Deploying SIMATIC PCS 7 Engineering Stations on Dell PowerEdge Servers

Installing a SIMATIC PCS 7 Engineering Station on third-party commercial rack servers (such as the Dell PowerEdge R330) is technically supported under SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.x and V9.0 provided the server runs a certified, clean Microsoft Windows Server operating system—specifically Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard 64-bit (with KB2919355). However, factory OEM Windows images delivered by Dell or HP must not be used, as pre-installed OEM management utilities and non-standard security templates interfere with Siemens SQL Server and communication drivers. Desktop Windows 10 is not certified on Dell PowerEdge server hardware due to missing server chipset, RAID controller, and backplane drivers.

Hardware Qualification: SIMATIC IPCs vs Commercial Off-The-Shelf Servers

Siemens formally certifies and delivers pre-configured industrial computers for SIMATIC PCS 7, known as SIMATIC IPCs (e.g., IPC547, IPC647, and IPC847). These machines undergo rigorous electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), vibration, and continuous duty cycle testing, and feature factory-hardened software images.

Nevertheless, corporate enterprise IT policies frequently specify commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server platforms, such as Dell PowerEdge (R330, R430) or HP ProLiant rack servers. From a software perspective, PCS 7 engineering tools are hardware-agnostic and operate reliably on enterprise x86-64 server architectures, provided the underlying operating system build and communication hardware match Siemens system release specifications.

Operating System Constraints: Windows Server 2012 R2 vs Windows 10 on Rack Hardware

Two critical software boundaries govern server deployment:
1. Dell OEM Windows Images vs Clean Retail/Volume Installations: Dell rack servers often ship with Dell OEM Windows Server installations bundled with Dell OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA), Dell SupportAssist, customized firewall profiles, and proprietary network teaming drivers. Experience demonstrates that OEM background agents conflict with WinCC DCOM communication and SQL Server dynamic port allocations. Engineers must wipe OEM installations and perform a clean install using standard Microsoft Volume Licensing or Retail media.
2. Windows 10 on Dell PowerEdge R330: Attempting to install Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise directly on PowerEdge R330 hardware fails or introduces instability. Server manufacturers do not release Windows 10 drivers for enterprise PERC RAID controllers, Intel C236 server chipsets, and redundant power management backplanes.

Hardware Package Schedule - Server Hardware and Driver Specifications

The following Hardware Package Schedule defines server specifications, operating system requirements, and network licensing:

Hardware / Software PackageSpecification / Article Number (MLFB)Supported RoleConfiguration RequirementsServer PlatformDell PowerEdge R330 / R430Engineering Station / OS ServerEnterprise x86-64 rack server with PERC RAID.Certified Server OSMicrosoft Windows Server 2012 R2Standard / Datacenter (64-Bit)Mandatory: Clean install with update KB2919355.Desktop OS on ServerMicrosoft Windows 10Unsupported on PowerEdgeUnreleased by Dell/Siemens; missing RAID drivers.Standard Network CardBroadcom / Intel Gigabit Server NICPlant Bus / Terminal BusRequires SIMATIC NET SOFTNET-IE software license.Communications ProcessorCP 1623 (6GK1162-3AA00)High-performance Plant BusRequires available PCIe slot and SIMATIC NET V14.

[!IMPORTANT]
Commercial Accuracy Notice: SIMATIC software licenses, third-party server certifications, and communication options must be > validated against the active Siemens ST PCS 7 Catalog and authorized distributor quotations. Do not treat generic COTS servers > as equivalent to factory-warranted SIMATIC IPCs without written manufacturer qualification.

Commissioning and Installation Guidelines for Third-Party Servers

Clean Operating System Deployment:
- Format all drives and configure hardware RAID (RAID 1 for OS, RAID 5 or 10 for project data) via the Dell PERC BIOS utility.
- Install a clean copy of Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard 64-Bit from official Microsoft ISO media.
- Install only certified Dell hardware drivers (chipset, SAS/SATA RAID, and Ethernet NICs).
Apply Windows Servicing Stack Updates:
- Install Microsoft update KB2919355 (Windows Server 2012 R2 Update) followed by the latest Servicing Stack Update (SSU).
Enable Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5:
- Open Server Manager -> Add Roles and Features -> select .NET Framework 3.5 Features (specifying alternate source path \sources\sxs).
Install SIMATIC PCS 7 Software:
- Launch Setup.exe from the PCS 7 installation media with 'Run as administrator'.
- Select Engineering Station package installation: setup configures the SIMATIC Security Controller and WinCC SQL Server cleanly.
Configure Network Teaming / Adapters:
- Do not use proprietary Dell Broadcom Advanced Control Suite (BACS) teaming on the Plant Bus adapter; assign dedicated physical ports for Plant Bus and Terminal Bus.

Verification

Verify server deployment stability through the following checks:
1. In Windows Device Manager, verify that all hardware devices (chipset, controllers, storage, network) show healthy status without yellow exclamation marks.
2. Open SIMATIC Manager: create a new project, insert a PC station, and compile CFC charts: verify smooth execution without memory or CPU throttling.
3. Verify that the Station Configuration Editor virtual rack initializes properly with WinCC Appl. and communication adapters running.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

When deploying non-Siemens hardware, Siemens Technical Support may require proof that an observed anomaly is reproducible on standard SIMATIC IPC hardware before investigating lower-level driver defects. Furthermore, third-party automated server monitoring agents (such as Dell OMSA or remote IPMI/iDRAC polling tools) must be configured to prevent aggressive SNMP polling that can degrade real-time Industrial Ethernet communication.