OPC .NET 3.

0 Simplifies
Client Access to DeltaV
Lee Neitzel, Senior Technologist
Chris Felts, DeltaV Product Strategist
 OPC .NET 3.0 Defined
A simple Microsoft.NET interface for securely wrapping industrial
automation systems, for both local and remote access.

OPC .NET OPC .NET OPC .NET

Client Client Client
OPC
OPC .NET
Classic
Client
Client OPC .NET Secure
Messaging

OPC Classic Server OPC .NET OPC .NET Secure

OPC COM Server Messaging

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 2
 OPC .NET Development Goal
New Microsoft-based client developments have moved to .NET
=> These application need a native .NET interface to talk to OPC
Classic (COM) servers, instead of each having to develop its own

Before OPC .NET (need a custom adapter for each type of OPC server)
.NET COM/DCOM
.NET Client Application “A” Custom Adapter
Interface “A”

.NET Client Application “B”

.NET
Custom Adapter
COM/DCOM OPC Classic
Interface “B” Server
.NET COM/DCOM
.NET Client Application “C” Custom Adapter
Interface “C”

With OPC .NET (OPC .NET Wrapper is common to all types of OPC Servers)
.NET Client Application “A”

OPC .NET OPC .NET

COM/ OPC Classic
.NET Client Application “B”
Interface Wrapper DCOM Server

.NET Client Application “C”

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 3
 OPC .NET and OPC Xi
 OPC Xi has been rebranded to OPC .NET 3.0 to make its
intention and use more apparent
 With OPC .NET 3.0:
– OPC standardizes a WCF interface for OPC Classic servers
– OPC standardizes a standard OPC Client API for accessing both
OPC Classic servers via WCF and for accessing UA servers via
the UA protocol
– OPC provides a standard OPC .NET wrapper for OPC Classic
servers in the form of source code to allow it to be adapted to any
.NET platform
– OPC provides a standard OPC .NET Client Proxy for WCF that
supports the standard OPC Client API for access
– OPC will begin development of a standard UA Client Proxy that
supports the standard OPC Client API for access and that can
coexist with the OPC .NET Client Proxy

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 4
 Security Holes Persist With OPC Classic
OPC Classic follows the “Swiss Cheese
OPC Clients
Model” due to DCOM security flaws

Servers and PCs in the

office domain

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 5
 OPC .NET Provides Security – By Design
Built in Security OPC .NET OPC .NET
Client Client
 Firewall ports may assigned

 Port 80 can be disabled

 Unused ports locked tight

 Individual client connections

may be specifically configured Servers and PCs in the
 Encryption can be used office domain

OPC .NET OPC .NET

Client Server

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 6
 OPC .NET Provides Security – By Design
Security & Firewall Friendliness (two ports to open)

HTTP
DA
.NET Client OPC .NET
Encryption A&E
Application Server
TCP HDA

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 7
 OPC .NET Provides Robustness –
By Design
Improved Robustness OPC .NET OPC .NET
Client Client
 Long DCOM timeouts and
dropped sessions eliminated
 Retains the current state of the
connection
 Allows client to re-establish Servers and PCs in the
communications without losing office domain
configuration

OPC .NET OPC .NET

Client Server

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 8
 OPC .NET Provides Robustness –
By Design

Robustness – automatic recovery from connection failure

DA
.NET Client X OPC .NET
A&E
Application Server
HDA

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 9
 OPC .NET Delivers Same Servers As OPC
Classic
OPC .NET OPC .NET OPC .NET
Easy Server Client Client Secure

Plant LAN

OPC .NET OPC .NET

Client Server

DeltaV Control
Network
Single OPC .NET interface allows access to:
 OPC .NET Data Access (DA)
 OPC .NET Alarms and Events (AE)
 OPC .NET Historical Data Access (HDA)

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 10
 OPC .NET Provides a Common Interface
OPC .NET provides access to runtime and historical
data, events, and alarms, all in one interface
OPC .NET OPC .NET
Integrated Client Integrated Client

OPC .NET DA OPC .NET OPC .NET

Client Alarm Client History Client

OPC .NET Interface

OPC DA OPC A&E OPC HDA
Server Server Server

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 11
 OPC .NET and OPC Classic Servers /
Clients Coexist
OPC .NET OPC .NET
Client Client

No upgrade concerns.
EASY!
Servers and PCs in the
office domain

OPC Classic OPC .NET OPC .NET OPC Classic

Client Client Server Server

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 12
 OPC .NET and OPC Classic
 Like OPC Classic
– Client server data exchange between levels 2 and 3
– Supports the same servers - OPC DA, HDA and AE

 Unlike OPC Classic,

– Secure real-time and historical data transfer
– Firewall friendly
– Secure web services
– Common interface
– Easy to implement

Security made easy. Done.

