FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00 (CPR 9 SR 15) works within the system requirements of all Rockwell Automation® software products.

For the latest compatibility information, refer to the Product Compatibility and Download Center.

Hardware requirements

We recommend the following hardware for applications with typical data acquisition needs:

• Intel® Core™ i5 Standard Power processor
• Total processor cores are recommended to be no less than 4 for virtual machines
• 4 GB of memory

Lower level x86 based CPUs will also work in standalone configurations with reduced data acquisition needs.

For small applications, the following configuration was also evaluated:

• Intel® Atom™ CPU E3845 @ 1.91 GHz (4 CPUs)
• 4 GB of memory
• 1500 data points

We recommend that you run a performance validation test on the planned computer hardware to ensure that the desired capacity and performance can be achieved.

Tip:

When FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is operating on Windows® 10 IOT Enterprise (for example, the Windows core of a CompactLogix™ 5480 controller), it is limited to a FactoryTalk Directory and FactoryTalk Linx data server running in the same environment (a remote directory and data server are not supported).

Operating systems

The following operating systems are supported and recommended*:

• Windows Server® 2022 Standard (Recommended, CIS Benchmark)
• Windows Server 2022 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2019 Standard (Recommended, CIS Benchmark)
• Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2016 Standard
• Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
• Windows® 11 Enterprise (Recommended, CIS Benchmark)
• Windows 11 Professional
• Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 (v24H2)
• Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit (Recommended, CIS Benchmark)
• Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
• Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC 64-bit (v21H2)
• Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC 64-bit (v1809)

*The recommended operating systems have priority for Microsoft Patch Qualifications with Rockwell Automation software.

Rockwell Automation's software installation policy is based on the lifecycle information of Microsoft operating systems. If an operating system's lifecycle state is approaching the end, you may encounter a warning message when trying to install Rockwell Automation software on it.

Rockwell Automation will provide a notice about the lifecycle information of the following operating systems.

For the latest compatibility information, refer to the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy and Product Compatibility and Download Center.

Software compatibility

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00 is compatible with these Rockwell Software products:

• FactoryTalk Activation Manager version 5.01.01
• FactoryTalk Services Platform version 6.50.00
• FactoryTalk View version 15.00.00
• FactoryTalk Linx version 6.50.00

High Resolution Display Support

Windows 10 v1803 or later is the recommended operating system if running this software with a 2K or 4K High Resolution Display with scaling up to 125%.

Rockwell Automation Test Environment

Rockwell Automation tests software products under a standard configuration of operating systems and antivirus software. For additional information, see the Knowledgebase Document ID: PN24 - Rockwell Software Products and Antivirus Software.

Supported browsers

The following web browsers have been tested and are supported for use with this release:

• Google® Chrome™ browser
• Microsoft® Edge™
• Mozilla® Firefox®

Security requirements

To learn about designing a secure networking environment, review this publication:

• Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) Design and Implementation Guide (publication ENET-TD001) represents a collaborative development effort from Cisco Systems and Rockwell Automation.

To learn about implementing application-level security using FactoryTalk Security, review this publication:

• FactoryTalk Security Application Technique (publication SECURE-AT002) explains how to use FactoryTalk Security to implement authentication and authorization in your industrial automation system and how to enforce product-specific security for applications like Studio 5000 Logix Designer, FactoryTalk View, and FactoryTalk AssetCentre.

To learn about designing and implementing an architecture with device-level security using CIP Security, review these publications:

• System Security Design Guidelines Reference Manual (publication SECURE-RM001) provides guidelines for how to use Rockwell Automation products to improve the security of your industrial automation system.
• Configure System Security Features User Manual (publication SECURE-UM001) describes the system-level configuration requirements to use a controller that has achieved IEC 62443-4-2:2019 certification.
• CIP Security with Rockwell Automation Products Application Technique (publication SECURE-AT001) explains how to implement the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) Security standard in your industrial automation control system (IACS).

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00 has the following new and enhanced features:

New features

• Use MQTT publisher for remote connection.
• Delivery of Logix Extended Properties and tag-based alarm attributes to clients.
• Support predefined tags in the custom namespace of the OPC UA, RTD, and DDE interfaces.

Enhanced features

• Redesign of the configuration user interface.

• If you maximize or resize the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration window on an 8K monitor, the window may stop responding and disappear. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration version 6.30.00. [Jira 1388099]
  

  Corrected in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00.

