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How to Resolve CCCAPHServer Service Startup Failures in SIMATIC Process Historian Ready

How to Resolve CCCAPHServer Service Startup Failures in SIMATIC Process Historian Ready

To resolve CCCAPHServer (CCCAPHSERVICE) service startup failures in SIMATIC Process Historian (PH) architectures, engineers must verify correct component placement and harmonize Windows service logon credentials. The PH-Ready component (CCCAPHServer) is designed to run exclusively on WinCC OS Servers—transferring tag and alarm archives to the Process Historian—and must never be installed on the Process Historian server itself. On OS Servers where the service fails to start, open the Windows Services console (services.msc), edit the properties of CCCAPHServer, and configure the logon account to use a dedicated domain or local service account with matching credentials across all stations. Ensure the account possesses the 'Log on as a service' security right and belongs to the SIMATIC HMI and SIMATIC NET user groups.

Table of Contents

Architectural Role of PH-Ready and CCCAPHServer

In SIMATIC PCS 7 long-term archiving architectures, the Process Historian (PH) acts as a centralized Microsoft SQL Server archive repository for historical process values, alarms, and SIMATIC BATCH reports.

The software architecture consists of two primary operational layers:
1. Process Historian Server: Hosts the centralized database, the Process Historian Management Console (PHMC), and background archiving ingestion services.
2. PH-Ready Component (CCCAPHServer): Installed on each WinCC OS Server and Batch Server. Its primary role is to monitor local cyclic tag and alarm segments and stream them continuously across the terminal bus to the PH server.

A frequent architectural misunderstanding occurs when engineers attempt to install and execute the PH-Ready component on the Process Historian machine itself. Doing so causes port collisions and service execution faults because the PH server already runs native receiver endpoints.

Root Causes of CCCAPHServer Service Startup Failures

When the CCCAPHServer service fails to start—often throwing the error 'Service could not start' in the PH-Ready Configuration tool—the root cause stems from one of four security or network misconfigurations:

  1. Incorrect Service Logon Identity: By default, Windows services may attempt to start under LocalSystem. The CCCAPHServer service requires a dedicated user account with identical credentials on both the WinCC OS Server and the Process Historian server.
  2. Missing 'Log on as a service' Privilege: The designated service account has not been granted SeServiceLogonRight in Windows Local Security Policy.
  3. Firewall Blocking Archiving Communication: Network firewalls or Windows Defender Firewall blocking communication ports (TCP 4222, 4223, 1433) between the OS Server and the Process Historian.
  4. Erroneous PH-Ready Installation on the PH Server: PH-Ready is erroneously installed on the Process Historian server, attempting to initiate outbound client connections to itself.

Step-by-Step Configuration of Service Accounts and Security Rights

To resolve service startup failures and establish clean communication:

Step 1: Remove PH-Ready from Process Historian Server (If Present)

If the PH-Ready package was installed on the Process Historian server, open Windows Control Panel -> Programs and Features, locate SIMATIC Process Historian Ready, and uninstall it. Restart the PH server.

Step 2: Configure Dedicated Service Account

  1. Create a dedicated administrative Windows account (e.g., PHServiceAdmin) on all OS Servers and the PH server (or create a single domain account in Active Directory).
  2. Assign the identical password across all participating systems.
  3. Add PHServiceAdmin to the following local groups on each machine:
    * Administrators
    * SIMATIC HMI
    * SIMATIC NET

Step 3: Grant 'Log on as a service' Rights

  1. On each WinCC OS Server, open secpol.msc (Local Security Policy).
  2. Navigate to Security Settings -> Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment.
  3. Double-click Log on as a service.
  4. Click Add User or Group, enter PHServiceAdmin, and click OK.

Step 4: Run the PH-Ready Configuration Tool

  1. On the WinCC OS Server, navigate to:
    Start -> All Programs -> Siemens Automation -> SIMATIC -> PH-Ready -> PH-Ready Configuration.
  2. Enter the dedicated service account username and password.
  3. Enter the Process Historian server computer name or static IP address.
  4. Click Apply / Start Service. The wizard will register the logon credentials and start CCCAPHServer without errors.

Firewall Ports and Diagnostic Verification in PH Management Console

Once CCCAPHServer starts successfully on the OS Server, verify network connectivity to the Process Historian:

  1. Firewall Rules: Ensure inbound and outbound rules permit traffic on:
    * TCP 4222 / 4223: Process Historian streaming and management bus.
    * TCP 1433: Microsoft SQL Server standard database port.
    * TCP 135 / Dynamic RPC Ports: DCOM and RPC endpoint mapping.
  2. Process Historian Management Console (PHMC):
    * Open the PHMC on the Process Historian server.
    * Navigate to Management -> System Status -> Operating State.
    * Under Data Sources, verify that the WinCC OS Server appears in the list with state 'Active / Connected'.

Process Historian Component and Port Reference Matrix

The following table outlines the component locations, service names, and network port requirements for Process Historian integration:

Component / Service NameHost MachineOperational FunctionRequired Network PortsCCCAPHServer (CCCAPHSERVICE)WinCC OS Server / Batch ServerCompresses and streams local archive segmentsTCP 4222, 4223Process Historian ServerProcess Historian ServerCentral ingestion engine and SQL archiverTCP 1433, 4222SQL Server (HISTORIAN)Process Historian ServerHigh-capacity relational time-series databaseTCP 1433PH-Ready Configuration ToolWinCC OS ServerConfigures logon identity and target PH hostLocal DCOM / RPCPH Management Console (PHMC)Process Historian / ESDashboard for archive status and data source healthLocal GUI / MMC snap-in

Harmonizing account permissions across all stations ensures stable long-term data collection.

Verification

To verify that CCCAPHServer and long-term archiving are functioning:
1. Open Windows Services (services.msc) on the WinCC OS Server; verify that CCCAPHServer is in the Running state with startup type set to Automatic.
2. Inspect the Windows Event Viewer -> Application log to confirm that no DCOM or service logon failures are recorded.
3. Open the Process Historian Management Console (PHMC) on the PH server and confirm that the OS Server status shows 'Connected' with incoming archive transactions.
4. Trigger an alarm or log process values on the OS Server; verify that the data appears in the Process Historian database tables.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

  • Never install PH-Ready on the dedicated Process Historian server; PH-Ready belongs exclusively on WinCC OS Servers and Batch Servers.
  • If domain passwords expire, the CCCAPHServer service will fail during subsequent server reboots; configure service account passwords with 'Password never expires'.
  • Do not disable the Windows Firewall completely; use the Siemens Security Controller to open required ports while preserving host security.
  • Ensure both OS Servers in a redundant pair have identical PH-Ready configurations and pointing targets.

Engineer FAQ

Why does PH-Ready fail to connect when using hostnames instead of IP addresses?

If DNS or NetBIOS name resolution fails between the terminal bus networks, the service cannot resolve the Process Historian server name. Ensure both stations are registered in local hosts and lmhosts files.

Can PH-Ready buffer archive data if the Process Historian server is temporarily shut down?

Yes. WinCC OS Servers retain local archive segments according to the configured WinCC archive size limits until the Process Historian comes back online, at which point buffering data is backfilled automatically.

What diagnostic log records PH-Ready connection events on the OS Server?

Diagnostic details are written to C:/ProgramData/Siemens/Automation/Logfiles/Setup/PHReady_*.log and the standard WinCC diagnostic folder (Siemens/WinCC/Diagnose).

Technical References

Related Articles

Related Tags

  • Process Historian
  • PH-Ready
  • CCCAPHServer
  • WinCC OS Archiving
  • Service Logon Rights
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