to invoke the method, synchronously, using default parameters.

Execution Record Execution

Record a step to invoke a method with a specific set of parameters. Recording execution steps can be done from the tree, by drilling into the method execution history, but is most often done from the execution control. Users can configure the method parameters from the execution dialog parameter spreadsheet, then record using the execute button drop down menu.

Collection Record Collection

Used to perform mass recordings of interface collections. The ‘Record Collection’ command will popup a type selector, allowing the user to limit


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recording to one or more object types.

Select OK to record a default TestStand step for each object in the collection that matches the type filter.

Figure 18 Servlet specific TestStand recording options

Selecting a VR TestStand record command will insert the step into the active sequence.


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VR TestStand Tasks The VR TestStand Tool adds a ‘Record TestStand step’ task to all recordable objects in the system: properties, actions, methods and collections.

Figure 19 VR TestStand task entry

Clicking the VR TestStand ‘Record TestStand step’ will start an active recording if one is not already active, (see the ‘Context Menu’ chapter for details on starting an active recording), and record the default step type for the given context. For example, numeric VR properties will record a write value step, and VR Actions will record an action invoke step.


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VR TestStand Views VR TestStand exposes three views: TestStand engine, TestStand sequence file and TestStand sequence. The views are hierarchical with the TestStand engine at the top. The engine then contains collections of sequence files, and each sequence file then contains collections of sequences. It is easier to cover these views from the bottom of the hierarchy and percolating up.

TestStand Sequence View

The sequence panel displays the TestStand steps contained within a single sequence, as well as toolbar and menu commands for controlling the sequence.

Figure 20 VR TestStand sequence view

The sequence spreadsheet columns are as follows:

Step Step name. Can be modified through the Menu->Rename Step command.

Description The step description. Can be modified in the step property dialog.

Execution Flow The execution behavior of the step. This can be modified through the Menu->Run Mode menu command.


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Normal Step executes normally.

Skip Step is skipped

Force Pass The step does not execute. Instead, the step status is set to Passed.

Force Fail The step does not execute. Instead, the step status is set to Failed

Use the toolbar and right-mouse-click context menu to control the sequence steps.

Bitmap Command Description Open Sub-

Sequence Applies only to ‘Sequence Call’ step types ( ). This command will popup the target sequence of the step, allowing users to drill down into nested sequence calls.

Run Selected Steps

Execute the selected steps, single pass.

Loop On Selected Steps …

Execute the selected steps in a loop, as specified in the ‘Loop on Selected Steps’ dialog. This command cannot be used from remote computers

Run Mode Sub-menu for selecting the execution behavior

of the step: Normal, Skip, Force Pass, Force Fail.

Rename Step Rename the selected step. Delete Step Delete the selected steps.


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Insert Step Insert a step from a list of both Virtual Rack® and TestStand steps types. See TestStand documentation for a description of TestStand step types.

Save Sequence

File Commit sequence file changes to disk. Note that this command applies to the sequence file, meaning that changes to all contained sequences will be saved.

Save Sequence File As …

Save the sequence file to a different file name.

Print … Print the sequence spreadsheet.

Anchor Forces the column widths to best fit with the

window width.

Best Fit Columns A one time best fit to the window width. The column widths will not track changes in the window size.

Properties … Popup the TestStand step properties dialog. This command cannot be used from remote computers.

Figure 21 Sequence View Context Menus Table

TestStand Sequence File View

The TestStand sequence file contains the list of sequences, and the sequence file view reflects this in its configuration. The view toolbar has a sequence selection combo box that sets the context on the contained sequence view.


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Figure 22 VR TestStand sequence file view

The VR TestStand sequence file execution toolbar is at the top of the view.

Figure 23 VR TestStand sequence file execution toolbar

The sequence file execution toolbar play ( ) button is used to execute the ‘MainSequence’, single pass. The play button drop down menu contains alternative execution options.

Figure 24 VR TestStand sequence file execution toolbar menu


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The ‘Single Pass’ command will execute the ‘MainSeq’ once. The ‘Test UUTs’ command will execute the sequence file ‘MainSequence’ in a loop.

The next section of the menu dynamically displays the sequences contained within the current sequence file. Click a sequence name to execute a contained sequence, single pass.

Use the toolbar stop button ( ) to terminate the active sequence file execution.

The VR TestStand sequence file sub-sequence toolbar can be found to the right of the execution toolbar.

Figure 25 VR TestStand sequence file sub-sequence toolbar

Use the sequence selection combo box to set the context of the embedded sequence view. The delete button ( ) will remove the selected sequence from the sequence file. Note that ‘MainSequence’ is a required sequence and cannot be deleted. The ‘New’ button ( ) will create a new sequence in the sequence file. Note that sequence names must be unique.

The VR TestStand report view displays the HTML report generated by a TestStand execution.


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Figure 26 VR TestStand sequence file report view

TestStand execution reports are information rich and have a wide variety of formatting options. Report options are configured using the ‘Report Options’ toolbar button on the VR TestStand engine toolbar – see the Engine view section for more detail. Note that the VR TestStand sequence file report viewer can only host HTML, and will fail to load when report are generated with XML formatting.


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TestStand Engine View

The TestStand engine object contains the collection of sequence files, and the engine view reflects this in its configuration. The VR TestStand engine view is split into a sequence file view on the top and a sequence list on the bottom. Select a sequence file from the list on the bottom to view it in the top pane.

Figure 27 VR TestStand engine view

The VR TestStand engine view toolbar at the top of the bottom pane allows the user to configure TestStand station options, as well as create\open\close sequence files.

Figure 28 VR TestStand engine view toolbar


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Bitmap Command Description

Station Options Popup the TestStand station options dialog, used to set computer wide execution options for the TestStand engine. See TestStand documentation for a description of this dialog.

Report Options Popup the TestStand report options dialog, used to control how and where TestStand reports are generated. See TestStand documentation for a description of this dialog.

New Create a new sequence file.

Open Open a sequence file.

Close Closed the selected sequence file(s).

View View the selection panel – will default to

the first panel in the panel list. Control Popup the selection control(s).

Browse Popup the selection panel – will default to

the first panel in the panel list.

Find in Tree Find the selection in the tree view.

Services List of services that can be applied to the selection.

Print Print the spreadsheet.

Anchor Forces the column widths to best fit with the window width.

Best Fit Columns A one time best fit to the window width. The column widths will not track changes in the window size.

Figure 29 TestStand Engine Context Menu Table


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VR TestStand ToolVR TestStand Collective ViewVR TestStand HierarchyVR TestStand InterfacesTestStand Engine InterfaceTestStand Sequence File InterfaceTestStand Sequence Interface

VR TestStand and VR Macro Recorder OperationsSelecting Macro Recorder TargetBegin MacroNew MacroInsert StepEnd MacroEdit MacroPlay MacroMacro Shortcuts

VR TestStand Context MenusVR TestStand TasksVR TestStand ViewsTestStand Sequence ViewTestStand Sequence File ViewTestStand Engine View

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teststand tool manual - digchipapplication-notes.digchip.com/018/18-24970.pdf · 2009. 2. 8. · vr...

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