Network-based system for selecting or purchasing software products

1. A computer-accessible memory medium that stores program instructions for configuring a measurement system, wherein the program instructions are executable to perform:

receiving information from a user regarding the measurement system over a wide area network (WAN), wherein the information indicates desired measurement functionality;

wherein the information is generated in response to user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with a configuration diagram, wherein the at least one first software product icon represents at least one first software product, wherein the configuration diagram represents a configuration of the measurement system, wherein the configuration diagram comprises a plurality of device icons coupled by link icons, wherein the device icons represent electronic devices, and wherein the link icons represent physical connectivity between the electronic devices; and

providing the at least one first software product to the measurement system over the wide area network in response to said receiving information.

2. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram comprises:

user input graphically coupling the at least one first software product icon with a second icon in the configuration diagram corresponding to a component of the measurement system, wherein said graphically coupling indicates an intended relationship between the first software product and the component of the measurement system.

3. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

performing type checking regarding the intended relationship between the first software product and the component of the measurement system.

4. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein said receiving information comprises receiving the configuration diagram, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

programmatically analyzing the configuration diagram to determine the at least one software product.

5. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein said providing the at least one software product comprises:

determining that the user does not have the at least one software product by:

determining installed software products in the measurement system over the wide area network; and

comparing the determined installed software products to the at least one software product to determine that the at least one software product is not installed in the measurement system; and

providing the at least one software product to the user in response to said determining that the user does not have the at least one software product.

6. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving payment information from the user over the WAN for the at least one first software product.

7. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the measurement system includes a client computer system, wherein the at least one software product comprises one or more of:

configuration data and configuration software which is executable by the client computer system to configure one or more of the client computer system and one or more measurement programs with the configuration data;

application software which is executable by the client computer system to operate in conjunction with one or more measurement devices in the measurement system;

a graphical program which is executable by the client computer system to operate in conjunction with the one or more measurement devices in the measurement system;

machine executable code which is executable by the client computer system to operate in conjunction with the one or more measurement devices in the measurement system;

text based code which is compilable and executable by the client computer system to operate in conjunction with the one or more measurement devices in the measurement system;

text based code which is interpretable, by the client computer system to operate in conjunction with the one or more measurement devices in the measurement system;

a self-executing program file which operates in conjunction with the one or more measurement devices in the measurement system; or

a self-executing program file which operates to configure the client computer system with configuration information.

8. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the measurement system includes a client computer system, wherein the at least one software product comprises a hardware configuration program, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

prior to said providing the at least one software product to the measurement system, providing a simulation program which simulates operation of the hardware configuration program to the client computer system;

wherein the simulation program is executable by the client computer system to perform at least a portion of the functionality of the hardware configuration program; and

wherein use of the software program is discontinued when the hardware configuration program is deployed in the measurement system.

9. A computer-accessible memory medium that stores program instructions for configuring a measurement system, wherein the program instructions are executable to perform:

displaying a configuration diagram representing a current configuration of the measurement system, wherein the configuration diagram comprises a plurality of device icons coupled by link icons, wherein the device icons represent electronic devices present in the measurement system, and wherein the link icons represent physical connectivity between the electronic devices;

displaying a plurality of software product icons representing software products available for use in the measurement system;

receiving user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram, wherein said first software product icon represents at least one first software product;

displaying an updated configuration diagram representing the configuration of the measurement system after said receiving user input graphically associating, wherein the updated configuration diagram includes the at least one first software product icon; and

providing information to a server computer in response to the user input graphically associating the at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram, wherein the information indicates a desire to purchase the at least one first software product.

10. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

displaying pricing information for the at least one first software product in response to said receiving user input.

11. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving user input initiating purchase of the at least one first software product in response to said displaying pricing information; and

sending information initiating the purchase of the at least one first software product to the server computer.

12. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

displaying a virtual software product icon representing the purchased at least one first software product.

13. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

providing payment information to the server computer over the WAN for the at least one first software product.

14. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 9 ,

wherein said receiving user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram comprises:

receiving user input graphically associating the at least one first software product icon proximate to a link icon in the configuration diagram; and

wherein said displaying an updated configuration diagram comprises:

displaying the at least one first software product icon connected to the link icon.

15. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 9 , wherein said receiving user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram comprises:

receiving user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with a first location in the configuration diagram; and

receiving user input graphically coupling the at least one first software product icon with a second icon in the configuration diagram, wherein said graphically coupling indicates an intended relationship between the first software product and a component of the measurement system corresponding to the second icon.

16. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 9 , wherein the measurement system includes a client computer system, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving the at least one first software product over the wide area network;

deploying the at least one first software product to the measurement system; and

modifying the display of the configuration diagram to reflect said deploying.

17. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 9 , wherein said graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram comprises graphically associating a plurality of software product icons with the configuration diagram, wherein each of said plurality of software product icons represents a respective software product, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

displaying accumulated prices of said respective software products as each software product icon is graphically associated with the configuration diagram.

18. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

determining the current configuration of the measurement system, wherein said displaying the configuration diagram representing the current configuration of the measurement system is performed in response to said determining.

19. The computer-accessible memory medium of claim 9 , wherein the at least one first software product comprises one or more of:

a software program;

configuration information, wherein the configuration information is useable to configure at least a portion of the measurement system; or

a hardware configuration program, wherein the hardware configuration program is useable to configure a programmable hardware element in the measurement system.