Honeywell Uniformance R300 User Manual

Uniformance®

PHD OPC Server

User Guide

R300

Copyright, Notices, and Trademarks

© Honeywell Inc. 2010. All Rights Reserved.
While this information is presented in good faith and believed to be accurate, Honeywell disclaims
the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and makes no
express warranties except as may be stated in its written agreement with and for its customers.

In no event is Honeywell liable to anyone for any indirect, special or consequential damages. The
information and specifications in this document are subject to change without notice.

Honeywell, TotalPlant, Uniformance PHD, and Business FLEX are U.S. registered trademarks of
Honeywell Inc.

Other brand or product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Release Information

Uniformance 300
Document Revision: 12
Document Revision Date: January, 2010
Document ID: pim2901.pdf
Document PARs Fixed:

Document
Revision

12 n/a Revised the document for R300.

PAR

Honeywell Process Solutions

1860 W. Rose Garden Ln

Phoenix, Arizona 85027-2708 USA

WWW.HONEYWELL.COM/PS

ii • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

Support and Other Contacts

United States and Canada

Contact: Honeywell Solution Support Center
Phone: [phone].
Calls are answered by dispatcher between 6:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. Mountain

Standard Time. Emergency calls outside normal working hours are received by

an answering service and returned within one hour.
Mail: Honeywell HPS TAC, MS L17
1860 W Rose Garden Ln
Phoenix, Arizona 85027-2708

Europe

Contact: Honeywell TAC-EMEA
Phone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Mail: TAC-BE02
Hermes Plaza
Hermeslaan, 1H
B-1831 Diegem, Belgium

Pacific

Contact: Honeywell Global TAC – Pacific
Phone: [phone] (toll free within Australia)
[phone] (outside Australia)
Facsimile: [phone]
Mail: Honeywell Limited Australia
5 Kitchener Way
Burswood 6100, Western Australia
Email: [e-mail]

India

Contact: Honeywell Global TAC – India
Phone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Mail: Honeywell Automation Indi a Lt d.
56 and 57, Hadapsar Industrial Estate
Hadapsar, Pune –411 013, India
Email: [e-mail]

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • iii

Support and Other Contacts

Korea

Contact: Honeywell Global TAC – Korea
Phone: [phone]
[phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Mail: Honeywell Co., Ltd
4F, Sangam IT Tower B4-4 Block
1590, DMC Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu,
Seoul, 121-836, Korea
Email: [e-mail]

People’s Republic of China

Contact: Honeywell Global TAC – China
Phone: [phone]
Mail: Honeywell (China) Co., Ltd
33/F, Tower A, City Center, 100 Zunyi Rd.
Shanghai 200051, People’s Republic of China
Email: [e-mail]

Singapore

Contact: Global TAC – South East Asia
Phone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
[phone]
Mail: Honeywell Private Limited
Honeywell Building
17, Changi Business Park Central 1
Singapore 486073
Email: [e-mail]

Taiwan

Contact: Global TAC – Taiwan
Phone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Mail: Honeywell Taiwan Ltd.
17F-1, No. 260, Jhongshan 2nd Road.
Cianjhen District
Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
Email: [e-mail]

iv • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

Japan

Contact: Global TAC – Japan
Phone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Mail: Honeywell Japan Inc.
New Pier Takeshiba, South Tower Building,
20th Floor, 1-16-1 Kaigan, Minato-ku,
Tokyo 105-0022, Japan
Email: [e-mail]

Elsewhere

Call your nearest Honeywell office.

World Wide Web

Support and Other Contacts

Honeywell Solution Support Online:

Training Classes

Honeywell Automation College:

http://www.honeywell.com/ps

http://www.automationcollege.com

Uniformance PHD - PHD OPC Server User Guide • v

Support and Other Contacts

vi • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

Contents

1. About This Document..........................................................................................9

1.1 Document Scope.......................................................................................9

1.2 Intended Audience....................................................................................9

1.3 Additional References...............................................................................9

2. Getting Started ...................................................................................................11

2.1 Introduction to the PHD OPC Server......................................................11

Supported OPC standards ...................................................................11

2.2 PHD OPC Server Requirements.............................................................12

2.3 Where to Install PHD OPC Server Software...........................................12

2.4 PHD OPC Server Registry Settings........................................................13

To enable/disable tag browsing............................................................13

Cached browsing..................................................................................14

To enable AFM tag routing and put download .....................................14

3. Configuring the PHD OPC Server.....................................................................15

3.1 Overview .................................................................................................15

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server.........................15

To configure DCOM settings for the machine default..........................16

To configure properties of the PHD OPC Server COM components...28

4. Overview of Uniformance PHD.........................................................................37

4.1 Uniformance PHD Components..............................................................37

4.2 PHD Server Functionality........................................................................39

4.3 Multiple PHD Server Systems.................................................................40

4.4 PHD OPC Server Instances....................................................................42

4.5 Read/Write Access to PHD Data ............................................................43

4.6 Introduction to PHD Security...................................................................43

Enabling/disabling PHD Server security...............................................44

Changing user rights ............................................................................44

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • vii

Contents

4.7 PHD Server's interpolation and extrapolation.........................................45

5. Using the PHD OPC Server...............................................................................47

5.1 Overview .................................................................................................47

5.2 Guidelines for Accessing PHD Values....................................................47

5.3 Creating a PHD OPC Server Client Application......................................48

Required expertise ...............................................................................48

