C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)
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Diagnosing Process Historian 2020 SP2 UPD1 DatabaseInstallationWizard Failure on IPC847E

Diagnosing Process Historian 2020 SP2 UPD1 DatabaseInstallationWizard Failure on IPC847E

In SIMATIC Process Historian 2020 SP2 Update 1 on a SIMATIC IPC847E (Windows Server 2019, 64 GB RAM, 3 TB RAID5, Computer Name B45TPH1), a failure during the execution of DatabaseInstallationWizard is resolved by inspecting 'DatabaseInstallationWizard.log' in C:\ProgramData\Siemens\ProcessHistorian\Log. Typical root causes include antivirus software locking database staging files, the Microsoft SQL Server (HISTORIAN) instance lacking 'Perform volume maintenance tasks' security rights, or temporary folder space exhaustion on drive C:. To resolve, add exclusions for SQL and PH directories in Windows Defender, grant the SQL service account full rights on target storage volumes, ensure drive C: has at least 50 GB free disk space, and execute the wizard via an elevated command prompt.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

During the commissioning of SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.1 SP2, deploying Process Historian 2020 SP2 Update 1 onto high-capacity industrial server hardware (IPC847E) represents the final step in establishing plant historical archiving. Engineers executing DatabaseInstallationWizard often encounter abrupt failures without descriptive GUI error messages, reporting that the wizard aborts during SQL schema generation despite robust hardware (64 GB RAM, 3 TB RAID5 array, and compliant NetBIOS hostname B45TPH1). This technical guide provides advanced diagnostics for DatabaseInstallationWizard.log, explains operating system permission locks, and details the definitive remediation procedure.

Architecture and Fundamental Mechanics

The database synthesis sequence executed by DatabaseInstallationWizard coordinates complex system calls:
1. Execution Phases of DatabaseInstallationWizard:
- Phase 1: Environment Validation: Checks operating system version, memory availability, computer name compliance, and SQL Server instance HISTORIAN readiness.
- Phase 2: File Pre-allocation: Pre-allocates initial .mdf (primary data file) and .ldf (transaction log) files on the configured target partition.
- Phase 3: Schema Deployment: Executes T-SQL scripts creating hundreds of tables, stored procedures, partition functions, and compression schemas.
- Phase 4: Service Binding: Registers the database with the Process Historian Server service.
2. Primary Root Causes of Abrupt Failure:
- Antivirus Real-Time File Locking: Windows Defender or enterprise endpoint protection software detects massive rapid file allocation and script execution on the RAID volume, placing a momentary read/write lock on ProcessHistorianDB.mdf. The wizard times out and throws HRESULT 0x80004005 (Unspecified error).
- Missing Instant File Initialization: Without the SeManageVolumePrivilege ('Perform volume maintenance tasks') right, SQL Server zero-fills every megabyte of the multi-gigabyte initial files, causing script execution timeouts.
- Staging Space Exhaustion on System Drive (C:): Even when target database files are assigned to the 3 TB RAID5 partition (D:), the wizard extracts uncompressed SQL scripts and temporary tables into %TEMP% on the C: drive. If C: has low free space (<20 GB), extraction fails.

Step-by-Step Implementation Procedure

  1. Analyze DatabaseInstallationWizard.log:
    a. Open Windows File Explorer and navigate to: C:\ProgramData\Siemens\ProcessHistorian\Log.
    b. Open DatabaseInstallationWizard.log.
    c. Search backwards from the end of the file for keywords: FAILED, Exception, Timeout, or Error:.
    d. Identify the exact failing T-SQL step (e.g., CREATE DATABASE failed or Access to the path is denied).

  2. Configure Antivirus Exclusions for Process Historian:
    a. Open Windows Security (or third-party antivirus console).
    b. Navigate to Virus & threat protection settings -> Exclusions -> Add or remove exclusions.
    c. Add folder exclusions for:

    • Target RAID database directory (e.g., D:\PH_Data, D:\PH_Log)
    • C:\Program Files\Siemens\ProcessHistorian
    • C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL15.HISTORIAN
    • C:\ProgramData\Siemens\ProcessHistorian
      d. Add process exclusions for: sqlservr.exe, DatabaseInstallationWizard.exe, and PHService.exe.

  3. Enable Instant File Initialization for SQL Server:
    a. Open secpol.msc (Local Security Policy).
    b. Expand Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment.
    c. Double-click Perform volume maintenance tasks.
    d. Click 'Add User or Group', enter NT SERVICE\MSSQL$HISTORIAN, and click OK.
    e. In Windows Services (services.msc), restart the service SQL Server (HISTORIAN) to apply the new privilege.

  4. Verify Staging Space on Drive C: and Clean Temp Files:
    a. Check free disk space on drive C:: ensure at least 50 GB of unfragmented free space is available.
    b. Press Windows Key + R, type %TEMP%, and delete legacy temporary files.

  5. Execute Clean Database Creation:
    a. Open an administrative Command Prompt.
    b. Navigate to: C:\Program Files\Siemens\ProcessHistorian\bin.
    c. Launch the wizard explicitly: DatabaseInstallationWizard.exe.
    d. Select target directories on the RAID5 drive (D:\PH_Data and D:\PH_Log).
    e. Allow the wizard to complete all phases until the confirmation dialog displays: 'Database created successfully'.

Verification

  1. In DatabaseInstallationWizard.log: confirm the final line reads Database installation finished successfully with return code 0.
  2. Open Process Historian Management Console: click 'Start' and confirm server status transitions cleanly to Active.
  3. Open SQL Server Management Studio: confirm ProcessHistorianDB is accessible and displays all system tables (dbo.ArchiveTag, dbo.ArchiveSegment).

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Do not compress or encrypt the database volume with Windows BitLocker or NTFS file compression. Encrypted or compressed volumes significantly degrade SQL Server write throughput and cause database installation aborts.

Engineer FAQ

Why does DatabaseInstallationWizard fail without showing an error message on screen?

The wizard suppresses detailed T-SQL stack traces in the GUI; comprehensive failure details are written exclusively to DatabaseInstallationWizard.log in ProgramData.

What antivirus folders must be excluded for Process Historian?

Exclude all SQL Server database directories, Siemens ProcessHistorian installation folders, and ProgramData\Siemens directories.

What is Instant File Initialization and why does PH need it?

It allows SQL Server to pre-allocate multi-gigabyte database files without zero-filling disk sectors, preventing installation script timeouts.

Can the Process Historian database be installed on drive C:?

While technically possible for small tests, production installations must place database and log files on dedicated high-performance RAID arrays.

What service must be restarted after changing volume maintenance user rights?

The SQL Server (HISTORIAN) Windows service must be restarted to adopt the new privilege.

Technical References

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Related Tags

  • Process Historian 2020
  • DatabaseInstallationWizard
  • IPC847E
  • SQL Server Log
  • Antivirus Exclusions
  • Instant File Initialization
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