Siemens Alarm Control Center 9AE4310-3BS01 WinCC Setup Guide

1. Product Identification and MLFB Decoding

The Siemens Alarm Control Center (ACC) is a software-based alarm management and paging system that forwards process and plant alarms from control and visualization systems to recipients over voice, SMS, pager, and mobile app channels. The Basic Edition described here is identified by Siemens MLFB 9AE4310-3BS01. The order number (MLFB - Maschinenlesbare Fabrikatebezeichnung) breaks down according to Siemens naming conventions, allowing engineers to confirm they have received the correct variant and the matching feature set before commissioning.

For MLFB 9AE4310-3BS01 the orderable scope is:

• 9AE4 = Alarm Control Center product family (ACC software line)
• 310 = Software class designation within the ACC family
• 3 = Edition tier / license class
• BS01 = Basic Edition configuration code

The Basic Edition provides the core alarm routing engine with phone, SMS, pager, and mobile app delivery. It is distinct from the higher-tier Professional and Enterprise editions, which add redundancy, multi-server clusters, advanced escalation logic, and additional compliance modules. When the unit arrives, verify the printed MLFB on the license certificate matches 9AE4310-3BS01 before installation, and confirm the Siemens Certificate of License (CoL) is enclosed - the CoL contains the activation key required by the ACC Configuration Studio on first launch.

Refer to the official Siemens product page at Alarm Control Center | Siemens and the Alarm Control Center brochure (PDF) for the latest product brief, current edition comparison, and ordering notes.

2. System Architecture Overview

The ACC architecture separates three functional layers that map cleanly to the Purdue/ISA-95 reference model.

1. Alarm source layer (Level 2-3): the SCADA/HMI that holds the live tag database. In a typical Siemens deployment this is WinCC (TIA Portal WinCC, WinCC V7, or WinCC Professional). The SCADA pushes triggered alarms to the ACC server using either OPC DA, OPC UA, the WinCC Alarm Event interface, or a vendor-specific ACC plug-in.
2. ACC server layer (Level 3 / DMZ): the Alarm Control Center service running on a Windows Server. It receives alarms, evaluates the configured routing rules, escalates per the schedule, and dispatches notifications. The service is installed by the ACC setup and registers itself as a Windows service called Alarm Control Center Server.
3. Recipient layer (Level 4-5): the delivery endpoints:
   • Landline phones and cell phones via SIP trunk or hardware voice modem
   • SMS via GSM modem (Siemens TC35/MC55 family, MultiTech, etc.) or external SMS gateway provider
   • Pagers via TAP/IXO protocol over serial or IP
   • Smartphones via the Alarm Control Center App on Apple App Store and Google Play

The alarm path is unidirectional from the SCADA into the ACC; acknowledgments and user responses flow back from the recipient (phone keypress, app tap, web click) to the ACC server, which in turn writes a confirmation back into the SCADA tag database (e.g., a WinCC internal tag, a WinCC message acknowledgment, or an OPC tag).

The ACC server typically runs on dedicated hardware or a virtual machine. For Basic Edition, a single-server deployment is standard. Network requirements include:

• TCP/IP connectivity to the WinCC server on the configured OPC/OPC UA port (default 4840)
• Outbound telephony access (SIP trunk UDP/TCP 5060 or 5061, RTP media ports)
• HTTPS access for the recipient web portal and mobile app
• DNS resolution for the app's push gateway (Apple APNS, Google FCM)
• Outbound HTTPS to Microsoft Azure push endpoints if using cloud-based push

3. WinCC Communication Interfaces

WinCC integration with the ACC is achieved through one of three primary paths. Selection depends on the WinCC version, project complexity, and required alarm semantics.

3.1 OPC DA / OPC UA Path

The ACC server acts as an OPC client. In the ACC Configuration Studio, add a new OPC connection and point it at the WinCC OPC DA server (WinCC V7) or OPC UA server (TIA Portal WinCC / WinCC Professional). Browse the WinCC tag tree and select the alarm-trigger tags. Each tag selected is monitored for a configurable threshold or state change; a transition triggers an alarm event in the ACC.

OPC UA offers a more secure and modern path. Configure the WinCC OPC UA server certificate, expose the relevant tags with appropriate read permissions, and import the WinCC server certificate into the ACC trusted certificate store. WinCC V7.4 SP1 and later ship with OPC UA; for TIA Portal WinCC Professional V15.1 and later, OPC UA is a standard component of the runtime.