Software developer tools......................................................................48

5.4 PHD OPC Data Standards for Client Applications..................................49

PHD OPC name forms.........................................................................50

Supported data types ...........................................................................50

Array indexing.......................................................................................51

Enumerated data types ........................................................................51

Interpreting data quality........................................................................53

Data confidence versus data quality ....................................................54

Out of range and NaN values...............................................................54

Data for requested time of NOW..........................................................54

Extrapolated values..............................................................................55

Interpolated values...............................................................................55

INTERPOLATIVE (snapshot)...............................................................55

viii • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

1. About This Document

1.1 Document Scope

This guide describes how to use the PHD OPC Server, primaril y from the perspective of a
client application developer and systems integrator. It is intended to provide information
necessary to configure, manage, and use the PHD OPC Server.

This guide is organized into the following major sections. It also has an extensive glossary
for a quick reference for acronyms, terminology, and definitions.

This section… Tells you this…

Configuring the PHD OPC
Server

Using the PHD OPC Server

Glossary

How to configure the PHD OPC Server.

General information useful to the application developer.
This section also describes the server name forms and
data types supported.

Definitions to industry terminology and Honeywell
Uniformance-specific terminology.

1.2 Intended Audience

The document assumes you are skilled in performing Windows operating system
administrative tasks.

1.3 Additional References

The following list identifies documents that may be sources of reference for the material
discussed in this publication.

Document Title Document ID

Uniformance - PHD System Manual
Uniformance - PHD User Guide
Uniformance – PHD Installation Guide

pim0301
pim0201
in6001

Uniformance - Database System Specification and Technical Data
OLE for Process Control Data Access Standard Version 3
OLE for Process Control Data Historical Data Access Version 1.2

NOTE: Information on OPC automation standards can be found in the publicly available
OPC specifications at

www.opcfoundation.org.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 9

ph03300
See NOTE
See NOTE

1 About This Document

1.3 Additional References

10 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

2. Getting Started

2.1 Introduction to the PHD OPC Server

The PHD OPC Server is a Uniformance component that implements OLE for Process Control
(OPC) interfaces as a method of access to a Uniformance Process History Database (PHD)
Server. The interfaces enable client applications to access a single Uniformance PHD Server.

A Uniformance PHD Server stores variable data from a variety of process related sources. All
data values stored in a PHD Server are maintained over time in history archives. The PHD
Server provides interfaces through which clients may access the current or historical values
from its storage.

The PHD OPC Server is an independent executable program – it can reside on the same
machine as the PHD Server or on a remote server.

The OPC standard interface specifies a standard set of interface semantics for access to data
values. The PHD OPC Server is compliant with both the OPC DA and OPC HDA standards,
described as follows:

OPC DA

The OPC Data Access (DA) standard interface allows clients to gain
access to real-time (current) data values maintained by a PHD Server.

OPC HDA

The OPC Historical Data Access (HDA) standard interface allows clients
to gain access to historical data values maintained by a PHD Server.

Supported OPC standards

The PHD OPC Server is compliant with the following OPC standard versions:

• DA Versions 1.0A, 2.05, 3.0

• HDA Versions 1.1, 1.2

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 11

2 Getting Started

2.2 PHD OPC Server Requirements

2.2 PHD OPC Server Requirements

Hardware environment

Item Requirement (minimum)

CPU Intel Pentium Pro
Memory 64 MB
Hard Disk 128 MB free space

Software environment

Item Requirement

Operating System

PHD OPC Server

• A supported Microsoft Windows operating system. (See the

Uniformance Software Change Notice for details.)

• Windows NT File System (NTFS) is required for security

purposes.

Requires the installation of PHD Server software on at least one
computer system within the same network domain.

Network environment

Item Requirement

Network Protocols

Ethernet, TCP/IP, Microsoft application layer software (RPC and
DCOM). One of the following name services must be available:

• DNS

• WINS

• Local Host File

2.3 Where to Install PHD OPC Server Software

During installation of the PHD OPC Server software from the Uniformance DVD, you must
choose an install type - Client or Server:

Install
Type

Description

Client

12 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

Installs the OPC Client DLLs and registers the OPC Server name
on this machine.

2 Getting Started

2.4 PHD OPC Server Registry Settings

Install

Description

Type

Server

Installs the complete OPC server, registers the OPC Client DLLs,
and registers the OPC Server name.

You must install Server on one of the following:

• the PHD Server node,

• the client node, or

• another node.

If you install Server on a separate node from the PHD Server, then the PHD OPC Server will
use the PHD Server's API Server instead of accessing the PHD Server directly. You should
be aware that this connection counts against the maximum number of users for the API
Server. (For information on the APIServer registry settings, refer the PHD System Manual,
pim0301.pdf.)

You only need to install Client on client nodes that are separate from the Server node.
Note: For security reasons, Honeywell recommends that Server and Client be on the same

side of a firewall as the PHD Server; otherwise, OPC requires that you open additional ports
in the Firewall. Since OPC uses DCOM, and DCOM uses many dynamically assigned ports,
OPC will not work well with a firewall.

REFERENCE: For the software installation procedure, refer to the PHD Installation Guide
(in6001.pdf).

