AliasNames is a concept in OPC UA (defined in OPC 10000-17) that allows defining alternate names for Objects, Variable or Methods in an AddressSpace (see Figure 15). These names can be grouped into categories. The FindAlias method returns the ExpandedNodeId for the actual Object/Variable/Method. AliasNames are most commonly used for configuration management but can also be used for DataSet/topic discovery and many other uses.
Figure 15 – AliasName model overview
In OPC UA FX, AliasNames can be used to define a configuration for information used by the ConnectionManager. AliasNames allow offline engineering tools to assign alternate names to Variables or Objects that are used in the configuration (see Figure 16). These alternate names may be assigned and used long before the actual configuration is available. They can be exchanged between vendors, allowing vendors to configure Connections without having all required data defined. The resolution of this configuration information into the actual Server / NodeId of the Node identified by the AliasName happens at runtime. The aggregation of AliasNames into a Global Discovery Server (GDS) happens automatically as the Server registers with a GDS. An AggregatingServer may also collect AliasNames.
