Engineering Distributed SIMATIC BATCH Multi-Server Architectures on Separated PC Stations

In SIMATIC PCS 7, configuring SIMATIC BATCH across separated PC stations (where redundant Batch Servers and redundant OS Servers reside on dedicated, distinct physical computers) requires establishing independent SIMATIC PC Station objects in the SIMATIC Manager Component View for each machine. While standard 'Getting Started' sample projects demonstrate compact single-station configurations ('The Kitchen' project), production distributed plants require configuring dedicated PC stations with unique hostnames, assigning WinCC Application and BATCH Application objects to their respective stations, compiling NetPro connections across the Terminal Bus, and utilizing the Batch Configuration Dialog to distribute process cell data to the dedicated Batch Database Server.

Executive Summary

Process control literature and Siemens introductory tutorials often demonstrate SIMATIC BATCH running in a compact single-station environment where Engineering, OS Server, and BATCH Server share one computer. When designing high-availability industrial pharmaceutical or chemical production plants, process requirements dictate a distributed multi-server architecture comprising redundant OS servers, redundant Batch servers, a dedicated Batch database server, and separate operator clients. Engineers seeking sample demo architectures often struggle to transition from single-station tutorials to distributed topologies. This guide details the architectural rules, station object configurations, and deployment procedures for distributed SIMATIC BATCH systems.

Architecture and Fundamental Mechanics

The distributed SIMATIC BATCH architecture coordinates multiple dedicated network nodes across the Terminal Bus:
1. Dedicated SIMATIC PC Station Principle:
Siemens strictly mandates that every physical computer in a distributed architecture must be represented by a unique SIMATIC PC Station object in Step 7. Configuring WinCC and SIMATIC BATCH applications under separate PC Station objects and then attempting to merge them by assigning the same computer name is prohibited and causes database corruption.
2. Distributed Station Roles:
- Engineering Station (ES): Hosts master engineering databases, recipe definitions, and the Batch Configuration Dialog.
- Redundant OS Server Pair: Runs WinCC Server applications, acquires AS process variables, and manages alarm logging.
- Redundant BATCH Server Pair: Hosts the active BATCH Control Server and standby server, managing unit allocation, recipe execution, and electronic batch records.
- BATCH Database Server (BDS): Dedicated or co-located node hosting the master Microsoft SQL Server database for recipes and completed batch archives.
- BATCH / OS Clients: Operator workstations running BatchCC, Recipe Editor, and WinCC Runtime.
3. Communication and NetPro Interconnections:
All distributed stations communicate over the Terminal Bus using TCP/IP and Windows RPC coordinated through Simatic Shell. NetPro must contain compiled network assignments for all stations to enable the Batch Configuration Dialog to download process cell models.

Step-by-Step Implementation Procedure

Create Dedicated SIMATIC PC Stations in Component View:
a. Open SIMATIC Manager and navigate to the Component View of your multiproject.
b. Insert a new SIMATIC PC Station for each physical node:
- PC_OS_SRV1 (WinCC Application)
- PC_OS_SRV2 (WinCC Application (stby))
- PC_BATCH_SRV1 (BATCH Application)
- PC_BATCH_SRV2 (BATCH Application (stby))
- PC_BATCH_DB (BATCH Database Server)
  c. Rename each PC Station object to match the exact Windows computer name of its physical hardware.
Configure Station Hardware in HW Config:
a. Open HW Config for each PC Station.
b. Insert an IE General network card into Slot 1 and assign its physical IP address on the Terminal Bus.
c. Insert the respective software application from the catalog into Slot 2 or Slot 3 (WinCC Application, BATCH Application, etc.).
d. Save and compile HW Config for each station.
Compile and Download Network in NetPro:
a. Open NetPro.
b. Verify that all stations are connected to the shared Terminal Bus subnet.
c. Execute Network -> Save and Compile (Check consistency).
d. Download network configurations to target PC stations.
Execute Coordinated System Compilation (AS -> OS -> BATCH):
a. Compile and download all AS controllers.
b. In SIMATIC Manager, compile OS Server projects completely ('Entire OS') and generate server data packages.
c. Open Options -> SIMATIC BATCH -> Propagate Batch Types.
d. Open Options -> SIMATIC BATCH -> Batch Configuration Dialog.
e. Under 'Merge / Compile', compile batch types and transfer messages to WinCC.
f. Under 'Download', verify that all separated Batch Servers and Database Servers are detected with green checkmarks, then click 'Download'.
Start Services on Distributed Servers:
a. On the Batch Database Server, verify the SQL Server instance and BSS service are active.
b. On Batch Server 1 and 2, launch SIMATIC BATCH Launch Coordinator: confirm transition to 'Running' (one Master, one Standby).
c. On Batch Clients, open Batch Control Center (BatchCC): verify online connection to the distributed batch server pair.

Verification

On Batch Server 1, open Batch Launch Coordinator: verify the status indicator displays 'Master / Running' (green).
On Batch Server 2, verify status displays 'Standby / Running'.
On an operator client, open BatchCC: verify the process cell hierarchy appears with all units and recipes loaded.
Create and start a test batch: confirm recipe execution and verify that batch alarms display seamlessly in WinCC Alarm Control on the OS clients.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Ensure high-bandwidth, redundant networking across the Terminal Bus; communication latencies exceeding 100 ms between Batch Servers and the Batch Database Server can cause heartbeat timeouts and unintended redundancy failovers.

Engineer FAQ

Can Batch Server and OS Server reside on different PCs in PCS 7?

Yes. In large-scale industrial architectures, separating Batch Servers from OS Servers is standard best practice to balance processing workloads and enhance system reliability.

Why do official sample projects use a single compact station?

Introductory sample projects (like 'The Kitchen') use single-station setups to allow students and engineers to explore core batch concepts on a single laptop without multi-node networking.

Can I assign the same computer name to an OS station and Batch station object in Step 7?

No. Each distinct physical PC must have its own dedicated SIMATIC PC Station object matching its physical hostname. Merging them by renaming causes critical configuration errors.