2.4 PHD OPC Server Registry Settings

The following registry settings are read-only when the PHD OPC Server process is started up.
If you modify the registry settings while the PHD OPC Server is running, these will not be
read until the PHD OPC Server is restarted.

To enable/disable tag browsing

PHD OPC Server tag browsing is disabled by default. The tag browsing can be enabled by
changing the registry setting under the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Honeywell\Uniformance\OPCServer

Set the following REG_DWORD value to control the PHD OPC Server’s browse capabilities:

BrowseMode =

0

Automatic Mode

- Disabled if on PHD Server machine
Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 13

2 Getting Started

2.4 PHD OPC Server Registry Settings

- Enabled if on Client machine

1 Always enabled
2 Always disabled

Cached browsing

Tag browsing has the potential to be a slow and memory intensive process. Browsing may be
performed in a cached mode. If cached browsing is enabled, all PHD tags "queried" during
the first browse are "cached" in memory. Any subsequent requests to browse for tags will go
to this cache for tag information. If disabled, each browse request will go to PHD for tag
information. The advantage of caching is that any subsequent browse request is quicker after
the first request; however, with cached browsing enabled, you will not see updated or new
PHD tags through the browse.

The cached browsing can be enabled by changing the registry setting under the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Honeywell\Uniformance\OPCServer\
CacheBrowseInfo

Valid options are:
0 : Disabled
1 : Enabled

To enable AFM tag routing and put download

For the output of an Advanced Formula Manager (AFM) tag to be routable and put
downloadable, the HDAInsertsUsePutData registry key MUST have value of 1.

14 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3. Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.1 Overview

This section shows you how to configure the PHD OPC Server in your system.
When you install the PHD OPC Server in your system, a default set of system parameters is

created in the Windows Registry.
You may need to modify the default configuration for the PHD OPC Server on your system to

accomplish either of the following:

• To establish specific user rights to launch, access, and configure the PHD OPC Server.

• To run the server on a remote computer.

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

This section provides information regarding the configuration of DCOM server pr o pert i es
using the Microsoft DCOMCNFG utility.

The PHD OPC Server is implemented using the Microsoft Distributed Component Object
Model (DCOM) technology. Its execution environment is defined by the system level
settings established for DCOM components. These settings can be customized using the tool
provided by Microsoft (DCOMC NFG).

DCOM has settings for:

- the machine default, and

- each COM server.
You can view/modify the DCOM settings for the individual PHD OPC Server components by

selecting the component name (Uniformance PHD OPC DA Server or Uniformance PHD
OPD HDA Server).

The machine default settings are used when there are no custom settings for the specific COM
(OPC) server. If a server has custom settings, then changes in the default settings have no
effect for this server.

REFERENCE – EXTERNAL

For information on OPC DCOM communications with Windows XP and
Windows 2003 , refer to the white paper 'Using OPC via DCOM with XP SP2.pdf',
available at
Windows 2003 SP1 and greater.

http://opcfoundation.org. This white paper also applies to

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 15

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Note: Do not attempt to modify DCOM settings without a thorough understanding of the
impact it may have on your system.

To configure DCOM settings for the machine default

Step Action

1

Click Start on the Windows taskbar. Click Run. The Run dialog box appears.
Type DCOMCNFG and click OK.

2

On Windows 2000: The 'Distributed COM Configuration Properties'
window appears.

On Windows 2003/XP: The Component Services window appears, as shown
below.

Expand Component Services, expand Computers, right-click My Computer,
and choose Properties.

The 'My Computer Properties' window appears.

16 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

RESULT:
On Windows 2003/XP:

On Windows 2000:

Note:
For Windows 2000, the tabs in the “Distributed COM Configuration

Properties’ screen appear slightly different than those in the
Windows 2003/XP ‘My Computer Properties’ screen. In most of the steps in
this procedure, we used Windows 2003/XP screen examples to illustrate the
correct settings.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 17

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

Default Properties

3

Click the Default Properties tab.

4

Set the Default Properties as shown in the following screen example:

18 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

Default Protocols

5

Click the Default Protocols tab.

6

Ensure that Connection-oriented TCP/IP is the first protocol listed.

7

Click OK to close the window.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 19

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

Default COM Security

8

On Windows 2003/XP: Click the COM Security tab.
On Windows 2000: Click the Default Security tab.

Default COM Security - Access Permissions - Edit Limits

9

On Windows 2003/XP: Under ‘Access Permissions’, click Edit Limits.
On Windows 2000: Steps 6, 7, and 8 are not applicable - skip to Step 12.

20 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

On Windows 2003/XP only: Edit Limits, continued

10

Add the local group NETWORK to the list, and make sure Remote Access is
allowed, as shown in the following screen example.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 21

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

TIP:

On Windows 2003/XP, to add the local group NETWORK, do the following:

1) Click Add.

2) From the 'Locations' window, select the name of this machine.

3) Click OK.

4) The 'Select Users or Groups' window appears. Click Advanced.

5) Click Find Now (shown in the following screen example)

6) In the search results, select NETWORK.

22 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

7) Click OK.

8) Click OK.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 23

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

11

12

Click OK to close the 'Access Permission' window.

Default COM Security - Access Permissions - Edit Default

On Windows 2003/XP: Under ‘Access Permissions’ click Edit Default.
On Windows 2000: Under ‘Default Access Permissions’ click Edit Default.

13

Add the Everyone group and ensure that it has the correct permissions, as
shown in the following screen examples.

