The dataFEED Secure Integration Server works as an abstract interface between the worlds of OT and IT, offering users a set of key functionalities for efficient data exchange in a single component. In its role as an aggregating server, this middleware makes use of OPC UA’s address space modeling, especially for interface abstraction and data aggregation. In the process, this interface abstraction handles changes or extensions within one domain (OT/IT) without any modifications being needed in the other.
The server offers advantages when running Industrie 4.0 applications, including the ease with which new IT applications can be integrated into the overall solution and making targeted changes to the production environment. With data aggregation, data from multiple sources can be consolidated on a single OPC UA server, so the IT application now only needs to access this one server. This simplification to the communications infrastructure cuts configuration effort for users.
Another key feature of the dataFEED Secure Integration Server is its in-built security model, with filters available to restrict the address space for individual OPC UA client applications and definable access types. Apart from full implementation of OPC UA security functions, whitelists and blacklists can also be defined to control data access from specific IP addresses; detection of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks targeting OPC UA authentication is also included.
