Greetings,
Is it possible for the setup as below work?
This is the setup required by the customer as they wish to maintain 2 layers of networking. Possible for the Ignition server to detect the PLC device through another PC instead of itself? Since they are in different domains. The only connection the PLC and Ignition server have is the PC1 that with two network ports and IP addresses.
Port forwarding.
Place an OPC server on PC1
Why would be better a PC with OPC UA server instead of a good managed switch/router? This way would be faster at a fraction of cost.
Erm okay that is a new term for me let me have a look into it. Much thanks =)
@pturmel @Kevin.Herron
May I know If an OPC server is being installed in PC1 which domain should it be in?
The domain is very unlikely to be relevant. I would not expect it to need to be in a domain at all. The OPC UA server will need to listen on the subnet Ignition connects from.
The OPC UA don’t need to be in the same domain in order to communicate with the PLC? Do miss out something? Btw I think I miss out a network switch between the Ignition Server and PC1
Same subnet is often but not always required. When not required, there must at least be a route to the PLC. For “Domain” I thought you meant for Windows.
I see. So even after PC1 is with an OPC server there must be a router between PLC and PC1 in order to make the network architecture to work? As image below?
Look’s like there are two NICs on PC1.
Set Ignition to target the OPC server on 10.148.xyz.abc
Have OPC UA server on PC1 target PLC driver using other NIC on 192.168.xyz.abc
Phil said route not router.
What I posted above should work, if not you can add a route file if Windows, example;
open cmd type
route -p add 192.168.2.1 mask 255.255.255.255 10.148.3.4
…… Sorry for the mistake. I mix up route and router. ==. Yes, there is two two NICs on PC1. Route file erm. Let me look into it as well. That a new term for me. Thanks for correcting me. =)
It’s very simple. I’m using it.Here is a tool for windows.
The disadvantage is that,the reliability depends on all devices.If your network,or “PC1” is unstable,you’ll lose connect and data.
Hi I found what you have mention.
route | Microsoft Docs
May I know why there mask is set as 255.255.255.255 Instead?
Hi @pturmel is the route you mention is what Matrix-Engineering told me?
I am currently looking into this-A route may be defined as information that is used to make a decision about how to forward a packet so that it will reach its intended destination network.
route | Microsoft Docs
My habit, I only allow one device through if that’s all is needed (/32).
Let the 4th Octet through if you really want (/24 255.255.255.0)
Hi, mind if I ask something out of the topic? I have some basic knowledge about subnet mask and scanned through this route | Microsoft Docs. However the article itself didn’t mention much about the functionality of mask in route. Is the functionality of mask in route is same as it in subnet mask?
Let take this as example
route -p add 192.168.2.1 mask 255.255.255.255 10.148.3.4
The mask 255.255.255.255 mean it only allow IP 10.148.3.4 to get to the destination 192.168.2.1?
route -p add 192.168.2.1 mask 255.255.255.0 10.148.3.4
From the command above, is it allow any IP with 10.148.3.XXX to pass through to the destination 192.168.2.1
Well, mask is relative to the first IP, so in your example it will expose all of 192.168.2.XXX/24 with a GATEWAY of 10.148.3.4
If you read the first half of my reply a few posts above, and setup the OPC UA on PC1 with two NIC’s, I don’t think you even need a route file or router. That being said, a MikroTik R3011 etc is like $150, you don’t need to spend megabucks.
Regardless, as I see it per your diagram, if you have two NICs on PC1…
Let’s make up some numbers:
PLC:
IP 192.168.2.5
Mask 255.255.255.0
Gateway 192.168.2.1
PC 1 NIC 1:
IP 192.168.2.1
Mask 255.255.255.0
PC 1 NIC 2:
10.148.1.2
Mask 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 10.148.1.254
Ignition server NIC:
10.148.1.1
Mask 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 10.148.1.254 (What is the switch in your diagram, L2, L3?)
Ignition OPC UA endpoint: 10.148.1.2:67000 (or whatever your OPC UA port is)
OPC UA Server on PC 1:
Using NIC 1
Target IP 192.168.2.5
I used “route” in the generic sense, meaning a network path for Internet Protocol between PC1 and your PLC. If in the same subnet, the route is trivial–the packet travels direct from one device to the other. If not in the same subnet, the route would need at least one router, but could need multiple routers. And there are numerous technologies that could be involved, including the recommendations in this topic.