Geo Scada OPC-DA server/Client configuration issue

[Rasoul_Elc]

Hi There,

I have configured the OPC-DA in GeoScada and I can see all OPC-DA item ids in the server status.

I'm trying to connect to the OPC-DA server by OPC client tools locally and all the values are bad.

I also have PI Interface for OPC-DA up and running. The OPC-DA client tries to request the data from the server and it fails with a message that the item id is not in the server address space. I have some doubts about the security setting which doesn't allow the OPC client to talk with the server and it acts like a guest.

Has anybody here had experience on how to configure the OPC server/client in GeoScada which can be really helpful as it is my first time configuring the OPC server in ClearScada.

Thanks,

Rasoul

[BevanWeiss]

I suspect that you're missing an OPC Client licence.

Having Geo SCADA Expert service external OPC clients requires an additional licence to be included with your server licence (OPC Clients: xx).

You'd need to contact your local Schneider rep to discuss the licence cost / options around this.

[sbeadle]

As above, you do need an OPC Data Access (server) license to read OPC data out of Geo SCADA.

But also you need either:

a) Configure Guest (or Everyone) user to have Read/Browse access to the OPC tags and groups you want to expose, or

b) Ensure that your OPC client can use OPC PRIVATE SECURITY and enter the credentials of a Geo SCADA user in your client application.

Not all OPC clients can support OPC PRIVATE SECURITY. I believe PI does though.

[BevanWeiss]

I can confirm that the PI OPC-DA interface, and the PI OPC-HDA interface both support the equivalent authentication options for these two protocols.

[Rasoul_Elc]

Thanks Stephen for your feedback.

I have two questions regarding the OPC-DA config:

1- Do I need to configure the OPC-DA server in the viewx in the database tab? I believe this is for the time when Scada wants to get data from other PLCs and the OPC server is local or remote. For the tags that Scada needs to monitor then we create analog and digital points to get the value in the Scada. As I know GeoScada acts as OPC server as well and I can confirm I can see the OPC-DA item ids in the GeoScada server status so I think creating the OPC-DA server in the database is not required but I have created one OPC-DA server and group in the database and have selected the OPC-DA server in process. The opc server has everyone's permission to read and browse.

2- PI OPC Client tools successfully connects to the OPC server locally and it shows the server is running. I have put the GeoScada super user credential to the lock pad. When I am trying to browse the server list I receive an error unable to change the browse position to OSOverride. Changing the browse position returns the parameter is incorrect. but when I tick the manual option and click on the list after a couple of errors it shows the database tag list. I select a couple of items and add it to the monitor table. All value quality is bad. I had a license issue for OPC Client and Schneider provided me with a temporary license until they fix the permanent license. I have some doubts that the temp license doesn't work correctly or doesn't let the opc server to function. 

Thanks,

Rasoul

[Rasoul_Elc]

Thanks Bevan for the feedback.

I have 256 OPC clients in the license details. I had an issue with the license at the beginning which didn't have any OPC client option and I followed up with Schneider to get 1 month temp lic until I could fix the permanent license.

I have some doubts that the temp license doesn't function properly.

Regards,

Rasoul

[BevanWeiss]

Is your PI OPC Client local to the Geo SCADA Expert server, or remote?

And on the OPC Client have you installed the Geo SCADA Expert Data Access Components, and configured the server/system connections appropriately?

Can you post the screenshots of these configs (on the OPC Client)? (blur out sensitive details, like IP addresses)

Also, it doesn't look like your OPC tags are valid there.

You should probably use the OPC browser in Geo SCADA Expert to get a valid OPC tag to use in the OPC Client requests.

[Rasoul_Elc]

Hi,

The data access drives have been installed successfully. The license has been picked up and it has 256 OPC client options available.

All OPC item Ids are correct and I had them exported by bulk edit tools. I have checked with the item id in the data source and it is the same. 

I was connected remotely and then I moved it to the local system where Geo Scada was installed. I can say both local and remote by DCOM configuration is ok and I receive healthy signals from the interface.

A new progress in the last few days:

I have Created some test points in the PI OPC client side and tried to add some internal Geo Scada tags item id and I receive the healthy values. Example of one of internal tags: ESK. Symbol Library. Example Symbols. Clock Analogue. Seconds
This value every 10 seconds is updating in the PI side.

I have checked the view x in run-time mode to try to add the value to the COMM Fail or Out of SERV signals. It says that the driver can't be connected either due to a communication interruption or the driver is offline. 

Just for your information this is my development environment which I have deployed the back up on and there is no live data as it's not connected to the live PLC. I see all external tags which are coming from PLC have errors without value and in the OPC client side it shows the error as value. This wasn't the case for CITECT. In CITETCT even if everything is dead it still shows the value 0 which I could see in the PI side and I could write value by an OPC client and prove the value on the PI side.

Now I need to know how I can make the Geo Scada run in simulation mode to remove the errors and be able to write the value for points. I'm still struggling to change the config for PLC points. 

Also is there any third party simulator for Geo Scada which can be used to flow data into Geo Scada in a development environment?

Thanks for your support.

[Rasoul_Elc]

I also have created a bunch of digital/analog variables in the view x and created the test points in the PI side with the corresponding item ids. I can write the value for these tags in the view x and prove the new value in the PI servers.

Now I'm getting close to the issue which is coming from the external PLC tags in the database as it's not connected to the live PLC it creates errors without representing a value.

[BevanWeiss]

There's a couple of ways to best use points if you don't have an actual field device to connect to:

1. Use the Override capability if the driver supports it.  Most do, if you find one that doesn't then you could raise it with Tech Support.  You generally have to enable it on each individual point, and then put the point into Override and take it out as applicable.
2. Convert all the points to CInternalXXXXXPoint types, this way they will retain the value that you assign to them, and their quality will be independent of field communications (since internal points don't do comms).

In my test system I usually tend to go with the second option if I'm just trying things out.  If I need certain characteristics of driver points (i.e. I'm doing animations which depend on it being a DNP3 point or similar) then I'll go the override route.