Secure, Reliable and Modern OPC Alarm Archiving Without DCOM
Industrial facilities continue to rely on OPC Classic technologies for alarms and events, but many still face daily challenges caused by DCOM. From connection failures to complex firewall rules and cybersecurity concerns, DCOM has become one of the weakest points in industrial communication.
This blog explains why DCOM is no longer suitable for modern process facilities and how tunneling software combined with another dedicated OPC AE archiving, can eliminate these risks, reinforce cybersecurity and simplify alarm management.
Why DCOM Creates Persistent Risks in Industrial Alarm Systems
DCOM was never designed for today’s networked industrial environments. It creates several challenges across cybersecurity, reliability and operations.
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1. High cybersecurity exposure |
DCOM requires open and dynamic ports across network segments. This increases the attack surface and makes it difficult to comply with industrial cybersecurity standards such as ISA IEC 62443. |
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2. Complex firewall and domain rules |
DCOM communication depends on:
This results in frequent communication failures, especially when OPC AE servers operate in segmented networks. |
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3. Unreliable remote OPC connections |
DCOM connections often break when:
Reconnecting clients manually slows operations and risks alarm data loss.
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4. No encryption for alarm and event traffic |
OPC AE over DCOM does not include encryption. Sensitive alarm and event traffic moves across the network in clear form unless additional protective layers are added. |
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5. Engineering time lost in troubleshooting |
DCOM misconfigurations are one of the most common causes of OPC AE connectivity issues in industrial plants. Engineers often spend hours troubleshooting domain permissions and RPC failures instead of focusing on operations. Given these limitations, many industrial sites seek modern alternatives that enhance security and reliability without replacing their entire OPC Classic infrastructure. |
Modern Approach: Tunneling and Secure Alarm Archiving
A widely adopted method to eliminate DCOM in industrial systems is to use a tunneling layer that replaces DCOM communication with secure, encrypted channels. This architecture also enables centralized alarm collection, consistent database logging and simpler network segmentation.
A modern DCOM-free architecture should provide:
- Encrypted communication between OPC AE servers and clients
- Stable connections across domain boundaries and firewalls
- Authentication and least privilege access
- Store and forward mechanisms for resilience
- Cloud and on-premises database flexibility
- Easy deployment without changes to existing OPC AE servers
This approach protects OT systems while still supporting legacy infrastructure.
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How the Architecture Works
Below is the typical workflow that eliminates DCOM entirely and creates a secure alarm collection pipeline.
- Server side tunneling: OPCNet Broker is installed near the OPC AE servers inside the secured control network. It communicates with the servers locally and securely tunnels the data.
- Encrypted communication through firewalls: The tunnel crosses firewalled zones using predictable ports, which simplifies firewall rules and avoids opening RPC port ranges.
- Client side tunneling: Another instance of OPCNet Broker® receives the data and exposes it locally as OPC AE.
- Alarm collection and archiving: OPC Easy Archiver connects to this local endpoint, collects alarms in real time and stores them in the selected database.
- Analytics and reporting: Business intelligence tools can use the structured alarm database for KPIs, compliance documentation and optimization initiatives.
This architecture strengthens cybersecurity, increases reliability and simplifies maintenance.
CTA’s
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White Paper: Industrial Network Security with OPC Tunneling – Deep dive into the security architecture and cybersecurity benefits |
Video Tutorial: How to Store OPC Alarms & Events in SQL Database – Step-by-step walkthrough of the configuration process |
OPC AE Archiver User Guide – Complete technical reference |
Security, Reliability and Compliance Benefits
By eliminating DCOM, facilities gain several operational advantages
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Reinforced cybersecurity |
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Reliable alarm transmission
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Cloud-ready workflows
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With OPCNet Broker® protecting the OT perimeter, OPC Easy Archiver can store alarms into cloud databases like Azure SQL without exposing the control network. |
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Streamlined compliance and reporting |
Historical alarm data supports:
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Where This Architecture Delivers the Most Value
This approach is widely used in:
- Chemical and petrochemical plants
- Power generation and utilities
- Water and wastewater facilities
- Food and beverage operations
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Oil and gas upstream, midstream and downstream
- Critical buildings and hospitals
Any site with legacy OPC AE running over DCOM benefits from this modernization.
Conclusion
DCOM has become a significant obstacle in modern industrial environments. It introduces avoidable security risks, complicates firewall configurations and causes recurring communication failures. By adopting a tunneling architecture with structured alarm archiving, facilities can gain higher security, improved reliability and a more sustainable alarm management system.
OPCNet Broker® removes DCOM entirely and secures alarm traffic. OPC Easy Archiver provides a robust historian for long-term storage, analysis and compliance.
Together they deliver modern, reliable and cloud-ready architecture for OPC AE alarm management.
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Schedule a Technical Consultation to discuss your specific requirements and get personalized recommendations! |