24 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

On Windows 2003/XP: Ensure that the Everyone group has Remote
Access, as shown in the following screen example.

On Windows 2000: Ensure that the Everyone group has Allow Access
selected for ‘Type of Access’.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 25

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

14

15

16

Click OK to close the window.

Default COM Security - Launch Permissions - Edit Default

On Windows 2003/XP: Under ‘Launch Permissions’ click Edit Default.
On Windows 2000: Under ‘Default Launch Permissions’ click Edit Default.
Add the Everyone group and ensure that it has the correct permissions, as

shown in the following screen examples.
Windows 2003/XP:

26 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

On Windows 2000:

17

Click OK to close the window.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 27

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

To configure properties of the PHD OPC Server COM components

Step Action

1

On Windows 2003/XP: In the Component Services console tree, expand the
following directories: Component Services>Computers>My
Computer>DCOM Config. A list of the components will appear.

On Windows 2000: Click the Applications tab on the main DCOMCONFG.

2

Right-click Uniformance PHD OPC HDA Server and select Properties.
(You will need to repeat the following steps for the Uniformance PHD OPC

DA Server component.)

Windows 2003/XP:

28 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

Windows 2000:

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 29

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

3

Click the Location tab. Edit the properties as shown in the following screen
example.

The PHD OPC Server runs on the local system by default. If you wish to run
the Server on a remote machine, select 'Run application on the following
computer' and enter the computer name.

You may need to install the PHD OPC Server software on the remote
computer before you can configure it to execute there.

30 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

4

Click the Security tab.
The Security tab is used to customize the access, launch, and configuration

permissions for a selected individual COM component.
On Windows 2000, normally you need not change these settings. Skip to

Step X.
On Windows 2003/XP, under Launch and Activation Permissions, select

Customize and click Edit.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 31

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

5

Add the Distributed COM Users group to the list if it is not there already.
Ensure the Distributed COM Users group has Remote Launch and

Remote Activation enabled, as shown in the following screen example.

6

Click OK.

32 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

7

On the Security tab, under Access Permissions, select Customize and
click Edit.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 33

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

8

Add the Distributed COM Users group to the list if it is not there already.
Ensure the Distributed COM Users group has Remote Access enabled, as

shown in the following screen example.

34 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

Step Action

9

Select the Identity tab.
By default, the PHD OPC Server runs under the identity of The Launching

user - the user who initially launches it.
If you wish the server to run under a specific user identity, select This User

and enter the username and password.
Launch of the PHD OPC Server with the identity of The interactive user is

often used for interactive client applications that use asynchronous
operations that require the server to execute callbacks with the appropriate
identity.

Note: Ensure that the selected user identity has rights to access and launch
the component.

10

Repeat this procedure (steps 1-9) for the Uniformance PHD OPC DA Server
component.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 35

3 Configuring the PHD OPC Server

3.2 View/Modify DCOM Configuration of PHD OPC Server

36 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

4. Overview of Uniformance PHD

4.1 Uniformance PHD Components

The following diagram illustrates the relationships of OPC client to the PHD OPC Server,
PHD Server, and other Uniformance components.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 37

4 Overview of Uniformance PHD

4.1 Uniformance PHD Components

Figure 1 Uniformance PHD Components

38 • Uniformance PHD OPC Server User Guide

4.2 PHD Server Functionality

The Uniformance PHD Server is an autonomous server that maintains historical archives of
process variables and other related data samples. Data values are stored in the PHD history
database by application programs and through periodic collection from control systems.

The PHD Server uses a configuration database containing the descriptive information, such as
name, data type, source RDI, collection rate, and so on, for each data parameter. This
database may also contain the identities and access privledges of individual users who can
access the values stored for each variable. The database is hosted by a SQL Server RDBMS.
The RDBMS may be physically hosted by the same computer as the PHD Server, or it may be
on another system.

The PHD Server maintains data samples for each point variable in a data cache in memory,
and periodically flushes its contents to the history archive files. The data cache contains the
most recent values input to PHD for each point variable.

Data can be placed in PHD history storage by application programs, such as statistical
analysis and laboratory data collection software.

Periodic data collection and input to the PHD Server historical database is also performed by
Real-time Data Interfaces (RDIs). Each RDI, such as an interface to a DCS, encapsulates the
data access mechanism compatible with the specific system to which it interfaces. You can
configure multiple RDIs to collect data from a multitude of Honeywell or other vendor DCS,
Laboratory, PLC, or other process related systems.

4 Overview of Uniformance PHD

4.2 PHD Server Functionality

Uniformance PHD OPC Server User Guide • 39

4 Overview of Uniformance PHD

4.3 Multiple PHD Server Systems

4.3 Multiple PHD Server Systems

The Uniformance PHD end user may choose to configure multiple PHD Servers in a system
in order to distribute history collection and storage. There are three possible configuration
options that may be used. You can configure multiple PHD Servers to:

• Operate so a single server effectively hides, or Shadows, one or more additional servers

from view by some client applications. In this configuration, all servers share the
identical configuration data. Shadow servers provide for isolation of the client from
other server environments while also distributing the dynamic load.

• Operate as peers, where clients must access each server directly. Unlike the Shadow

server configuration, peer servers are autonomous, each having its own unique
configuration data.

• Operate as a mixture of both shadow and peer configurations.