3.2 WinCC Alarm Event Path

The ACC provides a dedicated WinCC alarm event channel. In this mode, every message generated by the WinCC message system is forwarded in real time to the ACC. This path is the most common in production deployments because it preserves the WinCC message class, priority, area, and text - allowing the ACC to apply differentiated routing rules based on priority and class. The channel typically uses the WinCC Connectivity Pack or the WinCC OLE-DB provider as a data source.

3.3 Polling Path

For small sites, the ACC can poll a WinCC archive tag using the built-in polling engine. While simpler to configure, this approach does not capture message semantics and is generally reserved for low-criticality monitoring (e.g., utility alarms, building management).

4. Prerequisites and Licensing

Before installation, confirm the following prerequisites are met.

4.1 Hardware (Basic Edition)

• Windows Server 2016 / 2019 / 2022 (64-bit) for the ACC server
• Minimum 8 GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 100 GB disk for Basic Edition (SQL Express included)
• Audio interface for voice modem: Dialogic, AudioCodes, or Sangoma card (or a SIP soft-switch on a separate VM)
• GSM modem (Siemens TC35/MC55, MultiTech, or similar) for SMS via cellular
• Static IP address and a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for HTTPS

4.2 Software

• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later
• SQL Server 2016 or later (Express is acceptable for Basic Edition)
• Web server role (IIS) for the recipient portal
• WinCC V7.4 SP1 or later, or TIA Portal WinCC Professional V15.1 or later

4.3 Licensing

• Siemens Certificate of License for MLFB 9AE4310-3BS01
• Activation key (delivered with the CoL) bound to the host SID
• Matching WinCC RT license with sufficient tags for the alarm source

4.4 Network and Time

• Static IP address for the ACC server
• Firewall rules opening TCP 4840 (OPC UA) inbound to WinCC
• Firewall rules opening SIP ports (5060/5061) and RTP media range outbound to the SIP trunk
• NTP service for time synchronization (alarms are time-stamped at the ACC server clock; skew with WinCC will confuse root-cause analysis)
• DNS A and PTR records for the ACC hostname

5. ACC Server Installation

The installation sequence for MLFB 9AE4310-3BS01 is:

1. Insert the ACC installation media or mount the downloaded ISO. Run setup.exe as Administrator.
2. Accept the End User License Agreement. Enter the activation key from the CoL when prompted.
3. Select the destination folder. Default is C:\Program Files\Alarm IT Factory\ACC.
4. Choose the components to install:
   • ACC Server (required)
   • ACC Configuration Studio (required for setup)
   • ACC Web Portal (recommended)
   • OPC client module (required for WinCC integration)
   • Voice/SMS gateway module (required for telephony)
5. Specify the SQL Server instance for the ACC database. For Basic Edition a local SQL Express is sufficient.
6. Configure the service account. Use a dedicated service account with the Log on as service right; do not run under SYSTEM or a personal user.
7. Complete the installation and restart the server.
8. Verify the Windows service Alarm Control Center Server is set to Automatic startup and is running.

Open the ACC Configuration Studio. The first-launch wizard prompts for:

• Default language (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian are supported)
• Time zone (set to the plant's local time zone, not the server's BIOS time zone)
• Public hostname or IP of the web portal (must match the HTTPS certificate SAN)
• Default SMS gateway profile (GSM1, HTTP-SMS-Provider-1, etc.)

Once the wizard completes, navigate to License and verify the displayed MLFB reads 9AE4310-3BS01 and the host SID is correct. If a license error appears, the CoL has not been activated or the host SID changed - re-activate through the Siemens license portal.

6. WinCC Tag and Message Integration

This section details the step-by-step configuration of the ACC-WinCC interface.

6.1 OPC UA Connection Configuration

In the Configuration Studio:

1. Navigate to Connections → OPC UA.
2. Click Add and enter the WinCC OPC UA endpoint URL: opc.tcp://<wincc-server>:4840.
3. Browse the WinCC UA server, select the certificate, and trust it. The certificate must be in the ACC trusted store under %ProgramData%\Alarm IT Factory\ACC\Certificates.
4. Select the user authentication mode: Anonymous (default for WinCC), Username/Password, or Certificate.
5. Click Test Connection. A green check confirms the WinCC UA server is reachable and credentials are valid.
6. Navigate to Alarms → Sources and create a new source referencing the OPC UA connection.
7. Add tags: for each tag, specify the condition (greater than, less than, equal, change) that triggers the alarm.
8. Map each tag to a recipient group or to the default group for initial testing.

