How PCS 7 V9.1 Engineering, Runtime and Archive Licenses Fit Together

PCS 7 licensing separates engineering tools from runtime use and scales several runtime functions by process objects or archive tags. In PCS 7 V9.1, ES means Engineering Station, AS means Automation System and OS means Operator Station. A floating license can be used on computers within a network and installed on multiple computers, while a single license is limited to one computer. The “PO 250” in the listed ES Single Station product name is a licensed capacity descriptor; check the Certificate of License and Automation License Manager for the exact entitlement of a purchased item.

Identify the license type before interpreting the SKU

Siemens' PCS 7 V9.1 Licenses and Configuration Limits manual distinguishes a standard license type (where software may be installed and used) from the license type that limits how it may be used. It defines a single license as usable on one computer and a floating license as usable on any computer within a network, with installation on several computers permitted. If a catalog item says “floating license for 1 user,” retain the one-user limit shown on that item; verify its legal and technical details on its Certificate of License (CoL) and in Automation License Manager. Do not infer “unlimited users” from the word floating.

E-SW is the catalog abbreviation for Engineering Software and R-SW for Runtime Software. These product classifications are not interchangeable with PCS 7's named AS RT PO or OS RT PO license keys. A product marked R-SW is not, by that label alone, proof that the required PCS 7 controller and OS process-object capacities are installed.

What ES, AS and OS refer to

TermPCS 7 roleWhat its license question usually concernsESEngineering StationEngineering functions and, where applicable, license keys required for AS download or OS engineering.ASAutomation SystemController runtime capacity, including licensed AS process objects (AS RT PO).OSOperator StationOperator software and licensed OS process objects (OS RT PO); archives are counted separately.

These roles can be combined on a single-station PC or distributed among separate computers. A license for an engineering function does not automatically cover every runtime or option needed in a distributed plant.

Interpreting “ES Single Station V9.1 (AS/OS: PO 250)”

The description identifies a PCS 7 V9.1 ES Single Station software product and states an AS/OS PO capacity of 250 in its product name. Siemens' V9.1 licensing manual treats single-station engineering and operator functions together in its single-station configuration table, but separately lists AS RT PO, OS RT PO and optional WinCC Archive keys. Therefore, do not assume the title alone answers every license question for a particular installation. Check the ordering number, CoL and license-key validity values, then compare the configured/downloaded AS process objects and OS process objects against the relevant licenses. “PO 250” is not an archive-tag quantity.

AS and OS runtime licenses are different

PCS 7 V9.1 calls the AS process-object key “AS RT PO.” Its manual says AS process objects subject to operator control and monitoring that generate messages require this key; for engineering stations, that key is required only for AS download. The OS process-object key is “OS RT PO” and controls the number of OS process objects that can be operated and monitored in process mode. Siemens specifically directs users to install these keys on the relevant AS/engineering or OS system as applicable. Do not collapse these into a generic statement that one “runtime license” covers both controller execution and visualization.

What the OS archive license covers

“SIMATIC PCS 7, SOFTWARE OS ARCHIVE” corresponds to WinCC Archive license keys in Siemens' PCS 7 V9.1 manual. Archive licensing is counted by archive tags, independently of AS or OS process objects. The manual states that WinCC Archive keys can be combined to increase the licensed archive-tag quantity and that the keys must be transferred to the OS server or OS single-station system. It also distinguishes archiving via Process Historian; consult the applicable architecture and license documentation when a Process Historian is present.

How to think about the S7 F licenses

The two listed safety-related products—“S7 F Systems V6.2” and “S7 Distributed Safety V5.4”—are distinct product names and versions. The item wording identifies them as floating, one-user, E-SW products, but that wording alone does not establish that both are required together, that they are interchangeable, or that their software versions are compatible with a particular PCS 7 installation. Check the product-specific Readme, supported-software matrix and CoL for the exact target STEP 7/PCS 7 and F-CPU environment before purchasing or installing. Treat F-programming engineering entitlement separately from runtime licensing for the configured safety application; confirm all required runtime and option licenses in the matching product documentation.

Verify what is installed before commissioning

Record the complete ordering numbers, product versions, license types and Certificate of License for every engineering, AS, OS, F-system and archive item.
In Automation License Manager, confirm that the license keys are available on the intended PCs or license server and review each key's validity and licensed capacity.
Use PCS 7's license-information and statistics functions to determine configured or loaded AS and OS process-object requirements; do not estimate from raw I/O counts alone.
Calculate OS archive-tag needs separately from process objects, and confirm where the OS Archive keys must reside in the selected architecture.
Compare the exact S7 F Systems and S7 Distributed Safety software releases against the supported STEP 7/PCS 7 environment and the F-programming tool's own release notes.
Preserve license records and verify the intended runtime system before downloading or bringing the application into service.

Verification

For PCS 7 V9.1, verify actual license-key names and counts in Automation License Manager and reconcile them against PCS 7's license-information output for the selected project. Confirm AS RT PO, OS RT PO and WinCC Archive separately, and verify the license keys reside on the PCs identified in the Siemens manual. For the F-system tools, confirm the installed product versions and supported environment from their own Readmes rather than inferring compatibility from the order description. A visible license key or software launch is not a substitute for checking the required capacity and runtime behavior.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

The SKU wording supplied identifies the products but cannot settle their current commercial availability, contractual use rights or every component bundled in a particular order. Check the original CoL, ordering number, regional Siemens catalog and installed PCS 7 Readme. The PCS 7 licensing details here apply to V9.1; do not apply them automatically to another release. License deficiencies can affect engineering downloads, AS runtime or OS operation, so reconcile the license set before commissioning or changing a running system.

Engineer FAQ

PCS 7 uses several distinct capacity counters. Confirm the station role and the exact key name first: AS RT PO for controller process-object capacity, OS RT PO for operator process-object capacity, and WinCC Archive for OS archive-tag capacity.

Technical References

Siemens, Licenses and configuration limits (V9.1), Installation Manual A5E50318145-AA (02/2021), especially Sections 3, 4.3–4.5 and 5.1–5.3: https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/371/109794371/att_1057404/v1/ps7lic_en-US_en-US.pdf

How PCS 7 V9.1 Engineering, Runtime and Archive Licenses Fit Together