Architecture and Licensing Guidelines for SIMATIC Information Server on OS Single Stations in PCS 7

SIMATIC Information Server (IS) can be deployed to generate web-based and Excel reports using an OS Single Station as its primary process data source. However, in accordance with Siemens system architecture rules, Information Server cannot be installed on the exact same physical PC station as the OS Single Station; it must be installed on a separate, dedicated computer or virtual machine connected over the Terminal Bus. The OS Single Station acts as the WinCC data provider (OPC HDA and SQL Server archive interface), while the dedicated Information Server PC runs Microsoft Reporting Services and the web server frontend without placing reporting load on active plant visualization.

Executive Summary

Industrial manufacturing facilities governed by SIMATIC PCS 7 increasingly require automated production reporting, batch quality certificates, environmental emission tracking, and shift handover summaries rendered directly in Microsoft Excel and PDF formats. Siemens SIMATIC Information Server (IS) provides an enterprise web-based reporting system utilizing Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). In compact plant installations utilizing an OS Single Station (where WinCC Server, Client, and engineering runtime are hosted on a single industrial PC), engineers frequently ask whether Information Server can be installed directly on the same PC. This technical article clarifies the structural system boundaries, defines the mandatory separation of workstations, and provides verified configuration steps to connect Information Server to an OS Single Station data source.

Architectural Scope: OS Single Station as a Process Data Provider

An OS Single Station in PCS 7 functions as a self-contained automation hub:

Internal Data Management: Hosts local Tag Logging (Fast and Slow) archives and Alarm Logging messages inside local Microsoft SQL Server databases.
Data Provider Interface: WinCC exposes historical process data and alarm logs via standardized interfaces: WinCC OLE-DB Provider and OPC HDA / OPC A&E.
Information Server Coupling: SIMATIC Information Server connects to the OS Single Station across the local network as an external data client, issuing queries against WinCC archive tables without requiring custom SQL scripts.

Why Information Server Cannot Be Co-Located on an OS Single Station

Siemens system documentation strictly disallows installing Information Server and an OS Single Station on the same physical operating system:

SQL Server Instance Conflicts: WinCC OS uses a dedicated, highly optimized SQL Server instance (WinCC). Information Server requires Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and its own catalog databases (INFSERVER). Running both on a single OS causes memory allocation deadlocks and port contention.
Process Visualization Starvation: Complex reporting queries (e.g. aggregating 6 months of 1-second temperature trends into hourly standard deviations) consume intense CPU and disk I/O. If executed on the OS Single Station, the operator screen would freeze, delaying alarm response.
Supported Configuration: Information Server must reside on a separate PC station (physical hardware or a dedicated VMware VM).

Network Configuration and Terminal Bus Connectivity

Information Server connects to the OS Single Station over the industrial Terminal Bus:

Subnet Requirements: Both computers must be connected to the Terminal Bus subnet with static IP addresses.
Name Resolution (DNS / Hosts): Hostname resolution must be deterministic in both directions (via Active Directory DNS or static entries in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts).
Windows User Alignment: An identical administrative user account with matching password must exist on both stations (or both joined to the same domain), with the user belonging to the local SIMATIC HMI and SIMATIC Report Services groups.

Step-by-Step Procedure to Connect Information Server to an OS Single Station

To establish automated reporting from an OS Single Station:

Set Up Dedicated Information Server Station: Install a supported Windows Server or Windows 10 LTSC operating system on a separate PC. Install SIMATIC Information Server from the PCS 7 product media.
Run SIMATIC Security Control: Execute SIMATIC Security Control on both the OS Single Station and Information Server PC to open necessary DCOM, SQL, and IIS firewall ports.
Register OS Single Station as Data Source:
* On the Information Server PC, open the Information Server Web Management Console in Internet Explorer/Edge.
* Navigate to Configuration -> Data Sources.
* Click Add Data Source. Select WinCC as the data source type.
* Enter the computer name or IP address of the OS Single Station.
* The wizard tests the connection via OLE-DB/DCOM and lists all available Tag Logging and Alarm Logging archives.
Deploy Report Templates: In the Information Server portal, upload standard Siemens report templates (e.g. Trend Report, Alarm Message Summary, Shift Protocol).
Configure Subscriptions: Set up automated report schedules to export completed reports directly to an email distribution list or network file share in Excel / PDF format.

Reporting Architecture Deployment and Hardware Sizing Matrix

The following table compares deployment models for SIMATIC Information Server in PCS 7 plants:

Deployment ArchitectureIS Host StationData Source StationPerformance Impact on OSSupported by Siemens?Co-Located on OS Single StationSame physical PCOS Single StationHigh (Risks freezing operator screen)No (Strictly Unsupported)Dedicated PC / VM (Standard)Separate PC / VMOS Single StationMinimal (Buffered read queries)Yes (Certified Configuration)Enterprise Process HistorianSeparate PC / VMProcess Historian (PH)Zero on OS (Queries central archive)Yes (Recommended for Large Plants)Redundant OS Server SourceSeparate PC / VMRedundant OS ServersMinimal (Queries standby server)Yes (Certified Configuration)Multi-Station AggregationDedicated IS ServerMultiple OS Single StationsMinimalYes (Up to certified station limit)

Verification

Confirm that Information Server reliably extracts process data from the OS Single Station:

Data Source Online Check: In the Information Server web console under Data Sources, verify that the OS Single Station displays a green Connected status indicator.
Ad-Hoc Trend Generation: Open the Reports tab, select the Line Chart Trend template, and select an analog tag (e.g. TIC_101.PV_Out#Value). Generate a report for the previous 24 hours. Confirm that data points render cleanly.
Excel Export Test: Export the generated report to Microsoft Excel format (*.xlsx). Confirm that data columns, timestamps, and engineering units match WinCC Runtime values.

Automated Excel and PDF Reporting Workflows via Information Server

Information Server provides powerful client-side reporting tools:

Information Server Excel Add-In: Enables engineers to embed live WinCC archive formulas directly into standard Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Refreshing the workbook automatically pulls the latest shift averages.
Automated Event-Triggered Reporting: Configure batch reports to generate automatically upon recipe completion using trigger tags monitored by the Information Server scheduler.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Never run ad-hoc reporting queries requesting millions of raw data points during active plant upsets or heavy alarm bursts. Excessive database queries against an OS Single Station can cause momentary delays in local screen updates.

When sizing SIMATIC Information Server licenses (Basic package, client access licenses, and data source connection tags), all software packages must be verified against official Siemens ordering guidelines and validated via an authorized Siemens distributor quotation.

Engineer FAQ

Can Information Server run in a virtual machine (VMware)?

Yes. Information Server is fully certified by Siemens to run inside dedicated VMware Workstation and VMware vSphere/ESXi virtual machines.

Do I need a separate Process Historian to use Information Server?

No. Information Server can connect directly to WinCC OS Single Stations or OS Servers without requiring a Process Historian.

Which Microsoft Office versions support the Information Server Excel Add-In?

The Information Server Excel Add-In supports standard 32-bit and 64-bit desktop installations of Microsoft Excel (Office 2013, 2016, 2019).

Can operators view reports from standard web browsers?

Yes. Reports are rendered via standard HTML5 and can be viewed using modern web browsers including Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.

Architecture and Licensing Guidelines for SIMATIC Information Server on OS Single Stations in PCS 7