ifm OPC Server

Getting Started Top Previous Next The OPC Server supports different ifm products and different additional OPC modules (e.g. OPC Tunnel for an overall network communication between OPC Client and the ifm OPC Server).Note:Without a license it is only possible for the OPC Server to create one connection to one ifm product.The OPC help modules are only executable with a valid license.To use the Tunnel a license has to be acquired for a connection between OPC Server and OPC Client for each PC.Step 1 - Licensing Please note:Step 2 -Configuration1.Under "Programme/ifm electronic/License Manager" click on License Manager V42.Enter the Order ID. You will find the Order ID on the inside of the CD Cover.3.To release the OPC Server press the "Activate license" button using an existing internet connection.x For further information on activating the license please refer to the help function under "Activate license".x The language (English/German) can be selected under the function "Configuration => Settings".1.Click "Configurator" under "Programme/ifm electronic/OPC Server".2.Under "Data Source" you can use the button to add units.3.Select the required unit type and enter following details in the wizard:x Name (under which the unit appears in the OPC namespace)Step 3 -Starting the OPC ServerThe OPC Server starts automatically when accessed by an OPC Client:Step 4 -Displaying ItemsNormally the OPC Server and the OPC Client run on the same PC.If this is not the case several entries have to be made to the registry, which enables an overall PC communication using DCOM.A Softing OPC Demo Client is also installed with the OPC Server. This can be used to display OPC path and OPC values.Selecting the OPC ServerBrowsing the OPC items (e.g. measurement values)x IP address or host namex Port number4.Save the configuration using "File => Save".x The OPC Server can also be started manually using "Reboot server",e.g. right mouse click on the "OPC Tray" symbol (see OPC Tray).The OPC Server item values can be displayed in the tab by double clicking the item and changing to "DA Items".Under the "_System" branch you will find details pertaining to the OPC Server. This branch is also available if the units have not been configured.You will find a detailed description of the relevant namespace underIf problems occur with the OPC Server please refer first to Problem Detection.x VSE namespacex O2I namespaceifm electronic OPC Server Quickstart Top Previous Nextifm electronic OPC Server Quickstart x Avoiding DCOM @ OPC Server OPC Tunnel .x Protection against data loss @ OPC Server OPC Store And Forward .ifm electronic OPC Server V2.10© 2012 ifm electronic gmbhQuickstart -OPC Server OPC Tunnel Top Previous NextThe ifm electronic OPC Tunnel provides you with a secure and easy possibility of cross-network OPC communication. The ifm electronic OPC Tunnel eliminates the configuration problems that were frequently encountered previously with the DCOM security settings!A more detailed description of the OPC Tunnel functionality can be found under Introduction -OPC Tunnel.To configure the OPC Tunnel Server, the following configuration steps should be executed:x Add one or more server connections to the corresponding OPC Server(s) as data source(s) @ Configuration: Data Source -OPC Server.x Enable and configure the OPC Tunnel client data destination @ Configuration: Data Destination -Tunnel Client.To configure the OPC Tunnel Client, the following configuration steps should be executed:x Add a single server connection to the OPC Tunnel server as a data source @ Configuration: Data Source -Tunnel Server.x Enable and configure the OPC client data destination @ Configuration: Data Destination -OPC Client.Quickstart - OPC Server OPC Store And Forward Top Previous NextOPC Server OPC Store And Forward provides a configurable connection monitoring for one connection to an OPC or OPC Tunnel client. If the local OPC Server detects a connection interruption, the corresponding data values are stored in a local data storage and forwarded to the corresponding client when the connection has been reestablished.A more detailed description of the OPC Store And Forward functionality can be found under Introduction - OPC Store And Forward.To configure the OPC Store And Forward, the following configuration steps should be executed:x Add one or more server connections to the corresponding OPC or OPC Tunnel server(s) as data source(s) @ Configuration: Data Source -OPC Server or Configuration: Data Source -Tunnel Server .xEnable the OPC Store And Forward functionality @ Configuration: Data Processing -Store And Forward .x Configure the local data storage and the data forwarding @ Store And Forward Wizard x Define the data items to be monitored and specify their properties @ Store And Forward Wizard -Storage Items .ifm electronic OPC Server Introduction TopPrevious Next ifm electronic OPC Server Introductionifm electronic OPC Server V2.10© 2012 ifm electronic gmbhx Avoiding DCOM @ OPC Server OPC Tunnel .x Protection against data loss @ OPC Server OPC Store And Forward .Introduction -OPC Server