FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Getting Results Guide

Version 6.40.00

Getting Results Original Instructions

Important User Information
Read this document and the documents listed in the additional resources section about installation, configuration, and operation of this equipment before you install,
configure, operate, or maintain this product. Users are required to familiarize themselves with installation and wiring instructions in addition to requirements of all
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In no event will Rockwell Automation, Inc. be responsible or liable for indirect or consequential damages resulting from the use or application of this equipment.

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installation, Rockwell Automation, Inc. cannot assume responsibility or liability for actual use based on the examples and diagrams.

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Reproduction of the contents of this manual, in whole or in part, without written permission of Rockwell Automation, Inc., is prohibited.

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Attentions help you identify a hazard, avoid a hazard, and recognize the consequence.

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2 FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Contents

Welcome to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway..................................................................................................................................................................................................10

What is FactoryTalk Linx Gateway?................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Overview of basic concepts................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 13

FactoryTalk Services Platform..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................13

FactoryTalk Directory.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................13

FactoryTalk Live Data...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

FactoryTalk Diagnostics.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 14

FactoryTalk Administration Console..............................................................................................................................................................................................................14

FactoryTalk Security.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................14

FactoryTalk Activation Manager.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................14

Application types......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14

Quick start: Set up and use FactoryTalk Linx Gateway..................................................................................................................................................................................................15

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway installation method..................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

System requirements............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 17

Hardware requirements..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................17

Tested FactoryTalk Linx Gateway update rates.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18

Software requirements..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................23

Software compatibility...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................23

Prerequisite software................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 23

System features.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 24

Where to install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway......................................................................................................................................................................................................................26

About Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29

Where to install Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway (OPC DA client computer configuration)......................................................................................................................29

Configure Windows firewall for Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway..................................................................................................................................................................29

Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30

Change DA access..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................31

Uninstall FactoryTalk Linx Gateway....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................31

Update an existing installation.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32

Before you begin to upgrade FactoryTalkLinx Gateway......................................................................................................................................................................................32

Upgrade FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................32

Install Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 32

Start FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and explore the user interface.........................................................................................................................................................34

DCOM security........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................34

Rockwell Automation, Inc. FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 3

 Open FactoryTalk Linx Gateway......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 36

About the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration dialog box....................................................................................................................................................................................36

Server Configuration..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................40

UA Tag List...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................45

Set up and use UA Tag List........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46

Access configuration in UA Tag List............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 47

Data type in UA Tag List and OPC UA/DA Client........................................................................................................................................................................................ 50

Custom UA Namespace.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 51

Naming conventions in Custom UA Namespace.........................................................................................................................................................................................51

Add a namespace............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 53

Configure the data types of a namespace................................................................................................................................................................................................. 53

Delete the data type element............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 53

Order the data type element...............................................................................................................................................................................................................54

Configure tags' properties for the UA namespace.................................................................................................................................................................................... 54

Add a folder to the UA namespace.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 54

Change folder names in the UA namespace.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 54

Delete a folder in the UA namespace..........................................................................................................................................................................................................54

Add a tag for the UA namespace................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 55

Add an existing tag from a data source..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 55

Map a tag for the UA namespace.................................................................................................................................................................................................................55

Delete a tag............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 56

Order the tag..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................56

Delete the data type and namespace..........................................................................................................................................................................................................56

Custom RTD/DDE Namespace.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 56

Naming conventions in Custom RTD/DDE Namespace............................................................................................................................................................................. 57

Configure tags' properties for the RTD/DDE namespace......................................................................................................................................................................... 58

Items in the Tags Properties pane.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 58

Map a tag for the RTD/DDE namespace......................................................................................................................................................................................................58

Delete a tag for the RTD/DDE namespace....................................................................................................................................................................................... 59

Order the tag..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................59

Copy the tag ID...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 59

Remote Proxy Service............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 60

Enable remote proxy service.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................62

Select FactoryTalk Directory.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62

UA Server Endpoints.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 63

4 FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 Rockwell Automation, Inc.

 Approaches for OPC UA clients to connect to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway............................................................................................................................................. 65

Configure Reverse Connect................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 65

About............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 66

Certificate Management............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 66

Advanced Settings......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................68

Enable configuration of OPC UA namespace index...................................................................................................................................................................................69

Custom Namespace................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 70

FactoryTalk Diagnostic Log...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 70

Use FactoryTalk Linx Gateway to Access Data..................................................................................................................................................................................... 71

Before you begin....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................71

Open FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 71

Select a data source............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 71

Scope for FactoryTalk Application.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 72

Access the data..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 73

Use FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway...................................................................................................................................76

About FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 76

Run FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor.................................................................................................................................................................................................................78

Create a snapshot file..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................79

Use FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor to troubleshoot FactoryTalk Linx Gateway..................................................................................................................................... 79

Back up and restore FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration............................................................................................................................................................80

Back up FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration..........................................................................................................................................................................................................80

Restore FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration............................................................................................................................................................................................................81

Use commands to back up and restore...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................82

Troubleshoot FactoryTalk Linx Gateway...............................................................................................................................................................................................85

What to check first if difficulties are experienced........................................................................................................................................................................................................85

Troubleshooting Tools.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 85

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration Tool.......................................................................................................................................................................................................85

FactoryTalk Diagnostics............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 85

FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor..............................................................................................................................................................................................................86

FactoryTalk Live Data Test Client............................................................................................................................................................................................................................86

OPC Test Client............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................86

Troubleshooting topics.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................86

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway's OPC UA service does not appear in the OPC Local Discovery Service (LDS).................................................................................................. 86

Troubleshoot Excel RTD.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................87

Troubleshoot DDE....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 88

Rockwell Automation, Inc. FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 5

 FactoryTalk Linx Gateway activations....................................................................................................................................................................................................................88

FactoryTalk Security.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 88

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service (starting and stopping)................................................................................................................................................................................ 88

Data quality..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................89

Communication slow or unreliable..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................90

Contact Rockwell Automation Technical Support............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 91

Phone............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 91

Worldwide web............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 91

Hours of operation......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................91

Before you call.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................91

About Activations...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................92

Activate FactoryTalk Linx Gateway....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................92

Activation types.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................93

Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway with command line syntax..............................................................................................................................................................98

Perform unattended installation........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 98

Parameters............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 98

Examples............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 100

About FactoryTalk Linx........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 102

Overview of FactoryTalk Linx............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................102

Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security...........................................................................................................................................................108

About FactoryTalk Security................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................108

Secure the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration tool............................................................................................................................................................................................108

Secure runtime actions......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................108

Secure tag write access for an application or area..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 110

Secure tag write access for a computer......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 111

Feature Security Properties................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 111

Use Excel RTD....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 114

Excel RTD formula sample..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................115

RTD advantages over DDE.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 115

Use DDE..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................117

DDE format sample.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 118

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code sample...........................................................................................................................................................................................................119

6 FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Preface

About this publication

The Getting Results Guide provides you with information on installing and using FactoryTalk® Linx Gateway.

Tip: The Getting Results Guide is included in a portable document format (PDF) on your FactoryTalk Linx Gateway software installation DVD. These files must be
viewed using the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader software.

This section includes the following information:

• Intended audience
• Where to find additional information
• Legal notices

Intended audience
You should be familiar with:
• Microsoft® Windows® operating systems
• FactoryTalk Linx (previously called RSLinx Enterprise)
• Allen-Bradley® programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and programmable automation controllers (PACs)
• Rockwell Automation® control system development software

Find additional information

For additional information about FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, consult the following resources:

Help
The Help includes overview, procedural, screen, and reference information for the product. The Help contains these basic components:
• Overview topics
• Quick-start topics
• Step-by-step procedures
• Dialog box descriptions

To view the Help, click Help in the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration Tool.

Release Notes
The Release Notes provide information updates that are necessary to use FactoryTalk Linx Gateway effectively. The Release Notes contains the following components:
• System requirements
• System features
• Anomalies
• Functional changes
• Application notes

To view the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Release Notes, download them from the Product Compatibility and Download Center.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 7

Knowledgebase
The Rockwell Automation Customer Support Center offers an extensive online database that includes frequently asked questions and the latest patches. The
Knowledgebase webpage leads to a comprehensive, searchable database of support information for all Rockwell Automation products.

To access the Knowledgebase webpage, visit www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/support, then select Knowledgebase.

Technical support
Questions concerning installation and use of FactoryTalk Linx Gateway software are handled by the Rockwell Automation Customer Support Center. The center is staffed
Monday through Friday, except on U.S. holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time zone for calls originating within the U.S. and Canada.

To reach the Customer Support Center, call 440-646-3434 and follow the prompts. For calls originating outside the U.S. or Canada, locate the number in your country by
visiting https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/phone.

When you call, you should be at your computer and be prepared to provide the following information:
• The product version number
• The type of hardware you are using
• The exact wording of any errors or messages that appeared on your screen
• A description of what happened and what you were doing when the problem occurred
• A description of how you tried to solve the problem

Training programs
Rockwell Automation offers a wide range of training programs, from regularly scheduled classes to custom-tailored classes conducted at your site.

If you need more information about these training programs, visit the Rockwell Automation site or contact the Rockwell Automation Training Coordinator. The website
address and telephone numbers are available at the bottom of the back cover.

Consulting services
Rockwell Automation provides expert consulting and turnkey implementations for making optimal use of Rockwell Automation software products. Contact your local
representative for more information.

Legal Notices
Rockwell Automation publishes legal notices, such as privacy policies, license agreements, trademark disclosures, and other terms and conditions on the Legal Notices
page of the Rockwell Automation website.

Software and Cloud Services Agreement

Review and accept the Rockwell Automation Software and Cloud Services Agreement here.

Open Source Software Licenses

The software included in this product contains copyrighted software that is licensed under one or more open source licenses.

You can view a full list of all open source software used in this product and their corresponding licenses by opening the oss_license.txt file located in your product's
OPENSOURCE folder on your hard drive. This file is divided into these sections:
• Components
Includes the name of the open source component, its version number, and the type of license.
• Copyright Text
Includes the name of the open source component, its version number, and the copyright declaration.
• Licenses
Includes the name of the license, the list of open source components citing the license, and the terms of the license.

The default location of this file is:

8 FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 Rockwell Automation, Inc.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\Help\<product name>\Release Notes\ENU\OPENSOURCE\oss_licenses.txt.

You may obtain Corresponding Source code for open source packages included in this product from their respective project web site(s). Alternatively, you may obtain
complete Corresponding Source code by contacting Rockwell Automation via the Contact form on the Rockwell Automation website: http://www.rockwellautomation.com/
global/about-us/contact/contact.page. Please include "Open Source" as part of the request text.

The following table lists the commercially licensed software components in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.
Component Copyright
Softing OPC UA C++ Server SDK for Windows version 6.20.1 Copyright Softing Industrial Automation GmbH 2009 - 2023

Rockwell Automation, Inc. FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 9

 Chapter 1

Welcome to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

This chapter includes the following information:

• What is FactoryTalk Linx Gateway?

• Overview of basic concepts
• Quick start: Set up and use FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

What is FactoryTalk Linx Gateway?

FactoryTalk® Linx™ Gateway enables third-party software to access control system information using OPC Unified
Architecture (UA), Classic Data Access (DA), Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE), Excel Real-time Data (RTD), and Application
Programming Interface (API) interfaces. It allows clients to connect to and access tag data from FactoryTalk
applications that contain FactoryTalk Linx, FactoryTalk View SE, FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector, and OPC
DA servers. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway also provides a Remote Proxy service to enable FactoryTalk Linx on other
computers to share the FactoryTalk Linx service on the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway computer to interface with an
automation network.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway consists of:

• A service that provides tag data to up to 20 OPC DA clients and 200,000 tags.
• A service that provides tag data to up to 100 OPC UA clients, while the suggested connection quantity is 20
based on the previous testing.
• A configuration tool that configures the runtime operation of the service. The configuration tool enables the
selection of the area or application, from which you want to access data (called the scope) as well as to start
and stop the service.
• An interface that supports DDE with 20 clients and 4,000 tags at most.
• An interface that supports Excel RTD with 20 clients and 40,000 tags at most.
• A SDK Application Programming Interface (API) that enables client software from other sources to utilize
FactoryTalk Linx as a service to communicate with Rockwell Automation and CIP-enabled equipment. The
SDK interface supports 200 clients with 200 devices at most.
• A Remote Proxy Service that enables FactoryTalk Linx on other computers to share the FactoryTalk Linx
service on the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway computer to interface with an automation network. A remote proxy
server can connect 400 drivers with 400 devices at most. A client can connect 2,000 remote drivers with
2,000 remote devices at most.

Use FactoryTalk Linx Gateway if you need to:

• Use FactoryTalk Linx as a data server for OPC clients.

• Use FactoryTalk View SE as a data server for OPC clients to access HMI server tags (such as alarm, derived,
and system tags) and direct references.

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 Chapter 1 Welcome to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

IMPORTANT:
◦ FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service starts and stops from the machine on which it is
installed.
◦ FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports OPC client notification under normal shutdown
conditions. However, it is the OPC client's responsibility to provide a mechanism to
detect when it is no longer connected to the server and flag data as bad quality.
◦ Your access to, and actions within, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway are controlled by
FactoryTalk Security settings.

Only one FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is permitted to run on a given computer. The activation type determines feature
support and the maximum capacity of unique tags that can be added to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server. The tag
limit is for all unique tags, including active, inactive, and valid tags. However, the OPC DA service and UA service tag
limits are separate; a 5,000 tag limit activation can simultaneously serve 5,000 tags to DA clients and 5,000 tags to
UA clients. All FactoryTalk Linx Gateway activations support a capacity of up to 20 simultaneous OPC DA or OPC UA
client connections.

FactoryTalk Diagnostics and FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor provide alerts when FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
has reached the maximum tag capacity. This capacity can be increased with additional activations. Refer to About
Activations on page 92 for more information about activations.

Before FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.00.00, here are the available activations:

Activates
FactoryTalk Distributed
Activation Name Activation Tag Limit (UA)) FactoryTalk Linx
Directory Network
Data Bridge

FactoryTalk RSOPCD.UNLTD 500,000* Local or Network Y N

Gateway Distributed

FactoryTalk RSOPCD.70000 70,000 Local or Network Y N

Gateway Distributed
70K

FactoryTalk RSOPCD.32000 32,000 Local or Network Y N

Gateway Distributed
32000

FactoryTalk RSOPCS.32000 32,000 Local N N

Gateway Station
32000

FactoryTalk RSOPCD.5000 5,000 Local or Network Y N

Gateway Distributed
5000

FactoryTalk RSOPCS.5000 5,000 Local N N

Gateway Station
5000

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Chapter 1 Welcome to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Activates
FactoryTalk Distributed
Activation Name Activation Tag Limit (UA)) FactoryTalk Linx
Directory Network
Data Bridge

FactoryTalk RSOPCD.1500 1,500 Local or Network Y N

Gateway Distributed
1500

FactoryTalk RSOPCS.1500 1,500 Local N N

Gateway Station
1500

From FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.00.00, only the four activations below are available for new users. However,
the other legacy activations used in previous versions of the product are still supported.

Activates
FactoryTalk Distributed
Activation Name Activation Tag Limit (UA) FactoryTalk Linx
Directory Network
Data Bridge

FactoryTalk LINXGW.PROFESSIO 500,000* Local or Network Y Y

Linx Gateway NAL
Professional

FactoryTalk Linx LINXGW.DISTRIBU 32,000 Local or Network Y N

Gateway Distributed TED

FactoryTalk Linx LINXGW.STANDARD 5,000 Local or Network N N

Gateway Standard

FactoryTalk Linx LINXGW.BASIC 1,000 Local or Network N N

Gateway Basic

NOTE: Starting from FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.30.00, Professional activation tag limit is
changed from unlimited to 500,000.

500,000*: Default tag limit. You can edit it in the FactoryTalk Administration Console (System >
Policies > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Policy > Tag count limitation
for professional activation).

From FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.21.00, three activations are added for users.

Activation Name Activation Tag Limit (UA) FactoryTalk Distributed Network Activates
Directory FactoryTalk Linx
Data Bridge

FactoryTalk Linx LINXGW.EXTENDED 15,000 Local or Network N N

Gateway Extended

FactoryTalk Linx Verifies its 500 Local or Network N N

Gateway Embedded operating on a
CompactLogix 5480
windows core

12 FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 Rockwell Automation, Inc.

 Chapter 1 Welcome to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

FactoryTalk Verifies its 500 Local or Network N Y

Linx Data Bridge operating on a
Embedded CompactLogix 5480
windows core

For more information regarding OPC, refer to the OPC Foundation Web site: https://opcfoundation.org.

Overview of basic concepts

Because FactoryTalk Linx Gateway enables OPC clients to connect to FactoryTalk applications, it is important to
understand some basic concepts about FactoryTalk. For more detailed information about FactoryTalk, refer to the
FactoryTalk Services Platform Help.

FactoryTalk Services Platform

Formerly known as FactoryTalk Automation Platform, the FactoryTalk Services Platform is an underlying architecture
and set of services that Rockwell Automation software products build upon.

The FactoryTalk Services Platform:

• Provides common services (such as diagnostic messages, health monitoring services, access to real-time
data) and shares plant resources (such as tags and graphics) throughout an automation system.
• Allows defining plant-floor resources once, and then allows simultaneous access to those resources across
product boundaries.
• Supports centralized security services.

The FactoryTalk Services Platform includes the following components:

• FactoryTalk Directory
• FactoryTalk Live Data
• FactoryTalk Diagnostics
• FactoryTalk Administration Console
• FactoryTalk Security
• FactoryTalk Activation Manager

FactoryTalk Directory
FactoryTalk Directory allows products to share a common address book, which finds and provides access to plant-
floor resources, such as data tags and graphics.

The FactoryTalk Services Platform includes two separate directories: a Local Directory and a Network Directory. In
a Local Directory, a Directory Server, all project information, and all participating software products are located on
a single computer. Local applications cannot be shared across a network. A Network Directory organizes project
information from multiple FactoryTalk products across multiple computers on a network.

FactoryTalk Live Data

FactoryTalk Live Data manages connections between FactoryTalk products and data servers. It reads values from and
writes values to OPC Unified Architecture (UA), OPC Classic Data Access (DA), and Live Data servers on behalf of client
software products, such as FactoryTalk View and FactoryTalk Transaction Manager.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 13

Chapter 1 Welcome to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

FactoryTalk Diagnostics
FactoryTalk Diagnostics provides the ability to log errors, warnings, and other status messages generated throughout
a FactoryTalk-enabled system to a central location called an event log. If you encounter a problem, you can review the
events in the log that led up to the problem to assist in determining the cause. Or, you can monitor the log to identify
potential problems and take corrective action before a problem occurs.

Note that FactoryTalk Diagnostics messages are displayed for the local workstation only.

Refer to the FactoryTalk Services Platform Help for more information about FactoryTalk Diagnostics and the event log.
Refer to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Help for more information about diagnostic messages specific to FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway.

FactoryTalk Administration Console

FactoryTalk Administration Console is an optional, stand-alone tool that enables you to configure and manage
FactoryTalk-enabled applications.

FactoryTalk Security
FactoryTalk Security offers centralized security services that provides the ability to control access to your
automation system. Your access to, and actions within, the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway tool are controlled by
FactoryTalk Security settings.

If you are experiencing problems with FactoryTalk Security, refer to:

• Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security on page 108

• Troubleshooting topics in FactoryTalk Services Platform Help.

FactoryTalk Activation Manager

FactoryTalk Activation Manager provides a secure, software-based system for activating Rockwell Automation
software products and managing software activation files.

Application types
An application organizes project information, including elements such as data servers, HMI servers, and alarm and
event servers, and makes it available to FactoryTalk-enabled software products that support the same FactoryTalk
Directory type.

• Network applications are held in a FactoryTalk Network Directory. Project information and participating
software products can be located on multiple computers distributed across a network. All the computers
participating in a particular Network application share a common Network Directory Server located on a
network computer.
• Local applications are held in a FactoryTalk Local Directory. Project information is located on a stand-alone
computer and is available only to software products installed on that same local computer. Local applications
cannot be accessed remotely and cannot share project information with a Network application.

14 FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 Rockwell Automation, Inc.

 Chapter 1 Welcome to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

IMPORTANT:
◦ Ensure all components intended for use in the same FactoryTalk system support the
same FactoryTalk Directory types.
◦ The installed FactoryTalk Linx Gateway activation may limit support for FactoryTalk
Directory types. For details on which FactoryTalk Directory types are supported by a
certain activation, see Activation types on page 93.

Quick start: Set up and use FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

IMPORTANT: If there is a possibility that a client will attempt to access tags during setup,
before continuing, shut down all OPC clients and inhibit FactoryTalk Linx Gateway services using
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration Tool > Server Configuration. This prevents the services
from automatically starting while making changes.

Use the following checklist to guide you through the process of setting up and using FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Step Description Refer to:

1. Read and understand the FactoryTalk Linx

Gateway Getting Results Guide.

2. Verify your personal computer meets System requirements on page 17

the minimum hardware and software
requirements.

3. Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on page

17

4. Install a valid FactoryTalk Linx Gateway About Activations on page 92

activation.

5. Configure FactoryTalk Security, if FactoryTalk Services Platform Help

required.

6 Create a FactoryTalk application (or point FactoryTalk Services Platform Help

to an existing application).

7. Add a FactoryTalk Linx data server or an FactoryTalk View Site Edition Help or
HMI server. FactoryTalk Services Platform Help.

8. Create a shortcut between the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Help or

FactoryTalk application and the server or FactoryTalk Services Platform Help.
controller.

9. Start FactoryTalk Linx Gateway by Start FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on page

clicking Start > Programs > Rockwell 36
Software > FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
Configuration.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 15

Chapter 1 Welcome to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Step Description Refer to:

10. Select the scope using the FactoryTalk About the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
Linx Gateway Select FactoryTalk Scope Selection dialog box on page 62
Directory dialog box.

11. Configure to make sure DA or UA Server in Server Configuration on page 40

Server Configuration tab is running and
not inhibited.

12. Configure OPC UA server endpoint in the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Help
UA Server Endpoints tab

13. (Optional) Enable and configure tag list Tag List on page 45
and tag list access to decide if all data
to be available or limit it to specific
items or if an OPC UA client to be able to
access structures and arrays. If disable
all available tags from FactoryTalk data
servers, the tag list will be available to all
OPC Clients.

14. When the OPC client makes a connection OPC client documentation
with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, enter
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway as the server
name to which you wish to connect. If
the OPC client supports browsing, select
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway from the list of
available servers.

15. If OPC UA endpoint security is enabled, Certificate Management on page 66

trust incoming certificate from the UA
client in the Certificate Management
tab.

16. Run the OPC client and select the tags you OPC client documentation
want to access (up to, but not exceeding,
the activation count).

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FactoryTalk Linx Gateway installation method

The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway installation DVD provides wizards to guide you through the installation process.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports two installation methods: Setup wizard installation and automated installation
with command line syntax. This chapter uses the Setup wizard installation method to illustrate the steps. The
automated installation with command line syntax reduces user interaction and provides command line parameters to
install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. See Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway with command line syntax on page 98.

This chapter contains the following information:

• System requirements
• Where to install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
• Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway for the first time
• Update an existing system
• Install Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

System requirements
To use FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, your personal computer must meet the following minimum hardware and software
requirements:

Hardware requirements
We recommend the following hardware for applications with typical data acquisition needs:

• Intel® Core™ i5 Standard Power processor

• Total processor cores are recommended to be no less than 4 for virtual machines
• 4 GB of memory

Lower level x86 based CPUs will also work in standalone configurations with reduced data acquisition needs.

For small applications, the following configuration was also evaluated:

• Intel® Atom™ CPU E3845 @ 1.91 GHz (4 CPUs)

• 4 GB of memory
• 1500 data points

We recommend that you run a performance validation test on the planned computer hardware to ensure that the
desired capacity and performance can be achieved.

Tip: When FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is operating on Windows® 10 IOT Enterprise (for example, the
Windows core of a CompactLogix™ 5480 controller), it is limited to a FactoryTalk Directory and
FactoryTalk Linx data server running in the same environment (a remote directory and data server are not
supported).

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Tested FactoryTalk Linx Gateway update rates

Tested FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC DA service update rates configured using a
FactoryTalk Application
CPU and memory requirements for the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC DA server increase as tags are set to active
(up to the activation tag capacity) or as more clients connect to the server (up to the 20 connected client capacity).
Rockwell Automation tests with the following update rates for a number of active tags.

