Number 141 February 5, 1999

How To Browse a Remote OPC Server by David Ujifusa

This Tech Note shows how to configure your personal computers to allow browsing of a remote OPC
Server. The OPC Server used in the example in this Tech Note is the ProcessX OPC
Server.
In this Tech Note, we refer to the computer running Wonderware InTouch and the OPC Browser as
the OPC Browser PC. The second computer running OPCLink and the OPC Server will be referred to as
the OPC Server PC. In our example, the OPC Browser PC is called PC davidu3 and the OPC Server
computer is the PC davidu.
Note You must have the OPC Server installed on both the InTouch and OPCLink computers.
The method for configuring your computers to allow browsing a remote OPC
server begins with installing OPC Server on both the OPC Browser PC and the OPC
Server PC, then continues with these steps:
1) Configure DCOMCNFG on both the OPC Browser PC and OPC Server PC.
2) Configure the OPC Server DCOM Application within DCOMCNFG on the OPC Server PC.
3) Configure the OPC Server DCOM Application within DCOMCNFG on the OPC Browser PC.
4) Configure OPCLink on the OPC Server PC.
5) Run InTouch on the OPC Browser and Browsing the Remote OPC Server.

Procedure
1) Configure DCOMCNFG on both the OPC Browser PC and OPC Server PC.
Perform the following configuration settings on both the OPC Browser PC and OPC Server PC.
1) Start up DCOMCNFG located in \Winnt\System32. The Distributed COM Configuration
Properties dialog box will appear as shown in figure 1. Select the Applications tab.

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5 February 1999 Technical Support Tech Note, No. 141 Page 2

Figure 1. Distributed COM Configuration Properties Dialog Box

2) Select the OPC Browser computer as shown in figure 1. Then select the Default Properties tab.
Select Enable Distributed COM on this computer as shown in figure 2. In the Default
Authentication Level listbox, select Connect. In the Default Impersonation Level listbox, select
Identify.

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5 February 1999 Technical Support Tech Note, No. 141 Page 3

Figure 2. Setting default properties

3) Select the Default Security tab. In the Default Access Permissions area, click the Edit Default
button as shown in figure 3.

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5 February 1999 Technical Support Tech Note, No. 141 Page 4

Figure 3. Editing access permissions

4) The Registry Value Permissions dialog box will appear with Registry Value set to
DefaultAccessPermission, as shown in figure 4.

Figure 4. Specifying allowing access permissions

In the Type of Access listbox, select Allow Access. Click OK. You will return to the Distributed
COM Configuration Properties dialog box.

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5) In the Default Launch Permissions area, click the Edit Default button as shown in figure 3.
6) The Registry Value Permissions dialog box will appear with Registry Value set to
DefaultLaunchPermission, as shown in figure 5.

Figure 5. Specifying allowing launch permissions

In the Type of Access listbox, select Allow Launch. Click OK. You will return to the Distributed
COM Configuration Properties dialog box.
7) In the Default Configuration Permissions area, click the Edit Default button as shown in figure 3.
8) The Registry Value Permissions dialog box will appear with Registry Value set to
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, as shown in figure 6.

Figure 6. Specifiying access control permissions

In the Type of Access listbox, select Full Control. Click OK. You will return to the Distributed
COM Configuration Properties dialog box.

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5 February 1999 Technical Support Tech Note, No. 141 Page 6
9) Repeat the above steps for the OPC Server PC.
2) Configure the OPC Server DCOM Application within DCOMCNFG on the
OPC Server PC.
1) In the Distributed COM Configuration Properties dialog box, select the Applications tab, then select
ProcessX OPC Server for Simulation and Testing, as shown in figure 7. In our example this
OPC Server is ProcessX OPC Server for Simulation and Testing.
Click the Properties button. The ProcessX OPC Server for Simulation and Testing Properties dialog
box will appear as shown in figure 8.

Figure 7. Configuring ProcessX OPC Server

2) In the Run application on the following computer dialog entry, select the OPC Browser PC. In our
example, the OPC Browser PC is called DavidU3.

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Figure 8. Selecting computer for application

3) Select the Security tab as shown in figure 9. Select the Use default access permissions in each of the
radio buttons.

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Figure 9. Accepting security defaults

4) Select the Identity tab as shown in figure 10. Select The Interactive User, then click OK.

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Figure 10. Selecting the user account

3) Configure the OPC Server DCOM Application within DCOMCNFG on the

OPC Browser PC.
1) In the Distributed COM Configuration Properties dialog box, select ProcessX OPC Server for
Simulation and Testing as shown in figure 11. Click the Properties button. The ProcessX OPC
Server for Simulation and Testing Properties dialog box will appear as shown in figure 12.

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Figure 11. Selecting the application

Figure 12. Locating computer for application

2) Select the Run application on this computer listbox.

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3) Select the Security tab as shown in figure 13. Select the Use default access permissions in each of
the radio buttons.

Figure 13. Accepting security defaults

4) Select the Identity tab as shown in figure 14. Select The Launching User listbox, then click OK.

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Figure 14. Selecting user account

4) Configure OPCLink on the OPC Server PC.

1) Start OPCLink. The OPCLink Topic Definition dialog box will appear as shown in figure 15.
Configure a valid topic for the OPC Server by selecting Configure/Topic Definition. Click OK.

Figure 15. Configuring valid topic

2) Save this configuration in a .cfg file. The configuration file will be used later by the OPC Browser.
5) Run InTouch on the OPC Browser PC and browse the remote OPC Server.
1) Start WindowMaker.

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5 February 1999 Technical Support Tech Note, No. 141 Page 13
2) Run the OPC Browser selecting Special/OPC/Browse OPC. The OPC Browser dialog box will
appear as shown in figure 16.
3) In the OPC Server listbox, select the name of the remote OPC Server. The remote OPC Server will
only appear in this list if you have installed the OPC Server on the OPC Browser PC.
4) When prompted, type the node name of the remote OPC Server.
5) When prompted, browse the network to locate the OPCLink configuration file on the remote
OPCLink PC. By default, this file is located in \Program Files\FactorySuite\IOServer\Opclink.
6) If configured correctly, you should be able to browse the remote OPC Server. You should see an
OPC Browser dialog box similar to Figure 16. If you do not, verify your configuration and repeat the
above steps.

Figure 16. Verifying configuration

The Technical Support Tech Note is published occasionally by Wonderware Technical Support. Editors: Mari Fujii and
Sabrina Abercromby; Publisher, Wonderware Corporation, 100 Technology Drive, Irvine CA 92618.
There is also technical information on the Wonderware software products on the Wonderware Technical Services web page
at www.wonderware.com/support, the WonderFax fax-on-demand system at (949) 450-5050, Wonderwares Bulletin Board
Service at (949) 727-0726 and the Wonderware Comprehensive Support Knowledge Base CD. Call Wonderware Technical
Support at (949) 727-3299 or send an e-mail to support@wonderware.com for more information.
Copyright 1999 Wonderware Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Wonderware is a registered trademark of the Wonderware
Corporation in the United States of America and/or other countries. February 5, 1999 Number
141

Copyright 1999 Wonderware Corporation. All Rights Reserved.