• When opening FactoryTalk Linx Gateway the first time and adding tags to a "Custom Namespace" for the OPC UA service, an OPC UA client may not see the tags in the namespace. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.31.00. [Jira 1922445]
  

  Corrected in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00.

• After a reinstallation or upgrade, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway may have trouble connecting to the FactoryTalk Directory, resulting in a failure to detect the activation. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.40.00. [Jira 2383086]
  

  Corrected in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00.

• FactoryTalk Linx Gateway retains connection after OPC UA clients disconnect impacting efficiency and blocking new client connections. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.30.00. [Jira 3376052]

  Corrected in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. Install patch 1150515 to resolve the problem in versions 6.31.00 and 6.40.00.

• FTLinxGatewayConfigUIService.exe will stop responding when turning off the computer after an upgrade of FactoryTalk Linx Gateway from version 6.40.00 to 6.50.00. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. [Jira 3835577]

  FactoryTalk Linx Gateway will work after restarting the computer.

• When adding a parent folder and its child folder to the same tag group in the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway tag list, the OPC UA client cannot browse the child folder tags under the parent folder. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. [Jira 3852386]

  To resolve this problem, remove the independent child folder from the namespace and access the child folder through the parent folder.

• The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway standalone OPC DA server doesn’t support the flat namespace. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. [Jira 3854490]

  To resolve this problem, the client should use the hierarchical namespace.

• If FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration UI is open for several days, selecting multiple tags in a namespace will experience a delayed response. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. [Jira 3881123]

  To resolve this problem, close FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Configuration UI and reopen it.

• When multiple OPC UA clients, MQTT brokers, RTD clients, and DDE clients are connected to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, the data updates in the MQTT brokers, RTD clients, and DDE clients become slow due to excessive tags, for example, 400,000 tags for the OPC UA clients and 40,000 tags for the MQTT brokers. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. [Jira 3941273]

  To resolve this problem, reduce the OPC UA client connections.

• FactoryTalk Linx Gateway’s OPC UA service, DDE service, and RTD service configured to use Custom namespace or Tag list and structures/array access and FactoryTalk Linx Gateway’s MQTT dataset will not support item IDs (tag names) with wide characters, such as Chinese and Japanese. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. [Jira 3855499]

  Corrected in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.60.00.

• The MQTT interface shows the running state when the enabled MQTT has no client configurations. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. [Jira 3999627]

  Corrected in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.60.00.

• An error message "The actual activation 'activation name' does not support the selected scope because it contains servers on multiple computers. Please select a project or area that only contains servers for this computer." is displayed when using the Standard activation and Local FactoryTalk Policy Directory scope, which does not influence saving the configuration and runtime operation. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. [Jira 4799711]

  Corrected in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.60.00.

• When selecting a new device shortcut in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, the previously selected shortcuts may occasionally become unselected. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. [Jira 3224042]
  To avoid this problem, manually verify the setting and reselect the device.

• The plus sign "+" icon to select scalar tags does not appear or disappear automatically in the Tag Browser when switching between Tags and Types under a custom namespace in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00. [Jira 3684194]
  To avoid this problem, manually refresh the Tag Browser when switching between Tags and Types.

• Unable to create the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) if its output path or file name contains wide characters (for example, Chinese characters). First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.30.00. [Jira 1498486]
To solve this problem, avoid having wide characters in the file name or path.

• The tag list folder doesn’t work for OPC DA data servers. You will fail to monitor the array tags if you:
  • Add an array folder from an OPC DA data server to a tag group and directly open an OPC UA client.
  • Open an OPC UA client and add sub-elements on the monitor tab and restart FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.30.00. [Jira 1443874]

• When the Enable configuration of OPC UA namespace index checkbox is selected, all tags that originate from OPC DA servers are grouped together under a common namespace index (10). If a tag ID starts with “[xxx]” in OPC DA Server (for example, tags that originate from RSLinx Classic), it will have an individual OPC UA namespace index not common index as 10. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.30.00. [Jira 1388128]
There is no workaround for this anomaly.

• Tag Browser is not synchronized when the data type in the controller is changed. If the data type of tag in the project is updated and different from before, the data type is not updated successfully. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.21.00. [Jira 994870]
To solve this issue, select the refresh button in Tag Browser.

