This document defines the required data model for logical connection configuration information, represented by the ConnectionConfigurationSetType and additional ObjectTypes it utilizes.
The ConnectionManagerType (see 6.7) exposes configuration information related to the establishment of logical connections. The configuration information may be generated by an engineering tool based on offline or online information.
OfflineEngineering (see OPC 10000-83) offers the concept of Descriptors that describe the AutomationComponents; see Figure 11 label 1. Using these Descriptors or retrieving information online from the AutomationComponents, application engineers use vendor-specific engineering tools to generate the configuration data for logical connections (see Figure 11 label 2). All configuration data represented by one or more logical connections are defined in a ConnectionConfigurationSet. The instances may also include configuration information for the utilized OPC UA communication model (e.g., PubSub or Client Server [future]).
Engineering tool and ConnectionManager could reside on separate devices or be located on the same device.
ConnectionConfigurationSets may be deployed to the ConnectionManager (see Figure 11 label 3) using functionality defined in Annex F or vendor-specific means.
A ConnectionConfigurationSet may allow changes. For example, addressing information that is only available at commissioning time or communication-related properties like the PublishingInterval for data exchange may be modified by a system integrator. What changes can be made can be restricted by the generator of the ConnectionConfigurationSet.
The ConnectionManager exposes the ConnectionConfigurationSets (see 6.86.8), representing sets of logical connections to be established. Using generic tools (Clients), the ConnectionConfigurationSets can be modified as restricted (see Figure 11 label 4).
Figure 11 – Configuration information generation, deployment, and modification
The ConnectionManager provides optional Methods to interact with these sets of logical connections, i.e., for editing and committing updates to sets (see 6.7.4) and to trigger processing (establishment for all logical connections) of sets (see 6.7.5). The ConnectionManager may also provide vendor-specific means.