6.2 WinCC Alarm Channel

In the Configuration Studio:

1. Navigate to Connections → WinCC Alarm.
2. Enter the WinCC server hostname and the Connectivity Pack credentials.
3. Use the message class filter to limit which WinCC messages are forwarded. The default is to forward everything; in production, narrow to a specific class (e.g., "Critical" or "Process") to suppress informational noise.
4. Map the WinCC priority to ACC priority. Typical mapping: WinCC priority 1 (highest) → ACC priority 1; WinCC priority 16 (lowest) → ACC priority 5.
5. Configure escalation rules per priority.

6.3 Tag Mapping Table

Map WinCC tags to ACC triggers using a structure that matches plant operations. A common pattern is:

7. Recipient and Escalation Configuration

Recipients are organized into groups, and each alarm can be routed to one or more groups with a defined escalation chain.

7.1 Recipient Definition

In the Configuration Studio → Recipients:

• Add a recipient with first name, last name, mobile number (E.164 format recommended, e.g., +14155550123), email, and a PIN (used for phone acknowledgment).
• Assign the recipient to one or more groups.
• Optional: assign a role (operator, supervisor, EHS) for role-based routing.

7.2 Group Definition

• Create groups by shift (Day, Swing, Night), by discipline (Mechanical, Electrical, Process), or by area (Area A, Area B, Utilities).
• For 24/7 operations, use shift-based groups with an automatic time-schedule.

7.3 Escalation Chain

A typical escalation chain for a critical alarm:

1. T+0 s: dial all members of Group "Day Operations" simultaneously.
2. T+120 s: if no acknowledgment, dial Group "Shift Supervisor."
3. T+300 s: if no acknowledgment, dial Group "Plant Manager."
4. T+600 s: if no acknowledgment, repeat the entire chain a second time.

7.4 Schedule Configuration

The schedule editor allows you to define when each group is "on duty." The Basic Edition supports daily, weekly, and exception-day schedules. For rotating shifts, link the schedule to a WinCC shift tag or to the ACC's built-in shift table. Schedules are defined in XML and can be exported / imported for backup.

8. Mobile App Deployment

The Alarm Control Center mobile app is the recommended channel for plant personnel who are mobile within the facility. The app supports both iOS and Android and provides rich acknowledgment features that phone and SMS cannot match (comment, photo attachment, location).

8.1 App Installation

• iOS: search "Alarm Control Center" in the Apple App Store. The app requires iOS 12.0 or later.
• Android: search "Alarm Control Center ACC" in the Google Play Store. Requires Android 6.0 or later.

8.2 App Configuration

On first launch:

1. The app prompts for the ACC server URL (HTTPS).
2. Enter the URL provided by the administrator (e.g., https://acc-plant01.example.com).
3. Authenticate with the recipient credentials.
4. The app retrieves the recipient's group memberships and shows the active alarms list.
5. Push notifications are enabled by default. On iOS, the app must be allowed to send notifications; on Android 8.0+, the ACC channel must be set to "High" priority to bypass Doze mode.

8.3 App Features

• Live alarm list with severity color coding (red / orange / yellow / blue)
• Alarm acknowledgment with optional free-text comment
• Alarm history (last 7 days cached on the device, full archive on the server)
• Push notifications for new alarms and acknowledgments from other recipients
• Search by tag, area, or time range
• Customizable quiet hours with override for priority-1 alarms

9. Commissioning and Verification

A structured commissioning procedure ensures the system is ready for production and reproducible across multiple sites.

