Set up the OPC Classic extractor

The Cognite OPC Classic extractor is distributed as a Windows installer (.msi file). When you run the .msi file, a setup wizard guides you through the installation process. The installer creates a Windows service and installs the binary files needed to run the extractor.

Before you start

1. Check the requirements for the extractor.
2. Set up a Windows Update schedule. Note that the update may reboot the machine, causing extractor downtime.
3. Download and run the installer for the extractor from Cognite Data Fusion (CDF).

Set Modify permissions

Set Modify permission under Properties in the installation folder to avoid permission issues.

1. In the config folder, copy config.minimal.yml to config.yml and edit to fit your requirements.
2. Start the extractor by running the executable file from the folder above the config folder, .\bin\OpcClassicExtractor.exe, or by starting the Windows service.

Connecting over DCOM

The extractor supports connecting to servers over Distributed component object model (DCOM), but the setup for this is not trivial. This is only required if the extractor is on a different machine than the server. The setup is more straightforward if the server runs on the same machine as the extractor.

1. Configure the firewall. You must follow these instructions for both the server and the client since DCOM is bidirectional.

   Enter the firewall configuration under Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall.

   Choose Advanced settings.

   Go to Inbound Rules and add a New Rule....

   Configure the rule:

   1. Rule Type should be Custom.
   2. Under Program, select All programs.
   3. Under Protocol and Ports, set Protocol type to TCP, set Local port to RPC Endpoint Mapper. set Remote port to All Ports.
   4. Under Scope, set local IP addresses to Any IP address. We recommend setting remote IP addresses to the IP address of the extractor if it resides on a server, or the server's IP address if the extractor resides on a client.
   5. Under Action, select Allow the connection.
   6. Under Profile, select according to your setup. You typically set this to Private, but you may need to update the network profile used by the extractor.
   7. Enter a name, for instance DCOM Discovery.

   Create another rule:

   1. Set Rule Type to Custom.
   2. Under Program, select All programs.
   3. Under Protocol and Ports, set Protocol type to TCP, set Local port to RPC Dynamic Ports, set Remote porttoAll Ports.`
   4. Under Scope, set local IP addresses to Any IP address. We recommend setting remote IP addresses to the IP address of the extractor if this resides on a server, or the server's IP address if the extractor resides on a client..
   5. Under Action, select Allow the connection.
   6. Under Profile, select according to your setup. You typically set this to Private, but you may need to update the network profile used by the extractor..
   7. Enter a name, for instance DCOM Dynamic Ports.

2. Configure DCOM. This also needs to be done on both the server and the client, though the configuration is slightly different.

   Open the Start menu > Run program.

   Type in DCOMCNFG. This opens the configuration for DCOM.

   You'll find the configuration under Component Services > Computers > My Computer.

   Under DCOM Config, grant permissions to the user the extractor will run as.

   1. Find the server in the list of DCOM applications.
   2. Right-click and select Properties.
   3. Set Authentication Level to Connect.
   4. Under Security, select Customize and Edit for each permission.
   5. Grant access to Local Launch, Remote Launch, Local Activation, Remote Activation, Local Access, Remote Access, and Read. It may be possible to restrict this further, depending on the server.

   Make the same changes to OpcEnum.

   Under My Computer > Properties in the same view.

   1. Go to Default Properties
   2. Enable Distributed COM on this computer.
   3. Set Default Authentication Level to Connect.
   4. Set Default Impersonation Level to Identity.