Processor Number of tags Scan rate of all tags Total CPU utilization

Single 70,000 Controller data values 75%

changing at 250 msec

Dual-core 70,000 Controller data values 50%

changing at 250 msec

Dual-core 70,000 Controller data values 20%

changing at 1000 msec

NOTE: Many of the FactoryTalk services use change of state processing. The high data value change
rate used in this test was selected to place a high processing load on the system to evaluate the
computer’s CPU impact. Because each system has different operational requirements, testing should
be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

These values are tested on a computer with a dual-core Intel® Core™ i3-2120 processor, 3.3 GHz, with 4G of RAM. The
single core test is run using only one of the cores to provide a basis for comparison. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and
FactoryTalk Linx are installed and configured on the same computer in a FactoryTalk Application for the test.

The largest impact on CPU utilization is the rate that the data is changing even if the data server (in this case,
FactoryTalk Linx) is local or remote to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

The total amount of memory used for the runtime tests was approximately 700 MB. Additional memory would be used
if browsing occurred.

Tested FactoryTalk Linx Gateway update rates for OPC UA service configured using
a FactoryTalk Application
Rockwell Automation tests with the following update rates for a number of active tags. This data is captured in
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.40.00 with security disabled.

CPU and memory requirements for the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server increase as tags are set to active (up to the
activation tag capacity) or as more clients connect to the server.

• Example test for OPC UA using folders with scalar data:

Number of Active Tags Requested Rate (s) Achieved Update Rate (s)

50,000 0.5 0.5

100,000 0.5 1

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Number of Active Tags Requested Rate (s) Achieved Update Rate (s)

150,000 0.5 1.8

200,000 0.5 2

250,000 0.5 2.5

300,000 0.5 3

350,000 0.5 3.5

400,000 0.5 4

450,000 0.5 4.5

500,000 0.5 5

NOTE: This data was based on tests with the Folder with scalar data enabled in the UA server. This
data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be
delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has
different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed
system will operate.

• Example test for OPC UA using tag list:

Number of Active Tags Requested Rate (s) Achieved Update Rate (s)

1,000 0.5 0.5

2,000 0.5 0.5

5,000 0.5 0.5

10,000 0.5 0.5

50,000 0.5 0.6

100,000 0.5 1

150,000 0.5 1.5

200,000 0.5 2

250,000 0.5 2.5

300,000 0.5 3

350,000 0.5 3.5

400,000 0.5 4.1

450,000 0.5 4.5

500,000 0.5 5.2

NOTE: This data was based on tests with the UA tag list enabled. This data is provided as an example
to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test did not verify all

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value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational requirements,
testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

• Example test for OPC UA using custom namespace:

Number of Active Tags Requested Rate (s) Achieved Update Rate (s)

10,000 0.5 0.5

50,000 0.5 0.5

100,000 0.5 1

150,000 0.5 1.9

200,000 0.5 2

250,000 0.5 2

300,000 0.5 3

350,000 0.5 3

400,000 0.5 3

450,000 0.5 4

500,000 0.5 4

NOTE: This data was based on tests with the Custom namespace enabled. This data is provided
as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test
did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational
requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

Tested FactoryTalk Linx Gateway update rates for RTD service configured using a
FactoryTalk Application
• Example test for RTD using folders with scalar data:

Number of Active Tags Requested Rate (s) Achieved Update Rate (s)

5,000 0.5 1.9

10,000 0.5 1.9

15,000 0.5 1.9

20,000 0.5 1.9

25,000 0.5 2

30,000 0.5 2

35,000 0.5 2

40,000 0.5 2

NOTE: This data was based on tests with the Folder with scalar data enabled for the RTD. This data
is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered.
The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different

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operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will
operate.

• Example test for RTD using custom namespace:

Number of Active Tags Requested Rate (s) Achieved Update Rate (s)

5,000 0.5 1.9

10,000 0.5 1.9

15,000 0.5 1.9

20,000 0.5 2

20,000 0.5 2

30,000 0.5 2

35,000 0.5 2

40,000 0.5 2.1

NOTE: This data was based on tests with the Custom namespace enabled for the RTD. This data is
provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered.
The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different
operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will
operate.

Tested FactoryTalk Linx Gateway update rates for DDE service configured using a FactoryTalk Application

• Example test for DDE using folders with scalar data:

Number of Active Tags Requested Rate (s) Achieved Update Rate (s)

500 0.5 0.8

1,000 0.5 0.8

1,500 0.5 0.8

2,000 0.5 0.9

2,500 0.5 1.0

3,000 0.5 1.2

3,500 0.5 1.4

4,000 0.5 1.8

NOTE: This data was based on tests with the Folder with scalar data enabled for the DDE. This data
is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered.
The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different

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operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will
operate.

• Example test for DDE using custom namespace:

Number of Active Tags Requested Rate (s) Achieved Update Rate (s)

500 0.5 1.8

1,000 0.5 1.9

1,500 0.5 1.9

2,000 0.5 1.9

2,500 0.5 1.9

3,000 0.5 1.9

3,500 0.5 1.9

4,000 0.5 2.1

NOTE: This data was based on tests with the Custom namespace enabled for the DDE. This data is
provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered.
The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different
operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will
operate.

Tested FactoryTalk Linx Gateway update rates for OPC DA service configured using a standalone data source

• Example test for OPC DA service

Number of Active Tags Requested Rate (s) Achieved Update Rate (s)

1,000 1 1

3,000 1 1

5,000 1 1

10,000 1 1

20,000 1 1

50,000 1 1

100,000 1 1

120,000 1 1

150,000 1 1

200,000 1 2

NOTE: This data was based on tests with the OPC DA enabled for the standalone data source. This
data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be
delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has

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different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed

system will operate.

These values are tested on a computer with Win 10 enterprise 64 bit, 8G RAM, Intel® Xeon® CPU, E5-2699A v4 @ 2.40
GHz 2.39 GHz 4v CPU.

Software requirements
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway was tested on the following operating systems:

• Windows Server® 2022

• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2016

• Windows 11 (v21H2 and v22H2)

If you use FactoryTalk Services Platform on Windows 11, you must update Windows 11 with patch
KB5008215.
• Windows 10* (v21H2 and v22H2)
FactoryTalk Services Platform adopts .NET 4.8 which is only supported on Windows 10 v1803 and later.
• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2021 Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)
• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)
*For additional information about Windows 10 Support for the FactoryTalk Suite of Rockwell Software® products,
refer to Knowledgebase Document ID: IN4493 - Windows 10 Support for the FactoryTalk Suite of Rockwell Software
products.

Software compatibility
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.40.00 is compatible with these Rockwell Software products:

• FactoryTalk Activation Manager version 5.01.00

• FactoryTalk Services Platform version 6.40.00
• FactoryTalk View version 14.00.00
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00

Prerequisite software
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Setup wizard supports to automatically install a series of Rockwell software and the
necessary prerequisite software, including:

Rockwell Software
• FactoryTalk Services Platform version 6.40.00
• FactoryTalk Activation Manager version 5.01.00
• FactoryTalk Alarms and Events version 6.40.00
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00
• Rockwell Automation x64 Driver v2.03.11

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Prerequisite software
• FactoryTalk Diagnostics version 6.40.00
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x86) 14.36
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x64) 14.36
• Microsoft ODBC Driver 18.0 for SQL Server (x86) 18.2.2.1
• Microsoft ODBC Driver 13.1 for SQL Server (x64) 18.2.2.1
• OPC .NET API 2.01
• Windows Firewall Configuration Utility 1.00.17
• Wibu CodeMeter Runtime Kit v7.60
• Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime 102.0

System features
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.00.00:

• Adds OPC UA data access (non-secured endpoint).

• Provides read access to CIP Energy Object information.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.10.00:

• Supports FactoryTalk Security to control configuration access/changes.

• Supports FactoryTalk Audit tracking for configuration changes.
• Supports OPC UA Secured endpoints with signing and encryption.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.20.00:

• Adds the ability to read/write device data (e.g. PowerFlex Drive, E300 Motor Protector, etc.) using FactoryTalk
Linx CIA Messaging. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway also provides the ability to control access to this option.
• Adds the ability to allow OPC UA clients accessing multiple values of an array tag in a single action by
configuring the "Index Range" parameter. For example, add an item [shortcut]Tag with index range 1:3 returns
the values of Tag[1], Tag[2], and Tag[3] together.
• Adds the ability to allow OPC UA clients to directly access the tag information without browsing the tag in a
client application. This is achieved by accessing the tag by entering the object node ID.
• Supports customized outgoing certificate, import and the ability to create a certificate signing request for
external Certificate Authority (CA) to sign.
• Adds the ability to allow users to choose the specific activation that will be requested on startup.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.21.00:

• Adds the ability to support tag list to view and edit the tag group, add tags to tag group and set tag access
rights. The tag list supports complex types using array and structures, including the ability to import and
export the configuration and includes an option to manually refresh the namespace available to an OPC
UA Client when changes are made to the tag list or in other parts of the system (for example,Logix on-line
changes).
• Adds new activation type, which is FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Extended, with capacity of 15,000 tags.
• Supports CompactLogix5480 Windows Core embedded activation, with a capacity of 500 tags.
• Adds the ability to support configuration changes without requiring Admin rights.

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• Adds the ability to change the Namespace Index that OPC UA clients will utilize when accessing the
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway’s data model when no tag groups or lists are configured. The user interface
provides an option to select a Namespace Index of (2 or 3). Beginning with version 6.20.00, the namespace
index presented to OPC UA clients defaults to 2. In previous versions, 3 was the default.
• Adds configuration checks and informs the user when required configuration settings are incorrect or
missing. (for example, UA enabled but no endpoint is defined, tag list selected but no tags configured, a client
certificate is received but no client certificates are trusted).
• Adds a button on the FactoryTalk Directory scope selection dialog to navigate to the FactoryTalk
Administration console where FactoryTalk Linx and other OPC DA/UA data sources can be configured.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.30.00:

• Supports Chinese version.

• Adds an option to change the DA access setting on the Server Configuration tab after installation completes.
• Adds an option to include additional sub-element references (scalar, structure, or array) for all arrays in the
namespace provided to OPC UA Clients.
• Adds the ability to include individual array sub-elements (scalar, structure, or array) in tag groups.
• Adds the ability to backup and restore configurations.
• Adds the ability to specify, refresh, import, or export OPC UA namespace index.
• Adds the ability to restart after the FactoryTalk Directory was restored.
• Updates installation option to diminish security risk by selecting Gateway Server OPC DA and UA (only local
DA clients) or Gateway Server OPC DA and UA (local or remote DA clients) before installation.
• Adds the ability to limit access to security certificate management operations to administrators or
individuals approved by an administrator to diminish security risk.
• Adds the ability to substantially improve or reduce the amount of time required to load tag information into
the Add Tag dialog.
• Adds user interface warning when the configuration contains an invalid scope or a referenced workstation is
renamed.
• Changes Professional activation tag limit from unlimited to 500,000.
• Encrypts the configuration files and does not support copying them to another computer. Instead, use the
Backup and Restore on page 80 function to reuse the configuration.
• Downgrades OPC UA service account to Local Service.
• Raises the default DCOM authentication level to Packet Integrity.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.31.00:

• Adds a Reversed Connection option to enable a server to initiate the connection to an OPC UA client.
• Adds support for DDE and Excel RTD protocols.
• Adds Remote Proxy service that permits FactoryTalk Linx or RSLinx Classic on one computer to bridge
through a central FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Professional workstation to communicate with automation
system devices on a different network.
• Adds a Software Development Kit (SDK) that provides a collection of software development tools that permit
custom-built software to communicate with automation equipment using an Application Program Interface
(API) in FactoryTalk Linx.

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Chapter 2 FactoryTalk Linx Gateway installation method

• Adds support for a custom OPC UA namespace to create tag definitions for the OPC UA interfaces and bind
or map them to system data points to provide consistent names for different components or to organize the
data to comply with an industry standard.
• Adds support for a custom RTD/DDE namespace to create tag definitions for the DDE and Excel RTD
interfaces and bind or map them to system data points to provide consistent names for different
components or to limit the data an external DDE/RTD client can access.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.40.00:

• Uses the Standalone OPC DA and DDE data Service to connect to the Logix series controller without requiring
a FactoryTalk Application.
• Caches the UA server namespace for faster startup.
• Adds folders in the Custom UA namespace.
• Accesses bits within integers in UA tag list and custom namespace
• Allows the tag and data type to have the same name in the Custom UA Namespace.

Where to install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

For FactoryTalk Local Directory applications and network station, you must install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on the
local computer.

In a FactoryTalk Local Directory application and network station, all project information and security settings are
located on a single computer, and the FactoryTalk-enabled system cannot be shared across a network. A FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway Local Directory and network station, however, can support remote OPC clients. Products such as
FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) Station and RSLogix use the Local Directory.

A FactoryTalk application directories can be configured as Local, Network Station, or Network Distributed. These
options are determined by the capabilities defined by the license/activation that is being used.

1. Local – Small application where the FactoryTalk Linx or FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector communications
service is operated on the same workstation with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. A local application is configured
with a single level where all communications services are defined at the same top level (no areas are
supported).
2. Network Station – This configuration uses the Network directory, with all of the communications services
defined on the same workstation with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. A network station application permits areas
to be created to improve the organization of the application (This type of configuration can be used with
software like FactoryTalk View SE Station or FactoryTalk Historian which does not support Local directory).
3. Network Distributed – This type of directory permits communications services to be located on multiple /
different workstations from FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. Up to ten (10) of each type of communications
services (FactoryTalk Linx and FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector) can be defined in a system. These
communications services can be configured as redundant to support high availability configurations (This
type of configuration can be used with software like FactoryTalk View SE Distributed).

Depending on your requirements, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway installation options for Local FactoryTalk Directory
applications include the following:

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To use FactoryTalk Linx as a data server to HMI and other third-party OPC clients, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway,
FactoryTalk Linx, and FactoryTalk Directory are installed on the same machine as shown in the following diagram:

For FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) applications that need to serve OPC data, FactoryTalk View SE Station can also
be installed on the same machine, as shown in the following diagram. This also provides the benefit of FactoryTalk
View SE Station features, such as alarm and derived tags and direct references. Plus, either FactoryTalk Linx or
FactoryTalk View SE Station can be used as a data server.

For FactoryTalk Network Directory applications, you can install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on any computer.

A FactoryTalk Network Directory organizes project information and security settings from multiple FactoryTalk-
enabled products across multiple computers on a network. When a Network Directory is configured on a computer,

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Chapter 2 FactoryTalk Linx Gateway installation method

that computer can then be used as a Network Directory Server, or it can be made a client of a Network Directory
Server configured on a different computer on the network. Products such as FactoryTalk View SE Distributed and
FactoryTalk Transaction Manager use the Network Directory.

Tip: In FactoryTalk Network Directory applications, you can choose from multiple computers to install
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. It is recommended that you install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and the client on
the same computer, instead of using Remote OPC across the network. Because FactoryTalk Live Data is
used as the network protocol in what is considered to be a more robust and secure fashion than Remote
OPC.

Depending on your requirements, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway provides many installation options for FactoryTalk
Network Directory applications.

To connect to multiple FactoryTalk Linx servers or multiple FactoryTalk View SE Distributed servers, FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway, FactoryTalk Linx, and FactoryTalk Directory can be distributed over different machines, as shown in the
following diagram:

In this example, one FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is serving all clients. If a system requires 32,000 or more tags, use a no
fixed limit tag activation and refer to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Release Notes > Application Notes for tested
hardware and update rates.

You can have multiple FactoryTalk Linx Gateway servers point to the same scope in the same FactoryTalk Directory
to provide redundancy for each other. The client code controls the switching between the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
servers.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports redundant FactoryTalk Linx data servers and HMI servers. Refer to the FactoryTalk
Services Platform Help for more information.

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About Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway enables an OPC DA client to access a remote OPC DA server like FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway without installing Rockwell Automation software on the OPC DA client computer. It is intended for use with
OPC DA clients that do not support server enumeration and cannot discover or identify remote OPC DA servers.

During the install, the Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway installer configures the Windows Firewall and security
settings to allow DCOM communications between the OPC DA client and Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway does not have a configuration interface. Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway does not
support connections to OPC UA servers. A Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway installation is not required for an OPC UA
client on one workstation to connect to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA service on another workstation.

Where to install Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway (OPC DA client computer configuration)
Install Remote Gateway (DA Client remote configuration) on page on the same computer as an OPC DA client that
does not support server enumeration.

Shown below are multiple OPC DA clients connecting to a single FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC DA server. Remote
Gateway (DA Client remote configuration) is installed once per computer that hosts an OPC DA client.

Configure Windows firewall for Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

If you install Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on page on a remote third party OPC client, you need to configure
Windows firewall to allow connections with the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server. This is automatically configured
after installation of FactoryTalk Gateway version 3.90.00 and later. If you want to verify the setting or make changes,
follow the steps below.

Tip: The following procedure applies Windows Server 2012.

To configure Windows firewall:

1. Select Start > Control Panel > System and Security (View by: Category).
2. In the Windows Firewall section, click Allow a program through Windows Firewall.

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For Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016, Type Allow an app through Windows Firewall in the Windows
Search field, and then press Enter.
3. In the Allowed Programs and features list, verify the program OPCTest.exe which FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
provided, or your own application for remote connecting, is in the list. If you cannot find it in the list, you can
click Allow another program to browse and add it to the allowed programs list.
4. Click OK to save the changes and close the dialog box.

Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

You can install one or more Rockwell Automation software products to a single personal computer.

IMPORTANT: The user installing or configuring FactoryTalk Linx Gateway must have administrative
rights in Windows on the computers where the software is being installed or configured. The
Windows domain Administrator account has these rights, for example.

To install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway software:

1. Start your Windows operating system.
2. Insert the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway DVD into the DVD-ROM drive.
3. (optional) If FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Setup does not appear, start the setup utility:
a. In Windows, select Start > Run.
b. In Open, type x:\setup, where x is the letter of the drive containing the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway DVD-
ROM, and then click OK.
c. If Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 or later is not installed on your computer, the Microsoft .NET
Framework Setup dialog box shows. Click Install.
4. In FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Setup, select a product to install from the drop down list. The available
products are:
◦ All Gateway services (OPC DA local and remote clients)
Installs OPC DA, OPC UA, DDE, Excel RTD, and Remote Proxy Services. The OPC DA service logs on
using the Local System account and adds ANONYMOUS LOGON and Everyone to the DCOM security
configuration to enable the remote clients.
◦ All Gateway services (OPC DA local clients only)
Installs OPC DA, OPC UA, DDE, Excel RTD, and Remote Proxy Services. DCOM remote access permissions
are disabled.
Select All Gateway services (OPC DA local and remote clients) or All Gateway services (OPC DA
local clients only) to install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and all supporting FactoryTalk software on this
computer. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway serves FactoryTalk application data from this computer to OPC DA
and UA clients.
◦ Remote Gateway (DA Client remote configuration)
Does not install services. Adjusts the computers' Windows Firewall settings for an OPC DA client to
communicate to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on a different computer.
Select Remote Gateway (DA Client remote configuration) to install Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.
No other FactoryTalk software is installed on this computer. Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway enables

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an OPC DA client on this computer to access a remote OPC DA server. It is intended for use with OPC DA
clients that do not support server enumeration and cannot discover or identify remote OPC DA servers.
The OPC test client will be installed, and the installer will configure the Windows Firewall settings to
allow the opctest.exe and TCP port 135 during installation.
5. Choose either:
◦ Install Now: Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and prerequisite software to the default installation
directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Rockwell Software.
◦ Customize: Specify which software should be installed and select a different installation directory,
then click Install.
6. In End-User License Agreements, read the agreements, then select Accept all to continue the installation,
or click Decline to return to the previous page.
7. (optional) If prompted to restart your computer during the installation, click Restart now to restart your
computer and continue the installation, or Restart later to suspend and exit the installation.
8. If you are installing FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, Almost there appears. Select one of the following options,
then click Next.
◦ Select Activate your software to activate FactoryTalk Linx Gateway now.
◦ Select Skip activation to activate FactoryTalk Linx Gateway later using FactoryTalk Activation Manager.
For more information, refer to About Activations on page 92.
If you are installing Remote Gateway, no activation is required.
9. In That's it!, click Restart now to restart your computer and continue the installation, or Restart later to
exit the installation. You must restart your computer before using FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. Meanwhile, you
can also:
◦ Click Installation Summary to see the installation details.
◦ Click Register for updates to learn how to receive email updates about product patches.
◦ Click Download it free to install Adobe Acrobat Reader. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to open the
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Getting Results Guide and other documents.
10. The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway installation is complete. When you finish installing the software, remove the
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway DVD from the DVD-ROM drive, and store it in a safe place.

Change DA access
After installation completes, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports changing the DA access setting in the Server
Configuration tab when the current FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration is relaunched as administrator.

• Go to Start> FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration> Run as administrator.

Tip: This configuration will not be backed up.

Uninstall FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

To uninstall FactoryTalk Linx Gateway software, do any of the following:

• Open Programs and Features in Windows Control Panel, right-click FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and then click
Uninstall.
• Open Setup.exe, and then click modify or uninstall.
• Open the Command Prompt window and type a command with the following syntax:

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Setup.exe [/Q | /QS] /Uninstall /Product="Gateway Server OPC UA and DA (local

or remote DA clients)"

NOTE: Components, such as FactoryTalk Activation Manager, that are shared with other
products will not be uninstalled.

For more information about command-line parameter, see Parameters on page 98.

Update an existing installation

Before you begin to upgrade FactoryTalkLinx Gateway

Note the following before upgrading FactoryTalk Linx Gateway:

• The user installing or configuring FactoryTalk Linx Gateway must have administrative rights in Windows on
the computers where the software is being installed or configured.
• If you upgrade from RSOPC Gateway 1.00 (CPR 7), do not use Add/Remove Programs from Windows Control
Panel to uninstall RSOPC Gateway 1.00 (CPR 7). Using this method to remove RSOPC Gateway 1.00 (CPR 7)
deletes RSOPC Gateway 1.00 (CPR 7) configuration files.
• If you upgrade from FactoryTalk Gateway v3.90 or earlier to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway v6.00 or later, uninstall
FactoryTalk Gateway using Add/Remove Programs before installing FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Upgrade FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Perform the following steps to upgrade to the latest version of FactoryTalk Linx Gateway:

1. Stop the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway services by selecting the Inhibit checkbox in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
Configuration Tool > Server Configuration.
2. If FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor is running, exit the program.
3. Close the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration Tool.
4. Insert the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway product DVD. Perform the installation steps as presented on the screen.
5. Restart your computer.

NOTE: You must restart your computer after installing Rockwell Automation software
products. If you are installing multiple products, you must restart your computer after all of
the products are installed.

Install Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway enables an OPC DA client to access a remote OPC DA server like FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway without installing Rockwell Automation software on the OPC DA client computer. It is intended for use with
OPC DA clients that do not support server enumeration and cannot discover or identify remote OPC DA servers.

Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway does not have a configuration interface. Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway does not
support connections to OPC UA servers.

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Shown below are multiple OPC DA clients connecting to a single FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC DA server. Remote
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is installed once per computer that hosts an OPC DA client.

To install Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, select Remote Gateway (DA Client remote configuration) in
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Setup, then follow the installation instructions.

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 Chapter 3

Start FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and explore the user interface

This chapter includes the following information:

• Application authentication level for DCOM security

• Starting FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
• About the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration dialog box

DCOM security
In response to Microsoft Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) Hardening patch (MS KB5004442), the minimum
DCOM authentication level used by Rockwell Automation products was raised to Packet Integrity.

IMPORTANT: Installing this product’s latest version with earlier unpatched versions of other
FactoryTalk products or products using Classic OPC DA connections may cause a loss of connectivity
due to the difference in DCOM authentication level used. For additional information, see the
Knowledgebase Document ID: IN39461 - Microsoft DCOM Hardening Information TOC.

Microsoft releases the DCOM Hardening patch in response to CVE-2021-26414. This patch elevates the minimum DCOM
authentication level that is required to establish a DCOM connection. DCOM is used by many Rockwell Automation
products and may be affected by the change that is made by the Microsoft patch. For additional information about
the affected Rockwell Automation products, see the Knowledgebase Document ID: PN1581 - Product Notification
2022-01-001 - Rockwell Automation products unable to establish proper DCOM connection after installing Microsoft
DCOM Hardening patch (MS KB5004442).

Impact on Rockwell Automation software

If computers within your network have installed the Microsoft patch, the DCOM authentication level of the client or
server applications on these computers is required to update to RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_INTEGRITY, while the
authentication level of applications on other computers are not. As a result, the communication across the two types
of computers will fail.

Tip:
• The distributed third-party OPC DA server and client applications are also impacted.
• To ensure proper communication, the authentication level of both the server application and the
client application should be at the same level.

Solutions
We recommend installing the latest version of Rockwell Automation software or installing the patch for the
corresponding software version.

To avoid the compatibility issue, make sure all Rockwell Automation applications you use are updated.