The following figure illustrates the complexity you may encounter in a multiple PHD Server
system where multiple DCS systems have also been integrated, and the historical real-time
database is configured for use by applications in both the Level 3 and Level 4 operating
domains.

The configuration illustrated in the following figure is representative of many existing
Uniformance PHD installations. When DCS systems are introduced to such configurations,
the PHD OPC Server provides the consistent interface to each PHD Server; however, the
DCS system and its functions for system management and security introduce additional
complexity which should be considered in the system configuration.

40 • Uniformance PHD OPC Server User Guide

4 Overview of Uniformance PHD

4.3 Multiple PHD Server Systems

Figure 2 Multiple PHD Server System Example

The system configuration represented in the previous figure has three Uniformance PHD
Servers used by clients.

Multiple PHD Servers often provide distributed history storage to a varied group of clients,
thereby providing better security and more predictable system loading. In this example
diagram, the client applications executing on computers in the Level 4 LAN are isolated from

Uniformance PHD OPC Server User Guide • 41

4 Overview of Uniformance PHD

4.4 PHD OPC Server Instances

access to Level 3 and the control system environment by the “Shadow” PHD server. They are
still able to access data provided to the “Shadow” by the PHD Servers on the Level 3 LAN.

The previous diagram illustrates the following configuraton:

• “Shadow” an d “C ol l ect or” PHD Servers share a common reference database, maintained

by a SQL Server RDBMS located on “Shadow”. Both servers share the identical
configuration information. This allows “Shadow” to maintain identical data as
“Collector” by retrieving its data and storing it locally.

• The Clients accessing history data through “Shadow” (typically, the Level 4 clients) are

able to access data collected by “Collector” transparently. This configuration is
commonly used to isolate a Level 3 history server, in this case, “Collector”, from any
dynamic load imposed by client data queries from Level 4. In addition, the existence of
PHD Server “Collector” is unknown to the Level 4 clients, allowing greater control on
the security of the Level 3 system.

• “Peer” PHD Server uses its own reference data independent from that shared by the other

two servers, effectively isolating this server from Level 4 entirely. Its configuration and
the data values it stores are not accessable to Level 4 clients; however, you can replicate
configuration information from this server in a configuration database used by the other
two PHD Servers, so they provide access to a portion, or all, of the historical data
maintained by “Peer”.

• Both “Collector” and “Peer” are configured to use real-time interfaces that collect data

from the same DCS. These two servers, using separate databases, operate as peers and
may be configured to store data samples for the same point variable.

4.4 PHD OPC Server Instances

You must install and configure a separate PHD OPC Server for each PHD Server in the
system. The PHD OPC Server can be installed in the following locations:

• On each PHDServer,

Or

• On each client that wants to use OPC to connect to a particular PHD Server.

42 • Uniformance PHD OPC Server User Guide

4.5 Read/Write Access to PHD Data

Uniformance client applications access the PHD Server to obtain current and historical values
from the archival database. These clients use an application interface provided by
Uniformance PHD. In addition, these clients may also request specific data reductions to be
performed, such as average and standard deviation.

The ability to read or write values of a PHD tag is controlled by a PHD tag security
configuration for each tag in the PHD Server database.

You can restrict access to a PHD tag to specific users.
You can configure values written to PHD to be forwarded to the DCS.

4.6 Introduction to PHD Security

You administer PHD security through the Uniformance PHD Configuration Tool application
(previously named TPI) – it enables you to configure individual users and their access rights.
You control PHD security through the configuration of security attributes in the PHD
database, enabling or restricting access to PHD data and functions on a per user basis. The
security configuration is based on the definit i on o f users and rol es.

4 Overview of Uniformance PHD

4.5 Read/Write Access to PHD Data

A user is configured in PHD with a name and password used to connect or log on to the PHD
system. Once configured, the user becomes an authorized client of the server.

Roles specify the level of access available to a user after they connect to the server. Access is
granted to a PHD configurable object of the following types:

− a Tag (that is, a point.variable),

− a Real-time Data Interface (RDI), or

− a Function.

A user's access right to each configurable object in the PHD database (Tag, Interface, and
Function) may be granted by a Role. A role is a configuration entity in PHD, reflecting the set
of privileges that may be assumed by a given user on an object. The basic privileges that may
be granted are Read, Write and Configure.

For example, you can define a role that enables the user to write values to tags configured in
PHD. You can assign this role to individual PHD Tags, or to an RDI that in turn has
numerous tags assigned to it. A user with this role can write data to a tag with the same role.

However, the ability to write data to a tag in PHD, and to the data source, such as the DCS, is
restricted by additional configuration options on each individual tag.

Uniformance PHD OPC Server User Guide • 43

4 Overview of Uniformance PHD

4.6 Introduction to PHD Security

Once implemented, PHD security is absolute. All access is governed by the privileges
granted by the roles assigned to the user and PHD objects. There are no default privileges.

Enabling/disabling PHD Server security

The security configuration controlled by the PHD Server is optional, and may be enabled or
disabled:

When security is… PHD data is…

Disabled

Enabled

Changing user rights

It is not possible for a PHD user to dynamically assume a new role. Since users are associated
with roles after logging on to the PHD Server, changing a user’s access rights requires you to
first change the PHD reference database. The user must log out and log back in to assume the
new rights.