9.1 Pre-Commissioning Checklist

• ACC service running and license valid (Basic Edition, MLFB 9AE4310-3BS01)
• SQL database online and reachable
• OPC UA connection to WinCC verified (Test Connection in Configuration Studio)
• Test alarm fires successfully from WinCC
• Test phone call reaches the test recipient
• Test SMS reaches the test recipient
• Test push notification reaches the test smartphone
• Test acknowledgment flows back to WinCC tag
• Time zone and NTP confirmed
• Disaster recovery: ACC database backup configured and tested

9.2 SAT (Site Acceptance Test) Procedure

1. Generate a test alarm from WinCC by forcing a tag to the trigger value using the WinCC tag simulator.
2. Verify the alarm appears in the ACC Web Portal within 5 s.
3. Verify the configured recipient group receives the phone call within 10 s.
4. Press 6 on the phone keypad to acknowledge.
5. Verify the acknowledgment returns to WinCC and the corresponding ACK tag is set within 5 s.
6. Generate a second alarm and verify SMS delivery within 30 s.
7. Generate a third alarm and verify push delivery within 10 s.
8. Test the escalation chain by not acknowledging the alarm and verifying the next group is dialed at T+120 s.
9. Capture screenshots and SIP traces of each step for the SAT report.

9.3 Performance Verification

For Basic Edition the documented capacity limit is 100 simultaneous active alarms. Verify with a load test:

• Generate 50, 75, 100 alarms in burst over 60 s
• Measure delivery latency: phone < 5 s, SMS < 30 s, push < 10 s
• Verify no alarms are dropped (compare ACC alarm log count with WinCC message count)
• If latency exceeds target, check the network path to the SIP trunk and the SQL Server performance counters

10. Diagnostic and Troubleshooting Matrix

The matrix below summarizes common commissioning and operational issues, their root causes, verification steps, and corrective actions.

For a full log review, navigate to C:\Program Files\Alarm IT Factory\ACC\Logs. The AlarmServer.log and OPCBridge.log files are the primary diagnostic sources. Increase the log verbosity in the Configuration Studio → Settings → Diagnostics if deeper tracing is required. Set the log level back to Info after troubleshooting to avoid disk-fill.

11. Security and Network Considerations

The ACC is a critical notification path and must be protected accordingly. A compromised alarm system can be used to suppress legitimate alarms or flood personnel with nuisance notifications - both of which directly impact plant safety.

11.1 Network Segmentation

• Place the ACC server in a DMZ between the process network (WinCC) and the corporate network (recipient smartphones).
• Use a unidirectional gateway (data diode) where regulatory requirements demand it. The ACC supports diode deployments by reading from a flat-file drop folder rather than a live OPC connection.
• Restrict outbound traffic to the SIP trunk provider's IP range and the APNS/FCM endpoints only.
• Disable SMB, RDP, and any other Windows management protocols on the ACC server in production.

11.2 Authentication

• Use Windows Authentication for ACC Configuration Studio access. Bind to a security group, not individual accounts.
• Use certificate-based authentication for the OPC UA connection.
• Enforce PIN-based acknowledgment on the phone channel (4-6 digits, expire annually).
• Recipients must use strong passwords (8+ chars, mixed case, number, special).
• Implement account lockout after 5 failed attempts (15 min cooldown).

11.3 Encryption

• TLS 1.2 minimum for the web portal; TLS 1.3 preferred. Disable TLS 1.0 and 1.1 explicitly.
• HTTPS only for the ACC server URL distributed to mobile app users.
• Encrypted SIP (SIPS) for the voice trunk if the provider supports it.
• Database connection strings must use Encrypt=True and TrustServerCertificate=False.

11.4 Audit Trail

The ACC records all events (alarm generated, delivered, acknowledged, escalated) in the ACC database with a timestamp, user, and source IP. This log is immutable and must be retained per the plant's audit policy (typically 1-3 years). Forward the log to a central SIEM if the plant operates under IEC 62443.

11.5 Backup and Recovery

• Back up the SQL Server ACC database nightly using native SQL backup or a third-party tool.
• Back up the Configuration Studio export (an XML file containing all settings) weekly. Store the export in a version-controlled repository.
• Store backups on a separate machine and verify the recovery procedure quarterly.
• Document the RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and confirm the backup strategy meets them.

11.6 Compliance Notes

In plants operating under FDA 21 CFR Part 11 or GxP, the acknowledgment event must include electronic signature metadata. The ACC supports this via the optional "GxP" feature module. For IEC 61508 SIL-2 alarm path requirements, verify the redundancy model - Basic Edition is single-server and is therefore suitable for non-SIL alarms only; for SIL alarm paths use the Professional Edition with a redundant server pair. The ACC's alarm handling is also designed with reference to ISA 18.2 / IEC 62682 alarm management lifecycle principles (philosophy, rationalization, implementation, operation, monitoring, audit).

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