Creating a client item

Client item data is available in your message after creating a client item and mapping it to an OPC UA server node.

1. Navigate to Manufacturing Perspective > Client Items.
2. Right-click the Item folder and select Add Mapping Node.

   The Name Mapping Node wizard window loads.

3. Specify a name for the mapping node and click OK.

   The client item is created under the Item folder.

   Property	Default value
   Client Item Path	The client item-mapping path. For example, /Item/<OPC_UA_Server>/currentTime.
   Client Item ID	Displays the Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) generated by the application's base product. The generated ID has 36 characters of random numbers.
   Data Source	The created data source-mapping path.
   Source Item Path	The source item-mapping path. The source item is listed from the OPC UA server.
   Sample Rate	The sampling interval is the fastest rate at which the OPC UA server can sample its underlying source for data changes.
   Queue Size	The queue size for the queue that holds the notifications data in the OPC server, which is generated between two consecutive publishing cycles.
   Methods	Methods that are defined for a client item are listed.
   Events	Events that are defined for the client item are listed.

4. To map the client item with a source item, select the new client item and then the appropriate source item from the Source Items view.
5. Enter the required configuration values, and click Create Client Item.

   You can see the data source activity in the Logging view.

6. Optional: To edit the client item, click Update Client Item or click the Create Client Item Tree to create multiple Client Items based on the OPC UA server source item tree.
   Release 13.0.1.0

   The saving process after creation of client items tree is asynchronous and runs in the background. Until this process is complete, you cannot use Refresh operation. After the process is complete, a message is be logged in logging pane.

   Note:

   • By default, the JSON files get created in C:\Users\.acmfg\mappings. As a backup for these JSON files, all of the JSON files containing the client item tree data are kept in the C:\Users\.acmfg\mappings\Mapping_Backup folder.
   • Special characters are accepted in the source items when you create multiple Client Items by using the Create Client Item Tree
     • If client item name or client item path contains the following special characters, they are encoded as follows.
       • / as %2F
       • | as %7C
       • ? as %3f
       • & as %26
       • $ as %24
       • , as %2C
       • < as %3c
     • After such client items are mapped with source items, the name of the mapped client items gets encoded in the Client Item Value tab, Client Item Properties tab, Integration Server Console, and also reflects on the output file.
7. Optional: To add multiple Client Items in the OPC-UA-Read node flow:
   1. Click your Window's Ctrl key, and select the client items that belongs to the same data source from the Manufacturing Perspective.
   2. Click Add Client Item to Read.
   The client items are added to the Selected Client Items panel in the Select view.
8. Optional: To delete selected client items or data sources, right-click and select Delete Mapping Node. The selected client items or data sources are deleted.
   Release 13.0.1.0The saving process after deletion of client items is asynchronous and runs in the background. Until this process is complete, you cannot use Refresh operation. After the process is complete, a message is be logged in logging pane.
   Note:

   • If the data source to which the client items belong is deleted, such client items are highlighted in red in the message flow properties editor section.
   • If the source item is removed from the OPC server, and you select a client item, you get a Bad_NodeIdUnknown The node id refers to a node that does not exist in the server addressspace error message.
   • If the data source or the OPC server to which the client items belong is offline, such client items are highlighted in red.
   • Release 13.0.1.0When you perform drag and drop for the ClientItem or DataSource, a pop-up message is displayed after the operation is completed. Refresh the ClientItem or DataSource to reflect the updated path in the Properties tab.
   • Release 13.0.1.0If you close the toolkit while any process is running in the background, you get a pop-up message. But, if you still go ahead and close the toolkit forcefully, the process gets terminated and tree gets corrupted.

   Tip:

   • You can add client items in the message flows even if the OPC server is not connected.
   • Using keyboard shortcuts in Manufacturing Perspective:
     • Rename a selected client item or data source with the Window's F2 key.
     • Delete the selected client items or data sources with the Window's Delete key.

     Data source cannot be deleted if client items are mapped to it.