Migrating from OPC Router

How to export an inray OPC Router project, inspect the XML, and translate plug-in instances, transfer objects, and connections into a Connectware service commissioning file using an AI assistant.

This guide shows you how to migrate an inray OPC Router project to Connectware by exporting the project, extracting the configuration XML from the export, and translating it into a service commissioning file. The OPC Router export format is not officially documented, but the export file is a ZIP archive containing one readable XML file with every plug-in instance, transfer object, and connection, which is enough for an AI-assisted translation. In more detail, the following topics are covered:

• Understanding how OPC Router concepts map to Connectware resources

• Exporting the project and extracting the configuration XML

• Translating the configuration into a service commissioning file with an AI assistant

• Reviewing the generated service commissioning file

• Verifying the migrated data points in the Data Explorer

A complete worked example, from export XML to service commissioning file, is available at the end of this guide.

Prerequisites

To follow this guide, you will need the following:

• A running instance of Cybus Connectware with licenses for the connectors that replace your OPC Router plug-ins.

• Access to the OPC Router configuration tool to run the project export.

• Network access from Connectware to the systems that OPC Router currently talks to.

• An AI assistant to translate the configuration. Any capable large language model (LLM) works. Cybus Connectware GPT is a ChatGPT assistant that already knows the service commissioning file format.

• Basic knowledge of the Connectware services concept (for example, service commissioning files, connections, and endpoints).

How OPC Router Concepts Map to Connectware

OPC Router organizes integration in plug-in instances (protocol drivers with target-system settings), transfer objects (addressable data points or database fields), and connections (visual data flows started by triggers). Note the naming difference: an OPC Router connection is the data flow, while the protocol session lives in the plug-in instance. Connectware organizes the same information in resources of a service commissioning file:

OPC Router concept	Connectware resource	Notes
Plug-in instance	Cybus::Connection	The instance settings (endpoint URL, security policy, database host) become the connection properties.
Transfer object item	Cybus::Endpoint	Each OPC address or database field becomes an endpoint.
Connection (visual data flow)	Cybus::Mapping	Straight source-to-target flows become mappings; flows with logic need Rule Engine rules.
Data Change trigger	Subscribe endpoint	OPC UA endpoints in Connectware are subscription-based by default.
Time and Cron triggers	Polling interval	The trigger period becomes the endpoint interval, or the sampling interval for OPC UA.
REST trigger	HTTP Server	Inbound HTTP calls that start a flow become HTTP Server resources.
Script triggers and branching	Rule Engine or Node-RED Workbench	C# scripts have no mechanical translation.
Template connections and variables	Parameters and definitions with !sub	One service commissioning file per template; one parameter set per instance.

Mapping Plug-Ins to Connectors

The following OPC Router plug-ins have a native Connectware counterpart:

OPC Router plug-in	Connectware connector
OPC UA Client	OPC UA Client
OPC UA Server	OPC UA Server
OPC DA	OPC DA
MQTT Client, Sparkplug	MQTT, Sparkplug B Integration
REST	HTTP/REST and HTTP Server
Microsoft SQL Server	MSSQL
MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, ODBC	SQL
Apache Kafka	Kafka
InfluxDB	InfluxDB

OPC Router has no direct PLC drivers: S7, Modbus, and EtherNet/IP devices reach it through the PLC's built-in OPC UA server or a third-party OPC server. Connectware connects to S7, Modbus/TCP, and EtherNet/IP devices natively, so the migration is an opportunity to remove intermediary OPC servers. If a KEPServerEX instance sits between OPC Router and the machines, see Migrating from Kepware KEPServerEX.

What Does Not Migrate 1:1

OPC Router feature	Connectware approach
SAP plug-in (RFC, BAPI, IDoc)	No counterpart. Integrate SAP through its HTTP-based APIs with the HTTP/REST connector or an external integration layer.
Printer, labeling, and device plug-ins	No equivalents for Zebra, Domino, Videojet, and similar plug-ins.
Notification plug-ins (email, Telegram)	Route alerts to a consuming system over MQTT or HTTP.
C# script triggers and branching flows	Re-implement in the Node-RED Workbench or with FlowSync for request-response orchestration.
Enterprise+ dynamic template instances	Template instances generated from database rows have no direct equivalent; generate service commissioning files in CI/CD instead.
Store & Forward add-on	Handled differently: Connectware agents buffer data during connection loss.