• When a client asks to verify the tag, the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway will check if the format is correct and the shortcut exists but does not verify if the tag actually exists. When the client subscribes or reads the tag, it will then verify if the tag actually exists or not. So, a verify may succeed but a subsequent request will fail. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.20.00. [Jira 445987]
There is no workaround for this anomaly.

• Data requests from UA clients include parameter values for PublishingInterval and SamplingRate to specify the desired data delivery speeds. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway will return the RevisedPublishInterval and RevisedSamplingRate used to request data from FactoryTalk Live Data servers (for example, FactoryTalk Linx, OPC UA and OPC DA servers). The actual delivery rates may be different from the reported setting because of communications limitations from the data source. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.21.00. [Jira 1051130]
There is no workaround for this anomaly.

• If FactoryTalk Linx Gateway and Remote Gateway were installed on the same computer, after uninstalling Remote Gateway, the local OPC DA Clients can connect to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, but remote OPC DA Clients cannot connect to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.00.00. [Jira 1747981]

  To solve this problem, repair Remote Gateway or FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.

• Bits delivered from the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway’s OPC UA interface are defined with an INT16 datatype. However, when the value is delivered, it is assigned a BOOL type. Some OPC UA clients are unable to handle this difference (FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector included) and will not be able to access the value. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.30.00. [Jira 1442309]

  There is no workaround for this anomaly.

• Some data types from the PLC or SLC controller return incorrect data types when added to a FactoryTalk Linx Gateway custom namespace, for example, a BOOL tag is returned as an INT16. This will cause the data type mismatch error in the custom namespace. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.31.00. [Jira 1442309]

  To resolve this problem, use the UA or RTD/DDE custom namespace configuration editor to manually change the data type to BOOL.

• When FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is defined to use “Tag List and structures / array access” or “Custom namespace”, the software must fully generate the namespace in memory which could require a substantial amount of time for large configurations. While this is occurring, OPC UA Clients will not be permitted to connect with the UA Endpoints. The Namespace generation process occurs on startup of the service, after a change is made to the Tag List or Custom Namespace or when the user initiates a namespace refresh through the user interface. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.40.00. [Jira 2349559]

  To determine how much time is required to generate the namespace, utilize an OPC UA Client to attempt a connection periodically. To permit the UA Service to start quicker, use the Advanced Setting “Cache UA Namespace” to retain a copy of the generated namespace.

• Using the FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser to continuously browse a network through a FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Remote Proxy will cause the memory usage of RSLinxNG.exe on the Proxy Computer to grow by about 25MB per day. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.40.00.[Jira 3118572]

  To avoid this problem, close the FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser when you don’t use it.

• While an OPC client can make CIP Class, Instance, and Attribute requests through a FactoryTalk Linx CIP CIA shortcut, reading data from a full array in a single request, like arr8, arr32, farr32, etc., will only return the first element. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.40.00. [Jira 3206687]

  To access multiple array elements, use multiple array single item references to access each desired array element, like u8[#], s32[#], f32[#], etc.

• When using the standalone data service to configure a shortcut to a Logix controller with firmware version 17 or earlier, no tags can be browsed via the OPC DA client. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.40.00. [Jira 3608015]

  To avoid this problem, update the Logix controller firmware to version 18 or later.

• OPC UA clients cannot get data changes via FactoryTalk Linx Gateway when the OPC UA server or HMI server is configured with the local FactoryTalk Directory and the OPC UA Server is configured with Folders with scalar data or Tag list and structures/array access. First identified in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.30.00. [Jira 3677403]

   To resolve this problem, do the following:

  1. Perform the following modifications to DCOM

     1. Press Windows + R.
     2. In the Run dialog, enter DCOMCNFG.
     3. In the Console Root pane of the Component Services Window, go to Component Services > Computers > My Computer > DCOM Config > FTLinxGatewayUA.
     4. Right-click FTLinxGatewayUA, and then select Properties.
     5. In the FTLinxGatewayUA Properties dialog, select the Security tab.
     6. In the Access Permissions box, select Customize, and then select Edit.
     7. In the Access Permission dialog,
        1. Select Add to open the Select Users or Groups dialog, add ANONYMOUS LOGON and Everyone, and then select OK.
        2. Allow Remote Access for ANONYMOUS LOGON and Everyone, and then select OK.
     8. Select Apply to save the changes.
     9. Restart the PC after the changes are made.

  2. Migrate to using a Network Station application, which will eliminate the need to configure DCOM as listed above.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00 has the changes in functionality since the last release.