“Public”, and security is limited to the validation of a user
name and password when connection is made to the
server. All requests to read and write values are
honored, with the exception that the ability to write data
values may be restricted by configuration attributes for
each point.variable.

"Private", and users must be configured by name in PHD
before access to any data is allowed. In addition, a user
is configured with a specific set of rights, or role, which
governs the operations that may be performed.

44 • Uniformance PHD OPC Server User Guide

4 Overview of Uniformance PHD

4.7 PHD Server's interpolation and extrapolation

4.7 PHD Server's interpolation and extrapolation

PHD uses both interpolation and extrapolation to provide a value at any given time. This
anticipates what the value would be at a specific time, based on known data.

• Interpolation derives a value at a specific time between stored data values.

• Extrapol ati o n derives values for a point in time that has not yet been stored.

REFERENCE: For detailed descriptions of PHD interpolation and extrapolation, refer to the
PHD User Guide (pim0201).

Uniformance PHD OPC Server User Guide • 45

4 Overview of Uniformance PHD

4.7 PHD Server's interpolation and extrapolation

46 • Uniformance PHD OPC Server User Guide

5. Using the PHD OPC Server

5.1 Overview

This section describes how an OPC client application accesses data through the PHD OPC
Server.

The client must use the OPC interfaces to read data from the PHD OPC Server cache or from
the device (in this case, the PHD Server), and to write data to the PHD Server Database.

The PHD OPC Server allows OPC client applications to access the same PHD functionality
as Uniformance clients using a combination of Data Access (DA) and Historical Data Access
(HDA) standard interfaces.

The PHD OPC Server does the following:

• Reads values from PHD for

− a single point variable

− each point variable in a list

• Writes values to PHD for

− a single point variable

− each point variable in a list

5.2 Guidelines for Accessing PHD Values

Any call to read data returns a maximum of 2000 values by default. The OPC Specification
states that a client requiring more than this will see a OPC_S_MOREDATA error condition
and should repeat the call to obtain the next block of values until the condition no longer
occurs.

The maximum number of values returned by a single call to the OPC Server can be modified
by issuing a 'PHDMAN SET DEFPHDATAVAL xxxx' command where 'xxxx' is the number
of values to return.

Groups with a high item count may cause excessive CPU usage by the PHD OPC Server.
When a client is accessing a large quantity of items, Honeywell recommends that the items be
split into multiple groups of about 250.

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 47

5 Using the PHD OPC Server

5.3 Creating a PHD OPC Server Client Application

5.3 Creating a PHD OPC Server Client Application

The PHD OPC Server is designed to be used by any client application implemented to
support OPC Data Access interface standards or OPC Historical Data Access interface
standards. There are numerous existing commercial software products that provide this
functionality; however, you may need to create a custom application to meet the requirements
of an operational environment.

Required expertise

Developing an OPC client application is not a trivial undertaking. You must be familiar with
OPC and the underlying Microsoft DCOM architecture, and should be well versed in the
development of applications in Visual C++ or Visual Basic. There are numerous documents
available that will help you obtain the necessary expertise.

If you are developing an OPC client application that uses the PHD OPC Server, become
familiar with the Uniformance PHD to understand the fundamentals of its implementation and
the services it provides.

Software developer tools

The standard OPC interface definitions and run-time libraries are provided by Microsoft
Corporation on Windows developm ent plat f orms. Any client application developed usin g
Microsoft tools and libraries can access data through the PHD OPC Server.

Typically, Microsoft Visual Basic and Visual C++ are used to create a client application that
uses OPC methods to access data from an PHD OPC Server. You can choose from several
commercially available software tool sets to accomplish this task.

48 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

5 Using the PHD OPC Server

5.4 PHD OPC Data Standards for Client Applications

5.4 PHD OPC Data Standards for Client Applications

The PHD OPC Server is compliant with the IOPCServer definition of the latest OPC Data
Access Standard. All mandatory interfaces are implemented per the standard specification;
however, not all optional interfaces are implemented.

The client application should use the QueryInterface mechanism as specified by OLE and
OPC to determine if a server supports a given interface. For all interfaces that are not
implemented, the PHD OPC Server returns the status E_NOTIMPL as specified by the
standard.

HRESULT

In order to make the return interface consistent with OPC APIs, the PHD OPC Server uses a
consistent 32-bit return value called HRESULT. Each API description includes a table of
returned HRESULT values.

PHD OPC interfaces return the following status values:

• S_OK

• E_FAIL

• E_ABORT

• OPC_E_UNKNOWNITEMID

• OPC_E_BADRIGHTS

• E_ACCESSDENIED

• E_NOTIMPL

• E_INVALIDARG

• E_UNEXPECTED

• E_NOINTERFACE

• E_POINTER

• E_OUTOFMEMORY

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 49

5 Using the PHD OPC Server

5.4 PHD OPC Data Standards for Client Applications

PHD OPC name forms

You can access data items by name using the OPC standard interfaces. The PHD OPC Server
accepts item names as identifiers of PHD Server tags. The name syntax is a free form text
string.

Item name conventions

The system-wide naming conventions used to identify a DCS point.variable must be
consistent throughout all system components. Variable names configured in the DCS must
match, and be closely coordinated with those configured in PHD Server database.

PHD tag name conventions

REFERENCE: For PHD tag naming conventions, refer to the Tag Configuration form in the
PHD User Guide (pim0201).

