Monitoring WebNavigator Concurrent User Licenses and Active Sessions in SIMATIC PCS 7

In SIMATIC PCS 7 and WinCC WebNavigator remote access architectures, verifying total installed concurrent client capacity and monitoring active user sessions is accomplished through the built-in Web status diagnostic page (status.html), Automation License Manager (ALM) on the Web server, or the WebNavigator diagnostic frame in Internet Explorer. Accessing 'http:///status.html' displays real-time connection metrics—including connected client IP addresses, Windows user names, and remaining license slots—without disrupting active supervisory sessions.

WebNavigator Concurrent Client Licensing Principles

SIMATIC WinCC WebNavigator provides thin-client remote supervisory access over standard web browsers (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer). WebNavigator utilizes a floating concurrent-user licensing model managed entirely at the Web Server:
- Client Side: Remote client workstations require no local license installations. The ActiveX web client software is downloaded dynamically from the Web server.
- Server Side: The WebNavigator Server hosts cumulative concurrent client license packages (available in increments of 1, 3, 10, 30, and 100 concurrent clients; historical licenses include 5, 25, 50, and 150 clients).
- Session Enforcement: Each active browser session connecting to the Web server acquires one concurrent license token. If the maximum licensed user count is reached, subsequent connection attempts are rejected with a license warning dialog: 'The maximum number of clients has been reached'.

Auditing Active Sessions via the status.html Diagnostic Page

The WebNavigator web service incorporates an embedded diagnostic utility that exposes real-time session telemetry via HTTP:

Accessing the Default Web Page: Open a web browser on the network and navigate to:
http://<Server_IP_or_Hostname>/status.html
Accessing Virtual Web Directories: If WebNavigator was configured under a specific virtual website directory during Web Configurator setup, navigate to:
http://<Server_IP_or_Hostname>/<Virtual_Folder_Name>/status.html
Accessing via Navigation Frame: On an active WebNavigator client session, select the Diagnostics menu from MainControl.asp and click Status.
Displayed Telemetry Data: The resulting HTML status page provides:
- Total number of licensed concurrent clients.
- Total number of currently active sessions.
- Client workstation hostnames and IP addresses.
- Logon timestamps and duration of active connections.
- User account credentials attached to each session.

Inspecting Installed License Packages in Automation License Manager

To audit the theoretical maximum user capacity installed on the server:

Open Automation License Manager (ALM) on the WebNavigator Server machine.
Select the local hard drive drive (typically C:) in the navigation tree.
Filter the license list by product family SIMATIC WinCC / WebNavigator.
Review the license records:
- Look for license keys named SIMATIC WinCC / WebNavigator <Count> Clients (e.g., 10 Clients, 30 Clients).
- Sum the license counts across all installed packages. WebNavigator licenses are cumulative; installing one 10-client license and one 3-client license provides capacity for 13 concurrent users up to a maximum server limit of 150 clients.

WebNavigator License Package Matrix and Scaling Limits

The following table details available WebNavigator client packages and server scalability boundaries:

License Package NameConcurrent UsersScalability / StackingServer Hardware RequirementTypical MLFB StructureWebNavigator 1 Client1StackableStandard OS Single Station / Server6AV6371-1DH07-4AX0WebNavigator 3 Clients3StackableDedicated Web Server / OS Server6AV6371-1DH07-4BX0WebNavigator 10 Clients10StackableMulti-core Industrial PC Server6AV6371-1DH07-4CX0WebNavigator 30 Clients30StackableHigh-performance Server IPC6AV6371-1DH07-4DX0WebNavigator 100 Clients100StackableDedicated Server (Max 150 total)6AV6371-1DH07-4EX0

Commercial Accuracy Disclaimer: Software order numbers (MLFBs), package structures, and hardware compatibility prerequisites vary across PCS 7 versions and hardware platforms. System integrators must confirm exact software entitlements and licensing requirements against the official Siemens Catalog CA 01 and obtain an authorized Siemens distributor quotation prior to purchasing.

Verification

Verify WebNavigator license auditing and connection tracking:
1. Connect two remote client workstations to the WebNavigator server.
2. Open http://<WebNavigatorServer>/status.html in a web browser.
3. Confirm that the status page reports 'Active Clients: 2' and lists the exact IP addresses and logon accounts of both connected machines.
4. Close one client browser window; refresh status.html and verify the active count decrements to 1 within 60 seconds (HTTP session timeout).
5. Open ALM on the server and confirm the total installed license count matches the capacity reported on the status page.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Essential operational precautions for WebNavigator systems:
- Unused web sessions that are not closed properly (e.g., closing laptop lid without clicking Logoff) can hold license tokens until IIS session timeout expires (default 20 minutes).
- The maximum supported client limit on a single WinCC WebNavigator Server is 150 concurrent users, regardless of how many licenses are stacked in ALM.
- WebNavigator clients connecting across firewalls require Port 80 (HTTP) or Port 443 (HTTPS) open; do not expose WebNavigator directly to the public Internet without a secure VPN gateway.

Engineer FAQ

Do WebNavigator licenses require version upgrades when WinCC is upgraded?

WebNavigator client count licenses (e.g. 3, 10, 30 clients) are generally version-independent. However, the underlying WinCC basic runtime and Web server software must match the PCS 7 version.

Can a client connect from Google Chrome without consuming a license?

Modern WebUX options support HTML5 browsers, but WebUX uses a separate licensing pool. WebNavigator utilizes Microsoft Internet Explorer / Edge IE-mode ActiveX controls and consumes WebNavigator licenses.

Where is the session timeout configured for disconnected web clients?

In Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, navigate to the WebNavigator website properties and adjust the ASP Session Timeout parameter.