Configuring and Ordering Licenses for PCS 7 V9.1 Redundant OS Servers, ES, and Clients

To properly configure and order licenses for a SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.1 system comprising an Engineering Station (ES), a redundant Operator Station (OS) server pair with CP 1623 communication processors, and an OS Client, you must order four primary software categories: 1. An Engineering Station license package (such as PCS 7 Engineering V9.1); 2. An OS Server Redundancy package (e.g. SIMATIC PCS 7 OS Software Server Redundancy V9.1 with base POs), which licenses both redundant servers for runtime and synchronization; 3. An OS Client runtime license for each operator client; and 4. SIMATIC NET S7-REDCONNECT licenses for fault-tolerant communication between the CP 1623 cards and redundant S7-400H CPUs. Always validate final MLFBs and PO counts with an authorized Siemens distributor.

Executive Summary

Planning and procuring software entitlements for a distributed SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.1 distributed control system requires careful segregation of engineering licenses, runtime process object (PO) capacity, redundancy options, and communication protocols. Plant engineers frequently face confusion when selecting part numbers (MLFBs) for a client-server architecture involving redundant OS servers communicating with fault-tolerant S7-400H controllers via CP 1623 Industrial Ethernet cards. Ordering incorrect packages can result in license shortages in Automation License Manager (ALM), failure of OS server redundancy synchronization, or non-functional client connections. This article breaks down the exact licensing framework for PCS 7 V9.1, explains the purpose of each package, and outlines official Siemens ordering guidelines.

Architecture and Fundamental Mechanics

PCS 7 V9.1 Distributed Architecture, Licensing Categories, and Communication Stacks:

Engineering Station (ES) Licensing:
The Engineering Station requires a dedicated engineering software package (e.g. SIMATIC PCS 7 Engineering V9.1, MLFB 6ES7658-5AA68-0YA5).
This package includes licenses for STEP 7, CFC, SFC, WinCC Engineering, Process Object View, and S7-PLCSIM.
The ES package typically comes with a base AS/OS engineering capacity (e.g. Unlimited POs for engineering, but AS Runtime POs are loaded into the target CPU via the CPU System Expansion Card or AS RT PO license).
Redundant OS Server Pair Licensing:
A redundant OS server pair consists of OS Server Master (Server 1) and OS Server Standby (Server 2).
Siemens simplifies procurement by offering the OS Software Server Redundancy Package (e.g. 6ES7652-3BA68-2YA0 for 100 POs).
This single ordering package contains software licenses for both servers: two OS Server Runtime licenses, two WinCC Redundancy licenses, and the initial base Process Objects.
If the plant exceeds 100 POs, cumulative additive packages (SIMATIC PCS 7 OS Software Server (Count relev.), e.g. 100, 1,000, or 10,000 POs) must be ordered and allocated evenly or as required by the OS server configuration.
OS Client Licensing:
Each independent operator station client PC requires an OS Client runtime license (e.g. SIMATIC PCS 7 OS Software Client V9.1, MLFB 6ES7652-0XX68-0YB5).
OS Clients do not consume OS Process Objects; their capacity is governed entirely by the connected OS Server.
Industrial Ethernet and Redundancy Communication (CP 1623 & S7-REDCONNECT):
If the OS Servers communicate with fault-tolerant S7-400H controllers over Industrial Ethernet using PCI Express CP 1623 cards (6GK1162-3AA00), standard Windows networking cannot manage redundant ISO-on-TCP or S7 connections.
Each OS Server requires SIMATIC NET S7-REDCONNECT (e.g. 6GK1716-0HB14-0AC0 or V16/V17 equivalent).
S7-REDCONNECT manages transparent connection failover between redundant communication processors without interrupting WinCC data acquisition.

Step-by-Step Implementation Procedure

Determine Process Object (PO) Counts and Archive Requirements:
* Calculate the total number of OS Process Objects required by the plant (typically 1 PO per technological block such as MonAnL, PidConL, VlvL).
* Review historical logging requirements: PCS 7 OS Server packages include an initial archive capacity (512 archive tags); if more are required, budget for WinCC Archive Tag upgrades.
Select the Primary Software Packages for Order Entry:
* Engineering Station:
- 1x 6ES7658-5AA68-0YA5 - SIMATIC PCS 7 Engineering V9.1 (Floating License for 1 user).
- Redundant OS Server Pair:
- 1x 6ES7652-3BA68-2YA0 - SIMATIC PCS 7 OS Software Server Redundancy V9.1 (PO 100, includes licenses for 2 servers).
- Optional: Additive OS Runtime PO packages (e.g. 6ES7652-3BB68-2YB0 for +100 POs, or larger) if project size exceeds 100 POs.
- OS Operator Client:
- 1x 6ES7652-0XX68-0YB5 - SIMATIC PCS 7 OS Software Client V9.1 (Single License for 1 installation).
- Industrial Ethernet Hardware & Communication:
- 2x 6GK1162-3AA00 - SIMATIC NET CP 1623 PCI Express Card (1 per OS Server; 2 total if dual CP per server).
- 2x 6GK1716-0HB16-0AA0 (or applicable release) - SIMATIC NET S7-REDCONNECT (1 license per OS Server).
Transfer and Verify Licenses in Automation License Manager (ALM):
* Insert the license USB sticks into the respective target computers.
* Open Automation License Manager (ALM) on each station.
* Transfer the server redundancy licenses and S7-REDCONNECT to Server 1 and Server 2.
* Transfer the client license to the OS Client, and engineering licenses to the ES.
* Execute File -> Check in ALM to confirm all keys are valid and defect-free.
Validate Final Procurement with Distributor:
* Submit the compiled procurement list to your authorized Siemens distributor or regional Siemens sales representative.
* Ensure cross-checking against the Siemens ST PCS 7 Catalog and latest Industry Mall configurator rules.

Verification

On the Engineering Station, open SIMATIC Manager; verify that project opening, CFC editing, and OS compilation proceed without license warnings.
On OS Server 1 and OS Server 2, launch WinCC Explorer and start Runtime:
* Verify in Automation License Manager that WinCC Server, WinCC Redundancy, and PCS 7 OS Server show active consumption.
* Verify that @RedundancyState shows normal synchronization without license demo popups.
On the OS Client, activate runtime; verify clean project loading and connection to the redundant server pair.
Check the Windows Application Event Log and ALM log on all stations to confirm zero license shortage entries.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Do not infer licensing requirements solely from physical I/O count or tag estimates; actual license consumption must be calculated from the compiled Process Objects in the Engineering System. Hardware CP 1623 communication with non-redundant S7-400 CPUs requires only SOFTNET-IE S7, whereas communication with redundant S7-400H CPUs strictly mandates S7-REDCONNECT. Siemens order numbers (MLFBs) may vary depending on delivery form (USB physical flash drive vs Online Software Delivery OSD).

Engineer FAQ

Does the OS Software Server Redundancy package cover both servers?

Yes, the Siemens OS Software Server Redundancy package (6ES7652-3BA...) includes software licenses for both redundant servers.

Do OS Clients consume Process Object (PO) licenses?

No. OS Clients require only the OS Client runtime license (6ES7652-0XX...); PO capacity is licensed exclusively on the OS Servers.

Why is S7-REDCONNECT required for CP 1623?

S7-REDCONNECT is required whenever an OS station communicates with a fault-tolerant S7-400H controller over redundant Industrial Ethernet paths.

Can I use standard office network cards instead of CP 1623?

Yes, standard network cards can be used with BCE (Basic Communication Ethernet) or SOFTNET-IE, but CP 1623 offloads communication processing and is required for high-availability S7-REDCONNECT networks.