# External Application Access

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/external-application-access/3472>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [October 21, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/external-application-access/3472 "2011-10-21T16:58:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KevinAllen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@KevinAllen](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/KevinAllen)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/external-application-access/3472/1 "2011-10-21T16:58:20Z")

</div>

Our specific application needs to read real time data and write event based data to the PLC.

Is it possible for an application external to Ignition products to have access to the data sets being provided by the OPC-UA drivers? If so, what Ignition products would be required?

Thanks,  
Kevin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Greg.Buehler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@Greg.Buehler](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Greg.Buehler)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/external-application-access/3472/2 "2011-10-21T17:26:37Z")

</div>

Does your external application need to use OPC or are you just looking to use Ignition to do the data moving for you?

If it is the latter you can just use the transaction groups to write to a shared database table.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KevinAllen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@KevinAllen](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/KevinAllen)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/external-application-access/3472/3 "2011-10-21T17:53:35Z")

</div>

Our application does not require OPC.  
We are looking for a product to move the data for us.  
What Ignition software is required to use the Ignition Transaction groups?  
Thanks,  
Kevin  
PS - I am very impress with the entire Ignition Suit of software. I have spent my spare time over the last 2 weeks watching your videos and browsing your site. VERY nice solution. I am a BIG fan the architecture Inductive Automation has selected. Personally I support the use of Linux servers on the manufacturing floor.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/external-application-access/3472/4 "2011-10-21T17:55:27Z")

</div>

It sounds like you would need the SQLBridge module (for transaction groups) and the OPC-UA module to communicate with the devices.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KevinAllen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@KevinAllen](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/KevinAllen)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/external-application-access/3472/5 "2011-10-21T18:39:33Z")

</div>

Thanks