• Allow the user to configure the maximum anonymous connections from 0 through 100. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00 defaults to 50 anonymous connections. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.40.00 or earlier supports up to 100 anonymous connections.

The following are the application notes for FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00.

CIS Benchmarks test results

Rockwell Automation conducts tests using domain-joined computers configured according to CIS Benchmarks to help assure that software products perform as expected on computers that are hardened to industry best practices.

For more information about the guidelines, see the Knowledgebase Document ID: QA63609 - Recommended guidelines for hardening software, computer, device, and network systems and infrastructure (CIS Benchmarks).

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00 has been tested on the following CIS Benchmarks:

• CIS Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise Benchmark v3.0.0 (L1) - Tested in the workgroup.
• CIS Microsoft Windows 11 Enterprise Benchmark v3.0.0 (L1) - Tested in the workgroup.
• CIS Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Domain Controller Benchmark v3.0.1 (L1)
• CIS Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Domain Server Benchmark v3.0.0 (L1)

Exceptions settings for FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00 are listed.

CIS Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise (Release 22H2) Benchmark v3.0.0:

• 2.16 (L1) Ensure 'Deny access to this computer from the network' to include 'Guests, Local account' - If a local account is created, remote clients are prevented connecting to the server. If the local account is removed, remote clients can connect.
• 9.3.4 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Settings: Apply local connection security rules' is set to 'No' - This exception is not applied for the workgroup.

CIS Microsoft Windows 11 Enterprise (Release 23H2) Benchmark v3.0.0:

• 2.16 (L1) Ensure 'Deny access to this computer from the network' to include 'Guests, Local account' - If a local account is created, remote clients are prevented connecting to the server. If the local account is removed, remote clients can connect.
• 9.3.4 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Settings: Apply local connection security rules' is set to 'No' - This exception is not applied for the workgroup.

CIS Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Domain Controller Benchmark v3.0.1

• 18.4.6 (L1) Ensure 'Enable Structured Exception Handling Overwrite Protection (SEHOP)' is set to 'Enabled' - This Group Policy path does not exist by default.
• 18.4.7 (L1) Ensure 'Local Security Authority (LSA) Protection' is set to 'Enabled' - This Group Policy path does not exist by default.
• 19.5.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off toast notifications on the lock screen' is set to 'Enabled' - This Group Policy path does not exist by default.
• 19.7.8.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Windows spotlight on lock screen' is set to 'Disabled' - This Group Policy path does not exist by default.
• 19.7.8.2 (L1) Ensure 'Do not suggest third-party content in Windows spotlight' is set to 'Enabled' - This Group Policy path does not exist by default.
• 19.7.8.5 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off Spotlight collection on Desktop' is set to 'Enabled' - This Group Policy path does not exist by default.

CIS Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Domain Server Benchmark v3.0.0

• 2.2.3 (L1) Ensure 'Access this computer from the network' is set to 'Administrators, Authenticated Users' (Microsoft only) - This Group Policy path does not exist by default or managed by domain server that cannot be changed.
• 2.2.8 (L1) Ensure 'Allow log on locally' is set to 'Administrators' (Microsoft only) - This Group Policy path does not exist by default or managed by domain server that cannot be changed.
• 2.2.22 (L1) Ensure 'Deny access to this computer from the network' to include 'Guests, Local account and member of Administrators group' (Microsoft only) - This Group Policy path does not exist by default or managed by domain server that cannot be changed.
• 2.2.27 (L1) Ensure 'Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services' is set to 'Guests, Local account' (Microsoft only) - This Group Policy path does not exist by default or managed by domain server that cannot be changed.
• 2.2.29 (L1) Ensure 'Enable computer and user accounts to be trusted for delegation' is set to 'No One' (Microsoft only) - This Group Policy path does not exist by default or managed by domain server that cannot be changed.
• 2.3.10.7 (L1) Configure 'Network access: Named Pipes that can be accessed anonymously' (Microsoft only) - This Group Policy path does not exist by default or managed by domain server that cannot be changed.
• 19.5.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off toast notifications on the lock screen' is set to 'Enabled' - This Group Policy path does not exist by default or managed by domain server that cannot be changed.
• 19.7.8.5 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off Spotlight collection on Desktop' is set to 'Enabled' - This Group Policy path does not exist by default or managed by domain server that cannot be changed.