OPC Tunnel Top Previous Next Avoiding DCOMThe ifm electronic OPC Tunnel provides you with a secure and easy possibility of cross-network OPC communication. The ifmelectronic OPC Tunnel eliminates the configuration problems that were frequently encountered previously with the DCOM security settings! You save yourself time and unnecessary questions to the manufacturer. The ifm electronic OPC Tunnel takes care of all the obstacles you usually run into when networking OPC clients and servers that are located on different computer platforms, in different network domains, or in completely separate networks. The high-performance data exchange is stable and reliable. Quick Commissioning with ifm electronic OPC TunnelDesigned as a “DCOM bypass,”the ifm electronic OPC Tunnel allows reliable, high-performance communication between OPC components on networked computers. For this purpose, the OPC Tunnel is installed on both the OPC client computer and the OPC server computer. The OPC Tunnel installations on the client side and the server side communicate via a TCP/IP connection that can optionally be encrypted. In this way, the data that are exchanged between client and server applications are “tunneled”via TCP/IP; DCOM is avoided completely, and the time-consuming and nerve-racking configuration of the DCOM security settings is eliminated once and for all.Configuring the OPC TunnelTo configure an OPC Tunnel two independent ifm electronic OPC Server configurations are needed: One to represent the OPC Tunnel server and one to represent the OPC Tunnel client. Typically these two configurations are executed on two different computers and communicate over the network OPC Tunnel protocol.Both the OPC Tunnel server and the associated OPC Tunnel client must be configured to use the same TCP/IP port number. The port numbers can be configured within the data destination OPC Tunnel client configuration page on the OPC Tunnel server, and within the corresponding data source OPC Tunnel server connection wizard on the OPC Tunnel client.Attention: Please make sure that the configured TCP/IP port number is not used by other local OPC Server applications on the server and client computers and that your network infrastructure (like firewalls or switches) is prepared to forward TCP/IP packets using the configured port number.Note: The OPC Tunnel discovery service on the OPC Tunnel client side will find the corresponding OPC Tunnel server only if the OPC Tunnel server is actually running.x Cross-platform OPC communication across firewall boundaries.x Commissioning of cross-network OPC communication in only a few minutes.x Fast detection of connection interruptions by monitoring to an accuracy of one second.x OPC Tunnel automatically reestablishes the OPC connections after an interruption of communication.xUnlike OPC via DCOM, the computers do not need to be opened to unauthorized access from the outside.To configure the OPC Tunnel Server, the following configuration steps should be executed:xAdd one or more server connections to the corresponding OPC server(s) as data source(s) @ Configuration: Data Source -OPC Server .x Enable and configure the OPC Tunnel client data destination @ Configuration: Data Destination -Tunnel Client .To configure the OPC Tunnel Client, the following configuration steps should be executed:xAdd a single server connection to the OPC Tunnel server as a data source @ Configuration: Data Source -Tunnel Server .x Enable and configure the OPC client data destination @ Configuration: Data Destination -OPC Client .Enabling additional functionalities for the OPC Tunnel:x Protect against data loss @ Introduction -OPC Store And Forward .Introduction -OPC Server OPC Store And Forward Top Previous NextOPC Server OPC Store And Forward provides a configurable connection monitoring for one connection to an OPC or OPC Tunnel client. If the local OPC Server detects a connection interruption, the corresponding data values are stored in a local data storage and forwarded to the corresponding client when the connection has been reestablished.Attention: When activating OPC Store And Forward for a connection to an OPC or OPC Tunnel client some restrictions and constraints apply to this monitoring client connection. However, these restrictions do not interfere with any other configured functionalities of the corresponding local OPC Server application.Each local OPC Server application can monitor exactly one client connection. The monitoring client is either identified by the client name or it is the first client connected to the corresponding local OPC Server application.If an OPC or OPC Tunnel client is identified as the monitoring client, it can only use data items which are defined as monitoring data items in the local OPC Server application. If the monitoring client tries to access non-monitoring data items, it will always receive data values with the OPC quality BAD - Configuration Error. Otherwise it would not be possible to keep the timeline in the forwarding phase both between monitoring data items (historic data) and non-monitoring data items (actual data).If