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Troubleshooting Process Historian 2020 Inactive State and Database Creation Failure on IPC847E

Troubleshooting Process Historian 2020 Inactive State and Database Creation Failure on IPC847E

In SIMATIC Process Historian 2020 on a SIMATIC IPC847E (Windows Server 2019 with RAID5), the server remaining stuck in 'Inactive' status and cycling from Inactive to Start to Error to Inactive occurs when the DatabaseInstallationWizard fails to create the initial SQL Server database. This failure is typically caused by Microsoft SQL Server service account permissions, disk partition sector size mismatches on large RAID arrays, or computer hostnames violating NetBIOS rules (exceeding 15 characters or containing hyphens). To resolve, inspect 'DatabaseInstallationWizard.log', ensure the SQL Server (HISTORIAN) service runs under an account with local administrative rights, verify the computer name is alphanumeric and under 15 characters, format the RAID array with 64 KB NTFS allocation unit size, and re-run the wizard as Administrator.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Commissioning enterprise historians using SIMATIC Process Historian 2020 on high-performance industrial rack servers (such as the SIMATIC IPC847E) requires precise operating system, storage subsystem, and database initialization. After completing software installation, engineers frequently encounter a persistent failure: the Process Historian Management Console displays status 'Inactive'. Selecting 'Start' initiates a brief startup sequence before collapsing into an error state and reverting to 'Inactive'. Attempts to manually run the DatabaseInstallationWizard fail repeatedly, even across complete Windows Server 2019 operating system reinstallations. This technical article diagnoses the root causes—including SQL service security rights, storage sector alignments, and NetBIOS naming rules—and provides the proven recovery workflow.

Architecture and Fundamental Mechanics

The Process Historian 2020 runtime architecture coordinates multiple Windows services and SQL Server engines:
1. The Process Historian State Engine (PHService.exe):
- When Process Historian launches, PHService queries the Microsoft SQL Server instance HISTORIAN to verify that the master database ProcessHistorianDB is mounted, operational, and accessible.
- If the database does not exist, or if SQL Server cannot attach the database files (.mdf/.ldf) due to permission lockouts, the state machine fails safety checks and transitions: Inactive -> Start -> Error -> Inactive.
2. Root Causes of DatabaseInstallationWizard Failure:
- Service Account Access Rights: The SQL instance service account (NT SERVICE\MSSQL$HISTORIAN) requires explicit 'Full Control' NTFS permissions on the target database directories on the RAID5 array.
- RAID Sector Alignment & 4KB Native Drives: Large RAID5 arrays on modern IPC847E hardware utilize 4K physical sector disks. If SQL Server 2019 lacks required cumulative updates or if the partition allocation unit size is misaligned (standard 4KB instead of SQL-optimized 64KB), synchronous I/O initialization calls fail.
- Computer Naming Rules: Microsoft SQL Server and Process Historian strictly mandate computer names meeting NetBIOS standards: maximum 15 characters, uppercase alphanumeric, with zero hyphens or special symbols (e.g., B45TPH1 is valid; PH-SERVER-2020 is invalid).
- Windows Security Privileges: The installer account must possess the 'Perform volume maintenance tasks' (SeManageVolumePrivilege) user right to execute Instant File Initialization.

Step-by-Step Implementation Procedure

  1. Inspect the Database Installation Log File:
    a. Open Windows File Explorer on the IPC847E.
    b. Navigate to: C:\ProgramData\Siemens\ProcessHistorian\Log (or C:\Program Files\Siemens\ProcessHistorian\Log).
    c. Open DatabaseInstallationWizard.log in a text editor.
    d. Scroll to the bottom and search for ERROR or FATAL: note the exact exception (e.g., 'Access denied to path', 'Cannot create file', or 'Disk sector alignment error').

  2. Verify Computer Name Syntax:
    a. Open Windows System Properties (sysdm.cpl).
    b. Inspect the Computer Name.
    c. Verify that the name is 15 characters or fewer, consists strictly of letters and numbers (e.g., IPC847EPH01), and contains no hyphens (-) or underscores (_).
    d. If modified, restart the server.

  3. Format RAID5 Storage Partitions for SQL Server:
    a. Open Windows Disk Management.
    b. Ensure the RAID5 array intended for historical data is initialized as a GPT disk.
    c. Format the volume using NTFS with an Allocation Unit Size of 64K (65,536 bytes), which is the manufacturer standard for high-throughput SQL Server databases.
    d. Label the volume clearly (e.g., PH_DATA).

  4. Assign NTFS Security Permissions to the SQL Service Account:
    a. Create the target folders on the RAID volume: D:\PH_Data and D:\PH_Log.
    b. Right-click the folder D:\PH_Data and select Properties -> Security -> Edit.
    c. Click 'Add': enter NT SERVICE\MSSQL$HISTORIAN (or LOCAL SERVICE) and grant Full Control.
    d. Repeat permissions for D:\PH_Log.

  5. Grant 'Perform Volume Maintenance Tasks' Privilege:
    a. Open Windows Local Security Policy (secpol.msc).
    b. Navigate to Security Settings -> Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment.
    c. Double-click Perform volume maintenance tasks.
    d. Add the local Administrators group and the NT SERVICE\MSSQL$HISTORIAN account.
    e. Click 'Apply' and 'OK'.

  6. Execute Database Installation Wizard as Administrator:
    a. Open the Windows Start menu, navigate to Siemens Automation -> Process Historian.
    b. Right-click Database Installation Wizard and select Run as administrator.
    c. Follow the prompts: select the configured folders on the RAID5 array (D:\PH_Data, D:\PH_Log).
    d. Click 'Execute' and allow the wizard to build the database schema.
    e. Confirm the summary reports: 'Database creation completed successfully'.

  7. Start Process Historian Service:
    a. Open the Process Historian Management Console.
    b. Select Start: verify the status transitions from Inactive to Starting to Active (green indicator).

Verification

  1. In Process Historian Management Console: verify the server status is solid Active.
  2. Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) connecting to .\HISTORIAN: confirm database ProcessHistorianDB is online and healthy.
  3. Check Windows Services: confirm that Process Historian Server service is running under Automatic startup.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Never install Process Historian on a domain controller. The IPC847E should be a domain member or workgroup server with local administrative credentials dedicated to historian services.

Engineer FAQ

Why does Process Historian status revert to Inactive immediately after clicking Start?

Because the core service fails to connect to or validate the required ProcessHistorianDB database inside SQL Server.

Where is the DatabaseInstallationWizard log file located?

In 'C:\ProgramData\Siemens\ProcessHistorian\Log\DatabaseInstallationWizard.log'.

What is the maximum allowed computer name length for Process Historian?

Maximum 15 characters, using uppercase letters and digits, with no hyphens or special symbols.

What NTFS allocation unit size should be used for Process Historian storage?

64 KB (65,536 bytes) allocation unit size, which optimizes SQL Server multi-page extent I/O.

Does Process Historian 2020 support Windows Server 2019?

Yes. Process Historian 2020 (and SP1/SP2) is officially released for Windows Server 2019 Standard and Datacenter editions.

Technical References

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Related Tags

  • Process Historian 2020
  • IPC847E
  • Database Installation Wizard
  • Inactive Status
  • Windows Server 2019
  • SQL Server
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