What Is OPA? Part 1

Show notes

This episode kicks off a mini-series on OPA, or open process automation, with Jarie, Andrew, and David. The conversation explains what OPA is, why the standards matter, and how interoperability, certification, and common interfaces can reduce the pain of locked-in automation systems.

In this episode, the hosts use everyday examples like USB-C, fire hydrant connectors, and TCP/IP to show why standardized interfaces matter in OT as much as they do in consumer tech. David also adds historical context from the early days of automation and networking, showing how long the interoperability problem has been around.

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Key topics

• Andrew defines OPA as open process automation, an effort to make automation less proprietary and more standards-based.
• OPA is described as a “standard of standards” because it pulls together existing industry standards rather than inventing everything from scratch.
• David explains that the goal is interoperability, interchangeability, portability, modularity, manageability, and security across automation systems.
• The group discusses how OPA can help plants replace individual components without ripping out entire systems when hardware or software becomes obsolete.
• Andrew clarifies the naming confusion between OPA, O-PAS, and OPAF, noting that the forum is run by The Open Group.
• David emphasizes that the OPA standard is tied to certification and compliance, so vendors must prove claims rather than just market them.
• The conversation draws a parallel to USB-C, arguing that OT should have common, predictable connectors and APIs the same way consumer tech does.
• Historical examples from TCP/IP, Telnet, and FTP show how even early networking standards were incomplete at first, but still moved the industry forward.
• Jarie shares fire hydrant standardization stories, including the Baltimore fire and the Oakland Hills fire, to illustrate the real-world cost of incompatible interfaces.
• The episode closes with the point that standardization should lower integration friction without blocking innovation.

Timestamps

• 00:00 — Introducing the OPA mini-series and what the discussion will cover
• 00:23 — OPA defined as open process automation
• 00:50 — Why OPA is called a “standard of standards”
• 01:19 — Standards needed for protocols and information models
• 01:37 — Interchangeability and avoiding full system rip-and-replace
• 02:35 — OPA, O-PAS, and OPAF explained
• 03:30 — OPA as a buzzword-compliant but practical effort
• 04:54 — Open, standards-based, interoperable, secure automation architecture
• 05:23 — Why the industry chose existing standards instead of creating new ones
• 05:50 — Core OPA attributes: modularity, portability, interoperability, security, manageability
• 07:27 — Certification and compliance as part of the standard
• 08:26 — Cybersecurity as a safety issue
• 09:07 — USB for OT as a useful analogy
• 09:39 — Early TCP/IP frustrations and incomplete vendor support
• 10:36 — Why consumers expect plug-and-play behavior
• 11:47 — USB-C as a model for common standards
• 12:21 — Standardized connectors in other industries
• 13:06 — Why OT still has too many proprietary models
• 14:03 — Hand-built systems and the need for standardization
• 14:07 — Fire hydrant connector history and the Baltimore standard
• 15:21 — The Oakland Hills fire and the cost of nonstandard connectors
• 17:49 — Standards matter in OT too, even if the consequences are less dramatic than a fire
• 19:03 — Vendor differentiation should come from capability, not connector incompatibility
• 19:45 — Wrapping up part one of the OPA series

Next: What Is OPA? Part 2.