Exporting the OPC Router Project

1. In the OPC Router configuration tool, select File > Export OPC Router 4 project.

2. Select all plug-ins, connections, and templates, and save the .rpe file.

The .rpe file is a ZIP archive. Rename it to .zip and extract it: it contains a single OpcRouter4.xml file with every plug-in instance and its settings, every connection with its triggers and wiring, every transfer object with its addresses, and all template variables.

The export format is not officially documented and can change between OPC Router versions. Treat the XML as an inventory of your own project rather than a stable interface, and record the OPC Router version alongside the export. Credentials do not reliably travel in the export: collect endpoint URLs, users, and certificates separately, and remove any values that did end up in the XML before you paste it into an AI tool. Check the data privacy terms of the tool you use; see also the privacy notes for Cybus Connectware GPT.

For flows whose logic is hard to read from the XML wiring, supplement the export with images: right-click a connection and use Export View to save the visual flow as an image.

Translating the Configuration with an AI Assistant

Copy the following prompt and attach the extracted XML:

AI translation prompt

You are translating an inray OPC Router project export (the OpcRouter4.xml
file extracted from an .rpe archive) into a Cybus Connectware service
commissioning file (YAML). Produce one complete, valid service
commissioning file with description, metadata, parameters, definitions,
and resources.

Structural rules:
- The <Plugins> section lists plug-in instances. Create one
  Cybus::Connection per instance whose type has a Connectware connector:
  OPCUaPlugInConfig -> Opcua (parse host and port from <Endpoint>, map
  <SecurityPolicy> to securityPolicy and messageSecurityMode), database
  plug-ins -> Mssql or Sql, MQTT plug-ins -> Mqtt, Kafka -> Kafka,
  InfluxDB -> Influxdb.
- The <Connections> section contains the visual data flows. Each flow has
  triggers (for example TimeTriggerConfig with a period, or data change
  triggers) and <TransferObjects> wired by <ConnectionLine> elements.
- Create one Cybus::Endpoint per OPCTransferObjectItem. The <OPCAddress>
  is either a NodeId ("ns=2;s=...") or a browse path starting with "bp="
  (for example "bp=4:Machines/5:Press/5:Speed;"). Browse paths translate
  directly to the Connectware OPC UA "browsePath" property: strip the
  "bp=" prefix and the trailing ";".
- Polling: a TimeTriggerConfig period becomes the samplingInterval and
  publishInterval of the OPC UA endpoints in that flow; data change
  triggers use the default subscription behavior.
- Database transfer objects (tables, columns, queries) become endpoints on
  the matching SQL connector; include the query and flag it for review.
- Straight source-to-target flows become Cybus::Mapping entries publishing
  each endpoint to a topic derived from the flow and transfer object
  names, lowercase kebab-case. Flows with branching, scripts
  (ScriptTriggerConfig), or ETL transfer objects cannot be translated
  mechanically: list them under "Needs redesign" with a short description
  of what they do.
- Resolve <TemplateVariables> and <TemplateVariableMappings> into service
  parameters; template connections become one set of resources with
  parameters instead of one copy per instance.
- Define hosts and credentials as parameters, never hardcoded. Do not
  include any credentials in the output.
- Skip plug-in types without a Connectware counterpart (SAP, printers,
  notifications) and list them at the end under "Not migrated".

After the YAML, output a migration report: number of plug-in instances,
transfer objects, and flows translated, all assumptions made, and every
flagged item that needs manual review or redesign.

[Attach the OpcRouter4.xml file. State your OPC Router version.]

For large projects, translate one flow at a time and combine the results. Expect flows with SAP, printers, or scripts to need a redesign discussion rather than a translation.

Reviewing the Generated Service Commissioning File

Work through this checklist before installing:

1. Validate the file structure. The Cybus Connectware Extension for VS Code validates service commissioning files against the official schemas as you edit.

2. Check every connection against the original plug-in instance settings: endpoint URL, security policy, and database host.

3. Spot-check translated OPC addresses, both NodeIds and browse paths, with an OPC UA browser as described in Using Connectware as an OPC UA Client.

4. Review every flow listed under "Needs redesign" and decide where its logic goes: Rule Engine, Node-RED Workbench, or a consuming system.

5. Re-enter all credentials as parameters; they were not part of the export.

6. Compare the endpoint count against the migration report of the AI assistant and the transfer object count of the project.

Installing the Service

1. Install the service commissioning file. See Installing Services.

2. Enable the service. See Enabling Services.

Result: Connectware connects to the migrated systems directly and the connections reach the Connected state.

