Marc Schier 5204906316 Add high-performance PubSub transcoders (subscriber-to-publisher) (#3956)
# Description

Adds **high-performance PubSub transcoders** to the `Opc.Ua.PubSub`
library (new `Opc.Ua.PubSub.Transcoding` namespace) that take
**subscriber-received NetworkMessages** and transcode them for
**re-publishing on a publisher connection**, supporting **all
transformations**.

The transcoder operates on the decoded `PubSubNetworkMessage`
intermediate representation — the seam between the pluggable
`INetworkMessageDecoder`/`INetworkMessageEncoder` — so cross-encoding
and structural transforms happen without a full dataset re-sampling
round-trip. Pipeline per message: `decode(+unwrap) → transforms →
project-to-target-profile → encode(+wrap)`, with a **raw-frame zero-copy
passthrough fast path** for identity same-encoding routes.

**What's included**

- **Engine:** `PubSubTranscoder` (frame-level `ITranscoder`) +
`NetworkMessageTranscoder` (structured primitive),
`TranscodeSpec`/`TranscodeInput`/`TranscodeResult`/`TranscodeContext`.
- **Cross-encoding:** `NetworkMessageProfileProjector` maps UADP↔JSON
(all four source/target combinations), translating content masks,
DataSetMessage subtypes, identifiers, timestamps, and metadata.
- **8 built-in transforms:** identifier remap
(PublisherId/WriterGroupId/DataSetWriterId/DataSetClassId),
field-encoding conversion (Variant/RawData/DataValue), field projection
(select/drop/reorder), field rename, per-field value transform,
message-type filtering (KeyFrame/DeltaFrame/Event/KeepAlive), metadata
rewrite, and a delegate escape hatch.
- **Transcoder-managed security:** `TranscodeSecurity` re-secures via
the existing UADP `UadpSecurityWrapper`; an `AllowInsecureCrossEncoding`
policy (default off) refuses silent security downgrades, since
message-layer security in Part 14 is UADP-only (secured→JSON relies on
transport-layer security).
- **In-process bridge:** an opt-in `IReceivedNetworkMessageSink` receive
hook on `PubSubConnection`, `PubSubTranscodingBridge`, and
`ConnectionTranscodeEgress` (chunk/`MaxNetworkMessageSize`-aware send).
- **Fluent / DI:** `IPubSubBuilder.AddTranscodingBridge(...)` +
`PubSubTranscoderBuilder`; the bridge is started as a hosted service
after the PubSub application and resolves source/target connections by
name.

**Design notes**

- Additive only — no public API is obsoleted and no behavior changes
when the feature is unused (the receive-loop observer is null-guarded).
One **private** method (`PubSubConnection.SendChunkedAsync`) was
refactored to be identifier-based so the egress can reuse chunking; its
reflection-based unit test was updated accordingly.
- Reuses `UadpEncoder.EncodeWithSecurityBoundary` and
`UadpDecoder.TryReadOuterPrefix` rather than duplicating the fragile
UADP security-splitting logic.
- New public API follows repo conventions (`ArrayOf<T>`, `Variant`,
spans/`ByteString`, sealed-by-default, async-only, AOT-clean, license
headers, `.editorconfig`).

**Testing & docs**

- 33 unit tests (each transform, projector for all four combos, engine
fast-path/round-trip/drop/no-encoder, security downgrade policy, fluent
builder) + 4 end-to-end integration tests driving a real
`PubSubConnection` receive path through the bridge and egress.
- `TranscodingBenchmarks` (UADP↔JSON, identity fast path, projection).
- New `Docs/PubSubTranscoding.md` with links from `Docs/README.md` and a
Transcoding section in `Docs/PubSub.md`.

Verified locally: the `Opc.Ua.PubSub` library builds **0 warnings/errors
on all target frameworks**
(net472/net48/netstandard2.1/net8.0/net9.0/net10.0); the transcoding
tests pass on **net10.0 and net48**; the full `Opc.Ua.PubSub.Tests`
suite passes (**1167 passed, 1 skipped, 0 failed**) with no regressions.

## Related Issues

_No tracking issue yet — new feature. Happy to open one to host the ADR
discussion if preferred._

## Checklist

_Put an `x` in the boxes that apply. You can complete these step by step
after opening the PR._

- [ ] I have signed the
[CLA](https://opcfoundation.org/license/cla/ContributorLicenseAgreementv1.0.pdf)
and read the
[CONTRIBUTING](https://github.com/OPCFoundation/UA-.NETStandard/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md)
doc.
- [x] I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my
feature works and increased code coverage.
- [x] I have added all necessary documentation.
- [x] I have verified that my changes do not introduce (new) build or
analyzer warnings.
- [ ] I ran **all** tests locally using the **UA.slnx** solution against
at least .net **framework** and .net **10**, and all passed. _(Ran the
full `Opc.Ua.PubSub.Tests` suite on net10.0 and the transcoding tests on
net48; full-solution run pending.)_
- [ ] I fixed **all** failing and flaky tests in the CI pipelines and
**all** CodeQL warnings.
- [ ] I have addressed **all** PR feedback received.