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If any computers within your network have not installed the Microsoft patch or some Rockwell Automation
applications are not updated to the latest version, you can lower the DCOM application authentication level on all
computers. To do so, do one of the following:

• Remove the Microsoft DCOM patch from all workstations in the system.
• Switch the DCOM authentication level on all workstations in the system using one of the following methods:
◦ Use Registry Editor.
▪ FactoryTalk software
▪ Open Registry Editor, select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > WOW6432Node
> Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk > Platform, right-click DCOMAuthLevel > Modify,
and then edit the Value data to 1. The default value after upgrading the Rockwell
Automation application is 5 (RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_INTEGRITY) and the former value is
1 (RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_NONE).
▪ RSLinx Classic software
▪ Open Registry Editor, select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > WOW6432Node
> Rockwell Software > RSLinx, right-click DCOMAuthLevel > Modify, and then
edit the Value data to 1. The default value after upgrading the Rockwell Automation
application is 5 (RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_INTEGRITY) and the former value is 1
(RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_NONE).
◦ Use the DCOMAuthLevel utility.
▪ Open DCOMAuthLevel, select None (for backward compatibility), and then click OK.

Tip:
▪ The authentication level lower than 5 will not be supported after installing the
Microsoft patch.
▪ This utility will adjust the Authentication level for FactoryTalk Services Platform,
FactoryTalk Live Data OPC DA client interface, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC DA
server interface, and RSLinx Classic’s OPC DA server interface.
▪ The Windows Component Services DCOM configuration setting is not utilized or
supported by FactoryTalk software or RSLinx Classic.

Workgroup and domain settings after the applications’ authentication level is

required to be updated
After the applications authentication level is adjusted to RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_INTEGRITY, ensure all users in
your network that contains Rockwell Automation software and third party OPC DA meet the requirement of DCOM for
RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_INTEGRITY:

• When working within a workgroup, each user needs to be created locally on each computer involved in the
connection. Furthermore, each workstation in a workgroup must have the same user accounts, with the same
user names and passwords on each machine for authentication to occur. A blank password is not valid in
most cases. In some cases, even though the user account has administrative privileges, you might have the
DCOM authentication problems, and we recommend that you use the Windows built-in administrator account
to get it to work.
• When working within a domain, local users and groups are not required to be added to each computer. If
working within a domain is preferred, a network administrator may have to implement changes.

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For more information, see Microsoft documentation How to Configure a Domain User or Group.

Open FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Open FactoryTalk Linx Gateway by selecting Start > Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Configuration. (Or click on the FactoryTalk Administration Console menu bar.) The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
Configuration dialog box opens. The default setting exposes all projects in the directory under the Network node.

Tip: To start or stop the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service, you must be a Windows Administrator or
Power User of the computer.

About the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration dialog box

The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration dialog box shows the Server Configuration, OPC UA Server Endpoints,
software revision and activation information, and certificate and diagnostic information.

NOTE: If there is a possibility that a remote client can start the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service,
you must disable the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service via the Windows Control Panel (or all of the
OPC clients should be stopped or shut down) before you reconfigure the scope. This will prevent
the service from automatically starting while you are making changes to the scope configuration.
The default DCOM settings prohibit launching the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway remotely and is the
recommended setup.

The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration supports using the FactoryTalk Application and Standalone to access
data.

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If you select FactoryTalk Application, it shows the following information:

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If you select Standalone, it shows the following information:

Item Description

1 The File button contains information about:

• Log On
• Log Off
• Exit FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration.

2 The Help button contains information about:

• Release Notes.
• Help Content
• Software version number.
• Activation
• Copyright
• Contact information

3 The Server Configuration tab contains information about:

• Data source selection.
• OPC UA server name, status, OPC discovery service URL,
status, and service inhibit checkbox.
• OPC DA server status and service inhibit checkbox.

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Item Description

4 The UA Server Endpoints tab contains information about:

• OPC UA server name, port, and URL.
• Security mode and policy.
• Authentication settings.
• Diagnostic logging settings.

5 The Advanced Settings tab contains information about:

• OPC UA namespace index configuration.
• Create additional references for each array element in the
OPC UA namespace.

6 Depending on the UA Server namespace configuration, one of

the following tabs will be available to modify the namespace.
The UA Tag List tab contains information about:
• Set tag group, add tags to tag groups
• Access of tags
• Data type in UA Tag List and OPC UA/DA Client
The Custom UA Namespace tab contains information about:
• The Data Model pane
• The Namespace pane
• The Namespace Properties pane
• The Tag Browser pane
Use the Custom UA Namespace editor to create tag definitions
for the OPC UA interfaces and bind or map them to system data
points to provide consistent names for different components or
to organize the data to comply with an industry standard.

7 The Certificate Management tab contains information about:

• Incoming certificate import, reject, trust, and remove
button.
• Outgoing certificate regenerate button.
• Certificate properties

8 The FactoryTalk Diagnostic Log tab contains information

about:
• FactoryTalk Diagnostics information.

9 Click OK to apply the changes and restart FactoryTalk Linx

Gateway service.

10 Click Cancel to close the dialog box.

11 Click Help to access the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Help.

12 Click Apply to save the server configuration.

13 The Custom RTD/DDE Namespace tab contains information

about:
• The Data Model pane
• The Tags Properties pane
• The Tag Browser pane

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Item Description

Use the Custom RTD/DDE Namespace editor to create tag

definitions for the Excel RTD and DDE interfaces and bind or
map them to system data points to provide consistent names
for different components or to provide a limited list of tags that
can be accessed from an external DDE or Excel client.

14 The Remote Proxy Service tab contains information about:

• Activation status
• Enable access to the SDK Interface
Proxy service allows FactoryTalk Linx on one computer to
bridge through a central FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Professional
workstation on the network to communicate with automation
system devices on a different network.

15 The SDK Interface tab contains information about:

• Activation status
• Enable access to the SDK Interface
Starting from version 6.31, the FactoryTalk Linx Software
Development Kit (SDK) provides a collection of software
development tools that permit custom-built software to
communicate with automation equipment using an Application
Program Interface (API) in FactoryTalk Linx.

16 The Options button contains information about:

• Language
Use this option to customize the software language.

17 The Standalone Data Service tab contains information about:

• The Device shortcut configuration pane
• The Network Browser pane
• The Properties pane
Use the Standalone Data Service to access tags directly
from Logix 5000 controllers without using without creating
FactoryTalk applications and FactoryTalk Linx servers.

Tip: The red boxes and text indicate the configuration is incomplete or invalid and requires changes to
permit normal operation.

Server Configuration
Use Server Configuration to set FactoryTalk application scope and global server properties for the FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway service.

Global Settings

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Field Description

Select Data Source Sets the data source.

• FactoryTalk Application
This option will utilize FactoryTalk Live Data to
communicate to FactoryTalk Linx servers defined in a
FactoryTalk Application. Choose this option to access
tags via an existing FactoryTalk application which is
created in FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk, and
tags from that application are accessible to clients. You
must configure the FactoryTalk Directory Scope to use the
enabled UA, DA, DDE, or RTD Server. Processor, Redundant,
Symbolic, EDS Parameter, and CIP Object shortcuts are
supported.
• Standalone
Choose this option to access tags directly from Logix 5000
controllers without using without creating FactoryTalk
applications and FactoryTalk Linx servers. However, when
Standalone is selected, a FactoryTalk Linx service is
configured within FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on the same
computer. The Standalone Data Service supports the OPC
DA server and DDE server. You must select a FactoryTalk
Security Policy:
◦ NetworK
◦ Local
Only the Processor shortcut is supported, and it can only
reference a Logix controller.

Activation to be utilized Lists all the activation types. The default option is "Automatic
Selection" which FactoryTalk Linx Gateway selects the
activation that supports the most tags.

Current Activation Type A status shows the activation utilized.

Keep configurations when uninstall Retains configuration when FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is
un-installed.
The files are saved in C:\ProgramData\Rockwell\FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway

UA Server Settings
Field Description

Service Name Sets the OPC UA service name visible to OPC UA clients.

Disable Disables or enables the OPC UA service.

• Checked: Disables the OPC UA service from operating.
• Unchecked: Enables the OPC UA service. (default)
Tip: To restart the service, select the Disable check box, and
then apply the change. Once the service is stopped, clear the

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Field Description

Disable checkbox, and then apply the change to restart the

service.

Folders with scalar data Allows OPC UA Clients to access all data as scalar from all
FactoryTalk application sources.

Tag List and structure / array access Controls which FactoryTalk Application data are accessible
to specific OPC UA Clients and to access complex types using
structures (Logix UDTs) and arrays. When enabled, OPC UA
Clients will be limited to the items selected on the UA Tag List
tab.

Custom namespace Permits the creation of user defined structures and tags within
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and assigns these definitions to tag
data from FactoryTalk application data sources. This allows you
to reorganize or remap the underlying information to support a
different naming convention often required to support OPC UA
Companion data models.

Discovery service URL Lists the URL at which the OPC UA service can be accessed.
Tip: Copy the URL text into the OPC UA client that accesses
information from the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA service.

Register with Discovery Service Sets whether the OPC UA service is listed as part of the local
OPC UA discovery service.

DA Server Settings
Field Description

Disable Disables or enables the OPC DA service.

• Checked: Disables the OPC DA service from operating.
• Unchecked: Enables the OPC DA service. (default)
Tip: If the system only utilizes one of the OPC services, We
recommends that you disable the other service to reduce
the impact on the host computer and eliminate unwanted
communications.
To restart the service, select the Disable check box, and then
apply the change. Once the service is stopped, clear the Disable
checkbox, and then apply the change to restart the service.

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Field Description

DA Access Changes the DA access after installation. This setting is

only available when the current FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
Configuration is relaunched as administrator.
• Selects Only local DA clients to allow DA client and
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway to operate on the same
computer.
• Selects Local or remote DA clients to allow DA client to
operate on the same or on a remote computer.
If this is selected, security risk might occur with higher
DCOM privilege.
Tip: This configuration will not be backed up.
For more information about DCOM authorization level change,
see Application authentication level for DCOM security on page
34.

Excel RTD Interface Settings

Field Description

Disable Disables or enables the Excel RTD interface.

• Checked: Disables the Excel RTD interface from operating.
(default)
• Unchecked: Enables the Excel RTD interface.
Tip: To restart the service, select the Disable check box, and
then apply the change. Once the service is stopped, clear the
Disable checkbox, and then apply the change to restart the
service.

Folders with scalar data Allows Excel to access all data as scalar from all FactoryTalk
application sources.

Custom namespace Permits the creation of user defined structures and tags within
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and assigns these definitions to tag
data from FactoryTalk application data sources. This allows you
to reorganize or remap the underlying information to support a
different naming convention often required to support OPC UA
Companion data models.

DDE Interface Settings

Field Description

Disable Disables or enables the DDE interface.

• Checked: Disables the DDE interface from operating.
(default)
• Unchecked: Enables the DDE interface.
Tip: To restart the service, select the Disable check box, and
then apply the change. Once the service is stopped, clear the

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Field Description

Disable checkbox, and then apply the change to restart the

service.

Folders with scalar data Allows DDE clients to access all data as scalar from all
FactoryTalk application sources.

Custom namespace Permits the creation of user defined structures and tags within
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and assigns these definitions to tag
data from FactoryTalk application data sources. This allows you
to reorganize or remap the underlying information to support a
different naming convention often required to support OPC UA
Companion data models.

Data Model Options

Field Description

Folders with scalar data • It is available for the OPC DA server, OPC UA server, Excel
RTD Interface, and DDE Interface.
• All controller or system tags are accessible. The data type
information is limited to the scalar items.
• Tag access control is limited by the controller only.
• Client can access bits from within an Integer tag,

Tag Lists • It is only available for the OPC UA server.

• It is limited to tags selected in the FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway configuration.
• The scalar, structure, and array data type definition
information is available to the OPC UA clients.
• Uses FactoryTalk Security Groups to authorize the
individual OPC UA client access to groups. Tags excluded
from the data model cannot be accessed through
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.
• Clients can only access bits from within an integer if the
integer is included in a folder or structure.

Custom namespace • It is available for the OPC UA server, Excel RTD Interface,
and DDE Interface.
• Using the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration
interface, customers can define a custom tag list and
structures to map the underlying system data. This option
provides the improved organization.
• Scalar, structure, and array type information is available to
clients.

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Field Description

• All clients have the same access level. Tags excluded from
the data model cannot be accessed through FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway.
• Clients can only access bits from within an integer if bit is
specifically added to the custom namespace.

UA Tag List
How do I open UA Tag List?
1. On the Server Configuration pane, select the Tag List and structures / array access checkbox under UA
Server.
2. Click UA Tag List that shows on the left column.

The UA tag list configuration determines the data values that each OPC UA Client can access from FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway. The UA tag list option provides both enhanced security and complex type information (for example,
structures and arrays). When the UA tag list option is disabled, all tags that are available from data sources in a
FactoryTalk Application (for example, controllers and hardware via FactoryTalk Live, OPC DA and OPC UA servers) are
accessible as scalar values to OPC UA Clients. The UA tag list contains one or more tag groups that define access
rights and includes complex type information enabling an OPC UA Client to utilize structures or User Defined Types
(UDT) from Logix controllers.

Use UA Tag List to view and edit the tag group, add tags to the tag group and set tag access rights on page 47.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway provides the ability to create tag groups, which includes a subset of data tags in the
FactoryTalk system and to add one tag to multiple tag groups. By configuring the tag group access rights with users,
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway limits the OPC UA Client's access to this group of tags instead of exposing all the tags
and manages accesses to different groups of clients. Users who are not given access to a tag group in FactoryTalk
Security will have no access to the tags in the tag group.

UA Tag List is also required if the OPC UA Client needs to access structured type information.

Only the tags configured in the tag group can be added to namespace under the group folder.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway adds the OPC UA namespace based on the groups configured in UA Tag List.

Use UA Tag List to add the following tags:

• Structure and array and its elements separately.

NOTE: If an element is added while the structure itself is not added, the structure will be
added as a folder, and the rest elements under the structure will not be added automatically.
If you add a structure or array in the UA Tag List, the exact structure or array will show in
OPC UA Client.

• Scalar.

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• Folder (for example, Shortcut to a Logix controller or program in a Logix controller and all its contents). OPC
UA Client is able to find the tags under the folder in a real-time and dynamic way. When the tags in the Tag
Browsed pane are changed, re-browse to find the updated tags.

Tip: You need to add all the items you want to access individually to the tag list.

Tip: The UA tag list does not support FactoryTalk Diagnostic Audit message.

Set up and use UA Tag List

Configure UA Tag List on page 45 to add tags to groups, set access right on page 47 and user group of tags,
export and import tags, and enable client to monitor and edit tags.

Use the Export function to back up tags to a CSV file, which simplifies the operations of adding and editing multiple
tags and tag groups.

Use the Import function to import tags and tag groups in bulk.

To add a tag group

1. Click + next to Tag

Groups.
2. In the Tag Group Setting dialog box, define Name, Description, Access Configuration, and Permission.

Tip: For multiple tag groups, by clicking Overview under Tag Groups, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
supports batch editing of access rights and tag groups.

To add a tag to a tag group

1. Click Add Tags.
2. Expand the left pane’s folder to locate a controller shortcut folder for data items within a controller navigate
in into the shortcuts Online Folder and select the item(s) you want to add in the Tag Browsed pane.

Tip: You can select multiple items simultaneously in the Tag Browsed pane. Selecting a shortcut
or Logix program, structure or array will result in all items associated within the selected item
being included in the tag group.

3. In the Tag Browsed pane, click + to select the tag and click Add.

Tip: The number of total items of all tag groups should be no more than 300,000 or error
message will appear and cannot apply the configuration. Recommend adding array, structure or
folder to avoid the large number of items.

In the Add Tag window, the left side shows Folder and Structure. Array is listed in the right Tag Browsed pane.

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The Tag Browsed pane only displays two access rights, ReadOnly and ReadWrite.

Tip:
• The access right column displays the level of access provided by the Logix controller associated
with the shortcut in the configuration. Utilize Studio 5000 Logix Designer to modify the
controller’s tag settings.
• If the tags or folders added in the UA tag list are invalid, the user should delete them or they will
be shown in the Client with bad quality.

Use Refresh Namespace to sync namespace if namespace or projects in controllers are edited or updated.

To refresh namespace
• Click Refresh Namespace.

Tip: When processing a namespace refresh operation, the UA tag list cannot be modified.

To stop a namespace Refresh operation

• At the bottom of the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration window, click Stop refreshing.

After the namespace refresh is stopped, the user can configure the UA tag lists and then restart refreshing.

When namespace refresh is finished, the UA tag list is refreshed and saved. Click OK or Apply to restart the service
for the OPC UA Server to utilize the updated namespace.

Access configuration in UA Tag List

To improve security, set different accesses to each tag to different user groups.

Tags can be configured to be accessed by all users or a specific FactoryTalk Security group. If tags are assigned
to a FactoryTalk Security group, when an OPC Client connects, its user ID and password are checked against
FactoryTalk Security. If a valid user ID is provided, the security groups for the user are verified with the Security
Groups associated with each tag group. If the user is in a security group authorized to access a tag group, the client
is given access to the tags in the authorized tag groups.

To configure the tag group access

On the Tag Group Setting pane, under Permission,

• Select All OPC UA client users can access. All users can access this tag group.
Then under Access Configuration, select Tags in group limited to read only or Tags in group support
read/write.
• Select Limit to selected FactoryTalk User Groups.
Only the users assigned to the certain user groups can access this tag group. The tag access rights of the
users under the selected user group are defined in FactoryTalk Security.

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Tip:
◦ At least one user group should be selected, otherwise all users will have access.
◦ If you configure user groups in FactoryTalk Administration Console while using UA Tag
List, you need to restart FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration to load the updated user
groups.

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Tip: Multiple OPC UA Clients can be configured in the same FT Security group. A FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
tag group can be assigned to multiple FactoryTalk Security groups.

Multiple tags can be configured in a single FactoryTalk Linx Gateway tag group. The read/write access for
tags is determined by the associated settings for the FactoryTalk Security group it is configured in.

The following table lists access configuration and results of tags when the UA tag list is enabled or disabled.

Server Configuration OPC UA

OPC UA Server Endpoint Tag Group "Permission"
Desired access "Tag List and structures /
"Authentication" setting setting
array access" Setting

All tags from all data servers Disabled Anonymous N/A

can be accessed by all clients

All tags from all servers can Disabled FactoryTalk Security N/A
be accessed by authenticated
clients

A limited set of tags can be Enabled FactoryTalk Security One or more tag groups with,
accessed by all clients “All OPC Client users can
access” selected

Each client can access a Enabled FactoryTalk Security Multiple tag groups with “Limit
different set of tags to selected FactoryTalk User
Groups” selected

Client can access bits from While not in the namespace, Bits within integers are not in User must manually create
within an Integer tag a client can append a period the namespace. For integers in a custom namespace tag
and a bit number the end of an a folder or a structure, a client mapped to a bit in an integer
integer tag's node ID. can append a period and a bit by adding a period and bit
number the end of an integer number to the end of a
tag's node ID. mapped tag reference.
Not supported for scalar items
in the tag list.

The following table describes how to configure the security options from the previous table.

Access configuration location and how to locate Access configuration

Tag Group Setting page Select Read only or Read and Write under Access
Click the UA Tag List on page 45 tab. Configuration.
Select a user group that is allowed to access the tags:
• All OPC UA client users can access
• Limit to selected FactoryTalk User Groups

Authentication Settings Set access to users:

Click the UA Server Endpoints on page 63 tab and find in the • Anonymous
Endpoints Properties pane. If the OPC UA endpoint is configured to accept Anonymous
users and the tag group access is set as Limit to selected
FactoryTalk User Groups on the Tag Group Setting pane, the

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Access configuration location and how to locate Access configuration

Anonymous user should be added as a member of the selected

FactoryTalk User Groups.
Configure read and write access to CIA message in the UA
Server Endpoints tab.
• Authenticate with FactoryTalk Security

FactoryTalk Administration Console Create a user in the desired FactoryTalk Security group for the
Open FactoryTalk Administration Console and expand System OPC UA Client to use as its Login ID and Password.
> Polices > Product Policies > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. Set OPC UA Client Read and Write access to different user
Double-click Feature Security. groups. See more in Authenticate an OPC UA client on page

Controller The access set in the controller.

IMPORTANT: The final access right of a tag is determined by the intersection of all the access
configuration results.

If a tag is set as Read Only in the controller and Read and Write in Tag Group, OPC UA Client will quote
the access as Read and Write set in the Tag Group. However, the tag's actual access in OPC UA Client
is Read Only, so it's unable to write.

NOTE: For Structure tag access right, if one element under the structure is set as Read Only, others
are set as Read and Write, when clients try to write the structure, the element with the Read Only
access fails to be written, while other elements are written successfully.

If an offline tag .ACD file contains tags with access right set to be None in the controller, when adding
the .ACD file in OPC UA Servers and adding its tags to a tag group in UA Tag List, the offline tags'
actual access is not able to be browsed in Tag Browsed pane.

Data type in UA Tag List and OPC UA/DA Client

The data type shown in the UA Tag List on page 45 and Tag Browsed pane uses the type names utilized by
Logix5000 which is somewhat different from the names defined by OPC UA and DA. To clarify the map of the data type
shown in different applications, the following table lists the corresponding data type relationship.

UA Tag List OPC DA OPC UA

BOOL VT_BOOL Boolean

USINT VT_UI1 Byte

SINT VT_I1 SByte

INT VT_I2 Int16

UINT VT_UI2 UInt16

DINT VT_I4 Int32

UDINT VT_UI4 UInt32

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LINT VT_I8 Int64

ULINT VT_UI8 UInt64

REAL VT_R4 Float

LREAL VT_R8 Double

STRING VT_BSTR String

Custom UA Namespace
How do I open Custom UA Namespace?
1. From the Start menu, select Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration.
2. In the Server Configuration pane, under UA Server, select Custom namespace.

Use the Custom UA Namespace editor to create tag definitions for the OPC UA interfaces and bind or map them to
system data points to provide consistent names for different components or to organize the data to comply with an
industry standard.

If you do not use the Tag Browser to add or edit a tag in the Custom UA Namespace editor, you must ensure that
the tag’s data type is the same as the data source, such as the Logix controller, or OPC UA server connected via the
FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector.

If you change a tag’s data type in a controller, you must ensure that the tag’s data type in the Custom UA Namespace
editor is the same as that in the controller. Otherwise, an error message "BadTypeMisMatch" appears in the UA clients
when a tag is requested, or a FactoryTalk Diagnostic message will be generated listing the type mismatch for a write
operation.

Tip: Use Ctrl+rotate the mouse wheel to zoom in or zoom out the Custom UA Namespace tab.

Naming conventions in Custom UA Namespace

The following table shows the naming conventions in the Custom UA Namespace.

Type Limitation Maximum length Case-sensitive (Yes or No)

Namespace name The name must consist of any 256 Yes

character from the following:
• 0-9
• a-z
• A-Z
• _

Tag name The name must consist of any 256 No

character from the following:
• 0-9
• a-z
• A-Z

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Type Limitation Maximum length Case-sensitive (Yes or No)

• _
• @

Tag descriptions The descriptions cannot 256 N/A

contain quotation marks.

Folder name The name must consist of any 256 No

character from the following:
• 0-9
• a-z
• A-Z
• _

Mapping ID The following metadata are 260 N/A

supported:
• .@timestamp
• .@quality
• .@TIMESTAMP
• .@QUALITY
• .@TIMEstamp
• .@ua_
• .@UA_
Other metadata with ".@" are
not supported.
Quotation marks are not
supported.
The space is supported.

Type name The name must consist of any 256 Yes

character from the following:
• 0-9
• a-z
• A-Z
• _

Type descriptions The descriptions cannot 256 N/A

contain quotation marks.

Type member name The name must consist of any 256 Yes
character from the following:
• 0-9
• a-z
• A-Z
• _

Type members description The descriptions cannot 256 N/A

contain quotation marks.

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Add a namespace
A namespace is initially created by default. You can add a namespace as needed.

You can back up or restore the namespace when you click the namespace node.

To add a namespace
1. Click .
2. In the Namespace Properties pane, configure Name and Index for the namespace.
The valid range of Index is from 10 through 9,999.
The namespace name is case-sensitive.

Configure the data types of a namespace

You can configure the data types as needed before mapping tags.

To configure the data types of a namespace

1. Click the plus sign next to Types .

2. Select the ways to add data types.
◦ Select Add New to add a data type.
a. In the UDT Properties pane, configure Name and Description for the data types.
b. Add the data type:
▪ Click Insert to insert a data type member at any location.
▪ Enter the data type name in the Click here to Add box to add a data type member at the
bottom.
◦ Select Add from Logix Controller to add the existing data type in the controller.
▪ Browse and select the tag with the data type.
3. (optional) You can rename the data type and configure its description in the UDT Properties pane.

Tip:
◦ The data type name and its element name are case-sensitive.
◦ When you click the Types node, you can see all the data types and their reference
relationships. Data types that are referenced by other tags or data types are not editable.

Delete the data type element

Custom UA Namespace supports deleting a data type element.

Tip: You cannot delete a data type element if it is referenced by tags.

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To delete a data type element

1. Select one or multiple data type elements that you want to delete.
2. Click Delete.

Order the data type element

You can change the order of the data type element.

To change the order of the data type element

1. Click Order.

2. Hover over and drag the element to the desired location.

3. Click Apply New Order.

Configure tags' properties for the UA namespace

Follow these steps to configure the tags' properties.

To configure tags' properties

1. Select Tags.
2. In the Tags Properties pane, configure the permissions to tags.

Add a folder to the UA namespace

Create folders in the UA namespace to manage tags. A folder can contain subfolders and tags at the same time.

To add a folder
1. Expand a namespace.

2. Select the Tags node or any folder node, and then select .
3. Specify the folder name, and then select OK.

Change folder names in the UA namespace

Change folder names for your convenience to manage tags.

To change a folder name

1. In the namespace pane, select beside the folder.
2. Specify the folder name, and then select OK.

Delete a folder in the UA namespace

Delete a folder in the namespace as needed.

To delete a folder
• Hover over the folder node you want to delete, and then select .

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Add a tag for the UA namespace

Follow these steps to add a tag for the UA namespace.

To add a tag
1. Select the Tags node.
2. Add a tag:
◦ Click Insert to insert a tag at any location.
◦ Enter the tag name in the Click here to Add box to add a tag at the bottom.

NOTE: If you want to set the selected data type as an array, you can configure the
array dimensions in the Select Data Type dialog box.

◦ Add multiple tags, such as scalar, array, or structure tags, from the Tag Browser by selecting Click
here to Add.
3. (optional) Browse and select the tag's data type. If you don’t add data types, the data types will be added
automatically when you map tags from Tag Browser.

Add an existing tag from a data source

Follow these steps to add an existing tag from a data source like a controller.

To add an existing tag from a data source

1. Expand a namespace, and then select Tags.
2. In the Namespace_Tags pane, select Click here to Add.

3. In the upper-right corner, select to open Tag Browser.

4. Select one or multiple tags, and then select .

NOTE: The scalar, array, or structure tags are supported.

Map a tag for the UA namespace

You need to map tags from a controller or an OPC data source to a tag or element of a tag in a custom UA namespace
to choose the data to be delivered to an external OPC UA client.

To map a tag

1. In the Mapping column, select the tag and browse to open the Tag Browser, or click in the upper-
right corner to open the Tag Browser.

2. Click to add the tag that needs to be mapped.

You can select multiple tags at once to map. The number of tags selected should be equal to the number of
tags selected in the Tag Browser.

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Tip:
◦ The tag name is not case-sensitive.
◦ If the custom namespace tag has a datatype assigned, the mapped tag's type must be
defined with the same type.
◦ If the custom namespace tag's type is not previously assigned, the type from the mapped
tag will be used.
◦ When there are multiple custom namespace items mapped that attempt to write to the
same system tag, the tag's value will be updated multiple times making it difficult to
determine the resulting value. It is recommended to only map a tag to a single item in the
custom namespace.

Delete a tag
Custom UA Namespace supports deleting a tag.

To delete a tag
1. Select one or multiple tags that you want to delete.
2. Click Delete.

Order the tag

You can change the order of the tag.

To change the order of the tag

1. Click Order.

2. Hover over and toggle the tag to the desired location.

3. Click Apply New Order.

Delete the data type and namespace

Custom UA Namespace supports deleting a data type and namespace.

To delete a data type

• Select the data type node, and then next to the data type, click .

To delete a namespace

• Select the namespace node, and then next to the namespace, click .

Custom RTD/DDE Namespace

How do I open Custom RTD/DDE Namespace?
1. From the Start menu, select Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration.
2. In the Server Configuration pane, under Excel RTD Interface or DDE Interface, select Custom namespace.

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Use the Custom RTD/DDE Namespace editor to create tag definitions for the Excel RTD and DDE interfaces and bind
or map them to system data points to provide consistent names for different components or to provide a limited list
of tags that can be accessed from an external DDE or Excel client.

If you do not use the Tag Browser to add or edit a tag in the Custom RTD/DDE Namespace editor, you must ensure
that the tag’s data type is the same as the data source, such as the Logix controller, or OPC UA server connected via
the FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector.

If you change a tag’s data type in a controller, you must ensure that the tag’s data type is consistent in the Custom
RTD/DDE Namespace editor is the same as that in the controller. Otherwise, an error message "BadTypeMisMatch"
appears in the UA clients.

You can back up or restore the namespace when you click the namespace node.

Tip: Use Ctrl+rotate the mouse wheel to zoom in or zoom out the Custom RTD/DDE Namespace tab.

Naming conventions in Custom RTD/DDE Namespace

The following table shows the naming conventions in Custom RTD/DDE Namespace.

Type Limitation Maximum length Case-sensitive (Yes or No)

Tag name The name must consist of any 256 No

character from the following:
• 0-9
• a-z
• A-Z
• _

Tag descriptions The descriptions cannot 256 N/A

contain quotation marks.

Mapping ID The following metadata are 260 N/A

supported:
• .@timestamp
• .@quality
• .@TIMESTAMP
• .@QUALITY
• .@TIMEstamp
• .@ua_
• .@UA_
Other metadata with ".@" are
not supported.
Quotation marks are not
supported.
The space is supported.

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Configure tags' properties for the RTD/DDE namespace

Follow these steps to configure tags' properties.

To configure tags' properties

• In the Tags Properties pane, configure the namespace name, tag refresh rate, and permissions to tags.

Items in the Tags Properties pane

The following table shows the items in the Tags Properties pane.

Items Descriptions

Name Specifies the namespace's name.

Refresh Rate Specifies the refresh rate of FactoryTalk Live Data.

The default setting is 2 seconds.
Tip: The default refresh rate of Excel is 2 seconds. You can
modify this rate in excel if VBA is being used to access the
interface.
You can use the following sample code from a Visual Basic
application to change the refresh rate of Excel.
Sub ChangeRtdRefreshRate()

Application.RTD.ThrottleInterval = 1000

End Sub

"1000" means 1000 milliseconds. You can change it as needed.

For more information, refer to
RTD.ThrottleInterval property (Excel).

Tag Access Specifies the RTD and DDE client's access to the tags, including:
• Read Write
• Read Only

Map a tag for the RTD/DDE namespace

You need to map tags to use the custom RTD/DDE namespace.

To map a tag
1. Select the Tags node.
2. Add a tag:
◦ Click Insert to insert a tag at any location.
◦ Enter the tag name in the Click here to Add box to add a tag at the bottom.
3. (optional) Browse and select the data type of the tag. If you don’t add data types, the data types will be added
automatically when you map tags from the Tag Browser.

4. In the Mapping column, select the tag and browse to open the Tag Browser or click in the upper-
right corner to open the Tag Browser.

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5. Click to add the tag that needs to be mapped.

◦ You can select multiple tags at once to map. The number of tags selected should be equal to the
number of tags selected in the Tag Browser.
◦ You can add multiple scalar tags from the Tag Browser by selecting the last row Click here to Add.

Tip: The tag name is case-insensitive.

Delete a tag for the RTD/DDE namespace

Custom RTD/DDE Namespace supports deleting a tag.

To delete a tag
1. Select one or multiple tags that you want to delete.
2. Click Delete.

Order the tag

You can change the order of the tag.

To change the order of the tag

1. Click Order.

2. Hover over and toggle the tag to the desired location.

3. Click Apply New Order.

Copy the tag ID

You can copy the RTD and DDE tag ID directly from the namespace into the windows clipboard. The clipboard contents
can then be pasted into an Excel worksheet. This provides properly formatted references to access the data using
either DDE or a function RTD.

Prerequisites
• Enable Excel RTD Interface or DDE Interface in the Server Configuration pane.

To copy the tag ID

• Select the tag and then click one of the following:
◦
It is used to copy the RTD tag.
◦
It is used to copy the DDE tag.

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Tip:
▪ When using the Custom Namespace, an option is provided in the namespace editor
to copy the reference for a tag in a format that can be pasted directly into Excel to
access the data
▪ You can copy the tag ID to Excel to read the tag values. You must apply changes
before copying tags.
▪ You can select multiple tags to copy the tag ID.

Remote Proxy Service

How do I open Remote Proxy Service?
1. From the Start menu, select Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration.
2. Select Remote Proxy Service.

Proxy service allows FactoryTalk Linx on one computer to bridge through a central FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
Professional workstation on the network to communicate with automation system devices on a different network.
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Professional must be installed, enabled with a Professional activation, and configured to
enable the Remote Proxy Service. Additionally, the FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser running on the central gateway
workstation must have drivers configured to locate the desired automation devices, either on the same network or a
sperate network. The FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser on each remote engineering or maintenance workstation can
then configure a driver using the "remote Devices via Proxy Service" selection and bind it to a driver on the central
gateway. Each driver can view, browse, and navigate the network topology from the gateway and go online with the
device using the gateway as a bridge. This proxy service eliminates the need to configure similar drivers on multiple
computers and makes the gateway driver configuration changes immediately visible to all remote computers.

Remote Proxy service supports 400 drivers with 400 devices at most (A client can connect 2,000 remote drivers from
different servers at most).

Remote Proxy service supports Ethernet and Backplane drivers.

Remote Proxy service supports:

• FactoryTalk Linx. You need to add a Remote Devices via Proxy Service driver.
• RSLinx Classic. You need to add a Remote Devices via Linx Gateway driver.

Tip:
◦ Before using Remote Proxy Service, you must install FactoryTalk Linx version 6.31.00 or
later.
◦ Use Ctrl+rotate the mouse wheel to zoom in or zoom out the Remote Proxy Service tab.

Remote Proxy
Field Description

Activation Status Shows the status of the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway activations.
Tip: The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Professional activation is
required to utilize the Remote Proxy Service.

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Field Description

Enable remote proxy service Selects to enable the Remote Proxy Service and use this
workstation as the centralized server.

Refresh Selects to refresh the status of the server IP addresses.

Server IP Address Shows the IP addresses on this workstation.

Description Shows the Network Interface Card (NIC) name of the IP

addresses.

Enable Selects to enable the IP address for remote proxy.

• On: Enables the connection between the server IP address
and the client IP address.
• Off: Disables the connection between the server IP
address and the client IP address.

Status Shows the connection status of the corresponding IP address,

including:

•
This IP address is enabled and valid to be connected.

•
This IP address is disabled to be connected.

•
This IP address is enabled to be connected but is not valid.
See Information for the detailed reason.

Information Provides an description for connection issues for the

corresponding IP address.

Restrict Access Specifies the IP addresses for remote workstations that will
be permitted to access the Remote Proxy service on this
workstation.
• All
Any remote workstation can access the remote proxy
servers.
• Listed IP Address
Lists the IP addresses that can access the Remote Proxy
service.
• Defined by CIP Security
All connections between the server IP address and the
client IP address must be configured by CIP Security using
FactoryTalk Policy Manager. Selecting this option also
provides communications integrity and confidentiality.
This option may prevent RSLinx Classic on remote
workstations from accessing the Remote Proxy service.

Add Selects to add an IP address.

Delete Selects to delete the selected IP addresses.

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Field Description

Copy Selects to copy the selected IP addresses.

Paste Selects to paste the copied single or multiple IP addresses to

this list.

IP Address or hostname Shows the IP addresses that can access the Remote Proxy
service.

Tip: The Client list supports:

• Sorting the item ascending or descending in each column.

In the column, select to sort the table's contents in ascending order based on column's

items. Select to sort the table's contents in descending order based on the column's items.
• Filtering the items in each column.

Select and enter the word you want to filter.

Enable remote proxy service

Prerequisites
• Install FactoryTalk Linx and FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.31.00 or later.
• Get an available activation on page .

To enable remote proxy service

1. On the Remote Proxy Service tab, select Enable remote proxy service.
2. In the Server IP Address list, set the Enable status to On to enable the IP address for remote proxy.
3. In Restrict Access, set the client access. For more information, see Remote Proxy Service on page 60.

Select FactoryTalk Directory

Use Select FactoryTalk Directory to select an application, area, or sub-area (also known as the scope) from the
FactoryTalk Directory. Tags from the scope are presented to OPC UA and DA clients as node IDs for subscription. The
top-level or root location in the FactoryTalk Directory tree is not a valid selection.

Tip:
• If the server scope is changed up or down a level in the FactoryTalk Directory tree, OPC clients
may not be able to access tags from the original configuration. This is because the OPC browse
interface provides node ID paths that are relative to the configured scope. After changing the
scope, check all relative paths in client applications to determine if their values need to be
updated.
• You must inhibit the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway services before you can configure the scope. Note
that if you do not have read permission, an error message opens when you configure scope. Refer
to Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security on page 108. You must be logged
into FactoryTalk to be able to configure the scope. If you have not already done so, you will be
prompted to log in when you click Select.

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UA Server Endpoints
How do I open UA Server Endpoints?
1. From the Start menu, select Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration.
2. Select UA Server Endpoints.

Use UA Server Endpoints to add, remove, and configure OPC UA server endpoint URLs and properties.

UA Server Endpoints
Field Description

UA Server Endpoints A list of all configured OPC UA server endpoint URLs, their
security modes, and security policies.

Add Adds a new OPC UA server endpoint to the list. on page

Remove Removes the highlighted OPC UA server endpoint from the list.
on page

Field Description

Name Sets the name for the OPC UA server endpoint. The name must
be unique. The server name displays in the OPC UA namespace
and is included in the full tag path for all nodes provided by the
server.

Port Sets the port number for the OPC UA server endpoint. The port
must be unique. The default port is 4990 and increments by 1
for each additional endpoint.

Address Selects the hostname or IP address of the computer.

URL Sets the network path to the OPC UA Server.

This URL must be provided to OPC UA client applications in
order to connect to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway UA service.
The firewall on the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA server
must allow incoming connections to the selected port for the
connection to succeed.

Copy Copies the URL into the windows clipboard, so it can be pasted
into the OPC UA Client.

Disable Turns off the endpoints.

Enable reverse connect Enables a server to initiate the connection to an OPC UA client.

Client URL Sets the URL to identify the OPC UA client the server will
communicate with using the reverse connect.
The URL must be in the format
opc.tcp://hostname_or_ip:port/Endpoint where

hostname_or_ip and port are replaced with the hostname

or IP address and port number of the OPC UA client. Endpoint

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Field Description

is optional. Do not use the port that is already occupied by other

clients.
The maximum number of Client URLs supported is 20 for each
endpoint.

Max Connection Sets the maximum number of clients connected to the current
UA server endpoint. These clients should be on the same
computer with the same client URL.
The valid range of Max Connection is 1–20.

Security Mode Displays the security method required for connections between
OPC UA clients and the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA server.
• Sign: Use signature to secure the connection.
• Sign & Encrypt: Use signature and encryption to secure
the connection.
• Sign + Sign & Encrypt: Use either signature or signature
and encryption to secure the connection.

Security Policy Displays whether security is required or optional for

connections between OPC UA clients and the FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway OPC UA server.
There are four security algorithm suites:
• None
• Basic128Rsa15
• Basic256
• Basic256Sha256

Anonymous Sets Anonymous account with access to FactoryTalk Linx

Gateway.

Limit to read-only access Sets Anonymous account with only read access.

Enable read access to CIA message Permits an OPC UA client connected to FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway with Anonymous login and read access permissions
to retrieve information from a device using a FactoryTalk Linx
shortcut configured with: CIP Object - Class/Instance/Attribute
Message

Enable write access to CIA message Permits an OPC UA client connected to FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway with Anonymous login and write access permissions to
send information to a device using a FactoryTalk Linx shortcut
configured with: CIP Object - Class/Instance/Attribute Message

FactoryTalk Security User Sets FactoryTalk Security user with read and write access. The
user is created in FactoryTalk Administration Console > System
> Users and Groups. Username and password are needed.

Log diagnostic message on tag write When enabled, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway will create a
diagnostic or audit message every time a tag is written by an
external OPC UA client. The default setting is disabled.

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Field Description

Log as audit message When enabled, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway will create an
audit message in the FactoryTalk Audit log with time-and
date-stamped information to track changes that occurred
during the operation of the system.

Log as diagnostic message When enabled, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway will create a
diagnostic message in the FactoryTalk Diagnostics log
with time-and date-stamped information to help diagnose
anomalies.

Approaches for OPC UA clients to connect to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

There are two approaches for OPC UA clients to connect to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway:

• The OPC UA client connects to the OPC UA server directly on page .

• Use the Reverse Connect option to enable a server to initiate the connection to an OPC UA client. For more
details, see Configure Reverse Connect on page 65.

Configure Reverse Connect

Usually, a connection is opened by the client before starting the UA-specific handshake. However, this will fail when
servers are behind firewalls with no open ports to connect to. In the reverse connectivity scenario, the server opens
the connection and starts with a ReverseHello message requesting that the client establish a secure channel using
this connection.

To use Reverse Connect, you should configure the connection in both FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and the OPC UA
client.

IMPORTANT: Changing the Max Connection to 1 may prevent client communication because some
OPC UA clients require 2 connections to operate normally.

To configure Reverse Connect in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

1. On the UA Server Endpoints pane, select Enable reverse connect.
2. Click Add and enter the client URL.
The URL must be in the format opc.tcp://hostname_or_ip:port/Endpoint where
hostname_or_ip and port are replaced with the hostname or IP address and port number of the OPC UA
client. Endpoint is optional. Do not use the port that is already occupied by other clients.
Example: client IP=192.168.1.1, port number=4001, Client URL= opc.tcp://192.168.1.1:4001
3. Click Apply.

For more details about Reverse Connect, see UA Server Endpoints on page 63.

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To configure Reverse Connect in UA Client (taking UaExpert as an example)

1. In the Unified Automation UaExpert dialog box, click to add a server.

2. In the Add Server dialog box, under Reverse Discovery, enter the URL which is the same URL entered in the
Client URL box in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.
3. Click OK.

About
How do I open About?
1. From the Start menu, select Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration.
2. Select Help > About.

Use About to identify the version of the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway user interface, OPC UA and DA servers, OPC
Foundation Discovery Service, Excel RTD Interface, DDE Interface, SDK Interface, and Remote Proxy Service and to
view the copyright and contact information of FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Revision
Field Description

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway User Interface Revision Lists the version number of the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway user
interface on the local machine.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA Server Revision Lists the version number of the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC
UA service on the local machine.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC DA Server Revision Lists the version number of the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC
DA service on the local machine.

OPC Foundation Discovery Service Revision Lists the version number of the OPC Foundation Discovery
Service on the local machine.

Excel RTD Interface Revision Lists the version number of the Excel RTD interface on the local
machine.

DDE Interface Revision Lists the version number of the DDE interface on the local
machine.

FactoryTalk Linx SDK Revision Lists the version number of the FactoryTalk Linx SDK interface
on the local machine.

FactoryTalk Linx Remote Proxy Service Revision Lists the version number of the FactoryTalk Linx Remote Proxy
service on the local machine.

Certificate Management
Use Certificate Management to view FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA server certificate information.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway creates a default, self-signed security certificate during installation. The
security certificate is stored at C:\ProgramData\Rockwell\FTLinxGateway\PKI\own
\cert_ftgw_opcua_server.der on the host computer for the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server. A custom

security certificate can be created by generating a certificate signing request in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and

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signed by an external trusted security authority and then imported to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway to replace the default
certificate.

Certificate properties
Field Description

Name Displays the name of the security certificate.

Status Displays the certificate status, either Trusted or Rejected.

Location Displays the path to the security certificate on the FactoryTalk

Linx Gateway computer.

Application Name Displays the application from where the certificate is

presented.

Organization Displays the organization name that submitted to CA when

requesting the certificate.

Application URI Displays the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway application URI

associated with the security certificate.

Domain Displays the workstation name.

Subject Name Displays the subject properties on the certificate. For example,
Common Name (CN).

Valid From The date and time when the security certificate is valid.

Expiration Time The date and time when the security certificate expires.

Thumbprint A short sequence of bytes created by applying the

cryptographic hash function to identify a certificate.

Certificate actions
Button Description

Import Specifies and import the certificate to be used as incoming

certificate or outgoing certificate.

Reject Moves the specific certificate(s) from Trusted Certificates list

to Rejected Certificates list. The client(s) cannot communicate
with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Remove Removes the specific certificate(s) from Trusted Certificates

list or Rejected Certificates list. The client(s) cannot
communicate with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Trust The specific certificate is added to Trusted Certificates list

and the client can communicate with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Create CSR Creates a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) and save the
request as a CSR file.

Regenerate Creates another certificate to renew the valid period.

Refresh Refreshes to display the latest certificates.

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Button Description

Manage Access Limits access to security certificate management operations

to administrators or individuals approved by an administrator.
This function is only available to Administrator.
To add user or group:
1. On Certificate Management tab, click Manage Access.
2. In Manage Access dialog, click Add.
3. In Select User or Group dialog, click Advanced > Find
Now.
4. In Search results, select the name of the user or group
you want to add.
5. Click OK.
Tip: If you are Administrator and in the Administrator
group but this option is still not available, do the following:
a. Launch Run.
b. Enter gpedit.msc and click OK.
c. In Local Group Policy Editor dialog, select
Computer Configuration > Windows Settings
> Security Settings > Local Policies > Security
Options.
d. Double-click User Account Control: Run all
administrators in Admin Approval Mode.
e. Select Disabled.

Advanced Settings
How do I open Advanced Settings?
1. From the Start menu, select Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration.
2. Select Advanced Settings.

Use Advanced Settings to configure advanced performance. The following settings are not available if you select
Custom namespace on the Server Configuration tab.

Field Description

Enable configuration of OPC UA namespace index Selects this checkbox to specify, refresh, delete, import or
export OPC UA namespace index when tag list is turned on.
For more details, see Enable configuration of OPC UA
namespace index.

Namespace index presented to OPC UA clients Sets user option to select FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA
service namespace index value. An OPC UA Client will see (2 or
3). Default is 2.
• When tag list is enabled, the UA client browsed the tag as
namespace index = 2 or 3, with scalar/array/structure.
• When tag list is disabled, the UA client browsed the tag as
namespace index = 2 or 3.

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Create additional references for each array element in the OPC When selected, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway will support OPC UA
UA namespace Clients to browse sub-elements under array.
Tip: This option is only available when Tag List and
structure/array access on the Server Configuration on page
tab is selected.

Cache UA Server namespace Select this checkbox to create a cache for UA Tag List and
Custom UA Namespace.
The cache will be created when you apply all changes and
restart the server. The Cache UA Server namespace checkbox
is cleared by default. Changing the UA Tag List and Custom UA
Namespace configuration will recreate a cache.

Refresh It is available when the Cache UA Server namespace checkbox

is selected.
Select this button to clear the cache and then restart the UA
service. Refreshing the cache will cause all OPC UA clients to be
disconnected while the namespace is regenerated.
Note: Based on the number of tags defined in the namespace,
this could take an extended period of time to complete.

Enable configuration of OPC UA namespace index

A "namespace index" is a number a client can utilize to identity the data to be accessed from an OPC UA server.
Changes to the configuration may cause the namespace index values to also be modified, causing difficulty for some
OPC UA clients. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway provides the ability to override the default namespace index numbers and
assign numbers to help OPC UA clients connect to the service.

With the Enable configuration of OPC UA namespace index option turned off:

• A single namespace index is used for data from FactoryTalk Directory. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway pulls data
from multiple tags and structures which can exist in multiple controllers that use the same datatype name
with the prefix [Shortcut name] but defined by a different layout.

With the Enable configuration of OPC UA namespace index option turned on:

• The namespace index can represent each data source of FactoryTalk Linx shortcuts or UA Connector
endpoints to avoid a collision where two sources have different types with identical type and tag names. The
common index is 10 for other types of data servers.

OPC UA namespace index value

The valid range of namespace index is from 0 through 9999.

By default, a new index is assigned for a new added FactoryTalk Linx shortcut or a new added UA Connector endpoint.

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To edit the index

• Select the tag row and then click .

Tip:
◦ If a tag ID starts with ''[xxx]'' from OPC DA Data Server (for example, tags that originate from
RSLinx Classic), it will have an individual OPC UA namespace index not the common index as
10.
◦ We don’t recommend an index sequence with large gaps.

Custom Namespace
How do I open Custom Namespace?
1. On the Server Configuration pane, select Custom namespace under UA Server, DA Server, Excel RTD
Interface, or DDE Interface.
2. Click Custom Namespace that shows on the left column.

Use Custom Namespace to:

• Improve the organization of the automation system data. For example, to change the layout of structures
coming from programmable controllers.
• Organize scalar data into structures.
• Combine data from multiple sources or programmable controllers into a structure.
• Apply a different naming convention for the automation system data. For example, to meet an industry
specific standard without having to redefine and program the programmable controllers.
• Limit or secure the automation system data that is available to clients.