Tested FactoryTalk Linx Gateway update rates configured using a FactoryTalk Application

Rockwell Automation tests with the following update rates for a number of active tags. This data is captured in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.50.00 with security disabled.

CPU and memory requirements for the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway server increase as tags are set to active (up to the activation tag capacity) or as more clients connect to the server.

Example test environment and results for OPC UA using folders with scalar data

• Test environment

  Items	Details
  OS	Windows 11 Professional
  Processor	12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700k 3.6GHZ 12-core
  RAM	32 GB

• Test results

  Number of Active Tags	Requested Rate (s)	Achieved Update Rate (s)
  50,000	0.5	0.5
  100,000	0.5	1
  150,000	0.5	1.8
  200,000	0.5	2
  250,000	0.5	2.5
  300,000	0.5	3
  350,000	0.5	3.5
  400,000	0.5	4
  450,000	0.5	4.5
  500,000	0.5	5

  Note:

  This data was based on tests with the Folder with scalar data enabled in the UA server. This data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

Example test for OPC UA using tag list

• Test environment

  Items	Details
  OS	Windows 11 Professional
  Processor	12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700k 3.6GHZ 12-core
  RAM	32 GB

• Test results

  Number of Active Tags	Requested Rate (s)	Achieved Update Rate (s)
  1,000	0.5	0.5
  2,000	0.5	0.5
  5,000	0.5	0.5
  10,000	0.5	0.5
  50,000	0.5	0.6
  100,000	0.5	1
  150,000	0.5	1.5
  200,000	0.5	2
  250,000	0.5	2.5
  300,000	0.5	3
  350,000	0.5	3.5
  400,000	0.5	4.1
  450,000	0.5	4.5
  500,000	0.5	5.2

  Note:

  This data was based on tests with the UA tag list enabled. This data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

Example test for OPC UA using custom namespace

• Test environment

  Items	Details
  OS	Windows 11 Professional
  Processor	12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700k 3.6GHZ 12-core
  RAM	32 GB

• Test results

  Number of Active Tags	Requested Rate (s)	Achieved Update Rate (s)
  10,000	0.5	0.5
  50,000	0.5	0.5
  100,000	0.5	1
  150,000	0.5	1.9
  200,000	0.5	2
  250,000	0.5	2
  300,000	0.5	3
  350,000	0.5	3
  400,000	0.5	3
  450,000	0.5	4
  500,000	0.5	4

  Note:

  This data was based on tests with the Custom namespace enabled. This data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

Example test for MQTT

• Test environment

  Items	Details
  OS	Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit
  Processor	Intel®   Xeon® CPU E5-2699A v4@2.39GHz 4-core
  RAM	8 GB

• Test results

  Number of Active Tags	Number of MQTT clients	Data Sampling Mode	Data Sampling Period (s)
  40,000	1	Periodic	1
  40,000	1	Change in value	1
  40,000	1	Periodic	2
  40,000	1	Change in value	1
  40,000	20	Periodic	2
  40,000	20	Change in value	1

  Note:

  This data was based on tests for the MQTT. This data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

Example test for RTD using folders with scalar data

• Test environment

  Items	Details
  OS	Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
  Processor	Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2697A v4 @ 2.60GHz, ~2.59GHz 8-core
  RAM	8 GB

• Test results

  Number of Active Tags	Requested Rate (s)	Achieved Update Rate (s)
  5,000	0.5	1.9
  10,000	0.5	1.9
  15,000	0.5	1.9
  20,000	0.5	1.9
  25,000	0.5	2
  30,000	0.5	2
  35,000	0.5	2
  40,000	0.5	2

  Note:

  This data was based on tests with the Folder with scalar data enabled for the RTD. This data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

Example test for RTD using custom namespace

• Test environment

  Items	Details
  OS	Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
  Processor	Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2697A v4 @ 2.60GHz, ~2.59GHz 8-core
  RAM	8 GB

• Test results

  Number of Active Tags	Requested Rate (s)	Achieved Update Rate (s)
  5,000	0.5	1.9
  10,000	0.5	1.9
  15,000	0.5	1.9
  20,000	0.5	2
  20,000	0.5	2
  30,000	0.5	2
  35,000	0.5	2
  40,000	0.5	2.1

  Note:

  This data was based on tests with the Custom namespace enabled for the RTD. This data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

Example test for DDE using folders with scalar data

• Test environment

  Items	Details
  OS	Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
  Processor	Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2697A v4 @ 2.60GHz, ~2.59GHz 8-core
  RAM	8 GB

