OPC UA Aggregation Server for On-Demand Address Space Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large OPC UA systems, the time-consuming process of importing complete address spaces from multiple servers during startup leads to prolonged startup times, even at high data rates, due to the large number of nodes, resulting in inefficiencies and unnecessary data handling for clients.
Innovation Solution
An OPC UA aggregation server that aggregates data on demand, using NodeId translation and caching mechanisms to provide a consolidated view of data, reducing the need for clients to handle redundant data types and enabling fast access to relevant data by pre-processing and standardizing data types, and supporting redundancy mechanisms to optimize data traffic and reduce startup time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complete address spaces from multiple servers are imported during startup, then clients can access all available data, but startup time is significantly prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The aggregation server performs preliminary actions by pre-processing and standardizing data types from multiple servers during system initialization, creating a consolidated address space structure in advance. This allows clients to access pre-organized data without waiting for complete data import during their connection startup.
Solution Approach 2:
The aggregation server acts as an intermediary between multiple source servers and clients. It receives complete address spaces from source servers, processes and standardizes the data, then provides a consolidated view to clients. This mediator approach allows clients to access necessary data without directly importing from multiple servers, reducing their startup time while maintaining data completeness.
2Quantity of substance
If all nodes from multiple servers are aggregated, then comprehensive data coverage is achieved, but data handling complexity for clients increases
Solution Approach 1:
The aggregation server changes data parameters by standardizing data types across multiple source servers. It transforms heterogeneous data formats into a unified structure, allowing clients to access comprehensive data coverage without dealing with the complexity of multiple different data formats and schemas.
Solution Approach 2:
The aggregation server merges address spaces from multiple source servers into a single consolidated address space. It combines data from different servers while maintaining a unified structure, allowing clients to access comprehensive data through a single interface rather than managing multiple separate data sources.
3Speed
If complete address spaces are imported at high data rates, then data transfer speed is maximized, but bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The aggregation server extracts only the essential structure and metadata from complete address spaces during preprocessing, storing detailed data locally. When clients request data, the server transfers only necessary information rather than complete address spaces, reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining fast access speeds for required data.
Data Source
AI summary
An Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) aggregation server for aggregating at least one OPC UA server in a remote address space is described. The at least one OPC UA aggregation server is configured to support data reduction and/or redundancy mechanisms.