How to copy WinCC project to another Workstation and get it working ?

WinCC – project was developed on PC1 and connection to Simatic PLC was also made there.
The idea is to make a spare Workstation (WS) with the same IP address.

If the main WS (PC1) is broken then I disconnect it off the Ethernet network, connect PC2 and start WinCC RT on PC2.
WinCC project is single-user and has a following feature. WinCC tags are connected to STEP7 with «Named Connection», but not with «TCP/IP» as normally for the single-user WinCC projects.
After starting WinCC RT on PC2 it doesn’t work, cause «Named Connection» is not established, connection driver “is disconnected”, tag values don't transfer from PLC to PC2 and vice versa.
How to set connection between PC2 and PLC ?

You need to have simatic net installed and xdb imported and downloaded in station configuration editor.
Also set system parameter for connection in WinCC.

Thanks for your reply.

adfox said:

You need to have simatic net installed and xdb imported and downloaded in station configuration editor.

Click to expand...

I have “Simatic Net PC Software” on PC2.
Is it sutable as “simatic net installed” ?

May I make on the PC2 the following (instead coping xdb –file from PC1 to PC2) : «Simatic Manager» -- PC Station Folder – right mouse click → PLC → Configure → «Configure» window → clear checkbox in «Use configured computer name» → to put the network PC2 name into “Target Computer» field → press «Configure…» button → «NetPro» -- and I got the message : “PC2 was successfully configured”.
After that I saw 2 new components in «Station Configuration Editor (ONLINE)” window , «Components» tab :
– Index 1 (Application) , “RUN» status ;
– Index 2 (IE General) , “STOP» status ;

I start Index 2 (IE General) component, then it runs for 3 sec., then stops and it’s symbol becomes red again. In diagnostic window I see message “… stopped because PG command”.

But I didn’t connect PC2 to Ethernet Network yet.
Can I be sure if I connect PC2 to Ethernet Network it will work properly ?

How I can now start component 2 (Index 2 (IE General) ) ?

adfox said:

Also set system parameter for connection in WinCC.

Click to expand...

Which one ?

Right click on Named connections -> System parameter -> Select interface

I can not change the connection channel from «Named Connection» to any other, because PLC is already configured to the IE General (TCP/IP) and I don’t want to reconfigure the PLC HW Configuration, cause it leads PLC to “STOP”.
The main reason of my trouble, I think, is stopped component 2 (Index 2 (IE General) in the «Station Configuration Editor [ONLINE]” window.

Change only the interface in channel parameters not the channel itself.

My “channel” is «Named Connection».
If I open «Named Connection» -- “System Parameter” -- “Unit” Tab , I see

CP-Type/Bus Profile : Named Connection (gray and inactive)
Logical Device Name : VM/ (in dropdown list there is VM/ only)


and nothing there can be changed.

Is this a PCS7 project ?
In any case You have to use station configuration editor, import XDB or download the connection to PC station using Step7.

https://support.industry.siemens.com/tf/ww/en/posts/winccapplcation-in-station-configuration-editor-not-connected/15460/?page=0&pageSize=10

WinCC project is single-user. The project is so strange.

I don’t understand why the developer created “Simatic PC Station” object ?

This object is not integrated to the STEP7 completely. In «Simatic Manager» I only can see the “Application” subfolder in the “Simatic PC Station” object folder. There is no OS object inside. There is only HW Configuration.

WinCC project is located in a separate folder on the PC1.

Instead the programmer had to create a simple integrated OS (WinCC object) inside the «Simatic Manager», cause it was the single-user project.

And one more interesting thing. In the «Station Configuration Editor” – “Components_Tab” I see the “Station” as “Operator-HMI”, but in the «Simatic Manager» --- “Simatic PC Station” name shown as “PC_HMI” . There must be the same names !!!

I can’t understand where the “Operator-HMI” name could be taken from ???

But everything on the PC1 works Ok.

I spent almost a week trying to solve the problem.

adfox said:

Is this a PCS7 project ?

Click to expand...

It's not a PCS7 project.