FactoryTalk Diagnostic Log

Use FactoryTalk Diagnostic Log to view historical error, warning, and information level diagnostic messages about
the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway services on the current computer.

FactoryTalk Diagnostic Log

Button Description

Refresh Clears the FactoryTalk Diagnostic Log and refresh diagnostic

messages from the FactoryTalk Diagnostics server on the local
computer.

Launch FactoryTalk Diagnostic Viewer Starts the FactoryTalk Diagnostic Viewer to view diagnostic
messages for all FactoryTalk devices and services, or to view
diagnostic messages for a remote computer.

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 Chapter 4

Use FactoryTalk Linx Gateway to Access Data

This chapter includes the following information:

• Before you begin

• Starting FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
• Selecting the scope
• Accessing data

Before you begin

Before you can access data via FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, you must:

1. Install and activate FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

For the detailed steps, refer to Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on page 17.

NOTE: If you will use the standalone data source, steps 2-4 are not required.

2. Create a FactoryTalk application, or point to an existing application, in FactoryTalk Administration Console.

For the detailed steps, refer to FactoryTalk Services Platform Help.
3. Add a data server, for example, a FactoryTalk Linx data server.
For the detailed steps, refer to FactoryTalk Services Platform Help.
4. Add shortcuts to target controllers in FactoryTalk Linx.
For the detailed steps, refer to FactoryTalk Linx Online Help.

Open FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Open FactoryTalk Linx Gateway by selecting Start > Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Configuration. (Or click on the FactoryTalk Administration Console menu bar.) The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
Configuration dialog box opens. The default setting exposes all projects in the directory under the Network node.

Tip: To start or stop the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service, you must be a Windows Administrator or
Power User of the computer.

Select a data source

Select a data source for data acquisition.

To select a data source

1. In Server Configuration, select a data source:
◦ FactoryTalk Application
a. Click Select.
b. In Select FactoryTalk Directory, select the Network or Local FactoryTalk Directory.
c. From the FactoryTalk Directory tree, select an application or area.

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d. Select OK.

NOTE: When choosing this option to access data, you must go to FactoryTalk
Administration Console to configure data sources and shortcuts.

◦ Standalone
a. In the Standalone Data Service dialog, enable the OPC DA server and DDE server, and then select
OK.
b. Select the Network or Local FactoryTalk Directory for security policy.

NOTE: When choosing this option to access data, you must go to the Standalone
Data Service tab to configure shortcuts.

2. Select Apply.
3. In FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration, click Yes to restart the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway services and
apply the scope change.

Scope for FactoryTalk Application

The scope is the area or application from which you want to access data. The main FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
Configuration dialog box shows the current scope. The supported scope will depend on the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
activation purchased. For more information on supported scopes and activation, see Activation types on page 93.

A local scope means that only one instance of a FactoryTalk Linx data server can be configured and resides on the
local host computer. A network scope means that multiple FactoryTalk Linx data servers can be configured and
may be distributed across the network. If the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is providing data to a FactoryTalk View SE
application, activations that support the local or network application must be installed for FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
and FactoryTalk View SE.

Tip:
• If there is a possibility of a remote or local client requesting tag data from FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway, you must disable the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service via the Windows Control
Panel, or stop or shut down all of the OPC clients before you reconfigure the scope. This will
prevent the service from automatically starting while you are configuring the scope. The default
DCOM settings prohibit launching the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC <DA> service remotely and is
the recommended setup.
• You must stop the service before you can configure the scope. Note that if you do not have read
permission, an error message opens when you configure scope. Refer to the FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway Help. You must be logged into FactoryTalk to be able to configure the scope. If you have
not already done so, you will be prompted to log in when you click Select.
• When using a new system, or if you need to change the scope, use the FactoryTalk Administration
Console.

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Access the data

Your access to, and actions within, the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway tool are controlled by FactoryTalk Security settings.
Refer to Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security on page 108 before attempting to configure
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Once a FactoryTalk Directory data source is selected and the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service is running, OPC UA and
DA clients can read and write the data provided from the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway services. Refer to your OPC client
documentation for more information.

Prerequisites:

NOTE: These prerequisites are required when you select FactoryTalk Application as the data
source. Using Standalone as the data source allows to access data without creating FactoryTalk
applications and FactoryTalk Linx servers. The standalone data source supports the OPC DA server
and DDE server.

1. In the scoped FactoryTalk application, add a FactoryTalk Linx data server.

2. In the scoped FactoryTalk application, create a shortcut from the application to the server hosting the tag
data.
a. In FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration Console, open Communication Setup.
b. In Device Shortcuts, click Add.
c. (optional) Type a unique name for the shortcut.
d. In the communications hierarchy tree in the right-hand pane, click the device that contains the tag
data, then click Apply.
e. Click Yes to apply changes.
f. In Shortcut Type, select a type of shortcut. The default value is Processor.
g. Click OK to close Communication Setup.
For more information about shortcuts, see FactoryTalk Linx Help.
3. (optional) On the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway host PC, use Server Configuration on page to verify the
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA, OPC DA service, DDE interface, or Excel RTD interface is running.

To access data via FactoryTalk Linx Gateway by an OPC DA client:

1. Start an OPC DA client.
2. Configure the OPC UA or DA client to connect to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service by entering or browsing
to the hostname or IP address of the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server.
3. In the OPC DA client, add a data group.
4. In the OPC DA client, add one or more data items to the data group.

Tip: OPC DA clients can read and write all tags.

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To access data via FactoryTalk Linx Gateway by an OPC UA client:

1. Start an OPC UA client.
2. Configure the OPC UA client to connect to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service by entering or browsing to
an OPC UA Endpoint URL. If security is required, the client may need to accept the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
security certificate on page .
3. In the OPC UA client, add data items.

Tip: The reference used to access tags is configured differently depending on the OPC UA
Service configuration setting:
◦ If you select Folders with scalar data, refer to Feature Security Properties on page .
◦ If you select Tag List and structures / array access, refer to Access configuration in UA
Tag List on page 47.
◦ If you select Custom namespace, refer to Custom UA Namespace.

To access data via FactoryTalk Linx Gateway by Excel RTD:

1. Enable the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Excel RTD service
2. Choose and/or configure a data form option
◦ Folders with scalars
◦ Custom namespace
3. Start Excel.
4. Configure the Excel to connect to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service by entering RTD formulas. For RTD
formula samples, refer to Excel RTD formula sample on page 115.

Tip: The reference used to access tags is configured differently depending on the Excel RTD
interface configuration setting:
◦ If you select Folders with scalar data, Excel can read and write all tags.
◦ If you select Custom namespace, see Custom RTD/DDE Namespace.

To access data via FactoryTalk Linx Gateway by an DDE client:

1. Enable the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway DDE service
2. Choose and/or configure a data form option
◦ Folders with scalars
◦ Custom namespace
3. Start an DDE client.
4. If the client is Excel, configure Excel to connect to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service by entering DDE
formats to read tags or running VBA to read and write tags. For samples, see DDE format sample on page
118 or Visual Basic for Applications on page 119.
If other clients, access data by following the DDE standard.

Tip: The reference used to access tags is configured differently depending on the DDE interface
configuration setting:
◦ If you select Folders with scalar data, DDE clients can read and write all tags.
◦ If you select Custom namespace, refer to Custom RTD/DDE Namespace.

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For more information on FactoryTalk Linx Gateway activations, see Activation types on page 93.

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 Chapter 5

Use FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

This chapter includes the following information:

• About FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor

• Run FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor
• Create a snapshot file
• Use FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor to troubleshoot FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

About FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor

FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor is installed with FactoryTalk Services Platform. This stand-alone tool shows
diagnostic counter information as well as OPC clients, groups, and corresponding items.

FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor shows diagnostic information about the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway runtime
operation:

• Diagnostic counters are displayed as properties at the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, client, and group levels.
• Individual diagnostic items are displayed as children of their corresponding group connection.

Tip: FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor shows diagnostics for FactoryTalk Linx Gateway,
FactoryTalk Live Data, and FactoryTalk Linx (if installed).

The FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor main window contains three areas:

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Item Description

Navigator
Workstations are manually added to or removed from a tree
in the Navigator area. If FactoryTalk Linx or FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway is installed on a workstation, FactoryTalk Diagnostics
Counter Monitor automatically detects and shows them on the
tree under the associated workstation.

Data
The values of the selected diagnostic items are displayed in the
Data area.
The Data area contains the following columns:
• Name: At the root, provider, and client levels, this is the
name of the diagnostic counter. At the group level, this is
the tag name.
• Value: At the root and provider levels, this is the returned
data value of the diagnostic counter. At the group level,
this indicates the status of the tag: Active or Inactive.
Note that neither the list of names nor their values can be
modified.
For a description of each counter, refer to the FactoryTalk
Diagnostics Counter Monitor Help.

Viewer, which contains two tabs:

• Troubleshooting Resources
The Help is integrated into FactoryTalk Diagnostics
Counter Monitor using this viewer.
• FactoryTalk Diagnostics Messages
Error messages associated with FactoryTalk Diagnostics
Counter Monitor are logged to FactoryTalk Diagnostics.
These messages are also displayed on the FactoryTalk
Diagnostics Messages viewer. This enables you to see if
there is any correlation between the logged messages and
the values of the diagnostic items displayed in the Data
area. Note that FactoryTalk Diagnostics messages are
displayed for the local workstation only.

To further aid in diagnosing problems, an integrated snapshot feature captures diagnostic values into an .xml file.
This enables you to send this information to Rockwell Automation Technical Support if you need troubleshooting
assistance. Refer to Create a snapshot file on page 79.

Tip: FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor is currently supported for desktop servers only. Windows
CE is not supported in this release.

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Keep the following in mind while using FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor:

• Inactive tags are displayed with a value of Inactive.

• If a group's state is inactive, then the items within that group are inactive, regardless of what appears on the
screen. However, if a group's state is active, it does not affect the state of any items within that group; that
is, items within that group may be active or inactive.
• If client and group names are supplied by the client, then those names will be shown in the FactoryTalk
Diagnostics Counter Monitor Navigator area.
• Duplicate items are given a numerical suffix (that is, itemname (#)) to distinguish them and are treated as
unique tags. Duplicate items are numbered sequentially as they are added, regardless of the Group to which
they are added. For more information, refer to FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor Help.

Run FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor

Note the following before you begin using FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor:

• FactoryTalk Linx Gateway must be installed and running on one or more host computers on the network.
• The diagnostics client must have access to a workstation that has an application with diagnostic items
associated with it. A client must be accessing those diagnostic items in order for them to be shown on
FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor.
• To prevent FactoryTalk Linx Gateway performance degradation, run only one instance of FactoryTalk
Diagnostics Counter Monitor at a time, and close the tool when you have finished troubleshooting.

To run FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor:

1. Start FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor.
Click Start > Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Tools> FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter
Monitor.
The FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor main window opens. By default, the Navigator area shows a
single root item called System Diagnostics.
2. Add a workstation to the Navigator area.
Right-click on the root in the Navigator area, and select Add Workstation. The Enter Workstation IP
Address/Hostname dialog box opens.

Tip: Alternately, you can add a workstation by clicking the root in the Navigator area and

clicking .

Enter the hostname or the device name of the workstation that contains the diagnostics you want to view,
and click OK. For more information about the Enter Workstation IP Address/Hostname dialog box, refer to
FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor Help.
Note that the default workstation is localhost.
3. Expand the workstation to expose the installed data provider(s).
4. Click on any diagnostic item in the tree. The diagnostic counters associated with the selected item are shown
in the Data area of the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor main window. While the item is selected, the
counter values are updated automatically as new values are received.

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Create a snapshot file

Snapshot files aid in troubleshooting by capturing all diagnostic values in an .xml file, which can then be sent to
Rockwell Automation Technical Support. The .xml file contains the values of all of the diagnostic counters, whether
expanded and displayed or not. Refer to the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor Help for more information.

To create a snapshot file:

1. Click File > Save Snapshot.
2. Select the location to which you want to save the snapshot file. The default location is the C: drive.
3. Enter a filename, or use the default filename, FTDiagData.xml.
4. Click Save.

Use FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor to troubleshoot FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

To use FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor to troubleshoot FactoryTalk Linx Gateway:

1. Start FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. (Start > Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway >

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration or click on the FactoryTalk Administration Console menu
bar.)
2. Start FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor. (Start > Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Tools
> FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor.)
3. Click FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA Server or FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA Server in the
FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor Navigator area.
4. Use the counters displayed in the Counter area to see the high-level status of the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
interactions with the clients:
◦ Activation: Verify the value indicates the correct activation.
◦ Count against Activation: Verify there are tags present (value > 0).
◦ Service Status: Verify the service is Running.
◦ Selected Scope: Verify the scope is correct for your application.
◦ Data Callbacks: Verify that tags are updating (values increase). If tags are not updating, there are a
number of possible reasons:
▪ The data values are static.
▪ The controller is in PROGRAM mode.
▪ Groups or items at the client level are inactive.
5. Click the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Messages tab in the Viewer area. For more information about using this
resource, refer to the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor Help.

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 Chapter 6

Back up and restore FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration

Starting with version 6.30.00, the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configurations can be backed up and restored in
FactoryTalk Administration Console or by commands. It is important to create a backup of the system configuration
after any significant changes are made, to help recover system operation if a computer hardware or operating
system failure occur.

The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration is contained in Server configuration, UA Server Endpoint settings,
Advanced Settings, UA Tag List, SDK Interface, and Remote Proxy Service that must all be retained if you plan to
restore the system later.

• Back up FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration on page 80

• Restore FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration on page 81

Back up FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration

FactoryTalk Services Platform provides an option to back up FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration configured on
the same computer. You can back up the current settings and restore them later to control the settings, especially
when the application or scope (Local or Network) of FactoryTalk Linx is changed.

IMPORTANT: During a backup operation, some FactoryTalk services will be temporarily locked,
preventing new requests from being processed. This situation will result in new tag read or write
operations from being performed and prevent some user interface operations. Once the backup is
completed, new requests will operate normally. To minimize the potential impact on the automation
system, the backup operation should be performed when the system is in an idle state.

The backup operation cannot include:

• Incoming and outgoing certificates of FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

• Trusted and rejected lists
• DA Access option
• The list of approved users that can manage certificates

Refer to Restore FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration on page 81 to find steps to restore FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway configuration on the local computer and distributed data servers.

Prerequisites
• Identify the security permissions needed to perform the backup operation. Backup is only available when you
have the access in FactoryTalk Security (System > Policies > System Policies > User Rights Assignment >
Backup and Restore).

To back up FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration

1. In FactoryTalk Administration Console Explorer, right-click the Network or Local, then select Backup.
2. In Specify archive name, use the default name or a customized name for the backup file.

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Tip: We don't recommend changing the default archive name. The default name contains the
leading digits of the security authority identifier which allows you to easily identify the archive
file associated with a specific directory.

3. In Specify archive location, use the default archive path or customize the path as needed.
4. In Backup Contents:
◦ Select FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration.

Tip: This option is not available if the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is not installed or the
installed FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version is earlier than 6.30.00.

◦ (optional) Select FactoryTalk Directory configuration to back up the entire FactoryTalk Directory.
◦ (optional) Select FactoryTalk Linx configuration to back up the FactoryTalk Linx shortcut and driver
configurations.
5. To encrypt your archive file, select the Encrypt file contents checkbox, and then enter the same passphrase
in the Passphrase and Confirm passphrase boxes. If you clear this check box, your backup archive file will
not be encrypted or protected.
Encrypt file contents is not available if your operating system does not support the proper level of
encryption.
6. Select OK.

Restore FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration

The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration can be restored when the configuration is backed up. This is helpful
when a computer needs to be replaced or refreshed resulting from a significant hardware or operating system
failure.

Prerequisites
• Identify the security permissions needed to perform the restore operation. Restore is only available when you
have the access in FactoryTalk Security (System > Policies > System Policies > User Rights Assignment >
Backup and Restore).

To restore FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration

1. In FactoryTalk Administration Console Explorer, right-click Network or Local, and select Restore.
2. In Restore, select Browse, select the BAK file to restore, and select Open.
3. Select Next.
4. If the backup file is encrypted, Restore Backup File opens. Enter the passphrase used during the backup
operation.
5. In Restore Contents, select FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration to restore configurations.

Tip: This option is not available if the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is not installed or the installed
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version is earlier than 6.30.00.

6. Select Finish.

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Chapter 6 Back up and restore FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration

After restoring is completed, you should:

1. Restart the computer.

2. Confirm that the FactoryTalk Directory scope is existing.
3. On the UA Server Endpoints tab, select the correct hostname or IP address if the hostname or IP address of
the computer is changed.
4. Re-trust or re-reject the incoming certificates.
5. Regenerate or re-import the outgoing certificate.
6. (optional) Add users that can manage certificates.

Use commands to back up and restore

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports backup and restore by commands.

Parameter Required/Optional Description

-s Required Specifies the FactoryTalk Directory scope.

Only "Global" and "Local" scopes are
supported.

-sso Required Uses single sign-on for authentication.

-b Required Command for backup, which is conflict

with the -r command.

-r Required Command for restore, which is conflict

with the -b command.

-bak Required Specifies the location to save the backup

file or the location where restore file can
be found. (For example: -bak c:\aa.bak)
• For backup operation, the existing
files will be replaced while creating
new files.
• For restore operation, make sure the
file already exists in the system.

-ftd Optional The whole FactoryTalk directory. The -sys

and -app commands will be ignored if the
-ftd is used.

-sys Optional The FactoryTalk System directory.

-app Optional Specifies the FactoryTalk application.

Specific application names are needed
when using this parameter.

-ido Optional Used to restore the FactoryTalk Directory

identifier. It's only valid with command -r.

-prod Optional Specifies the product names. (For

example: -prod "FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway")

-e Optional Used to encrypt the backup file.

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 Chapter 6 Back up and restore FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration

Parameter Required/Optional Description

-pp Optional The plain passphrase is used to encrypt

or decrypt the backup file. The command
will be ignored when "-ep" command is
used or the "-e" command is not used.
Note: If the passphrase contains a ",
it should be type as "" in command
line. For example, if the passphrase is
~!@#$%^&*()_+-={}[]|

\:";'<>,.?/, when you use the

passphrase to encrypt or decrypt

the backup file in commands, you
should type the passphrase as
"~!@#$%^&*()_+-={}[]|

\:"";'<>,.?/".

-f Optional Used to force replace the opened

applications if needed.

-ow Optional Used to overwrite the existing

applications.

Examples of using the command line:

• Back up the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\FTSysBackupRestoreTool.exe" -b -s Global -sso

-bak C:\backup\FTLGW_File.bak -prod "FactoryTalk Linx Gateway"

• Back up the the FactoryTalk Directory and FactoryTalk Linx

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\FTSysBackupRestoreTool.exe" -b -s Global -sso

-bak C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\identifier.bak -ido

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\FTSysBackupRestoreTool.exe -b -s Global -sso

-bak c:\backup\FTLGW_File.bak -prod “FactoryTalk Linx”

• Restore the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\FTSysBackupRestoreTool.exe -r -s Global -sso

-bak C:\backup\FTLGW_File.bak -prod "FactoryTalk Linx Gateway"

• Restore the FactoryTalk Directory and FactoryTalk Linx

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\FTSysBackupRestoreTool.exe" -r -s Global -sso

-bak C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\identifier.bak -ido

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\FTSysBackupRestoreTool.exe -r -s Global -sso

-bak c:\backup\FTLGW_File.bak -prod “FactoryTalk Linx”

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Chapter 6 Back up and restore FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration

NOTE: For an encrypted bak file created in FactoryTalk Services Platform version 3.00 and before, if
no passphrase was entered, the restore commands should be like:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\FTSysBackupRestoreTool.exe" -r -s Global

-sso -bak C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\Network.bak -ftd -e

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 Chapter 7

Troubleshoot FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

This chapter includes the following information:

• What to check first if you’re having problems

• Troubleshooting tools for FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
• Troubleshooting topics
• How to contact technical support

What to check first if difficulties are experienced

Does your FactoryTalk Linx Gateway meet the minimum hardware and software requirements? Refer to Install
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on page 17 for these requirements.

Is the software installed correctly? Refer to Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on page 17 for installation
instructions. Restart your computer after installing the software before you begin using FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Do you have a valid activation file? Check the FactoryTalk Diagnostics log. An information message is logged if
the activation file is not detected by the system when you launch FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. Refer to the FactoryTalk
Services Platform Help for information about FactoryTalk Diagnostics messages. Refer to About Activations on page
92 for information about activations.

Is the OPC UA client successfully connected to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server? Check if the
OPC UA client use the same security mode and policy with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. For example, Sign &
Encrypt and Basic256Sha256. Make sure the OPC UA client trust the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway certificate:
cert_ftgw_opcua_server.der. Refer FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Online Help for information about secure OPC

UA client and certificate validation. Also confirm both the OPC Client and the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway have trusted
each other’s security certificates. There could be a case where the two connect properly but no data is available. This
can happen if the user chooses tag list but does not configure any tags. Another case could occur when the client
successfully connects and is able to browse tags but is not able to read or write. This could be because the security is
not configured or the client is not using the correct ID/Password credentials.

Troubleshooting Tools
To help you isolate, diagnose, and correct any problems you may experience using FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, use the
following troubleshooting tools:

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration Tool

Use the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration Tool to view status and diagnostic information. Server
Configuration displays the server status. About > FactoryTalk Historical Diagnostics displays FactoryTalk
Diagnostics messages scoped to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service.

FactoryTalk Diagnostics
FactoryTalk Diagnostics provides the ability to log errors, warnings, and other status messages generated throughout
a FactoryTalk-enabled system to a central location called an event log. If you encounter a problem, you can review the
events in the log that led up to the problem to assist in determining the cause. Or, you can monitor the log to identify
potential problems and take corrective action before a problem occurs.

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Chapter 7 Troubleshoot FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Note that FactoryTalk Diagnostics messages are displayed for the local workstation only.

Refer to the FactoryTalk Services Platform Help for more information about FactoryTalk Diagnostics and the event log.
Refer to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Help for more information about diagnostic messages specific to FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway.

FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor

FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor aids in troubleshooting OPC connections from third-party products. It shows
diagnostic information about the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway runtime operation. The FactoryTalk Diagnostics event
log and Help are integrated into this tool. Refer to Use FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor with FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway on page 76 for more information. Refer to the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Counter Monitor Help for individual
counter descriptions.

FactoryTalk Live Data Test Client

FactoryTalk Live Data Test Client is a utility to test your OPC DA connection after you have configured the FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway. This utility is installed automatically with FactoryTalk Services Platform. This utility can only test
connections to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC DA service. While this test client is not able to interface with the
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC interface, it can be used to verify if FactoryTalk Linx is able to access the desired data.

OPC Test Client

OPC Test Client is a utility that enables you to test your data connections if you are using remote OPC Client
functionality. This utility is installed automatically as part of Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on the FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway product DVD.

The OPC Foundation provides an OPC UA sample client, available for download at https://opcfoundation.org/
developer-tools/samples-and-tools-unified-architecture/net-stack-and-sample-applications/.

Troubleshooting topics
The topics below provide information to help you troubleshoot FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway's OPC UA service does not appear in the OPC Local Discovery Service (LDS)
Possible causes and solutions

• FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is not configured

1. No scope
To solve this issue, configure the related scope based on the activation type and apply the system
configuration.
2. OPC UA is disabled
To solve this issue, enable the OPC UA server in the Server Configuration tab.
3. No endpoint configured
To solve this issue, configure the endpoint URL in the UA Server Endpoints tab and apply the system
configurations.
4. An endpoint is disabled
To solve this issue, enable the endpoint.

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 Chapter 7 Troubleshoot FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

• FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA service is not started

To solve this issue, start the OPC UA service from Control Panel>System and Security>Administrative
Tools>Services> FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA Server.
• FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA service is disabled
To solve this issue, enable the OPC UA server in the Server Configuration tab.
• FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is not activated correctly or activation is expired
To solve this issue, get a new key from Rockwell Automation.
• The option to register with the LDS is disabled
To solve this issue, select Register with Discovery Service in the Server Configuration tab.
• FactoryTalk Linx Gateway has not trusted the OPC LDS certificate
To solve this issue, click Trust in the Certificate Management tab to add the LDS certificate into the trust
list.
• The OPC LDS certificate has expired
To solve this issue, stop the service and delete its certificate from the hard drive. Once the service starts it
will automatically regenerate the certificate.
• OPC Local Discovery Service (LDS) service is not started
To solve this issue, start the LDS service from Control Panel>System and Security>Administrative
Tools>Services>OPC UA Local Discovery Server

Troubleshoot Excel RTD

The Excel RTD interface is not working. Use these steps to troubleshoot.