## Follow-up: review feedback

Two maintainer requests were addressed on top of the original transcoder
work:

- **Reloadable configuration** — transcoding routes can be declared in
configuration and reloaded at runtime, mirroring the
`Opc.Ua.PubSub.Adapter` package.
`IPubSubBuilder.AddTranscoding(IConfiguration)` binds a
`PubSubTranscodingOptions` (a `Routes` array) with AOT-safe manual
binding, and `PubSubTranscodingReloadCoordinator` watches an
`IOptionsMonitor` and reconfigures **only** the added/removed/changed
routes (diffed by name + content signature) while unchanged routes keep
running. The fluent `AddTranscodingBridge` API remains available;
configuration covers the declarative transforms (delegate transforms
stay fluent-only).
- **MQTT field promotion** — selected DataSet fields can be promoted
into MQTT 5.0 User Properties (the broker-layer analogue of Part 14
PromotedFields, copy semantics). New core capability interface
`IPubSubHeaderTransport` + `PubSubMessageProperty`, implemented by
`MqttBrokerTransport`; configure via fluent
`PromoteFields(...)`/`WithPromotedFieldPrefix(...)` or the equivalent
route options. Non-header transports ignore promoted properties, and on
MQTT 3.1.1 they are silently dropped.

Both are covered by unit + integration tests and documented under
`Docs/PubSub.md` → Transcoding.
2026-07-06 14:27:23 +02:00
2020-05-15 19:41:55 +02:00
2021-07-26 10:06:51 +03:00

OPC UA .NET Standard Stack

Release NuGet Downloads Build Tests Coverage

🆕 This is version 2.0 of the OPC UA .NET Standard Stack (current master).

Looking for the supported 1.x release? It lives on the master378 branch (last release: 1.5.378). All new feature work happens here on master; master378 continues to receive security and critical-bug fixes for the 1.x line.

The official OPC Foundation reference implementation of OPC UA for .NET — a certified, cross-platform stack with client, server, PubSub, GDS, complex types, and source-generated tooling. Used in production across industrial control, manufacturing, energy, and IoT systems.

📦 What it is

  • A full-stack OPC UA implementation — Core / Client / Server / PubSub / GDS / LDS / Complex Types / Device Integration libraries built on .NET, with UA-TCP and HTTPS transports.
  • Cross-platform — runs on .NET 10, .NET 9, .NET 8 (LTS), .NET Framework 4.8, and .NET Standard 2.1; ships Native-AOT-friendly assemblies.
  • Certified for compliance — the reference server has been certified through an OPC Foundation Certification Test Lab and is continuously verified against the latest Compliance Test Tool (CTT).
  • Companion-spec coverage — Part 9 (Alarms & Conditions), Part 11 (Historical Access), Part 13 (Aggregates), Part 16 (State Machines), Part 17 (Alias Names), Part 18 (Role Management), Part 20 (File Transfer), Part 100 (Device Integration), OPC 10100-1 (WoT Connectivity).
  • Modern developer surface — first-class Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection hosting (services.AddOpcUa()), fluent server + client builders, source-generated NodeManagers and DataTypes, and an MCP server so LLMs / Copilot can drive an OPC UA client.

For the full feature breakdown see OPC UA Profiles and Facets and the What's New in 2.0 tour.

🚀 Getting started

You need the .NET 10 SDK to build the repo. From the repository root:

dotnet restore UA.slnx
dotnet build UA.slnx

For the supported target frameworks and platform notes see Platform Support. The official NuGet packages are published to nuget.org under the OPCFoundation.NetStandard prefix — the meta package OPCFoundation.NetStandard.Opc.Ua pulls in everything, or pick the split OPCFoundation.NetStandard.Opc.Ua.Core / .Client / .Server / .Bindings.Https packages directly. Preview builds for every successful master build are available in the Azure DevOps opcua-preview feed.

Sample applications

Each sample has its own README.md with build and run instructions.

Reference applications

  • Console Reference Server — the certified reference server (with Quickstarts, CTT, and Mono configs). Also ships as a Docker container.
  • Console Reference Client — cross-platform reference client demonstrating sessions, subscriptions, browsing, and method calls.
  • Console LDS Server — a standalone Local Discovery Server built on Opc.Ua.Lds.Server.
  • MCP Server — Model Context Protocol server that exposes OPC UA client operations as MCP tools, so an LLM / Copilot can browse, read, write, subscribe, and call methods on any OPC UA server.

PubSub samples

  • Console Reference PubSub Client — one executable with publisher, subscriber, and external (external-server adapter) modes across the supported transport profiles.

Minimal / Device-Integration samples

More sample projects are maintained in the companion OPC UA .NET Samples repository.

🔧 Migrating from 1.5.378 to 2.0

The 2.0 release introduces breaking API changes, and comes with a full prescriptive migration guide that links to per-area documentation covering telemetry, packages, source generation, types, encoders, node states, identity, certificates, configuration, sessions / subscriptions, alarms / model change, and TimeProvider.

Most of the mechanical migration work is automated:

  • OPCFoundation.NetStandard.Opc.Ua.MigrationAnalyzer NuGet — install it in your project to get analyzer warnings (UA0001–UA0022)
    • one-click code fixes for the patterns in the guide. Setup steps are in the package's NugetREADME.md.
  • Migration agent skill — the opcua-v20-migration skill walks Copilot / Claude / any coding agent through installing the NuGet, running dotnet format analyzers to apply auto-fixes, and handling the small residual manual patterns. The skill knows which sub-doc to load for each symptom so it stays context-efficient.

If you are still on 1.x and not ready to upgrade, stay on the master378 branch — it continues to receive security and critical-bug fixes.

🤝 Contributing and license

Community contributions are welcome. Fork the repository, make your changes on a branch, and open a pull request; see CONTRIBUTING.md for the contribution workflow.

Contributors must sign the OPC Foundation Contributor License Agreement (CLA). The CLA "I AGREE" gate is presented automatically on your first PR.

The project is licensed under the OPC Foundation MIT License. Report security vulnerabilities via the process documented in SECURITY.md.

📚 Further reading

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