To get the most out of your OPC A&E data, you need secure, convenient and reliable access to it. This white paper explains how a good OPC A&E integration solution can provide networking, aggregation, redundancy, and conversion of the OPC A&E protocol itself.
Networking
OPC A&E uses DCOM for networking, which is difficult to configure and troubleshoot. Instead, tunnel/mirror software can connect OPC A&E clients and servers over a network, avoiding DCOM altogether. Done right, a tunnel/mirror system can make secure outbound connections from behind plant firewalls, keeping all inbound firewall ports closed, and also supporting connections through proxy servers and DMZs.
Protocol Conversion
A&E information is valuable in some systems that don’t support the A&E protocol, such as reporting packages and SCADA systems. Software that can do data conversions across a unified namespace can bring the value of alarm and event data to systems beyond the immediate context of an A&E client.
Aggregation
As demand grows for remote monitoring of alarms and events in complex systems, it helps to consolidate incoming OPC A&E data streams. Aggregating A&E data reduces network traffic and frees up bandwidth. Software that provides a unified namespace can collect A&E data from all sources and retransmit it to all connected clients.
Redundancy
Adding redundancy for A&E connections in mission-critical systems significantly improves the chances of alarms being received and acted upon. A redundancy broker monitors two identical connections and switches from one to the other whenever one data stream dops, allowing the client to continue uninterrupted.
Industry 4.0 is creating demand for plant data of all kinds. OPC A&E is often needed by analysts and upper management for large-scale planning and efficiency initiatives. This white paper explains how you can get the most out of OPC A&E data by aggregating it into a unified namespace and sending it across redundant networks to where it is most needed.