• Verify if Excel RTD Interface is enabled in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

• Verify if the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway RTD add-in is not added in Excel. Do the following:
1. Open Excel.
2. Select File > Options > Add-Ins.
3. Next to Manage, select Disabled Items > Go.
4. In the Disabled Items dialog box, select FTLinxGatewayRTD > Enable > Close.
• Verify if there is an available activation used in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.
• Verify the tag names used to reference data in Excel use the correct format defined in FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway.
• Disable Excel RTD Interface, click Apply, then enable Excel RTD Interface, and click Apply.
• Restart Excel.
• Restart the computer.

If users copy the formula to Excel with the double quotation marks containing incorrect formats, the tag values
shown may be abnormal. Remove the copied double quotation marks and enter them using the keyboard.

If you switch Windows users when you are using RTD, RTD may not work as intended. Sign out users and then sign in.

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Troubleshoot DDE
The DDE interface is not working. Use these steps to troubleshoot.

• Verify if DDE Interface is enabled in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

• Verify if DDE is turned on in clients. Take Excel (Microsoft 365) as an example.
1. Open Excel.
2. Select File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > External Content.
3. Select Enable Dynamic Data Exchange Server Lookup and Enable Dynamic Data Exchange Server
Launch.
• Verify if an available activation is used in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.
• Disable DDE Interface, click Apply, then enable DDE Interface, and click Apply.
• Restart DDE clients.
• Restart the computer.
• Verify if there are any tag names using a format that matches an Excel cell reference. The tag name should
not be the same as the Excel cell reference, for example, A1 or tag1. Otherwise, DDE will not work when
reopening Excel.
• Verify the tag names used to reference data in Excel use the correct format defined in FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway.

If you switch Windows users when you are using DDE, DDE may not work as intended. Sign out users and then sign in.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway activations

If you are experiencing activation problems, refer to:

• About Activations on page 92

• FactoryTalk Linx Gateway troubleshooting topics in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Help.
• FactoryTalk Activation Manager troubleshooting topics in FactoryTalk Activation Manager Help.

FactoryTalk Security
FactoryTalk Security offers centralized security services that provides the ability to control access to your
automation system. Your access to, and actions within, the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway tool are controlled by
FactoryTalk Security settings.

If you are experiencing problems with FactoryTalk Security, refer to:

• Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security on page 108

• Troubleshooting topics in FactoryTalk Services Platform Help.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service (starting and stopping)

If you are experiencing problems starting or stopping the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service, verify your Windows user
account privileges. You must have administrative rights to start and stop the service.

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Data quality
If you are experiencing problems with bad quality data, no data being returned, data is stale or frozen, or tags do not
appear during an OPC client tag browse operation, use the following steps to isolate and correct the problem:

1. If testing an OPC DA connection, verify that the FactoryTalk connection is working.

a. If testing an OPC DA connection, use the FactoryTalk Live Data Test Client to connect directly to
FactoryTalk (not FactoryTalk Linx Gateway). Then, verify that you can browse and add an item. If there
are no problems, then the issue is with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, not FactoryTalk.
2. Test the connection.
a. If testing an OPC DA connection, run OPC Test Client or FactoryTalk Live Data Test Client. Note that you
may need to change the DCOM settings if you use OPC Test Client.
i. Navigate to the application containing the data server that you are trying to use.
ii. Browse, and put some tags on scan. If you cannot browse for tags, then the data server is not
configured correctly or the devices that the data server is pointing to are not configured or
connected.
b. If testing an OPC UA connection, use the OPC Foundation UA Sample Client to connect to FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway. If the sample client connects, the issue is not with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway but with the
OPC UA client.
3. Verify that the tags are not hidden by the External Access attribute (set in Logix Designer, starting with
version 18 for controllers that support External Access). For more information on the External Access
attribute, refer to the documentation for version 18 (CPR 9 SR 2) or later of the application. Note that if the
External Access attribute for a tag in a controller is changed from None to Read or Read/Write, you may need
to restart the data client to see the tag. If the External Access attribute for a tag in a controller is changed
from Read or Read/Write to None, the Quality changes to Out of Service for that tag.
4. Check the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway configuration.
a. Open FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.
b. Verify that the server is running. If you are experiencing stale or frozen data, it is possible that the
client was not notified that FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service had stopped.
c. Verify that the proper application, including scope (network or local), is selected.
d. Verify that you have the correct activation for the application you are trying to run.
5. Check the FactoryTalk Diagnostics log. Some events to check for:
a. A controller is in the process of downloading a new program. The FactoryTalk Diagnostics log will
indicate if a new program has been downloaded and specify the path.
b. The activation is incorrect for the application or you have exceeded the activation capacity.
c. The tag does not exist. Any currently non-existing tags should be logged as not existing in the
controller.
6. Check the FactoryTalk Linx configuration.
a. Open FactoryTalk Administration Console or FactoryTalk View Studio.
b. Right-click the FactoryTalk Linx server and select Properties. Verify the correct computer hosting
FactoryTalk Linx is shown.
c. Double-click Communication Setup.
d. Verify that there is a shortcut configured and that it has the correct name.
e. Click the shortcut and verify that it is pointing to the expected device within the communication tree.
f. SS6. Right-click the network you are using and select Start Browsing. If the device disappears from
the Communication tree, then FactoryTalk Linx is no longer finding the device. Verify that the device is
online.

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Chapter 7 Troubleshoot FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

7. If testing an OPC DA quality issue, verify that DCOM access settings are configured correctly.
8. Verify any firewall software is configured to allow access to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC DA and UA service
ports.
9. Verify that the scope and FactoryTalk Linx shortcuts are correctly configured. Refer to Access the data on
page 73.

If the above steps do not resolve your problem, please contact Rockwell Automation Technical Support.

Communication slow or unreliable

There are many factors to consider when diagnosing communication problems:

• Computer effect on communication

◦ Memory, disk space, and anti-virus scans can affect computer performance. Refer to System
requirements on page 17.
◦ Firewalls and switches can completely or partially block communication.
◦ The typical timing factor for communication updates is the CPU load. Rockwell Automation
recommends a 40% maximum steady state CPU loading. This balances utilization of the hardware and
gives enough bandwidth for peak loading.
• Multiple clients effect on communication
◦ The packaging of data to OPC standards takes computer CPU power to achieve, and this can be
significant depending on the data loading.
◦ The number of clients requesting data from a single OPC data server can also significantly impact
computer CPU loading, particularly if they are not requesting the same items (tags).
◦ Clients creating and destroying groups can significantly impact CPU usage.
• Network effect on communication
◦ An incorrect network configuration can reduce communication effectiveness. Verify your network
configuration as well as your installation. Refer to Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on page 17.
• Controller effect on communication
◦ For ControlLogix controllers, data requests are handled by a CPU separate from the control program
CPU. (FlexLogix controllers have one CPU to handle all tasks.) However, eventually these data requests
are handled by the controller program. This affects communication efficiency since the controller
is performing higher priority tasks and handles communication when CPU time is available. You can
monitor task utilization using Logix 5000 Task Monitor on the Logix Designer utilities DVD.
◦ Data requests are sent to controllers via a network port (for example, Ethernet, ControlNet, DeviceNet).
For ControlLogix Ethernet communication, the ENET, ENBT, EN2T, or EWEB module is required. These
modules could be a bottleneck to communication depending on the number of data requests and the
number of requesting clients.
◦ Tag structure in a controller program can also have a significant impact on communication efficiency.
Refer to your Logix Designer documentation.
◦ The communication time slice setting within the controller (set using Logix Designer application) will
affect communication. You may need to increase the setting value.
◦ The way OPC clients request data can either help or hinder the ControlLogix Optimized Packets process.
Refer to your ControlLogix controller documentation.
◦ Offline or disconnected controllers will cause additional retries and diagnostics to be logged. Disable a
controller using FactoryTalk Linx if it will not be present in the system for an extended period of time.
• DCOM effect on communication

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OPC DA is based on DCOM, therefore:

◦ Changing DCOM security settings may stop the OPC DA service from working.
◦ Changing DCOM security settings may prevent a client from browsing tags through the OPC UA service.
◦ If the server and client become disconnected (either via a physical network disconnect or a software
disconnect), there is a hard-coded 6-minute time-out notification.
◦ If the server and client are reconnected, the OPC connection is not automatically reconnected to the
original objects. Therefore, servers and clients may require restarting.
◦ In response to Microsoft Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) Hardening patch (MS KB5004442),
the minimum DCOM authentication level used has been raised to Packet Integrity.
◦ Both OPC DA clients and servers must have the same DCOM authentication level.

Contact Rockwell Automation Technical Support

If you are experiencing a problem with, or have a question about FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, please consult the Help
and Release Notes. If you cannot find the answer, contact Rockwell Automation Technical Support.

Phone
440-646-3434

Worldwide web
http://www.rockwellsoftware.com

http://support.rockwellautomation.com

Hours of operation
Support staff are available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except holidays.

Before you call

Before you call, you should be at your computer and be prepared to give the following information:

• The product serial number and version number. These can be found by clicking Start > Settings > Control
Panel > Add/Remove Programs and clicking FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.
• The type of hardware you are using.
• The version of Windows operating system you are using.
• The exact wording of any messages that appeared on your screen.
• What happened and what you were doing when the problem occurred.
• How you tried to solve the problem.

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 Appendix A

About Activations
Rockwell Automation Windows-based software products are copy protected and require an activation key, located in
an activation file, to run the software.

When you launch FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, the software checks for the activation file. If a valid activation cannot
be found, an error is logged to FactoryTalk Diagnostics and FactoryTalk Linx Gateway operates under a grace period.
Refer to FactoryTalk Services Platform Help for more information about grace periods.

This appendix includes the following information:

• Activate FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

• Activation types

Activate FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports activating software during the software installation. The new Installation Setup
Wizard contains an Software Activation check box. This no longer requires you to open FactoryTalk Activation
Manager to activate the software.

To activate your copy of FactoryTalk Linx Gateway in the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Installation Setup Wizard,
perform the following steps:

1. Perform the steps in Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on page 17 to install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway software.
2. On the Rockwell Software Setup dialog box in the Installation Setup Wizard, select the Activate your
software check box and click Finish.
3. On the Software Activation dialog box, enter the product key from your Activation Certificate. The serial
number should have been automatically added. If the serial number is not automatically added, enter the
serial number.
4. Select Activate locally to activate FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on a single computer, or select Activate using a
dongle to activate FactoryTalk Linx Gateway on any computer by using a dongle.

Tip: The Activate using a dongle option requires that you have a dongle to lock the activation.

5. Click Continue.

You can still activate FactoryTalk Linx Gateway via FactoryTalk Activation Manager by clicking the Explore other
options link in the Software Activation dialog box. The link provides direct access to the FactoryTalk Activation
Manager software. To activate your copy of FactoryTalk Linx Gateway in the FactoryTalk Activation Manager, click Get
New Activations and follow the instructions in the FactoryTalk Activation Manager.

For more information on using the FactoryTalk Activation Manager, click More or Help in the FactoryTalk Activation
Manager.

EvRSI activation is replaced by FactoryTalk Activation Manager. If you are using EvRSI activation, please contact
your local Rockwell Automation Sales office or Technical Support for information on migrating your activations to
FactoryTalk Activation Manager.

For Rockwell Automation Technical Support in the U.S., call (440) 646-3434.

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 Appendix A About Activations

Outside the U.S., visit http://www.rockwellautomation.com/locations.

Activation types
The activation type determines feature support and the maximum capacity of unique tags that can be added to
the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server. The tag limit is for all unique tags, including active, inactive, and valid tags.
However, the OPC DA service, UA service, DDE interface, and Excel RTD interface tag limits are separate. For example,
a 1,000 tag limit activation can simultaneously serve 1,000 tags to DA clients, 1,000 tags to UA clients, 1,000 DDE tags,
and 1,000 Excel RTD tags. For detailed information, refer to the following table.

If a valid activation cannot be found, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway operates under a grace period. The grace period
activates FactoryTalk Linx Gateway at the professional level for 7 days.

NOTE: When the activation has changed, you need to restart services or interfaces to detect a new
activation.

Beginning with version 6.20, the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Basic and Standard activations can operate with a
FactoryTalk View SE station or distributed application using a network directory when there is a single FactoryTalk
Linx data server operating on the same workstation FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is installed on. Version 6.21 added the
Extended activation with the same local and network/station capability. A patch is also available to support a similar
operation and Extended activation for FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.00 to version 6.20 and for FactoryTalk
Gateway version 3.74 to version 3.90. Standard activation supports the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway SDK is limited to
installation, setup configuration, and some assistance understanding error conditions. Extended activation supports
writing or diagnosing application code utilizing the SDK/API can be acquired with a fee-based support agreement.

A FactoryTalk application can be configured using a Local or Network directory. These options are determined by the
capabilities defined by the license/activation that is being used.

1. Local - Small application where the FactoryTalk Linx or FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector communications
service is operated on the same workstation as FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. A local application is configured
with a single level where all communications services are defined at the same top level (no areas are
supported).

NOTE: Grace period is a seven-day free trial of FactoryTalk Linx Gateway during which, a
user has the tag subscription capability equals to the "Professional" activation. When the
grace period is over, the OPC UA/DA clients cannot connect to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

2. Network -This configuration uses the Network directory. A network station application permits areas to be
created to improve the organization of the application (This type of configuration can be used with software
like FactoryTalk View SE Station or FactoryTalk Historian which does not support Local directory). There are
two categories designed for Network directory.
◦ Station - Data servers (FactoryTalk Linx and FactoryTalk Linx UA Connector) must be on the same
workstation as FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. When operating on a compute module, the data servers must
be in the same module and cannot be remote.
◦ Distributed - This type of directory permits communications services to be located on multiple/
different workstations from FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. Up to ten (10) of each type of communications

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Appendix A About Activations

services (FactoryTalk Linx and FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector) can be defined in a system. These
communications services can be configured as redundant to support high availability configurations
(This type of configuration can be used with software like FactoryTalk View SE Distributed).

If you select Automatic Selection on the Server Configuration page, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway finds and uses the
activation with the highest feature support.

From FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.00.00, four activations (FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Professional, FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway Distributed, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Standard, and FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Basic) are available for
new users. From FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.21.00, added three new activations (FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
Extended, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Embedded, and FactoryTalk Linx Data Bridge Embedded) are available for new
users. However, the other legacy activations used in previous versions of the product (for example, FactoryTalk
Gateway) are still supported. All the activations are shown in the table below from top to bottom as highest to lowest
priority.

Activa
SDK tes
FactoryT Distribu Remote
Activat Activat OPC UA OPC DA RTD tag DDE tag device FactoryT
alk ted Proxy
ion Name ion tag limit tag limit limit limit communi alk Linx
Directory Network Services
cations Data
Bridge
*
FactoryT LINXGW.P 500,000 200,000 40,000 4,000 Local or Y Multiple Y Y
alk Linx ROFESSIO Network 200,000
Gateway NAL Tag pairs
Professio
nal

FactoryT LINXGW.D 32,000 32,000 32,000 4,000 Local or Y Multiple N N

alk Linx ISTRIBU Network
Gateway TED
Distribu
ted

FactoryT LINXGW.E 15,000 15,000 15,000 4,000 Local or N Multiple N N

alk Linx XTENDED Network
Gateway
Extended

FactoryT LINXGW.S 5,000 5,000 5,000 4,000 Local or N One N N

alk Linx TANDARD Network
Gateway
Standard

FactoryT LINXGW.B 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Local or N None N N

alk Linx ASIC Network
Gateway
Basic

FactoryT Verifies 500 500 N N Local or N N N N

alk Linx its Network

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 Appendix A About Activations

Activa
SDK tes
FactoryT Distribu Remote
Activat Activat OPC UA OPC DA RTD tag DDE tag device FactoryT
alk ted Proxy
ion Name ion tag limit tag limit limit limit communi alk Linx
Directory Network Services
cations Data
Bridge

Gateway operating
Embed on a
ded Compact
Logix
5480
windows
core

FactoryT Verifies N N N N Local or N None N Y

alk Linx its Network 500 Tag
Data operating pairs
Bridge on a
Embed Compact
ded Logix
5480
windows
core

FactoryT LINXDB.S N N N N Local or N None N Y

alk Linx TANDARD Network 2,000 Tag
Data pairs
Bridge
Standard
*
Gold GOLDMAS 500,000 200,000 40,000 4,000 Local or Y Multiple Y Y
Master TER Network 200,000
Tag pairs
*
FactoryT RSOPCD.U 500,000 200,000 N N Local or Y None N N
alk NLTD Network
Gateway
Distribu
ted

FactoryT RSOPCD.7 70,000 70,000 N N Local or Y None N N

alk 0000 Network
Gateway
Distribu
ted 70K

FactoryT RSOPCD.3 32,000 32,000 N N Local or Y None N N

alk 2000 Network
Gateway

Rockwell Automation, Inc. FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 95

Appendix A About Activations

Activa
SDK tes
FactoryT Distribu Remote
Activat Activat OPC UA OPC DA RTD tag DDE tag device FactoryT
alk ted Proxy
ion Name ion tag limit tag limit limit limit communi alk Linx
Directory Network Services
cations Data
Bridge

Distribu
ted 32000

FactoryT RSOPCS.3 32,000 32,000 N N Local N None N N

alk 2000
Gateway
Station
32000

FactoryT RSOPCD.5 5,000 5,000 N N Local or Y None N N

alk 000 Network
Gateway
Distribu
ted 5000

FactoryT RSOPCS.5 5,000 5,000 N N Local N None N N

alk 000
Gateway
Station
5000

FactoryT RSOPCD.1 1,500 1,500 N N Local or Y None N N

alk 500 Network
Gateway
Distribu
ted 1500

FactoryT RSOPCS.1 1,500 1,500 N N Local N None N N

alk 500
Gateway
Station
1500

If a system requires 32,000 or more tags, use the Professional activation and refer to the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
Release Notes > Application Notes for tested hardware and update rates.
*
500,000 : You can edit it in the FactoryTalk Administration Console (System > Policies > FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
> FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Policy > Tag count limitation for professional activation). The default/tested value is
500,000. For personalized standard activation, the tag limitation is 5,000.

Tip: To check the number of tags added to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, use FactoryTalk Diagnostics
Counter Monitor.
• For OPC DA service tags, view the Count against Activation counter.
• For OPC UA service tags, view the Total Items in Subscription counter.

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 Appendix A About Activations

If you have multiple clients subscribing the same tags, the tags being used against the activation limit
should be counted separately. For example, there are five clients subscribing to 1000 tags, then the total
activation limit used is 5000 tags.

As a best practice, Rockwell Automation recommends using a shared concurrent activation, which is locked to a
networked activation server computer but shared by client computers on the network. Refer to FactoryTalk Services
Platform Help for more information.

Note that if you have multiple FactoryTalk Linx Gateway instances using different tag counts, each FactoryTalk
Linx Gateway instance must be activated using its own specific activation file to ensure that each FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway instance receives the correct tag count activation.

Tip: FactoryTalk Batch v9.00.00 (CPR 9) and later supports direct communication between FactoryTalk
Live Data and plant-floor controllers and devices, removing the need for FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 97

 Appendix B

Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway with command line syntax

Besides the Setup Wizard installation, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway also supports automated installation using command
line syntaxes: unattended installation. You can typically use the unattended installation during large-scale rollouts
when it might be too slow and costly to have administrators or technicians interactively install the FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway software on individual computers.

In the unattended installation, you enter a specified command line with multiple parameters. During the installation
process, instead of prompting you for installation and configuration information interactively, the process follows the
parameters you specified in the command lines.

Perform unattended installation

To install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway in the unattended mode, follow the steps below. The steps may vary slightly.
Follow the on-screen instructions that apply to your operating system.

1. Close all open Windows programs.

2. Open the Command Prompt window as administrator.
3. In the Command Prompt window, navigate to D:, where D: is the drive containing the FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway installation DVD or installation package, and press Enter.

Tip: The User Account Control dialog box may show after you press Enter, click Yes to continue.
The silent installation requires the Windows Administrator privilege.

4. Type a command line with the following syntax:

Setup.exe {/Q | /QS}

/IAcceptAllLicenseTerms

[/AutoRestart]

[/SetupLanguage=language]

/Product=product_name

[/InstallDrive=drive]

[/SerialNumber=serial_number]

[/ProductKey=product_key]

[/Version=product_version]

5. Press Enter. The installation process starts with the parameters you specified.
6. For detailed description about each parameter, see Parameters on page 98. You can also type Setup /? in
the Command Prompt window, and press Enter to view the help information of all parameters and examples.

Parameters
The parameters and values are not case sensitive. If the value includes spaces, you need to enclose it in quotation
marks (" ").

/Q

One of /Q and /QS is required if /Record is not specified.

Installs the product in the silent mode without any user interface.

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 Appendix B Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway with command line syntax

/QS

One of /Q and /QS is required if /Record is not specified.

Installs the product in the unattended mode without user interaction during installation, and shows the
progress, errors, or complete messages on the user interface.

/IAcceptAllLicenseTerms

Required for /Q or /QS.

Specifies that you read and acknowledge all license agreements, and agree to continue the installation.

/AutoRestart

Optional. If specified, the computer will be restarted automatically after the installation, if a restart is
required to complete the installation.

The parameter is ignored if a restart is not required.

/SetupLanguage= language

Optional. Specifies which language will be displayed during the installation process. The value must be the
one of ENU, CHS, DEU, ESP, FRA, ITA, JPN, KOR, or PTB.

If omitted, the default language is the user or system user interface language.

/Record

Optional. Records your inputs to a recording file.

/Playback

Optional. Plays back a recording file.

/IgnoreWarning

Optional. If specified, the setup will ignore and continue.

/Product= product name

Required. Specifies which product will be installed. The product name must be one of the following:
• Gateway Server OPC UA and DA (local or remote DA clients)
• Gateway Server OPC UA and DA (only local DA clients)
• Remote Gateway (DA Client remote configuration)

For more details, please refer to the following list

• Setup.exe /Product="Gateway"
Equal to Setup.exe /Product="Gateway Server OPC UA and DA (local or remote DA clients)". Both will install
“Gateway Server OPC UA and DA (local or remote DA clients)”.
• Setup.exe /Product="Gateway-L"

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Appendix B Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway with command line syntax

Equal to Setup.exe /Product="Gateway Server OPC UA and DA (only local DA clients)". Both will install "Gateway
Server OPC UA and DA (only local DA clients)".
• Setup.exe /Product="Remote Gateway"
Equal to Setup.exe /Product="Remote Gateway (DA Client remote configuration)". Both will install “Remote
Gateway (DA Client remote configuration)”.

/Uninstall=Product name

Optional. Uninstall the product.

/InstallDrive= drive

Optional. Specifies the installation drive.

If omitted, the default drive and location is:

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Rockwell Software

/SerialNumber= serial_number

Optional. Specifies the serial number that is required if you want to get activation keys during installation.

/ProductKey= product_key

Optional. Specifies the product key that is required if you want to get activation keys during installation.

/Version= product_version

Optional. Specifies the version corresponding to the product version that the SerialNumber and ProductKey
are able to activate if you want to get activation keys during the installation.

If the version information is omitted, the installer uses a default version which is the most recent product
version available when retrieving the activation.

Examples
The following examples show how to use the commands during the unattended installation.

Example 1
Setup.exe /Q /IAcceptAllLicenseTerms /Product="Gateway Server OPC UA and DA (local

or remote DA clients)"

means:

The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway unattended installation uses the default settings during the installation
process, with no user interface.

Example 2

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 Appendix B Install FactoryTalk Linx Gateway with command line syntax

Setup.exe /QS /IAcceptAllLicenseTerms /AutoRestart /SetupLanguage=CHS /

Product="Gateway Server OPC UA and DA (local or remote DA clients)" /

InstallDrive=D: /SerialNumber=0123456789 /ProductKey=ABCDE-FGHIJ /Version=6.30.00

means:

• During the installation, the progress, error, or complete messages show on user interfaces. The displayed
language is Chinese.
• FactoryTalk Linx Gateway will be installed to D:\Program Files (x86)\Rockwell Software
• The setup will get activation keys during installation if the serial number 0123456789 and product key ABCDE-
FGHIJ are valid.
• After the installation, if a restart is required, the computer will be restarted automatically.

Example 3
Setup.exe /Q /Uninstall /Product="Gateway Server OPC UA and DA (local or remote DA

clients)"

means:

• The software is uninstalled silently with no user interface.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 101

 Appendix C

About FactoryTalk Linx

This appendix includes an overview of FactoryTalk Linx.