Store And Forward is configured to identify the monitoring client as the first connected client, all other client connections will be blocked from the local OPC Server application. Otherwise, in the case of a connection interruption to the real monitoring client, any other connected client could become the monitoring client and receive the stored data.Note: It is generally not recommended to configure Store And Forward to identify the monitoring client as the first connected client, because if more than one client wants to connect to the local OPC Server application, it is generally not predictable, which client will win and become the monitoring client. However, some OPC clients do not support the configuration of the client name, so using the first connected client as the monitoring client could be the only possibility to use Store And Forward.If an OPC or OPC Tunnel client is identified as the monitoring client, it cannot directly read or write data items anymore -the local OPC Server application will answer any such attempt with an corresponding error message. Otherwise, it would not be possible to keep the timeline between the different monitoring items during the forwarding phase.Note: After an interrupted connection to the monitoring client is reestablished, a complete snapshot of all monitoring items is initially send to the monitoring client. However this could result in some duplicate data changes (one received before and one after the connection interruption) within the monitoring client.The actual data storage mechanism for a connection interruption to the monitoring client is organized internally using so-called Store And Forward actions. These Store And Forward actions are implicitly defined for each data item selected as a monitoring data item. The following parameters need to be specified for each Store And Forward action:Attention: The update rate for the storage actions (the cycle time with which the data files will be written to the local data storage during a connection interruption) and the general update rate used by the OPC client during normal operations can be configured tohave different values for some special situations.x An update rate with which the storage action should be executed.x An execution condition specifying under what conditions the storage action should be executed.However, in most of the use cases you should ensure that both update rates have the same value in order to obtain the same number of data changes both in the normal operation phase and in the storage phase when the connection is interrupted.Attention: The update rate for the forwarding phase can be additionally configured in the Store And Forward Wizard. If this forwarding update rate is not smaller (meaning faster) than the storage action update rate AND the normal update rate specified by the OPC client, the data forwarding will never catch up with the present time. (Even worse, the stored data will grow forever (or until the maximum storage size is reached) because the data forwarding would then be slower than the actual data acquisition.)Configuring OPC Store And ForwardTo configure the OPC Store And Forward functionality you mainly need to configure the data source connections to the corresponding OPC or OPC Tunnel servers providing the data items you want to monitor.As a second configuration step, Store And Forward needs to be activated and configured in the Store And Forward Wizard.In the last step, the data items to be monitored are specified. If the corresponding OPC or OPC Tunnel server is running, the OPC Server Configurator reads the available data items and presents them for selection of the monitoring items on the last page of the Store And Forward Wizard or on the main configuration page of Store And Forward in the OPC Server Configurator. By checking or unchecking the individual items you can include them in, or exclude them from, the set of monitoring items for Store And Forward.If the corresponding OPC or OPC Tunnel server is not running, you can manually add data items to the local namespace by using the buttons on the right side of the wizard page or the context sensitive menu in the namespace tree control. You can also import a predefined list of monitoring items from an external Store And Forward definition file.Note: The OPC Server OPC Store And Forward functionality is not necessarily restricted to data items provided by OPC or OPC Tunnel servers –it can be applied to any data item from the namespace of the corresponding local OPC Server application.To configure the OPC Store And Forward, the following configuration steps should be executed:x Add one or more server connections to the corresponding OPC or OPC Tunnel server(s) as data source(s) @ Configuration: Data Source -OPC Server or Configuration: Data Source -Tunnel Server.x Enable the OPC Store And Forward functionality @ Configuration: Data Processing -Store And Forward.x Configure the local data storage and the data forwarding @ Store And Forward Wizardx Define the monitoring data items and specify their properties @ Store And Forward Wizard -Storage Items.。