• Test results

  Number of Active Tags	Requested Rate (s)	Achieved Update Rate (s)
  500	0.5	0.8
  1,000	0.5	0.8
  1,500	0.5	0.8
  2,000	0.5	0.9
  2,500	0.5	1.0
  3,000	0.5	1.2
  3,500	0.5	1.4
  4,000	0.5	1.8

  Note:

  This data was based on tests with the Folder with scalar data enabled for the DDE. This data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

Example test for DDE using custom namespace

• Test environment

  Items	Details
  OS	Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
  Processor	Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2697A v4 @ 2.60GHz, ~2.59GHz 8-core
  RAM	8 GB

• Test results

  Number of Active Tags	Requested Rate (s)	Achieved Update Rate (s)
  500	0.5	1.8
  1,000	0.5	1.9
  1,500	0.5	1.9
  2,000	0.5	1.9
  2,500	0.5	1.9
  3,000	0.5	1.9
  3,500	0.5	1.9
  4,000	0.5	2.1

  Note:

  This data was based on tests with the Custom namespace enabled for the DDE. This data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

Tested FactoryTalk Linx Gateway update rates configured using a standalone data source

Rockwell Automation tests with the following update rates for a number of active tags using a standalone data source.

Example test for OPC DA service

• Test environment

  Items	Details
  OS	Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
  Processor	Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2697A v4 @ 2.60GHz, ~2.59GHz 8-core
  RAM	8 GB

• Test results

  Number of Active Tags	Requested Rate (s)	Achieved Update Rate (s)
  1,000	1	1
  3,000	1	1
  5,000	1	1
  10,000	1	1
  20,000	1	1
  50,000	1	1
  100,000	1	1
  120,000	1	1
  150,000	1	1
  200,000	1	2

  Note:

  This data was based on tests with the OPC DA enabled for the standalone data source. This data is provided as an example to show how tag quantity will impact the speed that data can be delivered. The test did not verify all value changes that were delivered. Because each system has different operational requirements, testing should be performed to determine how a proposed system will operate.

Requestor’s subscription rate recommendation

In a FactoryTalk system, data moves from a source like a controller connected to FactoryTalk Linx to a software client when a data item’s value has changed. Once changes are detected, the data values are transferred between multiple components or services. The services use the subscription rate from the requestor to initiate a processing thread to transfer the data to its next destination in the system. Small processing delays by components, network delivery time, a high number of values changing at once, or a heavily loaded system can cause data to be processed and delivered slower than the requested rate. If the source data value changes faster than twice the subscription rate, a newer data value could likely overwrite a previous data value as it travels between the services.

In some cases, sampling at a rate faster than half of the speed of the value changes can help to ensure that data value changes are detected by the requester. Also balancing the data subscriptions across multiple computers and services can reduce processing and delivery delays.

Installation limitation

When FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is installed on a computer that also has the "Remote Gateway (DA Client remote configuration)" installed, these two options must have the same version.

If using the unattended install to upgrade from a prior version of FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, ensure that Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway is uninstalled prior to performing the unattended install, otherwise it will fail.

To work around this, do one of the following:

• Uninstall Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway via Control Panel, then run the unattended install.
• Run the command line msiexec /q /x {32D45A1C-DCEF-45DB-8EEC-18D5A1C51B21}, then run the unattended install.

Important: In this example, {32D45A1C-DCEF-45DB-8EEC-18D5A1C51B21} is the product code of version 6.40.00. For more information, see Unattended or silent install. To view the installation progress, use qb to replace q.

Service log on option

In FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, if the FactoryTalk Directory Scope path is set to an application containing an OPC DA server, the OPC UA clients connecting to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway can browse the tags defined in the OPC DA server but cannot communicate to tags (read or write).

To solve this problem, in Windows Services Manager, select FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA Server > Properties > Log on, change the log on option from Local Service to Local System account. Then restart the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA Server service.

Service log on option change

Starting from FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.30.00, OPC UA service account is downgraded to Local Service.

• In FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, if the FactoryTalk Directory Scope path is set to an application containing an FactoryTalk OPC DA data server, the OPC UA clients connecting to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway can browse the tags via the FactoryTalk OPC DA data server but cannot read or write tags.

  To solve this problem:

  1. In Windows Search bar, enter Services.
  2. Click the application to open it.
  3. In the Services dialog box, double-click FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA Server.
  4. In the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA Server Properties dialog box, select Log on.
  5. Change the log on option from Local Service to Local System account. Then restart the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA Server service.

• If the FactoryTalk Activation Manager service is in STOP status, the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway UA service will be unable to be activated because the OPC UA service account is downgraded to Local Service. A warning message will be logged in FactoryTalk Diagnostic Log.

Read service

When an OPC UA client subscription is in the process of being updated and a read request for the same item interrupts the delivery, the subscription request could deliver an older value after the results of the read request are delivered. Subsequent subscription responses will deliver updated values.

OPC UA tag access

The Logix controller’s OPC UA tag access setting is used for its embedded OPC UA server and does not apply to tags delivered by FactoryTalk Linx Gateway.  Use the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway OPC UA Tag list or Custom data-model options to limit which tags OPC UA clients can access.

Array Data Request

When an OPC UA Client makes a subsequent request to an array beyond the last element previously requested, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway’s OPC UA service will initially return a "BadIndexRangeNoData" error. If the array is defined to accommodate the requested elements, the initial error response is replaced with the appropriate array data.

Tag's data type limitation in Custom Namespace

If you do not use the Tag Browser to add or edit a tag in the Custom Namespace of OPC UA Server, RTD Server, or DDE Server, you must ensure that the tag’s data type is the same as the data source, such as the Logix controller, or OPC UA server connected via the FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector.

If you change a tag’s data type in a controller, you must ensure that the tag's data type in the Custom Namespace of OPC UA Server, RTD Server, or DDE Server is the same as that in the controller. Otherwise, an error message "BadTypeMisMatch" appears in the UA clients.

Remote Proxy service

The Remote Proxy service does not support FactoryTalk View ME Transfer Utility.

The Remote Proxy service supports Ethernet and Backplane drivers from the FactoryTalk Linx Network Browser.

The FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Standalone data service is not able to communicate through the Remote Proxy service.

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway unsupported data types

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway natively supports most but not all data types defined in a Logix controller. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway does not support accessing these types through OPC UA, MQTT, OPC DA, RTD, or DDE:

• Direct access to configured alarm members
• Logix L8 Time types (TIME, LTIME, TIME32, LDT, DT)

Unattended or silent install

Use command-line parameters to perform an unattended or silent installation of the software.

Installation Command-line parameters

The following table identifies the installation command-line parameters. Command-line parameters are case-insensitive. However, if a specified value includes a space, be sure to enclose the value in quotation marks (for example, "value with spaces").

Examples

The following examples show how to use the installation commands.

• To install the software with no user interface using the default settings during the installation process. (Silent install)

  Setup.exe /Q /IAcceptAllLicenseTerms

• To install the software with Chinese displayed during the install process and restart the computer if necessary. (Unattended install)

  Setup.exe /QS /IAcceptAllLicenseTerms /AutoRestart /SetupLanguage=CHS

• To install the software with FactoryTalk security policy value specified.

  Setup.exe /Q /IAcceptAllLicenseTerms /ftsp-value=enable

• To perform a restore during the install process.

  Setup.exe /Q /IAcceptAllLicenseTerms /ftsp-bak="C:\aa.bak"

• To specify the FactoryTalk Directory machine.

  Setup.exe /Q /IAcceptAllLicenseTerms /DirectorySever=severname

Important:

Uninstall Remote FactoryTalk Linx Gateway using the following command line:

• Version 6.00.00: msiexec /q /x {BD459023-9614-448D-B0A7-CD2D8946DD6C}
• Version 6.10.00: msiexec /q /x {313B2BB4-94E0-4F37-B29E-1F913DE08661}
• Version 6.11.00: msiexec /q /x {960C35B2-7FDF-475F-84AB-B203ADC4024E}
• Version 6.20.00: msiexec /q /x {7ECBEB2F-7DD2-4F5F-AF56-1FF422619EFC}
• Version 6.21.00: msiexec /q /x {0ED78E0A-9F1A-4487-B36B-D8F7D50C1704}
• Version 6.30.00: msiexec /q /x {5589D4EE-3E3D-4635-87F1-E0F0E8C3AF6F}
• Version 6.31.00: msiexec /q /x {DD0E267A-93B9-48D4-AB8A-CC10A34DE820}
• Version 6.40.00: msiexec /q /x {32D45A1C-DCEF-45DB-8EEC-18D5A1C51B21}
• Version 6.50.00: msiexec /q /x {C22B7283-E0C8-4A0B-801A-DFB90BDBD036}

Error codes

The following table identifies the error codes that can be returned by an installation.