Overview of FactoryTalk Linx

FactoryTalk® Linx is a FactoryTalk® Live Data server and communications service designed to deliver control system
information from Allen-Bradley® control products to the Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk® software portfolio and
Studio5000® design software. While FactoryTalk Linx can communicate with most Allen-Bradley Programmable
Logic Controllers (PLC®) and many other control products, it is optimized to work with Logix 5000™ Programmable
Automation Controllers (PAC) and the PlantPax process controller using EtherNet/IP. It gives the fastest data rates
and capacity possible while minimizing the impact on automation networks and control system operation. Use
FactoryTalk Linx to:

• Browse devices in the network - The network browser provides the ability to discover devices in an
automation system, permit the user to navigate the topology, perform device commissioning, access device
properties, and diagnostic statistics.
• Acquire data - FactoryTalk Linx provides a scalable solution that can support small applications running on a
single computer with a single controller, to large distributed and even redundant data server configurations
communicating with many controllers.
• Use the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Remote Proxy Server - Remote Devices via Proxy Service allows
FactoryTalk Linx on one computer to bridge through a central FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Professional
workstation on the network to communicate with automation system devices on a different network.

FactoryTalk Linx:

FactoryTalk Linx version 5.90.00 and earlier:

• Is delivered and installed with the FactoryTalk Services Platform which is included with most Rockwell
Automation software products. FactoryTalk Linx is also delivered within the PanelView Plus Electronic
Operator Interface (EOI) terminal’s firmware.

Tip: The FactoryTalk Services Platform Installation includes several useful tools. Use FactoryTalk
Live Data Test Client to interface with FactoryTalk Linx to read and write data directly to
controllers. For more information about FactoryTalk Live Data Test Client, see FactoryTalk
Services Platform Online Help.

• Is accessed as an embedded component within each software package that utilizes its services. Configure
FactoryTalk Linx using the Communication Setup editor launched from a FactoryTalk application design
environment (for example, FactoryTalk View Studio) or from the FactoryTalk Administration Console.
• Provides access to controller and device data from any FactoryTalk application using FactoryTalk Live Data.
• Is highly optimized for Logix 5000 communications.
• Starting with version 5.30.00, supports FactoryTalk Alarms and Events. For more information about
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events, See FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Online Help.
• Starting with version 5.30.00, network applications provide the option of specifying a secondary, or
redundant, server to take over when the primary server fails.

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 Appendix C About FactoryTalk Linx

• Starting with version 5.60.00, reads data directly from devices using parameters specified in the device’s
Electronic Data Sheed (EDS) file.
• Starting with version 5.70.00, receives data from Logix 5000 controllers directly via unsolicited message.
• Starting with version 5.70.00, is able to communicate with Micro800 controllers.
• Starting with version 5.80.00, reads energy usage information from devices that support the ODVA CIP Energy
object.
• Starting with version 5.90.00, reads Logix 5000 tag extended properties (for example, @Min, @Max,
@Description) and delivers them to FactoryTalk View applications. With FactoryTalk Linx version 6.10.00,
this capability is enhanced to improve read performance and adds the ability to provide a description using
information indirectly associated with a tag. This enables a FactoryTalk View SE client to obtain descriptions
for tag elements that do not directly have a description assigned. This is similar to the description pass-
through capability of Studio 5000 Logix Designer.
• Starting with version 5.90.00, removes Logix 5000 tag requests when their external access is switched to no
access in Logix Designer, and the tags can be removed from the controller while it is operating.
• Starting with version 5.90.00, permits communications to specific Logix 5000 shortcuts to be inhibited to
reduce the impact of Logix 5000 controllers that are disabled or off-line.

FactoryTalk Linx version 6.00.00:

• Starting with version 6.00.00, EtherNet/IP network drivers can be configured directly from the FactoryTalk
Linx Network Browser control embedded within Studio 5000 and other Rockwell Automation design software.
• Starting with version 6.00.00, provides access to Logix 5000 tag based alarm attributes (for example,
@Alarm…).
• Offers a variety of communication drivers and routing options.
• Supports Local applications (also called stand-alone applications) for smaller systems, and Network
applications (also called distributed applications) for larger systems.
• Starting with version 6.00.00, enables the configuration of two redundant shortcut paths to a single Logix
5000 controller to support high availability systems that desire to retain communications when a path
through a network becomes disabled.
• Starting with version 6.00.00, permits the configuration of two shortcut paths to the primary and secondary
Logix 5000 controllers in a redundant ControlLogix revision 31.5x system to retain communications when a
redundancy switchover occurs.
• FactoryTalk Linx 6.00.00 added the ability to provide communications and browsing services for Studio
5000 and ControlFLASH. FactoryTalk Linx version 6.10.00 extends this functionality to support the Connected
Components Workbench (CCW) version 12.00.00 and FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 9.00.00.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.00.00 updated both the Virtual Backplane and USB drivers and had them signed
by Microsoft to permit them to operate on a workstation with Windows 10 Secure boot enabled. FactoryTalk
Linx version 6.10.00 extends this functionality to include the drivers associated with the 1784-PCICS and 1784-
PCKTS cards. In FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00, 1784-PKTX driver signed by Microsoft to support Windows 10
secure boot.

FactoryTalk Linx version 6.10.00:

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.10.00 added a new standalone version of FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser that
can be launched from the Windows Start Menu. Previously this component was only available from within
other Rockwell Automation software (for example. ControlFLASH and Studio 5000 Logix Designer). The
Network Browser can be used to visualize the network to determine which devices are active in the system.

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Appendix C About FactoryTalk Linx

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.10.00 added FactoryTalk Security Product Policy to provide more control over the
configuration for authorized users.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.10.00 added logging of FactoryTalk Audit messages to track configuration changes
of FactoryTalk Linx.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.10.00 supports a new capability in Logix5000 V32 controllers to change the
names of tags and structure members on a running controller. When FactoryTalk Linx detects the rename
operation, it will immediately stop requesting the old names and provide an appropriate error status back to
the FactoryTalk software that requested the data, making it easier to locate other software that is impacted
by the rename operation.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.10.00 added the ability to receive unsolicited messages using PLC-2 Unprotected
Writes. This enables Logix5000 or legacy controllers to send information to a FactoryTalk software package
using FactoryTalk Linx.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.10.00 changes the default setting for the “listen on EtherNet/IP Encapsulation
port” (port 44818) for its Ethernet driver so that FactoryTalk Linx will respond to network browse requests and
receive unsolicited messages from Logix5000 controllers. RSLinx Classic version 4.00.01 or earlier allocated
this port by default but was updated with version 4.10.00 to not allocate the port to reduce the likelihood of a
conflict between these two software packages.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.10.00 added the ability to configure two independent instances of the data service
on a single Windows operation system. It allows applications to have more tags, data clients (for example, HMI
clients), and/or controllers without affecting the other FactoryTalk Linx data server.

FactoryTalk Linx version 6.11.00:

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.11.00 added the ability to establish secure encrypted communications with
FactoryTalk Policy Manager using CIP security. See FactoryTalk Policy Manager Online Help for more
information about CIP security.

FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00:

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 added the ability to access information inside of devices that support the
Open Device Vendors Association (ODVA) Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), using the Class, Instance and
Attribute (CIA) messaging with the CIP Object - Class/Instance/Attribute Message shortcut type.
• The FactoryTalk Security Policy for FactoryTalk Linx was enhanced to control the user’s capabilities from the
FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser and to control access to CIA Messaging.
• In conjunction with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, provides standard OPC connectivity into the FactoryTalk
system for third-party products. For more information about FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, refer to the
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Help.FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds the ability to access information inside
of devices that support the Open Device Vendors Association (ODVA) Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), using
the Class, Instance and Attribute (CIA) messaging with the CIP Object - Class/Instance/Attribute Message
shortcut type.
• Starting with version 6.20.00, FactoryTalk Linx supports tag communication with data types as LINT, ULINT,
LREAL, USINT, UINT, and UDINT.
• Starting with version 6.20.00, FactoryTalk Linx instance02 supports Logix-based Alarms and Events.
• Starting with version 6.20.00, FactoryTalk Linx provides the ability to communicate using solicited messaging
with Allen-Bradley controllers using PLC-5 or SLC-5 messaging over the DH+ network without having a 1784-
PKTX card installed on the computer. This is achieved by using the 1756 EtherNet module bridging across a
ControlLogix chassis to a DH+ network connected to a 1756-DHRIO module.

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 Appendix C About FactoryTalk Linx

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds the ability to configure existing drivers in FactoryTalk Linx Browser >
Configure Drivers dialog box.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds the ability to view new CIP Identity Object Manufacturer information,
which includes Catalog Number, Manufacture Date, Hardware Revision, Warranty, and Series.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds FactoryTalk Audit information to diagnose configuration changes made
from the FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds the ability for FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser to browse through the
5094 IO HART modules and display HART connected devices in the topology.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds the ability for the FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser to access Device
Statistics to help diagnose devices.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds the ability for the FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser to access Device
Configuration to help configure the port and network configuration of a device.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds the ability for the FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser to launch an
Internet browser to open the device embedded web page.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 provides the ability for FactoryTalk and PanelView Plus V12 terminals to
access four attributes @Name, @Quality, @Timestamp, and @Scope.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds the ability for FactoryTalk and PanelView Plus V12 terminals to
access PlantPAX Controller extended tag properties: @Library, @Instruction, @Label, @Area, @URL, and
@Navigation.
• Starting from version 6.20.00, FactoryTalk Linx changed to utilize a device’s Network Path to store the
location of the device in a system, which enables the user to configure and store the shortcut path using the
device's IP address and slot number in a chassis.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 provides Chinese, German, French, and Japanese localized user interface
(the localized FactoryTalk Linx can only be installed when installing the same localized version of FactoryTalk
View SE).
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds the ability to close unused connections after a specified time.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.20.00 adds the ability to specify the max number of connections for a Processor
shortcut connecting to PLC/SLC controllers using the DHRIO module.

FactoryTalk Linx version 6.21.00:

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.21.00 adds an About dialog box in FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser to show the
version of the installed FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser and FactoryTalk Linx, or to view the copyright and
contact information.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.21.00 adds the ability to detect devices that support a user initiating LED blink
operation and presents an option on the device property dialog to locate where a device is physically
installed by flashing a device's LEDs.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.21.00 adds an option to set the Terminal file transfer communication package
size. Users can choose either 2000 bytes or 1400 bytes for the terminal communication package size
(Default 2000). The smaller packet size improves the transfer time when FactoryTalk View Studio ME is
operating within a virtual machine.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.21.00 adds two predefined tags (@NamespaceTimestamp,
@NamespaceTimestampOPC) to show a timestamp for the last Logix controller namespace change.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.21.00 included a new tool named FactoryTalk Linx Configuration Import Export
Tool, which enables the FactoryTalk Linx driver and shortcut configuration to be extracted, modified, and
replaced, providing an alternative to manually creating or editing the driver and shortcuts configuration from
the FactoryTalk Administration Console user interface.

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Appendix C About FactoryTalk Linx

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.21 supports to backup and restore shortcut and driver configurations in
FactoryTalk Administration Console.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.21 adds the ability to generate SysLog for select events including CIP Security
configuration changes, network configuration changes, and FactoryTalk Linx service restart.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.21.00 improved performance for design software that utilizes FactoryTalk Linx for
communications direct to devices (for example, Studio 5000 Logix Designer and ControlFLASH Plus).
• In FactoryTalk Linx version 6.21.00, the FactoryTalk Linx Redundancy Module Configuration Tool can be
launched from the FactoryTalk Linx Network browser.

FactoryTalk Linx version 6.30.00:

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.30.00 adds an option to enable or disable CIP Security (Port 2221) for the server
workstation or a device via the Network Browser.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.30.00 supports browsing 5015 adapters and optimizes the user interface of 5015
adapters with their I/O modules.
• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.30.00 supports indicating the offline status of devices.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.30.00 adds one predefined tag (@TrackedStateValue) to show the tracked state
change detection value from a Logix L7 series controller.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.30.00 adds an LLDP tab in the Network Browser to view and edit the Link Layer
Discovery Protocol (LLDP) detection status of a device.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.30.00 adds @RedundancyEnabled and @RedundancyState predefined tags
associated with a processor shortcut, to indicate if the associated controller is operating in a ControlLogix
Redundancy configuration and its current operational state. These tags are helpful for Human Machine
Interface (HMI) displays that monitor the operation of a redundant ControlLogix controller’s operation.
• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.30.00 supports browsing of GuardLink connected devices.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.30.00 removes the "IO Linx" communications driver.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.30.00 enhances the configuration of port 44818 that keeps the same configuration
status in both FactoryTalk Linx and FactoryTalk Administration Console.
• FactoryTalk Live Data version 6.30.00 extends the supported subscription rates to include 600, 700, 800, and
900 ms.
• FactoryTalk Live Data version 6.30.00 adds leading zeros for array indexes so that FactoryTalk Live Data Tag
browser sorts array elements in the proper numerical order.
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.30.00 raises the minimum DCOM authentication level to Packet Integrity. For
additional information about the affected Rockwell Automation products, see the Knowledgebase Document
ID: PN1581 - Product Notification 2022-01-001 - Rockwell Automation products unable to establish proper
DCOM connection after installing Microsoft DCOM Hardening patch (MS KB5004442).

FactoryTalk Linx version 6.31.00:

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.31.00 supports adding and configuring unsolicited message shortcuts for PLC5 and
SLC500 controllers.
• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.31.00 supports adding and configuring remote proxy drivers.
• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.31.00 enhances the configurations on the LLDP tab. The
neighbor information also shows on the Port Configuration tab.
• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.31.00 adds audit messages for device configuration. When
configuring device properties, audit messages are logged in FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer.
• FactoryTalk Live Data common tag browser user interface included with FactoryTalk Services Platform
version 6.21.00 now uses data type names that match the types presented in Studio 5000 Logix designer.

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 Appendix C About FactoryTalk Linx

FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00:

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00 supports shortcut connections through a FactoryTalk Linx Gateway remote
proxy server.

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00 provides a 64bit communications service for FactoryTalk Policy Manager.

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00 updates the USB kernal drivers to permit Windows Core Isolation Device
Security.

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00 removes 1784-PCICS card’s kernel driver.

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00 supports FactoryTalk View ME Studio MER project file transfer to a
VersaView6300 computer running FactoryTalk View ME.

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00 supports switching the local language from a setting in the FactoryTalk
Administration Console.

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00 includes a new FactoryTalk Live Data Tag Browser that includes the ability
browse Logix Extended Tag properties and bits embedded within integer tags.

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00 supports REAL array and LREAL array data types for the CIA message.

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00 supports Symbolic shortcut access to bits within Micro800 numeric tags.

• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.40.00 supports the Explicit Protected Mode function.

• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.40.00 supports customizing IP subnet with rotary switches on the
controllers.

• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.40.00 adds a new driver to communicate through a FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway Remote Proxy service.

• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.40.00 adds an auto-start and minimize to system tray option.

• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.40.00 supports uploading IODD device description files from an IO-
Link device and registering them with the Device Description (formerly EDS) Subsystem.

• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.40.00 increases the size of supported tag references received from FactoryTalk
software from 260 characters to 1024 characters.

• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.40.00 increases the number of items that can be added to the
Ethernet driver list from 64 to 255.

• FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser version 6.40.00 now displays device's DNS host name in the topology tree
along with its resulting IP address.

• FactoryTalk Linx Configuration Import Export Tool version 6.40.00 supports importing and exporting drivers
without specifying a target server.

For more information, refer to FactoryTalk Linx Help.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. FTLG-GR001G-EN-E - November 2023 107

 Appendix D

Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security

This appendix includes the following information:

• About FactoryTalk Security

• Using FactoryTalk Security with FactoryTalk Linx Gateway
• Securing tag write access for FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

About FactoryTalk Security

FactoryTalk Security improves the security of your automation system by limiting access to those with a legitimate
need. FactoryTalk Security authenticates the identities of users and authorizes user requests to access a FactoryTalk
system against a set of defined user accounts and access permissions held in the FactoryTalk network directory or
FactoryTalk local directory.

For help with configuring security services, refer to FactoryTalk Services Platform Help.

If you prefer not to use security services, you can grant all users full access to your automation system. For help
overriding security services, refer to FactoryTalk Services Platform Help.

Secure the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration tool

The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration tool enables you to start or stop the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway service
and configure the scope. To configure security for the tool, in the FactoryTalk Administration Console, right-click the
network (the highest level of the tree), and select Security from the menu.

The following example shows the steps to restrict a user from changing the scope:

Before you begin:

• Log in as Windows Administrator or Power User of the computer.
• Obtain Read/Write/List Children permissions within the Common section of Security.
• Log in to FactoryTalk.

To restrict a user from changing the scope:

1. In the FactoryTalk Administration Console Explorer, right-click Network > Security. The Security Settings
for Network dialog box opens.
For local scope, right-click Local (THIS COMPUTER) > Security. The Security Settings for Local dialog box
opens.
2. On the Permissions tab, select View permissions by User and you can see all the user groups
(Administrators, All Users, Anonymous Logon), highlight the user you want to restrict.
3. From the Permissions for *** from All Computers list, click Common > Write, and select the Deny check
box.
4. Click OK.

Secure runtime actions

Runtime actions are browsing, reading, or writing to tags. You configure security governing these actions using the
Anonymous Logon user account at either the application level or area level.

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 Appendix D Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security

To browse the directory and read the data, the Anonymous Logon user must have List Children and Read
permissions within the Common section of Security.

To write to tags, the Anonymous Logon user must have Write Value permissions within the Tag section of Security.

Keep the following in mind when securing runtime actions:

• Security for the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is set at the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway level using the Anonymous
Logon user account. Therefore, all clients that access that specific FactoryTalk Linx Gateway will have the
same privileges. If different clients need different privileges, then a second FactoryTalk Linx Gateway will
need to be configured on another computer.
• Security is area-based. It is a best practice to have only one data server per area. This allows you to place
different permissions on each area (data server).
• When configuring the scope for the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, you should select the FactoryTalk Application,
not an area. Selecting the scope at the application level enables you to add areas to that application without
having to change the scope. Changing a scope affects all the existing tag references that have been
previously configured in the clients.
• You can deny both Read and Write access to areas. This is shown in the following example.
Example
Assume a Network-scoped distributed system. This system has a FactoryTalk Application called MyFTApp that
contains three areas and three data servers.

Assume the requirements for the OPC clients are:

◦ Full access (Reads/Writes) allowed through FactoryTalk Linx.
◦ No Reads allowed from the OPC client through RSLinx Classic.
◦ No Writes allowed from the OPC client into the FactoryTalk View SE HMI (Reads are allowed).
To meet these requirements:
1. The selected scope (using the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration screen) should be Network/
MyFTApp. (Selected Scope field shows Network/MyFTApp.)
2. Security for Area1 (using the FactoryTalk Administration Console) should be configured as follows:
a. Under Application MyFTApp, right-click Area1 > Security to open Security Settings for Area1
dialog box, and then select Anonymous Logon user group.
b. From Permissions for Anonymous Logon from All Computers list, select Common > Read >
Allow.
c. From Permissions for Anonymous Logon from All Computers list, select Common > List
Children > Allow.
d. From Permissions for Anonymous Logon from All Computers list, select Tag > Write Value >
Allow.

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Appendix D Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security

3. Security for Area2 (using the FactoryTalk Administration Console) should be configured as follows:
a. Under Application MyFTApp, right-click Area2 > Security to open Security Settings for Area2
dialog box, and then select Anonymous Logon user group.
b. From Permissions for Anonymous Logon from All Computers list, select Common > Read >
Deny.
4. Security for Area3 (using the FactoryTalk Administration Console) should be configured as follows:
a. Under Application MyFTApp, right-click Area3 > Security to open Security Settings for Area3
dialog box, and then select Anonymous Logon user group.
b. From Permissions for Anonymous Logon from All Computers list, select Tag > Write Value >
Deny.
If a write action is attempted into Area3, the following error is logged in FactoryTalk Diagnostics:
"FactoryTalk Linx Gateway write failed due to denied access for client ‘Client1’ group ‘Group1 (Active, 250ms)’
item ‘Area3::my_int’. Verify you have the correct security authorization to perform the write operation."
If you attempt to browse the FactoryTalk application, Area2 will not show since Read permissions have been
denied. If your display has a tag previously referenced from Area2, its value will show as (Empty Data) with a
Quality of Invalid Quality. The following errors are logged in FactoryTalk Diagnostics:
"Cannot interpret area RNA://$Global/MyFTApp/Area2 (result=80042062)
Failed to add item ‘[FTI_Advanced]my_tag’ to server RNA://$Global/MyFTApp/Area2:RSLC’ because of
insufficient access rights."

Tip: Access to resources (such as applications, areas, or servers) and the ability to perform tasks (such
as read or write) are governed by the permissions set in FactoryTalk Security. As a result, if you do not
have the appropriate permission, some components on a dialog box may be unavailable, or entire dialog
boxes or context menu selections described in the Help may be inaccessible. Refer to the FactoryTalk
Services Platform Help for more information.

Secure tag write access for an application or area

When using the Anonymous Logon, the system administrator can manage tag write access in an application, area, or
sub-area for FactoryTalk Linx Gateway servers. Tag write access is enabled (Write Tag permission is set to Allow) by
default.

Before you begin:

• Find the Anonymous Logon in Users and Group > Users.
• Do not delete or change password.
• Check Effective permissions to verify Rights for the Anonymous Logon user.

To disable write access for an application, area, or sub-area:

1. On the FactoryTalk Administration Console application tab, click the application, area, or sub-area.
2. Right-click and select Security. The Security Settings dialog box opens.
3. Select Anonymous Logon from the list of users.
4. Click and expand Tag in the list of permissions to expose the Write Value permission.
5. Select the Deny check box.
6. Click OK.

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 Appendix D Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security

Secure tag write access for a computer

When using the Anonymous Logon, the system administrator can manage tag write access for a specific computer.
Use the system administrator to specify permissions for each FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

Before you begin:

• Find the Anonymous Logon in Users and Group > Users.
• Do not delete or change password.
• Check Effective permissions to verify Rights for the Anonymous Logon user.

To disable tag write access for a computer:

1. On the application window, select the application, area, or sub-area.
2. Right-click and select Security. The Security Settings dialog box opens.
3. Click Add. The Select User and Computer dialog box opens.
4. Select Anonymous Logon from the list of users. If Anonymous Logon is not listed, select Show users only.
5. Select the appropriate computer from the list, If computers are not listed, select Show computers only, and
the click OK.
6. Click and expand Tag in the list of permissions to expose the Write Value permission.
7. Select the Deny check box.
8. Click OK.

Feature Security Properties

Use the Policy Settings tab in Feature Security Properties dialog box to secure features of a single FactoryTalk
product. By setting permissions to a single feature, you can limit a user or a group of users to perform securable
actions.

The logon scope is determined by the user's activation type. If a user has a local license, he can only log on to local
scope. If the user has a network license, he can logon to both network and local scope.

To log on FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server, do one of the followings

• Click File > Log On.
• Click Select next to FactoryTalk Diagnostics Scope on Server Configuration tab.

NOTE:
◦ If you have enabled single sign-on function in FactoryTalk Services Platform >
Explorer > System Policies > Security Policy, there is no need to manually log on
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server.
◦ Log off and log on back for the feature security settings to take effect.

As the product policy is configured upon the logon scope, make sure the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server logon scope
is the same with FactoryTalk Diagnostics scope.

The following table shows the relationship between FactoryTalk Linx Gateway feature security policies and securable
actions that the user can perform:

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Appendix D Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security

Feature security policy Allow Deny

View Gateway Server Properties Allow users to view information in Server Hide UA Server and DA Server information.
Configuration tab including: Users can only select scope in Server
• FactoryTalk Diagnostics Scope Configuration tab.
• UA Server Service Name
• UA Server status
• Local Discovery Service URL and
status.
• DA Server status

Modify Gateway Server Properties Allow users to edit in Server Set Service Name area, UA Server
Configuration tab: Inhibit checkbox, Register with
• Change UA Server Service Name. Discovery Service checkbox, and DA
• Inhibit UA Server communication. Server Inhibit checkbox unavailable.
• Select if register with LDS.
• Inhibit DA Server communication.

View UA Server Endpoint Properties Allow users to view UA server Hide the Endpoint Properties area.
configuration information and security
settings in UA Server Endpoints tab
including the endpoints':
• Name
• Port
• URL
• Security Policy
• Security Mode
• Authentication Settings
• Diagnostic Logging

Remove UA Server Endpoint Allow users to remove the selected Set the Remove button unavailable.
endpoint in UA Server Endpoints tab.

Add/Configure UA Server Endpoint Allow users to add a new endpoint and Set the Endpoint Properties area and the
Properties edit existing endpoints' configuration Add button unavailable.
information and security settings in UA
Server Endpoints tab including:
• Name
• Port
• URL
• Security Policy
• Security Mode
• Authentication Settings
• Diagnostic Logging

View Tag List Configuration Allow user to view tag list configuration in User cannot configure tag list in the UA
the UA Tag List tab Tag List tab

Modify Tag List Configuration Allow user to modify tag list configuration User cannot modify tag list in the UA Tag
in the UA Tag List tab List tab

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 Appendix D Secure FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using FactoryTalk Security

Feature security policy Allow Deny

Manage Incoming Certificate Allow users to view and import, reject, Set the Import, Reject, Trust, and
trust and remove certificates in Remove button as unavailable.
Certificate Management tab.

