Default communications protocol settings

In a
FactoryTalk
 distributed system, the communications protocol affects communications between client and server services and between the
FactoryTalk Directory
 and servers on the network. This setting is considered a "default" because if the
FactoryTalk Live Data
 service detects that some components on the network are not compatible with the selected policy setting, the service overrides the policy and uses whichever setting is most likely to ensure uninterrupted communications. For example, for third-party servers and
RSLinx Classic
,
FactoryTalk Live Data
 does not attempt a TCP/IP connection and always uses DCOM.
Use the
Policy Settings
 tab of
Live Data Policy Properties
to set the default protocol from
TCP/IP
 to
DCOM
 or vice versa.
The
FactoryTalk Services Platform
 installation process evaluates the services and components on the network and sets the communication protocol appropriately. For example, if upgrading from an earlier version of the
FactoryTalk
 platform to
FactoryTalk Services Platform
 2.10 (CPR 9) or later, the communications default is automatically set to DCOM. If installing
FactoryTalk Services Platform
 2.10 or later for the first time on a computer, the communications default is automatically set to TCP/IP. Typically, changing the default setting is not necessary or advisable.
Default protocol setting
Description
TCP/IP
An open communications protocol that typically is more reliable and has better performance than the proprietary DCOM protocol.
  • Choose this option only if all or most of the clients and servers on the automation network are upgraded to use
    FactoryTalk Services Platform
     v. 2.10 (CPR 9) or later.
  • Do not choose this option if the automation network is using older versions of the
    FactoryTalk Automation Platform
     v.2.00 (CPR 7) or earlier or if the system includes many third-party
    OPC
     servers and devices.
When this setting is changed from
DCOM
 to
TCP/IP
, an audit message is logged to
FactoryTalk Diagnostics
 indicating that the value changed from
False
 to
True
.
DCOM
A proprietary communications protocol owned and managed by
Microsoft
.
Choose this option if:
  • Most of the clients and servers on the automation network are using older versions of
    FactoryTalk Automation Platform
     (v. 2.00, CPR 7 or earlier)
  • The system includes third-party
    OPC
     servers and devices
When this setting is changed from
TCP/IP
 to
DCOM
, an audit message is logged to
FactoryTalk Diagnostics
 indicating that the value changed from
True
 to
False
.
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