# OPC UA

Open Productivity & Connectivity Unified Architecture (OPC UA) is a cross-platform independent data exchange standard for machine-to-machine communication.
OPC UA is based on a service-oriented approach that enables:

- OPC UA components on non-Windows platforms

- Embedded OPC components in devices

- Standardized OPC communication across firewall boundaries

System Manager directly integrates with OPC UA-based systems to provide lighting system control and status data. There are two software components required to enable OPC UA integration:

- System Manager OPC UA Server

- BMS OPC UA Client

OPC UA objects are composed of node classes such as:

- Variables (data points) that are dynamically updated by the server based on events in the system.
  Please consult with the OPC UA system engineer regarding the number and type of OPC UA data points required for your project.

- Methods (function calls) that enable control of the system from the OPC UA client.
  Since OPC UA data points are Read Only, OPC UA methods are used to control the system from the OPC UA client.