View Outgoing Certificate Properties Allow users to view the outgoing Set the outgoing certificate properties
certificates information in Certificate unavailable. When switching to Outgoing
Management > Outgoing Certificate tab. Certificate tab, the Certificate
Properties area still shows the Incoming
Certificate properties.

Modify Outgoing UA Certificate Properties Allow users to regenerate an outgoing Set the Regenerate button as
certificate when the old one is expired or unavailable.
there is a need to do so.

OPC UA Client Read Access Allow OPC UA clients to read data values OPC UA clients cannot read data values
through FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server. through FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server.
An access denied error occurs during
communication.

OPC UA Client Write Access Allow OPC UA clients to read and write OPC UA clients cannot write data values
data values through FactoryTalk Linx through FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server.
Gateway server. An access denied error occurs when
editing tag values.

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 Appendix E

Use Excel RTD

huoMicrosoft Excel provides a worksheet function, Real-time Data (RTD), that allows you to call a Component Object
Model (COM) Automation server for the purpose of retrieving data in real-time. RTD components are introduced so
that real-time data can stream into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The RTD server communicates with Excel in a
hybrid push-pull mechanism, greatly increasing the efficiency of the update. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports 20
Excel client connections.

To use Excel RTD

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports using Excel RTD in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Excel.

• In Excel, enter the RTD formula in the cell.

The Excel RTD function uses the following formula.

=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD", "localhost", "Tag ID", "Refresh Rate", "History Index", "Write Value")

• FTLinxGatewayRTD: RTD interface name. Do not change this parameter.

• localhost: "localhost" or empty. Only local communication is supported.
• Tag ID: refer to Excel RTD formula sample on page 115.
• Refresh Rate (ms): optional, the refresh rate of how often the monitor clock is triggered to refresh value from
Live Data. It can be a UINT number, a string, or empty (empty=1000 ms).

Tip: To get the history data, make sure that the current data with
the same TagID and refresh rate is in Excel. For example, to get
RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","Localhost","TagID",1000,2),

RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","Localhost","TagID",1000,0)must be in Excel.

• History Index: (optional) the index in the history queue to get history data. It can be a number or string from
0 through 1000 or empty (empty=0=the latest data). For example, when refresh rate=3000 ms and index=4, it
will return the data value which is that of 3s × 4 = 12s ago. This is helpful when using data in a trend chart.
• Write value: optional, you can write the tag value in Excel.
The action to write values is only triggered when this parameter changes after Excel opens.
To write a value, configure the access for the tag.

For format examples, see Excel RTD formula sample.

Tip:
• To locate the FactoryTalk Linx RTD interface in Windows Task Manager, perform one of these
actions:
◦ In Task Manager, select Details > FTLinxGatewayRTD.exe.
◦ In Task Manager, select Processes > FactoryTalk Linx RTD Server (32 bit).
• Excel RTD interface does not support L modifier.

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 Appendix E Use Excel RTD

• If the RTD interface fails to get data, it will return the following errors to Excel:
◦ #REF: The tag does not exist.
◦ #NA: The RTD interface is unable to read the tag due to errors, such as the tag's data type
mismatch between the custom namespace and the data source.
◦ #Value: There are communication errors.

To troubleshoot Excel RTD, see Troubleshoot Excel RTD on page 87.

Excel RTD formula sample

Use these formulas to read tag values under different options.

On the Server Configuration tab, under Excel RTD Interface,

• If you select Folders with scalar data, the RTD formula could be:
=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","","[ShortcutName]TagName",1000,0,"")

Example:
=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","","[ShortcutName]Tag1",1000,0,"")

=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","","[ShortcutName]Program:MainProgram.l_BoolArray1[006]",1000,0,

=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","","area::

[ShortcutName]Program:MainProgram.l_BoolArray1[006]",1000,0,"")

=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","","area:FactoryTalk Linx2:

[ShortcutName]Program:MainProgram.l_BoolArray1[006]",1000,0,"")

=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD",""," :FactoryTalk Linx2:

[ShortcutName]Program:MainProgram.l_BoolArray1[006]",1000,0,"")

=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","","[ShortcutName]StructTag.Element",1000,0,"")

=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","","[ShortcutName]Program:MainProgram.StructTag.Element",1000,0,

• If you select Custom namespace, the RTD formula could be:

=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","","[NamespaceName]TagName",1000,0,"")

Example:
=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","","[Namespace_01]Tag1",1000,0,"")

RTD advantages over DDE

RTD offers these distinct advantages over software using a DDE connection:

• RTD communicates with the Excel spreadsheet using a push-pull mechanism. Therefore, it is extremely fast
and efficient when handling updates to data in real-time.
• The push-pull architecture allows for seamless updates, even when modal dialog boxes are open or when
multiple simultaneous commands are given.
• RTD uses Excel function-like syntax. The real-time data is placed directly in a cell and includes cell
references that can be used in formulas, calculations and charts.
• RTD keeps track of the state and location of real-time data formulas so that the server doesn't have to.
• RTD can write the tag value without using VBA.
• RTD can customize the refresh rate by tag in the Excel formula.
• RTD supports history data, useful for trend charting.

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Appendix E Use Excel RTD

DDE has some well-known issues including:

• DDE is inclined to stop responding altogether when asked to handle multiple commands simultaneously.
• DDE is unable to use cell references in a function; everything must be hard coded.
• DDE has the difficulty when asked to recalculate or chart new real-time data as it is streamed into the
spreadsheet.
• DDE is inclined to have performance issues including dropped updates, inefficient response time, and
unreliable performance.

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 Appendix F

Use DDE
Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is a standard inter-application communication protocol built into Microsoft Windows
operating systems and supported by many applications that run under Windows. DDE takes data from one application
and gives it to another application. It allows Windows programs that support DDE to exchange data between
themselves. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports 20 DDE client connections.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway only supports CF_TEXT and XLTABLE format. FastDDE and AdvanceDDE are not supported.

To use DDE in Excel

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports using DDE in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Excel.

• In Excel, enter the DDE format in the cell or use VBA to read the tag value.
For DDE format samples, see DDE format sample on page 118. For VBA samples, see Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA) code sample on page 119.

IMPORTANT: DDE does not support wide characters, for example, 16-bit Unicode. Excel
cannot show a tag value containing wide characters correctly.

Use L modifier in DDE

L modifier indicates the length (block size) or number of items to be read.

Use L modifier in a client application to read the data block (for example, array tag) in a single action.

The maximum numbers of this modifier for different data types are:

• BOOL: 3808
• INT/UINT: 238
• DINT/UDINT: 119
• SINT/USINT: 476
• REAL: 119

L modifier is only available when you select Folders with scalar data.

Excel (Microsoft 365) supports using L modifier to read array values in the spreadsheet by adding the L modifier at
the end of the formula.

For example:

=FTLinxGatewayDDE| New_Shortcut01! 'Program:MainProgram.Values00[1],L10'

You can use the L modifier by VBA. All versions of Excel support to use L modifier by VBA. For VBA samples, see Visual
Basic for Applications (VBA) code sample.

For more information on the L modifier, see FactoryTalk Linx Help > Configure for local stand-alone applications >
Modifiers in FactoryTalk Linx.

Convert Excel to migrate the DDE interface from RSLinx Classic to FactoryTalk Linx
Gateway

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Appendix F Use DDE

Take the Folders with scalar data option as an example.

In Excel spreadsheet

1. Replace the server name RSLinx with FTLinxGatewayDDE in the formula.

2. Replace the RSLinx Classic topic name with the FactoryTalk Linx shortcut name.

In VBA

1. Replace the server name RSLinx with FTLinxGatewayDDE and replace the RSLinx Classic topic name
with the FactoryTalk Linx shortcut name in the code when initiating DDE.
2. Delete ,C1 from the code.
For example,
RSLinx Classic:
DDEServer = DDEInitiate("RSLinx", "TopicName")

tagValue = DDERequest(DDEServer, "tagName,L1,C1")

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway:

DDEServer = DDEInitiate("FTLinxGatewayDDE", "ShortcutName")

tagValue = DDERequest(DDEServer, "tagName,L1")

NOTE: To locate the FactoryTalk Linx DDE interface in Windows Task Manager, perform one
of these actions:
◦ In Task Manager, select Details > FTLinxGatewayDDE .exe.
◦ In Task Manager, select Processes > FactoryTalk Linx DDE Server (32 bit).

Tip: If the DDE interface fails to get data, it will return the following errors to Excel:
• #REF: The tag does not exist.
• #NA: The DDE interface is unable to read the tag due to errors, such as the tag's data type
mismatch between the custom namespace and the data source.
• #Value: There are communication errors.

To troubleshoot DDE, see Troubleshoot DDE on page 88.

DDE format sample

Use these formats to read tag values under different options. Any sections in the DDE format with square bracket
must be surrounded by single quotation marks.

On the Server Configuration tab, under DDE Interface,

• If you select Folders with scalar data, the DDE format could be:
=FTLinxGatewayDDE|ShortcutName!'TagName'

or
=FTLinxGatewayDDE|'[ShortcutName]'!'TagName'

Example:
=FTLinxGatewayDDE|ShortcutName!'Tag_1'

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|'[ShortcutName]'!'Tag_1'

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|ShortcutName! 'Program:MainProgram.l_BoolArray1[006]'

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 Appendix F Use DDE

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|'[ShortcutName]'!'Program:MainProgram.l_BoolArray1[006]'

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|Area::ShortcutName!'Program:MainProgram.l_BoolArray1[006]'

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|

Area::'[ShortcutName]'!'Program:MainProgram.l_BoolArray1[006]'

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|:FactoryTalk

Linx:ShortcutName!'Program:MainProgram.l_BoolArray1[006]'

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|:FactoryTalk

Linx2:'[ShortcutName]'!'Program:MainProgram.l_BoolArray1[006]'

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|ShortcutName!'StructTag.Element'

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|ShortcutName!'Program:MainProgram.StructTag.Element'

NOTE: If there is no area, the DDE format could be:

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|' '!'TagName'

Example:
=FTLinxGatewayDDE|'::'!'Tag_1'

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|' '!'Tag_1'

There is a space in the quotation marks.

• If you select Custom namespace, the DDE format could be:

=FTLinxGatewayDDE|NamespaceName!'TagName'

or
=FTLinxGatewayDDE|'[NamespaceName]'!'TagName'

Example:
=FTLinxGatewayDDE| Namespace_01!'Tag_1'

Tip: The tag name should not be the same as the Excel range name, for example, A1 or tag1.
Otherwise, DDE will not work when reopening Excel.

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code sample

You can also perform a DDE read and write from a Visual Basic application to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

The following sample code reads the tag value.

Sub prRead()

'Initiate DDE

FTLGW_DDE = DDEInitiate("FTLinxGatewayDDE", "ShortcutNameOrNsName")

'read tag value

tagValue = DDERequest(FTLGW_DDE, "TagName")

'Terminate DDE

DDETerminate FTLGW_DDE

End Sub

The following sample code reads the array value.

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Appendix F Use DDE

Sub prReadArray()

'Initiate DDE

FTLGW_DDE = DDEInitiate("FTLinxGatewayDDE", "ShortcutName")

'read array tag value (start with element 2, length = 10) - for folder with scalar data

tagValues = DDERequest(FTLGW_DDE, "ArrayName[2],L10")

'Terminate DDE

DDETerminate FTLGW_DDE

End Sub

The following sample code writes the tag value.

Sub prWrite()

'Initiate DDE

FTLGW_DDE = DDEInitiate("FTLinxGatewayDDE", "ShortcutNameOrNsName")

'write tag value from Range "A1" to Tag

DDEPoke FTLGW_DDE, "TagName", Range("A1")

'Terminate DDE

DDETerminate FTLGW_DDE

End Sub

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Glossary
A-F on page 121

H-U on page 124

A-F
-A-

access path
An access path defines the computer, driver, networks, and communication devices used to communicate with a destination device or processor in Object Linking and
Embedding for Process Control (OPC) conversations.

acknowledgment (ACK)
An ASCII control character is used to acknowledge the reception and acceptance of a transmission block.

activate
To make a Rockwell Software product active so that it can run without the limitations imposed by demonstration mode. Without activation, some Rockwell Software
products will not run, some will run with diminished functionality, and others will run for a limited period of time and then shut down with or without warning.

activation file
A text file that contains all of the activation information that is required to license a software product and allow it to function properly. While the file is simply plaintext,
the contents of the file are protected by a signature.

activation host
The device associated with an activation by a unique ID.

activation server
An activation server is any computer that hosts concurrent activations. The activation server manages the activations and shares them with other configured computers
on the network.

alias
A logical name for a variable in a device or memory. Similar to a tag.

application
A machine or process monitored and controlled by a controller or the use of computer-based or controller-based routines for specific purposes.

API
API stands for Application Programming Interface. APIs are mechanisms that enable two software components to communicate with each other using a set of definitions
and protocols.
area
An area organizes and subdivides a distributed Network application into logical or physical divisions.

-B-

baud
A unit of signaling speed equal to the number of discrete conditions or signal events per second. Where one bit is encoded on each signaling event, the number of baud is
the same as the number of bits per second.

Block Check Character (BCC)

An error checking method developed to improve error detection in data communications. The BCC is added to the end of each block of data before the block is
transmitted.

-C-

Certificate
A digital certificate is an electronic representation of an identity. A certificate binds the identities public key to its identifiable information, such as name, organization,
email, username, and/or a device serial number. A certificate is used to authenticate the connection to other devices. Selected by default when CIP security is enabled.

CIA Messaging
To access information inside of devices that support the Open Device Vendors Association (ODVA) Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), using the Class, Instance, and Attribute
(CIA) messaging with the CIP Object - Class/Instance/Attribute Message shortcut type.

client
A component or subsystem that uses data or functionality provided by some other component or subsystem (the server). The term can also refer to the computer that
executes this software, connecting to a server computer across a communication network.

Common Industrial Protocol (CIP)

The Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) is an industrial protocol for industrial automation applications supported by ODVA. Previously known as Control and Information
Protocol, CIP defines messages and services for the collection of manufacturing automation applications – control, safety, synchronization, motion, configuration, and
information. It is used in EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, CompoNet, and ControlNet. Extensions to CIP are CIP Safety, CIP Motion, CIP Security, and CIP Sync.

CIP security
CIP security has multiple layers of security that enables a CIP-connected device to protect itself from malicious CIP communications. Then the device can reject data that
has been altered, reject messages sent by untrusted people or untrusted devices, and reject messages that request actions that are not allowed. CIP security defines the
notion of a security profile, which is a set of well-defined capabilities to facilitate device interoperability and end-user selection of devices with the appropriate security
capability.

concurrent activation
A type of activation that allows multiple computers across a network to use Rockwell Software products at the same time. Concurrent activations include floating
activations and borrowed activations.

configuration
A file that contains information about the physical structure you defined for your system. This file includes all network paths, defined drivers and devices, Data Providers,
and object protocols.

connected messaging
A connected message opens a persisted link from the computer to a target device. This form of communications allocates resources in every device in the route to ensure
responses and subsequent exchanges of information are able to pass more efficiently.

custom namespace
Custom namespace permits the customers to define the structure definitions and tags that will be exposed to an external client and then map these defintions to
underlying system data. This can improve the organization of the automation system data, organize scalar data into structures, combine data from multiple sources or
programmable controllers into a structure, apply a different naming convention for the automation system data, and limit or secure the automation system data that is
available to clients.

cyclic redundancy check (CRC)

A Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) is an error checking technique used by computers.

-D-
DA

See OPC DA.

data element
An individually addressable item of data. For example, an OPC tag, an HMI tag, a graphic display, an event file, a node, and a channel.

data provider
One of the building blocks of FactoryTalk Linx, a data provider acts as a multiplexer for multiple clients and optimizes what data can be read together for more efficient
handling.

data server
Data servers serve tags, or data items, contained in OPC-DA (Data Access) servers. Clients that need access to data items use data server application elements to locate
the computers that are hosting OPC-DA 2.0 compliant data servers.

DCOM
Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) is a proprietary Microsoft technology for communication between software components on connected computers. It allows a
computer to run programs over the network on a different computer as if the program was running locally.

DDE
Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is a standard inter-application communication protocol built into Microsoft Windows operating systems and supported by many applications
that run under Windows. DDE takes data from one application and gives it to another application. It allows Windows programs that support DDE to exchange data between
themselves.

Data transmission library

Data transmission library (DTL) is an application programming interface (API) definition that provides communication between a computer and an automation device using
the CIP or PCCC protocols.

dongle
A dongle is a security or copy-protection device for commercial computer programs. When required by a program, a dongle must be connected to an input/output port,
such as a USB or parallel port of the computer, to allow the program to run. Programs that use a dongle query the port at startup and programmed intervals thereafter, and
close if the dongle does not respond with the expected validation code.

Device Transport System Access

The Device Transport System Access (DTSA) is a cache utilized by the DTL interface to hold route information and state information to communicate with a device.

-E-

Endpoint
An endpoint represents the set of configuration settings on an OPC UA Server that determine how OPC UA clients will interface with the server. This includes a Universal
Resource Locator (URL) string, Transport Control Protocol (TCP) port, security and data access settings.

Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an
alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can decipher a ciphertext back to plaintext and access the original information. Encryption does not
itself prevent interference but denies the intelligible content to a would-be interceptor.

Excel RTD
Microsoft Excel provides a worksheet function, Real-time Data (RTD), that allows you to call a Component Object Model (COM) Automation server for the purpose of
retrieving data in real-time. RTD components are introduced so that real-time data can stream into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The RTD server communicates with
Excel in a hybrid push-pull mechanism, greatly increasing the efficiency of the update.

External Access
A property that allows you to specify the level of access (Read-Only, Read/Write, or None) external applications and devices have to tags.

-F-

floating activation
A type of concurrent activation that requires a continuous network connection and allows multiple computers to use Rockwell Software products concurrently. An
activation server manages a predetermined number of activations in a pool and makes these activations available to any configured computer on the network.

When a computer connects to the network and runs a Rockwell Software product, it automatically "checks out" an activation from the pool of available concurrent
activations. When the product shuts down, the activation is automatically freed and returns to the activation server's available pool. Checking out activations from the
pool and returning them to the server happens automatically, without any user intervention.

H-U
-H-
HMI server
The software module that is responsible for performing core run-time operations such as data collection, alarm detection, historical data logging and retrieval, and for
providing FactoryTalk View SE Clients with graphic displays, runtime data, and events.

-I-

Incoming Certificate
Certificate provided by an OPC UA client to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway when the client initiates a communications request. Note that incoming certificates are not trusted
until a user accepts or trusts them through the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway’s user interface.

Internal Object Identifier

Internal Object Identifier (IOI) identifies the CIP object with which the connection is to be established within the CIP device specified by the target.

IP Address
Each server or client on a TCP/IP internet is identified by a numeric IP (Internet Protocol) address. The two types of IP addresses are the IPv4 (IP version 4) address and the
IPv6 (IP version 6) address.

IP addresses are managed and allocated to users by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and its delegates. The internet address specifies both the network and
the individual host. This specification varies with the size of the network. An IP address identifies a machine in an IP network and is used to determine the destination of a
data packet. Port numbers identify a particular application or service on a system.

-L-

Localized
Software Localization is the process of adapting or translating software to a specific locale's language, culture, and legal requirements. Localization will require
modifications to the user-visible components of software such as the user interface, images, and documentation.

L modifier
L modifier indicates the length (block size), or the number of items to be read. Use the L modifier in a client application to read the data block (for example, array tag) in a
single action.

-N-

Namespace
A collection of information that a Server makes visible to its Clients.

Namespace index
The numeric values used to identify OPC UA namespaces correspond to the index in the NamespaceArray.

NodeID
A numeric or text value that uniquely identifies a data value in an OPC UA Server. An OPC UA client will receive NodeIDs from an OPC UA server while browsing its
namespace and will make read, write, and subscription requests for data by delivering the NodID back to the OPC UA server.
Network Interface Controller
A network interface controller (NIC) is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network, typically a circuit board or chip.

-O-

OPC DA
OPC (Open Platform Communications) Data Access (DA) is a non-proprietary technical specification that defines a set of standard interfaces based on Microsoft’s OLE/COM
(Component Object Model) technology. Applying OPC DA standards makes interoperability possible among automation and control applications, field systems and devices,
and business and office applications.

The FactoryTalk Services Platform supports and extends the OPC DA 3.0 specification, which includes the ability to browse data items.

For more information on OPC DA, see https://opcfoundation.org.

OPC Test Client

A data connections test utility that shows whether you are using Remote OPC Client functionality.

OPC UA
OPC (Open Platform Communications) Unified Architecture (UA) is a platform-independent service-oriented architecture that integrates the individual OPC Classic
specifications into one extensible framework. Applying OPC UA standards makes interoperability possible among automation and control applications, field systems and
devices, and business and office applications.

For more information on OPC UA, see https://opcfoundation.org.

Outgoing Certificate
Certificate generated by FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and delivered to OPC UA clients when they initiate a communications request. Note that many OPC UA clients require
manual approval when they receive a certificate to enable communications with an OPC UA server.

-P-

poll
Systematically request data from a device.

poll rate
Often how data is requested from a device. Poll rates are typically specified in milliseconds. (A poll rate of 1000 ms results in data being requested every second).

port number
A port number is a way to identify a specific process to which an internet or other network message is to be forwarded when it arrives at a server. All network-connected
devices come equipped with standardized ports that have an assigned number. These numbers are reserved for certain protocols and their associated function.

proxy
Proxy is a function that acts as an intermediary between a client requesting a resource.

-R-
rehost (an activation)
Rehosting an activation provides a way of moving an activation file from one computer or device to another. Rehosting an activation file deactivates the file on the
computer that is hosting it and then creates a rehost code that Rockwell Technical Support staff can use to generate a new activation file for use on another computer.

Remote Proxy service

Remote Proxy service enables FactoryTalk Linx on other computers to share the FactoryTalk Linx service on the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway computer to interface with an
automation network.

RTD
Refer to Excel RTD.

-S-

signing
Cryptographic digital signatures use public key algorithms to provide data integrity. When you sign data with a digital signature, someone else can verify the signature,
and can prove that the data originated from you and was not altered after you signed it.

Scalar tag
Defines a reference so a single memory variable represented using an elemental type, for example, BOOL, BYTE, SINT, INT, UINT, DINT, UDINT, LINT, ULINT, REAL.

scope
The level at which tags and routines may be created. They can be created at the controller level (accessible to all routines), or the program level (accessible to only the
routines within a single program).

SDK
A software development kit (SDK) is a collection of software development tools in one installable package. They facilitate the creation of applications by having a compiler,
debugger, and sometimes a software framework. They are normally specific to a hardware platform and operating system combination.

shortcut
A symbolic reference to a physical device that you want to connect to on the network, and the data that device contains. The communication path associated with the
shortcut tells the application where to find that data.

Structure
A data structure is a compound data record that can contain multiple data elements each defined as a scalar, array or nested structures.

-T-

TCP
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is a standard that defines how to establish and maintain a network conversation through which application programs can exchange
data. TCP works with the Internet Protocol (IP), which defines how computers send packets of data to each other.

tag
A named area of the process-connected device or controller’s memory where data is stored. It is the basic mechanism for allocating memory, referencing data from logic,
and monitoring data.

tag group
A set of data items defined in the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway's UA Tag List interface that share a set of security settings enabling authorized OPC UA clients to access the
data.

topology
The way a network is physically structured. This includes all networks, nodes, devices, Data Providers, drivers/channels, and object protocols. In FactoryTalk Linx, this is
presented in tree form (the communications tree).

-U-

UA
See OPC UA.

UA tag list
The UA tag list configuration determines the data values that each OPC UA Client can access from FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. The UA tag list option provides both enhanced
security and complex type information (for example, structures and arrays). When the UA tag list option is disabled, all tags that are available from data sources in a
FactoryTalk Application (for example, controllers and hardware via FactoryTalk Live, OPC DA, and OPC UA servers) are accessible as scalar values to OPC UA Clients. The
UA tag list contains one or more tag groups that define access rights and includes complex type information enabling an OPC UA Client to use structures or User Defined
Types (UDT) from Logix controllers.

Unconnected messaging
An unconnected message permits the computer to perform a single interaction with a device. While an unconnected message can be simpler to initiate, the entire route
must be included in every request. Processing of the unconnected message request and response are lower priority than other forms of communications making this a
less efficient form of communications.

URL
A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a reference to an OPC UA Server that specifies its location on a computer network and the TCP port used to interface with it.

-V-

VBA
VBA stands for Visual Basic for Applications. Excel VBA is Microsoft's programming language for Excel. For more information, refer to Getting started with VBA in Office.
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