Can OPC Expert connect to multiple remote OPC servers simultaneously and send specific data values to a Microsoft SQL Server database?
Connecting Multiple Remote OPC Servers and Writing to MSSQL
OPC Expert supports simultaneous connections to multiple remote OPC servers, including a mix of OPC DA and OPC UA servers across different machines on the network. Data from any subscribed item across those connections can be selected for archiving, and Microsoft SQL Server is one of the supported archive destinations. This combination allows teams to consolidate process data from distributed OPC sources into a single SQL database for reporting, analysis, or integration with enterprise systems.
Connecting to Multiple Servers
Within the OPC Expert interface, you can browse and connect to any number of local and remote OPC servers. Remote servers are added to the network tree by hostname or IP address, and OPC Expert handles the underlying connection management for each server independently. Each server connection operates on its own thread, so a slow response or failure on one server does not affect data collection from others. Once connected, you can subscribe to individual data items from any combination of these servers and view them in a unified data view.
Selecting Items for SQL Archiving
After subscribing to the data items you want to capture, you select those items and create a new archive. During the archive configuration, Microsoft SQL Server appears as one of the available storage targets. You provide the database connection details, and OPC Expert handles writing the data according to the configured update rate and capture logic. Event-based capture is available, which records values only when they change rather than on every poll cycle, helping to manage database size and write volume.
Data Integrity and Recovery
If the connection to the SQL Server database is interrupted due to a network issue or database maintenance window, OPC Expert’s store-and-forward functionality buffers the data locally and resumes writing to SQL Server once the connection is restored. This prevents gaps in the archived record without requiring manual intervention.
Relevant Tools
OPC Expert (Archive OPC Data): Manages connections to multiple OPC servers and handles the direct write path to Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, SQLite, and other database targets.
OPC Expert (OPC Viewer): Provides the interface for browsing servers, subscribing to data items, and confirming that values are updating correctly before archiving is configured.
The combination of multi-server connectivity and direct SQL Server archiving makes OPC Expert a practical tool for centralizing process data from distributed OPC environments into a structured database without requiring additional middleware.