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Siemens SIMATIC WinCC flexible

versiondog supports the management of SIMATIC WinCC flexible projects and enables the automatic creation of backups and the cyclical monitoring of the HMI for these.

Figure: Integration Siemens SIMATIC WinCC flexible

System requirements

WinCC flexible 2005 2006 2007 2008 SP3 2008 SP5
versiondog 2.6 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
versiondog 6.0 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Other requirements

The WinCC flexible comparator requires a valid installation of a database for the comparison. The general database driver is the MS SQL server.

SQL instances for the WinCC flexible Versions on the devices running the comparison

WinCC flexible Version MS Data Engine 97 MS Data Engine 2000 MS Data Engine XP MS Access 97 MS Access 2000 MS SQL Server 7.0 MS SQL Server 2000 MS SQL Server 2005 MS SQL Server 2014
2004 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
2005 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
2007 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
2008 ✓ ✓ ✓
2008 SP5 ✓

Integration features

  • Custom component type for SIMATIC WinCC flexible
  • Integrated SIMATIC WinCC flexible project tree
  • Automatic detection of differences between the program on the Controller and the current version on the Server, backup/backup detailed comparison
  • Clear presentation of the change history

Restriction

  • It is possible to upload recipe data from the HMIs if they are accessible via a network share. Under certain conditions, which depend on your network environment and the devices used, it is not possible to upload (e.g. restricted access rights).

FAQ

The comparison of my WinCC flexible projects fail, although a suitable SQL instance is installed

Explanation

If the name of the SQL Server instance on the affected client system differs from the default name (WINCC or WINCCFLEXEXPRESS), versiondog cannot access it.

versiondog assumes one of these names, as these are set in the majority of installations of the SQL Server included with WinCC/WinCC flexible.

Solution

If the name of the SQL Server instance differs from the default, this name must be made known to versiondog.

In the following example, the instance name is set to MSSQLEXPRESS:

  1. Navigate to the directory vdClientArchive\VD$A\Configuration\Compare.

  2. Open the AgentStation.ini file, if this does not exist, you can create it with any text editor.

  3. Insert the following content, depending on whether you want to compare WinCC or WinCC flexible (MSSQLEXPRESS is the example name of the SQL instance):

[WinCC]
7030=MSSQLEEXPRESS

[WinCCFlexible]
7050=MSSQLEXPRESS

Warning

Please note that if the instance name WINCC or WINCCFLEXEXPRESS is entered via the above entry, which corresponds to the standard names, versiondog also expects an installed editor in addition to the SQL instance.

If this editor is not installed, the comparison will fail.

This means that if no WinCC editor is installed, WINCC or WINCCFLEXEXPRESS must not be entered as the instance name.

Info

Instructions for installing the "Microsoft SQL server 2005 Express Edition" can be requested from the support department.

Versioning under a restricted Windows user account fails

Error messages/error codes: 31102
21053
21055
21053

Explanation The logged-in user lacks certain rights that are required to edit the SQL database instance. The user with restricted access rights must be assigned the SysAdmin role of the SQL server. In other words: The configuration described below must be performed from an administrator account or another account with corresponding authorizations.

Solution A For WinCC flexible 2007 with SQL server 2005, please proceed as follows:

  • Open the SQL server Management Studio and connect to the WinCC flexible instance.
  • Open Container Security > Logins.
  • Right-click on Logins and select the entry New Login.
  • Enter the user including computer name or domain affiliation or select the user via the search function.
  • Assign the SysAdmin role to this user on the Server Roles page.
  • Close the dialog and log in to Windows Server again.

Versioning now works with this user. If there are other user accounts with restricted rights, these must also be created in the same way as these instructions.

Solution B

  1. Make the user with restricted rights a member of a corresponding group (group with versioning authorization).
  2. In WinCC flexible, a corresponding database instance is created and an associated group.
  3. The users with restricted rights must be members of the above-mentioned group.
  4. To add members to the system, go to: Button Start > Menu item Control Panel > Administration > Computer Administration > Users and Groups.

To get the basic workflow for intergrating the device, open General workflow.

Device-specific settings for this device, such as job configuration, can be found on the following pages: