OPC and DCOM Configuration. Configuring the Windows 2008 and ...

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OPC and DCOM Configuration. Configuring the Windows

2008 and Windows 7 firewall for DCOM and OPC. Tutorial.

OPC and DCOM Configuration on Windows

2008 and Windows 7
Part
Part
Part
Part
Part

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Installing OPC Core Components.

OPC and DCOM Configuration. Creating a user and giving access permissions.
Configuring the Windows 2008 and Windows 7 firewall for DCOM and OPC.
DCOM Configuration. Dcomcnfg.
OPC and DCOM Configuration. Typical problems and solutions.

3. Configuring the Windows 2008 and

Windows 7 firewall for DCOM and OPC
The DCOM technology the OPC technology is based on uses reserved system port 135 for its work.
For servers and clients to run normally, you should permit these connections in your firewall. If the
client and the server are located on different computers, firewall configuration is required. Below you
can see an example of configuring the standard firewall in Windows 2008. If the client and the
server are used on one computer, there is no need to configure the firewall.

Fig. 11 Access to the computer or server management console

For Windows 7 users. To open the firewall management console, use "Start" - "Control Panel" "System and Security" - "Windows Firewall" - "Advanced settings" or run it from the command line
with the "wf.msc" command.
For Windows 2008 Server users. To open the firewall management console, you may use the
"The server management console" or run it from the command line with the "wf.msc" command.

3.1 Permitting DCOM activity

By default, Windows blocks inbound connections from other computer. For OPC clients to be able to

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connect to OPC servers on this computer, enable the corresponding rule.

Fig. 12 Firewall rule properties

Fig. 13 Permitting DCOM activity

For Windows 7 users. If the "COM+ network access" or "DCOM" rule is not in the list, create two
"Port" rules.
1. Port 135 rule for the TCP protocol;
2. Port 135 rule for the UDP protocol;

3.2 Creating rules for every OPC server

You need to permit activity for every OPC server running on this computer. Also, you should permit
network activity for the OpcEnum system service that allows remote clients to receive the list of
servers from this computer.

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Below you can see an example of how to create a rule for OpcEnum. Rules for other applications are
created in a similar way.

Fig. 14 Adding an individual rule

1. Select the "New Rule" action;
2. Select the "Program" rule type;
3. Click the "Next" button.

Fig. 15 Selecting the file

1.
2.
3.
4.

Select the "Program Path" option;

Specify the full path to the program and its file name;
You can select the program on the disk using the "Browse" button;
Click the "Next" button.

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Fig. 16 Rule properties

Fig. 17 Active profiles

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Fig. 18 Rule name

Fig. 19 Active rules

You should repeat these steps to create a rule for every OPC server.

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