lmxopcua/docs/drivers/OpcUaClient.md

# OPC UA Client driver

Tier-A in-process driver that opens a `Session` against a remote OPC UA server
and re-exposes its address space through the local OtOpcUa server. The
"gateway / aggregation" direction — opposite to the usual "server exposes PLC
data" flow.

For the test fixture (opc-plc) see [`OpcUaClient-Test-Fixture.md`](OpcUaClient-Test-Fixture.md).
For the configuration surface see `OpcUaClientDriverOptions` in
[`src/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.OpcUaClient/OpcUaClientDriverOptions.cs`](../../src/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.OpcUaClient/OpcUaClientDriverOptions.cs).

## Auto re-import on `ModelChangeEvent`

The driver subscribes to `BaseModelChangeEventType` (and its subtype
`GeneralModelChangeEventType`) on the upstream `Server` node (`i=2253`) at
the end of `InitializeAsync`. When the upstream server advertises a
topology change, the driver coalesces events over a debounce window and
runs a single re-import (equivalent to calling `ReinitializeAsync` —
internally `ShutdownAsync` + `InitializeAsync`).

### Configuration

| Option | Default | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `WatchModelChanges` | `true` | Disable to skip the watch entirely (no extra subscription, no re-import on topology change). |
| `ModelChangeDebounce` | `5s` | Coalescing window. The first event starts the timer; further events extend it; when it elapses with no new events, the driver fires one re-import. |

### Behaviour

- One model-change subscription per driver instance, separate from the
  data + alarm subscriptions. Created best-effort: a server that doesn't
  advertise the event types or rejects the `EventFilter` falls through to
  no-watch — `InitializeAsync` still succeeds.
- The `EventFilter` selects only the `EventType` field (a `WhereClause`
  constrains by `OfType BaseModelChangeEventType`). Payload fields like
  `Changes[]` are intentionally ignored: the driver always re-imports the
  full upstream root, so per-event delta tracking would just add wire
  overhead.
- Debounce is implemented via a single-shot `Timer`; every event calls
  `Timer.Change(window, Infinite)` so a burst of N events triggers exactly
  one re-import after the window elapses with no further events.
- The re-import path acquires the same `_gate` semaphore that `ReadAsync`
  / `WriteAsync` / `BrowseAsync` / `SubscribeAsync` use. Downstream callers
  see a brief browse-gap (≈ the upstream `DiscoverAsync` duration) while
  the gate is held — but no torn reads or split-batch writes.
- Failure during the re-import is best-effort: the next `ModelChangeEvent`
  triggers another attempt, and the keep-alive watchdog covers permanent
  upstream loss. Operators see failures through `DriverHealth.LastError`
  + the diagnostics counters.

### When to disable

Flip `WatchModelChanges` to `false` when:

- The upstream topology is known-static (e.g. firmware-pinned PLC) and
  the driver should never run a re-import unprompted.
- The brief browse-gap during re-import is unacceptable and a manual
  `ReinitializeAsync` call from the operator is preferred.
- The upstream server fires spurious `ModelChangeEvent`s that don't
  reflect real topology changes, causing wasted re-imports. Tighten or
  disable rather than chasing the noise downstream.

## Reverse Connect (server-initiated)

OPC UA's reverse-connect mode flips the transport direction: instead of the
client dialling the server, the **server** dials the client's listener. The
upstream sends a `ReverseHello` and the client continues the OPC UA
handshake on the inbound socket. Required for OT-DMZ deployments where the
plant firewall only permits outbound traffic from the upstream — the
gateway opens a listener, the upstream reaches out.

### Configuration

| Option | Default | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `ReverseConnect.Enabled` | `false` | Opt-in. When `true`, replaces the failover dial-sweep with a `WaitForConnection` call. |
| `ReverseConnect.ListenerUrl` | `null` | Local listener URL the SDK binds. Typically `opc.tcp://0.0.0.0:4844` (any interface) or a specific NIC for multi-homed gateways. **Required when `Enabled` is `true`.** |
| `ReverseConnect.ExpectedServerUri` | `null` | Upstream's `ApplicationUri` to filter inbound dials. `null` accepts the first connection (only safe with one upstream targeting the listener). |

### Shared listener (singleton)

A single underlying `Opc.Ua.Client.ReverseConnectManager` per process keyed
on `ListenerUrl`. Two driver instances that share a listener URL multiplex
onto one TCP socket; the SDK demuxes inbound dials by the upstream's
reported `ServerUri`. The wrapper (`ReverseConnectListener`) is
reference-counted — first `Acquire` binds the port, last `Release` tears it
down. Letting drivers come and go independently without races on
port-bind / port-unbind.

When two drivers share a listener:

- They MUST set `ExpectedServerUri` to disambiguate; otherwise the first
  upstream to dial in wins regardless of which driver is waiting.
- They CAN come and go independently; the listener stays alive while at
  least one driver references it.

### Behaviour

- The dial path is bypassed entirely when `Enabled` is `true`. Failover
  across multiple `EndpointUrls` doesn't apply — there's no client-side
  dial to fail over.
- `ExpectedServerUri` is the SDK's filter parameter to `WaitForConnectionAsync`.
  Inbound `ReverseHello`s from a different upstream are ignored and the
  caller keeps waiting.
- The same `EndpointDescription` derivation runs as the dial path — the
  first `EndpointUrl` in the candidate list seeds `SecurityPolicy` /
  `SecurityMode` / `EndpointUrl` for the session-create call. The actual
  endpoint lives on the upstream and the SDK reconciles after the
  `ReverseHello`.
- Cancellation: `Timeout` bounds the wait. A stuck listener with no inbound
  dial throws after `Timeout` rather than hanging init forever.
- Shutdown releases the listener reference. The last release stops the
  listener so the port can be re-bound by a future driver lifecycle.

### Wiring it up on the upstream

The upstream OPC UA server has to be configured to dial out. The `opc-plc`
simulator does this with `--rc=opc.tcp://<gateway-host>:4844`; for a real
upstream see your server's reverse-connect docs (most major implementations
expose a "ReverseConnect.Endpoint" config knob).

### When NOT to use

- Standard plant networks where the gateway can dial the upstream — the
  conventional dial path is simpler and supports failover natively.
- Public-internet OPC UA: reverse-connect is a network-policy workaround,
  not a security primitive. Always pair with `Sign` or `SignAndEncrypt`
  + a vetted user-token policy.