Supported data types

The following table shows the supported data types common to Honeywell, and how the PHD
OPC Server maps them into OPC data.

The PHD OPC Server supports access of the following data types. In the case where the
source attribute is set to BARRAY the OPC Server will return an array of values. The actual
data type will depend on the data stored in PHD, since the data is actually stored as a Safe
Array and can contain different data types. Otherwise each item maps to a single PHD tag
whether or not it came from an array on the source system.

This Honeywell data type… Maps to this OPC type…

Real – 32 bit IEEE format (float) VT_R4
Real – 64 bit IEEE format (double) VT_R8
Standard and Self Defining Enumeration VT_BSTR
Ordinal VT_I4
String VT_BSTR
Integer – 32 bit signed VT_I4
Integer – 64 bit signed VT_CY
Binary – SRC_ATTRIB is set to BARRAY VT_* | VT_ARRAY
Binary – All other cases VT_UI1 | VT_ARRAY

50 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

Array indexing

PHD support for array data types depends on the real-time data interface (collector) being
used. Each element of an array type DCS parameter must be configured as a separate PHD
Tag.

If you need to access an array element through the PHD OPC Server, you must configure a
corresponding PHD Tag for the element. For example, the following DCS names would map
to specific PHD tags, each of which must be configured in PHD to reference a specific
element of the point parameter named A100.PV:

REFERENCE: For more information about configuring tags in PHD, please refer to the PHD
User Guide (pim0201).

REFERENCE: For more information about binary array tags in PHD, please refer to the
PHD Array Tag User Guide (pim3701).

Enumerated data types

PHD provides two methods for managing ordinal/enumeration data.

5 Using the PHD OPC Server

5.4 PHD OPC Data Standards for Client Applications

[lcn1\]A100.PV[(1)
[lcn1\]A100.PV[(2)
[lcn1\]A100.PV[(n)

Method 1:
In PHD 210 and later, you can create an enumeration string table and PHD chooses the

correct string from the enumeration table based on the ordinal value collected from the
control system. The digital enumeration ordinal would be defined as integer tag.

To designate the integer tag as a digital enumeration, you must enable the tag’s Digital
Enumeration flag, and then specify the name of the digital enumeration table, allowing PHD
to map the enumeration in the table to that ordinal. Users can request the data as a string, in
which case PHD returns the enumeration rather than the ordinal.

Method 2:
Alternatively, the collector can retrieve the enumeration string from the control system. You

can configure values for enumeration variables in PHD as either of the base types, Integer or
String. To obtain values for both types from a single variable, you must configure two
independent PHD tags, one to store the Integer value for the enumeration ordinal, and the
other to store the string representation. When you configure PHD to store enumeration types,
use a convenient convention to select the PHD name. For example:

• LCN1.GEN1MODE (string value)

• LCN1.GEN1MODE.internal (ordinal value)

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 51

5 Using the PHD OPC Server

5.4 PHD OPC Data Standards for Client Applications

• LCN1.GEN1MODE.string (string value)

The above examples are item names as referenced through the PHD OPC Server. Each would
be configured in PHD to reference the same DCS point.variable, such as GEN1.MODE. The
data type stored for the PHD variable would be either Integer or String. The use of
convention, which adds subscript text in the name to differentiate the data type, simplifies
application development and system administration of the name space.

52 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

Interpreting data quality

The PHD Server represents data quality as a percentage of confidence, with a range of 0 to
100 %. Under most conditions, a data value is always represented by a confidence of 100%,
indicating a good value, a confidence of 0, indicating a uncertain value. Normally, values
between 0 and 100 are reserved for representation of confidence as a result of extrapolation
from known good values.

A special confidence factor value of –1 is reserved to indicate when data is not available and
must be considered bad quality. This Bad Data status normally indicates a period of outage
caused by server shutdown or loss of communications with the DCS.

The confidence factor assigned to a value is derived at the time the data value is collected
from the remote data owner, such as the DCS. The confidence is derived from the specific
status of the value as reflected by the underlying DCS system.

Using a simple percentage of confidence in value storage relieves the PHD Server from
having to store specific status indication that would require distinct interpretation for each
type of DCS or other equipment from which data is collected.

The PHD OPC Server translates the PHD confidence factor to the appropriate OPC Data
Quality indications.

PHD Confidence OPC Quality

5 Using the PHD OPC Server

5.4 PHD OPC Data Standards for Client Applications

Factor Quality Sub-Status

100 Good Non-Specific

-1 Bad No Data
(Comm Failure, Nan)

>0 and <100 Uncertain Non-Specific

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 53

5 Using the PHD OPC Server

5.4 PHD OPC Data Standards for Client Applications

Data confidence versus data quality

Applications programs that insert data into PHD, for example, using PHD Manual Input tags,
should (but are not guaranteed to) follow these conventions. An application may choose to
assign any confidence between -1 and 100 to a PHD data value when it is stored.

A confidence of… Is assigned to this data value…

100% A data value known to be accurate.
0

50% (degraded confidence)

-1

Out of range and NaN values

By definition, an Out of Range data value is any value that exceeds the configured Range Hi
or Range Low for the PHD tag. With only one exception, all out of range values are
arbitrarily assigned a confidence of zero when inserted into PHD by collectors. In addition,
Out of Range values are clamped to the PHD configured range limit that was exceeded.