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 13
 OPC Specification Comparison
Functionality Classic OPC OPC .NET OPC UA
Real-time process data   
Real-time alarm & event data   
Historical process data   
Historical alarm & event data 
Secure access  
Firewall friendly  
Common interface  
Efficient inter-process communications 
Operating system platform independence 
Embedded device operation 

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 14
 Industry Participation to Date

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 15
 Level 2  Level 3 Made EASY & SECURE

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 16
 Server and Endpoint Discovery
PNRP Enabled Clients
PNRP Enabled
Servers

PNRP Discovery PNRP Discovery

of Discovery of Servers
Servers

OPC .NET
OPC .NET OPC .NET Discovery of
Discovery of Discovery Server Endpoints
Server Endpoints Server

Manual Manual
Configuration of Configuration of
Discovery Server Server Address
Address

Non-PNRP Enabled
Non-PNRP Enabled Servers
Clients

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 17
 Security model

Limited Access
(e.g. no Writes)

Full Access

Full Access

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 18
 Performance Model

Remote Access
Performance

Higher
Performance

Highest
Performance

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 19
 Platform Model

Open – Any platform

using web services

Open
– Generally
Windows

Windows

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 20
 Interface Architecture
Multi-layer architecture to reduce interoperability problems

Client Interface
Server Interface Standard code for
OPC Wrappers
Generic
Client OPC OPC COM
WCF Wrapper Server
Class API Server
Client Base
Client Base Alternate Server
Class
API Implementation
Ad-hoc Ad-
hoc
Client API

Standard code Developer-

for the server specific code

Standard code
for the client

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 21
 Functional Architecture
Clients select resources (data/alarms/events) into
lists, and add lists to endpoints for access
System Resources
Common to all
clients
Manage

filter
filter

Client Historical
Runtime. Historical. Alarms & Alarms &
App Data Data Events Events

Read

Write

Subscribe
Client-specific Context

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 22
 Security Concepts
 Base user privileges defined by access control
list
 Read, write, and subscribe privileges for the user
can be restricted based on location of the user
and the client application being used (e.g. only
approved client apps can write).
 Patent pending (royalty-free license for use with
OPC .NET)

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 23
 Security Architecture
Server Discovery
Endpoint
One per system
(may be redundant) Secure
List of Resource
Discovery
Endpoints
Resource
One per Access Controls

Discovery Endpoint server

List of Resources

Read Endpoint

List of Resources

Client • Dynamically opened

Application
• Multiple lists per endpoint
Write Endpoint Only if
• Known only to the client
authorized
List of Resources

Subscribe Endpoint

List of Resources

Poll or Callback

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 24
 Endpoint interfaces
ServerDiscovery Used to locate servers

Used to discover resources of a server, create lists of

ResourceManagement resources, create endpoints, and assign lists to
endpoints

Subscribe

Callback Poll
Used to get the value of list entries

Read

Write Used to update the value of list entries

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 25
 Obtaining Information About the Server

Server Management
Info Base (MIB)
Server capabilities and settings

Standard
MIB Objects

Vendor MIB Object descriptions

Server-specific management
Vendor object values
MIB Objects
(optional)

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 26
 Finding objects (filtered browsing)

Object Objects located by their path (e.g. A/C/G)

Hierarchy

A
Object
Attributes
InstanceId
B C Name
Description
ObjectTypeId
DataTypeId
ListDimensions
D E F G Flags
IsLeaf
IsReadable
IsWritable
IsCollectingHistory
FastestScanRate
Roles

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 27
 Data Lists
• Data lists select data objects that are to be accessed via
read/write/subscribe

• Data lists can be created by the client or the server

Object
Hierarchy Data Lists

B C

D E F G

data objects

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 28
 Historical Data Lists
• Historical data lists are data lists that contain historical
values

• Historical lists are updated as new values are received

into the Data Journal

Object Historical
Hierarchy Data Lists

B C

D E F G

data objects

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 29
 Alarm and Event Lists
• Alarms and events, like data, are accessed via lists, but
membership in the list is defined by filters
• Events are in lists only long enough for them to be
reported via a subscription
• Alarms stay in lists until they are acked/inactive
• Alarms and event lists can be created by the client or the
server
Filter Event/Alarm
Criteria List
Area
Hierarchy

Alarms
and
Events
Areas

Alarm/Event
Sources

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 30
 Historical Alarm and Event Lists
• Historical alarm/event list membership is defined by filters

• Historical lists are updated as new alarms/events are

received into the Event Journal
Historical
Filter Event/Alarm
Event Journal Criteria List

Areas

Alarm/Event
Sources

Historical Alarms
and Events

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 31
 Interface Summary

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 32
 Example Specification Page

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 33
 Summary
 Open and secure
 Maintained by the OPC Foundation
 Additional security layered on top of traditional
security mechanisms
 Supports runtime and historical data, events, and
alarms
 Compatible with OPC Classic
 Provides:
– Local access
– LAN access
– Web access

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 34
 Where To Get More Information
Books, articles, electronic sources
 http://www.opcfoundation.org/Default.aspx/dotnet3/Default.asp?MID=AboutOPC
 http://www.expressinterface.com
 http://www2.emersonprocess.com/en-
US/brands/deltav/datasheets/Pages/datasheets.aspx
– PDS_OPC.NET3.0.pdf

Question about OPC .NET:

 [email protected]
 [email protected]

OPC .NET 3.0

November, 2010, Slide 35