SPONSORED BY: SOFTING
With the new edgeAggregator, Softing offers a flexible, container-based solution for managing complex system architectures in OT/IT integration all the way to edge and cloud applications.
A flexible, container-based solution for managing complex system architectures in OT/IT integration
Data exchange plays a particularly important role in the integration of production and management levels up to edge and cloud applications. Already with a small number of servers and clients, the architecture becomes very complex. The complexity of the system design, as well as the maintenance effort, increases exponentially with each client-server connection that is added to the overall OPC UA architecture. Each OPC UA connection must be planned for, configured, maintained, and monitored under cybersecurity aspects.
With the new edgeAggregator, Softing provides a central data integration layer that reduces complexity while addressing a large number of variables as well as managing access rights and special security requirements.
edgeAggregator acts as a central data integration layer that reduces complexity while addressing a large number of variables as well as managing access rights and special security requirements
The edgeAggregator has three key functions:
OPC UA aggregation server
- Handles the aggregation of up to 100 OPC UA servers and the re-organization of address spaces into different virtual address spaces
- Supports up to 25 OPC UA endpoints (virtual OPC UA servers) and flexible assigns different address spaces
- Offers extensive address space filter options for address spaces
- Dynamically adds and removes address spaces of OPC UA servers (without restart)
IoT Cloud Gateway
- Easily integrates OPC UA servers into IoT cloud solutions to implement Industry 4.0
- Handles bi-directional data transfer with cloud applications via MQTT Publisher / Subscriber functionality
- Enables simple and flexible configuration of MQTT payloads, secure transmission of data via SSL or WSS MQTT connection, and automatic data type conversion between OPC UA and MQTT
Security Supervisor
- Centrally manages security parameters associated with OPC UA and MQTT connections such as users and certificates
- Centrally assigns access rights to the subordinate OPC UA servers
- Supports multiple OPC UA endpoints (client or server) each with its own certificates
- Acts as “OPC UA Firewall” for protection against attacks by restricting OPC UA Client access at IP address level, setting a maximum number of connections per OPC UA endpoints or users, and protecting access by limiting the number of failed authentication requests (DoS attack prevention)
As a Docker container, edgeAggregator can be easily configured and deployed as an edge solution or with central cloud platforms.
As a Docker container, edgeAggregator can be easily configured and deployed as an edge solution or with central cloud platforms. The interface abstraction of edgeAggregator allows continuous adaptation and scaling of IoT solutions based on OPC UA and MQTT throughout the entire lifecycle. Users thus gain a high degree of flexibility while significantly reducing integration and configuration costs.