For read-only validation, Connectware and OPC Router can usually read the same OPC UA servers and databases at the same time, which allows you to compare live values before you disable the original flows. Check the session limits of your OPC UA servers first.

Verifying the Data

Open the Data Explorer and subscribe to the topics of the migrated service:

• Every migrated transfer object publishes on its topic with plausible values.

• Values match between OPC Router and Connectware for the same data point.

• Database-bound flows write the expected rows through the SQL connectors.

• Data arrives at the original trigger rates.

Worked Example

The following excerpt from an extracted OpcRouter4.xml file shows an OPC UA plug-in instance and a time-triggered flow with two transfer object items. The XML is shortened for readability; real exports carry additional attributes and default settings:

OpcRouter4.xml (excerpt, shortened)

<OpcRouter4Export ExportType="Normal" Version="4.27.3244.159">
  <Plugins>
    <PlugIn Type="OPCUaPlugInConfig">
      <Endpoint>opc.tcp://192.168.1.100:4840</Endpoint>
      <SecurityPolicy>None</SecurityPolicy>
    </PlugIn>
  </Plugins>
  <Connections>
    <Connection Name="Press to UNS">
      <Trigger Type="TimeTriggerConfig">
        <Period>10000</Period>
      </Trigger>
      <TransferObjects>
        <OPCTransferObjectConfig>
          <OPCTransferObjectItem>
            <OPCAddress>bp=4:Machines/5:Press/7:State/5:Speed;</OPCAddress>
          </OPCTransferObjectItem>
          <OPCTransferObjectItem>
            <OPCAddress>bp=4:Machines/5:Press/7:State/9:PiecesOut;</OPCAddress>
          </OPCTransferObjectItem>
        </OPCTransferObjectConfig>
      </TransferObjects>
    </Connection>
  </Connections>
</OpcRouter4Export>

Applying the translation rules produces the following service commissioning file. The plug-in instance becomes an OPC UA connection, each transfer object item becomes an endpoint whose browsePath is the OPCAddress without the bp= prefix and trailing semicolon, and the ten-second time trigger becomes the sampling interval:

opc-router-migration-example.yml

2KB

Open

opc-router-migration-example.yml

description: >
  Service commissioning file migrated from the OPC Router flow
  "Press to UNS" (Example)

metadata:
  name: OPC Router Migration Example
  provider: cybus
  homepage: https://www.cybus.io
  version: 1.0.0

parameters:
  opcuaHost:
    description: Host of the OPC UA plug-in instance
    type: string
    default: 192.168.1.100

  opcuaPort:
    description: Port of the OPC UA plug-in instance
    type: integer
    default: 4840

definitions:
  MQTT_TOPIC_PREFIX: press-to-uns

resources:
  # OPC UA plug-in instance (SecurityPolicy None)
  opcuaConnection:
    type: Cybus::Connection
    properties:
      protocol: Opcua
      targetState: connected
      connection:
        host: !ref opcuaHost
        port: !ref opcuaPort
        options:
          securityPolicy: None
          messageSecurityMode: None

  # Transfer object item bp=4:Machines/5:Press/7:State/5:Speed;
  # Time trigger period 10000 ms becomes the sampling interval
  pressSpeed:
    type: Cybus::Endpoint
    properties:
      protocol: Opcua
      connection: !ref opcuaConnection
      subscribe:
        browsePath: 4:Machines/5:Press/7:State/5:Speed
        samplingInterval: 10000
        publishInterval: 10000

  # Transfer object item bp=4:Machines/5:Press/7:State/9:PiecesOut;
  pressPiecesOut:
    type: Cybus::Endpoint
    properties:
      protocol: Opcua
      connection: !ref opcuaConnection
      subscribe:
        browsePath: 4:Machines/5:Press/7:State/9:PiecesOut
        samplingInterval: 10000
        publishInterval: 10000

  mapping:
    type: Cybus::Mapping
    properties:
      mappings:
        - subscribe:
            endpoint: !ref pressSpeed
          publish:
            topic: !sub '${MQTT_TOPIC_PREFIX}/speed'
        - subscribe:
            endpoint: !ref pressPiecesOut
          publish:
            topic: !sub '${MQTT_TOPIC_PREFIX}/pieces-out'

For all OPC UA connection and endpoint properties, including browsePath and browsePathPrefix, see OPC UA Connection Properties and OPC UA Endpoint Properties.

Disclaimer: OPC Router is a product of inray Industriesoftware GmbH. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Cybus is not affiliated with inray Industriesoftware GmbH.