Running two silmultaneous instances of mathematica using a command line

[Sepulveda, Ariel]

We have Mathematica 5.0 for Windows running a real-time SPC
manufacturing application. We can manually set two notebooks to run
simultaneously in two separate instances of Mathematica. However, we
would like to programmatically set up Mathematica so that an in-house
scheduler program shutdowns and starts both Mathematica processes when
any out-of-our-control situation occurs.

When running our non-Mathematica scheduler, if we send to execute
"Mathematica.exe first.nb" the application starts running first.nb
successfully.
If we send the second notebook to execute ("Mathematica.exe second.nb")
there is no new instance of Mathematica.
Instead the second.nb opens in the already existing Mathematica process
for the first notebook.

Manually we can click on the Mathematica shortcut and we can get two
instances of Mathematica running simultaneously.

We would like to do the same using a command line. Open two different
notebooks and have them run in separate Mathematica instances, though
running simultaneously in real time.

Could someone please advice us on how we can accomplish this.

Thanks,

Ariel Sepulveda

[Oleksandr Pavlyk]

Hi,

The easiest way to do this is to change evaluator in the second
notebook. To do this, use menu "Kernel\Kernel Configuration Options.."
then click New, change the name and hit OK. Next choose the newly
created kernel as the notebook's evaluator, by opening the notebook
in Mathematica, and using "Kernel\Notebook's kernel".

Then running Mathematica.exe second.nb would automatically launch
a new kernel for the second notebook, while the first notebook
would be running on the default kernel.

This recipe is subject to license limitations. Your license should
allow you to run two kernels at the same time.

Sincerely,
Sasha

[John Fultz]

Instead of launching the Mathematica.exe binary in the installation
directory, launch the Mathematica.exe binary in
SystemFiles\FrontEnd\Binaries\Windows. The former is a simple launcher
program which tries its hardest to redirect requests for opening notebooks
to running copies of the user interface. The latter is the user interface
binary itself.

Sincerely,

John Fultz
jfu...@wolfram.com
User Interface Group
Wolfram Research, Inc.