[bardd]

Like Daniel said, you should start by seeing if it's working. You don't need to connect the solenoid to a battery for that.
If you look at the solenoid, you should find that it has to small buttons on top. Pressing them triggers the solenoid, there's one button in charge of opening each output. Note, this only works when the system is pressurized and there's no place for the air to escape through other than the solenoid's release openings. Leaks won't interfere with the test as long as they're not huge, so don't worry about making it super-secure (save your teflon for the actual system). I can't find a photo right now, I'll keep looking.
Hook it up to a system with a piston (one input tube coming from the compressor, either directly or through a regulator, two output tubes, one to each side of the piston). Start the compressor with a battery. When it's pressurized, press a button and see if the piston works. If not, press the other. If it still doesn't work, you have a faulty solenoid.

As for wiring, it's usually best to use the cRIO's relay module like parth suggested. You can use a spike if you want, but then you have to have one for each side so you can both open and close. You'd still have to wire both sides with the cRIO, but it's way easier since both connections are already there. Make sure you got polarity right! Polarity is confusing in solenoids, more than other electrical components you often use.

Could you post a picture of the system? Maybe there's a problem we can't find with your description, but we could see in a picture.