The only exception to this convention is NaN (not a number) values collected from the DCS
by the collector. PHD assigns NaN values a confidence factor of –1, the same as No Data.

Data for requested time of NOW

The PHD OPC Server, by default, returns as-stored (or raw) data values obtained from the
PHD Server. Process data values are periodically collected and stored in the history database.
This means that data values are periodic, and a data value returned to a client for a requested
time of NOW may actually be the most recent value, not a real-time current value.

A data value that is derived, extrapolated or otherwise
"assumed".

A data value which can be accurately extrapolated by
regression formula using values recently stored in the
PHD database that are known to be valid.

Any error that prevents an RDI from presenting a data
value obtained from the DCS interface, for example, a
communications error, is a No Data condition. This has a
data value of 0.

54 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

Extrapolated values

You can use the PHD OPC Server to return extrapolated values. To use extrapolation, the
OPC items specified by the client must refer to PHD tags that are configured appropriately.

The PHD Server configuration allows you to use syntax to specify the dynamic use of
extrapolation when values are referenced - this syntax is specified in the source tag
specification of the tag configuration. The specific notation invokes a dynamic data reduction
(virtual calculation) by the PHD Server to perform the extrapolation.

For example, the following syntax specified in the source tag specification field of the PHD
tag SRC_A.A100PV.extrap invokes extrapolation of the current value from the PHD tag
SRC_A.A100.PV:

Since an extrapolated value is derived from actual data prior to the specific request time, it
has a confidence factor of less than 100%.

The PHD OPC Server translates the PHD value confidence to OPC data quality. For
extrapolated values, the OPC data quality is always Uncertain, and the sub-status is Non­Specific.

For the definition of the mapping of PHD data confidence to OPC data quality, refer to

Interpreting data quality in this guide.

5 Using the PHD OPC Server

5.4 PHD OPC Data Standards for Client Applications

SRC_A.A100.PV{,,NOW,NOW,}

Interpolated values

The PHD OPC Server calculates interpolative and time average aggregates as follows.

INTERPOLATIVE (snapshot)

For PHD tags configured with non-float data types (not Float or Double), or with Manual
Input enabled, or with Interpolation Method of Step, the PHD OPC Server uses stepped
interpolation; otherwise it uses linear interpolation.

TIMEAVERAGE

For the time-weighted average aggregate, the PHD OPC Server uses linear interpolation.
REFERENCE: For other aggregates, refer to the OPC HDA Specification (Custom Interface

Specification Version 1.2_Errata 1) Feb 9, 2004.

http://www.opcfoundation.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=345&postdays=0&postorder=asc&star
t=0

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 55

5 Using the PHD OPC Server

5.4 PHD OPC Data Standards for Client Applications

56 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

Index

array indexing

for client applications, 51

client applications

creating for PHD OPC Server, 48

creating standard for OPC, 48
common reference database, 42
confidence

interpreting data quality, 53
confidence versus quality, 54
configuring PHD OPC Server

using default installation configuration, 15
creating

client applications for PHD OPC Server, 48
data quality

interpreting, 53
data standards

array indexing, 51

for client applications, 49

interpreting data quality, 53

OPC standards and conventions, 49

PHD OPC name forms, 50

supporting data types, 50

supporting enumerated data types, 51

understanding confidence versus quality, 54

using extrapolated values, 55

using NaN values, 54
using out of range values, 54

data types

for client applications, 50

DCOM

running DCOMCNFG, 15

setting up when configuring, 15
DCOMCNFG, running, 15
default installation configuration, using, 15

setting up the DCOM, 15
defining

array indexing, 51

confidence, 54

data data quality, 53

data types, 50

enumerated data types, 51

extrapolated values, 55

interpolated values, 45

name syntax, 50

NaN values, 54

out of range values, 54

peer server, 40

quality, 54

shadow server, 40
Distributed COM Users group, 34
document

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 57

Index

about the sections, 9

document, about, 9

references, 9

enumerated data types

supporting for client applications, 51
example PHD server setup, 40
extrapolated values, using, 55
HRESULT

OPC standards and conventions, 49
indexing, array, 51
interpolation, defining, 45
Launch and Activation Permissions, 31
modifying

configuration properties for COM

components, 15

multiple PHD Servers, 40

configuring peer server, 40

configuring shadow server, 40
name forms for PHD OPC, 50
naming PHD Servers, 50

PHD OPC name forms

for client applications, 50

PHD OPC Server

about the User Guide, 9
configuring using default installation, 15–35

PHD security

administering, 43
user rights, 44
using from PHD Server, 44

PHD Server

configuring multiple, 40
naming conventions in TPS domain, 50

PHD servers

example, 40

security

change of user rights, 44
using PHD Server configuration, 44

setting up

DCOM for default installation

configuration, 15
NaN values, using, 54
OPC standards and conventions

for client applications, 49

HRESULT, 49
out of range values, using, 54
peer server, configuring in PHD, 40

typical system, 40

58 • Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide

shadow server, configuring in PHD, 40
standard OPC client application

creating, 48

Uniformance client applications, 43
Uniformance PHD OPC HDA Server, 28
User Guide, about, 9

references, 9

user rights,change, 44
using PHD OPC Server

creating client applications, 48

data standards, 49

Index

Uniformance - PHD OPC Server User Guide • 59

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