Configure DCOM Settings in Windows

NOTE: In most cases, multiple instances of the OPC A&E clients can connect to the server without any additional DCOM configuration. In some cases, however, you may need to change DCOM settings for the server or the client. For more information on these scenarios and the options available for each one, refer to the Running Multiple Clients section.

• Configuring the DCOM settings when the iFIX OPC A&E Server runs as a service
• Configuring the DCOM settings when the iFIX OPC A&E Server runs as a local server

To configure the DCOM settings when the iFIX OPC A&E Server runs as a service:

1. Ensure that you are logged in to Windows as an administrator.
2. Ensure that the iFIX OPC AE Server is configured as a service, as described in the Configure the iFIX OPC A&E Server section.
3. Create a new Windows user account under which the iFIX OPC A&E Server will run. Set its permission level to Administrator. For more details on how to add user accounts, refer to the Microsoft® Windows® help.
4. Shut down iFIX, if it is running.
5. Click the Start button on the Windows taskbar and select Run (or type Run) and press Enter. The Run dialog box appears.
6. Enter dcomcnfg.exe and click OK. The Component Services Microsoft® Management Console (MMC) snap-in appears.
7. Double-click the Component Services folder.
8. Double-click the Computers folder within the Component Services folder.
9. Double-click the My Computer (or computer name) icon.
10. Double-click the DCOM Config folder to display the list of DCOM applications.
11. Locate the iFIX OPC Alarms and Events Server in the list of applications, right-click it, and select Properties. The My Computer Properties dialog box appears.
12. Select the Security tab.
13. In the Access Permissions group box, select the Customize option and then click Edit. The Access Permission dialog box appears.
14. Click Add to add the new user created in step 3 or the group that this user belongs to. In Permissions area of the dialog box, select Allow Access for this user.
15. Click OK.
16. With the Security tab still selected, in the Launch Permissions group box, select the Customize option (if it is not already selected) and then click Edit. The Access Permission dialog box appears.
17. Click Add to add the new user created in step 3 or the group that this user belongs to. In Permissions area of the dialog box, select Allow Launch for this user.
18. Click OK.
19. Select the Identity tab.
20. Change the account which will run this application from The launching user to This user.
21. Type in the User name and password created in step 3.
22. Click OK. Your settings should take effect the next time you start the iFIX OPC A&E Server.
23. Configure iFIX to start under the account created in step 3.
24. Depending on the OPC A&E clients you use, you may also need to configure the OpcEnum application in the same way that you configured the iFIX OPC Alarms and Events Server application in the Distributed COM Configuration Properties dialog box.
25. Restart iFIX.

The iFIX OPC A&E Server starts with iFIX since you listed it in the SCU task lists. Any client that tries to connect to the server connect to this instance. To ensure that you successfully performed these steps, ensure that there is only one instance of iFIXOPCAESrv.exe listed in the Windows Task Manager, while multiple clients are connected.

To configure the DCOM settings when the iFIX OPC A&E Server runs as a local server:

1. Add the iFIX OPC A&E Server to the iFIX SCU task list, so that it runs with no command line options:
1. In the SCU on the Configure menu, choose Tasks. The Task Configuration dialog box appears.
2. In the Filename field, click the browse (...) button. The "Select file name to use..." dialog box appears.
3. Browse to the iFIX installation folder. By default, this is C:\Program Files (x86)\GE\iFIX.
4. Select the iFixOPCAESrv.exe file and click Open.
5. Click Add. The new entry should appear in the Configured Tasks list.
6. Click OK.
7. From the File menu, choose Save to save the SCU.
2. Restart iFIX. As iFIX restarts it should start the iFIX OPC A&E Server.
3. Follow step 4-22 from option 1, above. When a name and password is required, enter those for the currently logged-in user account.

TIP: Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to view information on the current user.

4. Depending on the OPC A&E clients you use, you may also need to configure the OpcEnum application in the same way that you configured the iFIX OPC Alarms and Events Server application in the Distributed COM Configuration Properties dialog box.

IMPORTANT: If you want to always run the iFIX OPC A&E Server with the user interface, you cannot run iFIX as a service.