Security considerations

For information on the security considerations when using Rockwell Automation products, including

• File extensions created by Rockwell Automation software, firewall rules, and service dependencies, see Rockwell Automation Knowledgebase Document ID: PN826 - Security considerations when using Rockwell Automation Software Products.
• TCP/UDP ports used by Rockwell Automation products, see Rockwell Automation Knowledgebase Document ID: BF7490 - TCP/UDP Ports Used by Rockwell Automation Products.

Mitigation for Microsoft DCOM Hardening patch

In response to Microsoft Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) Hardening patch (MS KB5004442), the minimum DCOM authentication level used by Rockwell Automation products was raised to Packet Integrity.

Important:

Installing this product’s latest version with earlier unpatched versions of other FactoryTalk products or products using Classic OPC DA connections may cause a loss of connectivity due to the difference in DCOM authentication level used. For additional information, see the Knowledgebase Document ID: IN39461 - Microsoft DCOM Hardening Information TOC.

Microsoft releases the DCOM Hardening patch in response to CVE-2021-26414. This patch elevates the minimum DCOM authentication level that is required to establish a DCOM connection. DCOM is used by many Rockwell Automation products and may be affected by the change that is made by the Microsoft patch. For additional information about the affected Rockwell Automation products, see the Knowledgebase Document ID: PN1581 - Product Notification 2022-01-001 - Rockwell Automation products unable to establish proper DCOM connection after installing Microsoft DCOM Hardening patch (MS KB5004442).

Certificate

When a user regenerates a certificate in FactoryTalk Linx Gateway version 6.21.00 or later, and then uninstall it with "Keep configuration when uninstall" selected, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway installed on the same computer later may not work. To avoid this problem, delete all the files in folder <C:\ProgramData\Rockwell\FactoryTalk Linx Gateway\PKI\own>, restart FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, and then regenerate an outgoing certificate.

The following certificates are installed while installing Rockwell Automation software.

• Use Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to view the certificates in Console Root > Certificates (Local Computer) > Trusted Root Certification Authorities > Certificates.
  • 2016-Rockwell-Driver-SHA1.cer
  • 2016-Rockwell-SHA256.cer
  • DriverCodeSigning2012-1.cer
  • Drivers-10-10-2018.cer
  • Drivers-11-03-2017.cer
  • Drivers-12-06-2016.cer
  • DriversSHA1-10-10-2018.cer
  • Drivers-SHA1-11-27-2017.cer
  • Logix-11-04-2016.cer
  • Rockwell_2013.cer
  • Rockwell_2014.cer
  • Rockwell_2015.cer
  • rockwellcert2010.cer
  • rockwellcert2013.cer
  • VeriSign Class 3 Public Primary Certification Authority -G5 2036.cer
• Use Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to view the certificates in Console Root > Certificates (Local Computer) > Trusted Publishers > Certificates.
  • MicRooCerAut2011_2011_03_22.cer
  • RA - Enterprise Root Certification Authority.cer
  • VeriSign Universal Root Certification Authority.cer

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Security Certificate

When an OPC UA client connects to FactoryTalk Linx Gateway, FactoryTalk Linx Gateway provides a self-signed security certificate to the client as identification. Depending on the OPC UA client used in the system, you may need to manually approve the FactoryTalk Linx Gateway security certificate in the client to complete the connection.

VeriSign Universal Root Certification Authority certificate

If the VeriSign Universal Root Certification Authority certificate does not exist on the local computer, the certificate is installed while installing Rockwell Automation software. Use Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to view the certificate in Console Root > Certificates (Local Computer) > Trusted Root Certification Authorities > Certificates.

"Meltdown" and "Spectre" Vulnerabilities

On January 3, 2018, a set of new hardware kernel-level vulnerabilities, named "Meltdown" and "Spectre", were announced by researchers. Both Spectre and Meltdown are vulnerabilities that affect modern microprocessors allowing malicious processes to access the contents of restricted memory and therefore affect multiple generations of Central Processing Units (CPUs).

For an up-to-date briefing on how Meltdown and Spectre affect Rockwell Automation products, see Rockwell Automation Knowledgebase Document ID: PN1011 - Rockwell Automation Briefing on "Meltdown" and "Spectre" vulnerabilities.