What is an OPC UA Server URL and How to Get It
OPC UA stands for Open Process Control - Unified Architecture. It is a specification that defines how clients and servers communicate. OPC UA servers typically facilitate communication between industrial automation systems, such as PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, or HMI (Human Machine Interface) software. For more details, refer to the OPC Introduction.
To get the OPC UA Server URL, you need to do the following tasks.
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Install and configure the following software:
- GENESIS as the client. Learn more
- An OPC UA Server. This example uses Takebishi Device Explorer v7.3.2.1 running on the same machine as GENESIS, but similar procedure works with any OPC UA server. Learn more
- For GENESIS, have the OPC UA Point Manager service running and the Workbench provider OPC UA configured on the SQL Server. For more architectural details, please, look at the Workbench Internal Architecture.
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Install certificates for both parties. Learn more
GENESIS and Takebishi Device Explorer create their certificates during installation; these certificates are self-signed. The self-signed certificates can be used for testing. However, they are not considered safe for production environment, in particular if the client and/or server are available from the outside. In production, certificates signed by a Certificate Authority (CA) should be used. This is a task for the IT department though. - When connecting to a remote OPC UA Server, make sure that the required network port(s) are not blocked by a firewall or similar software.
What's Next?