WinCC Professional Alarm Log Backup: Configuration and Export Methods

SIMATIC WinCC Professional (TIA Portal) stores alarm events in segmented SQL-backed archive files that are persisted only when Runtime is active. Unlike WinCC Advanced, where alarm-log backup can be configured directly on the alarm log object in the engineering interface, WinCC Professional requires configuration through Runtime Settings, the Alarm Control OCX, the WinCC OLE DB Provider, the Connectivity Pack, the Industrial Data Bridge, or the WinCC/ODK API. This reference covers every documented mechanism for archiving, backing up, and exporting alarm data from a WinCC Professional Runtime, with concrete configuration parameters, SQL table layouts, VBScript skeletons, and a verification matrix.

1. Alarm Logging Architecture in WinCC Professional

Alarm logging in WinCC Runtime Professional is implemented as a circular-segment archive in the Microsoft SQL Server instance that is shipped and licensed with WinCC. Each segment is a bounded SQL Server database file (typically 1–500 MB per segment) that the runtime closes and rotates when its configured size or time limit is reached. Closed segments are renamed with a timestamp suffix and moved to the configured backup path.

The WinCC documentation emphasizes that alarm logs are read out more quickly when the data records are smaller, so segment size should be tuned against the typical alarm event rate of the process. For WinCC Professional, the shortest logging cycle for associated process values is 500 ms; for WinCC Advanced, the equivalent lower bound is 1 second. The distinction matters when correlating an alarm log with a high-speed tag archive.

Reference: Logging Process Values and Alarms (Siemens documentation, PDF).

2. Configuring Alarm Logs in the Engineering Interface

Before configuring backup, the alarm log itself must exist. In TIA Portal V15.1 through V20, the steps are:

1. Open the HMI device editor and select Alarm logs in the project tree.
2. Insert a new alarm log (default name: AlarmLog_1). The alarm log holds both configuration data (classes, priorities, colors) and runtime alarm events.
3. Open the HMI tags > Alarm category. Mark each alarm class to be persisted. By default, Errors and Warnings are logged; Information and System must be explicitly enabled if required.
4. In the alarm log properties, configure the storage location. For WinCC Professional the storage is always SQL-backed and is automatically created under <Project>\HMI\<Device>\ArchiveManager\AlarmLog_1 at runtime build time.

Reference: Basics on alarm logging (RT Professional) – TIA Portal V20 documentation.

3. Configuring Runtime Backup in Runtime Settings

The primary mechanism for persistent alarm-log backup in WinCC Professional is Runtime Settings > Services > Archive Manager. This is the equivalent of the simpler "Alarm Log backup" toggle exposed in WinCC Advanced, but with more granular parameters.

3.1 Parameter Set

3.2 Effect on the File System

When backup is active, the runtime creates two parallel hierarchies under the backup path:

• AlarmLog_1\<YYYY-MM-DD>_<HH-MM-SS>_R<NNNN>.mdf – closed SQL Server data files
• AlarmLog_1\<YYYY-MM-DD>_<HH-MM-SS>_R<NNNN>_log.ldf – transaction log

These files can be re-attached to any SQL Server instance (including SQL Server Management Studio) for offline querying, restoring into a test system, or feeding into a long-term historian.

4. Manual Export via the Alarm Control Toolbar

WinCC Professional embeds the WinCC Alarm Control OCX in any screen page. The control ships with an export button that dumps the currently displayed alarm view to CSV without scripting.

4.1 Operator Procedure

1. Open the runtime screen that contains the WinCC Alarm Control.
2. Apply any filters (time range, class, area).
3. Click the Export toolbar icon (or File > Export in the OCX context menu).
4. Select a destination path and confirm.

The exported file is a tab-separated CSV with header row. The columns follow the OCX column configuration; typical columns include Number, Time (millisecond resolution), Date, State (raised/came-in/acknowledged/cleared), Class, Text, Area, Event, Priority, UserName.

4.2 Button Re-Assignment (External Button)

To trigger the OCX export from a custom screen button (for example, a button on a faceplate), use the OLE-Automation interface. Reference: Siemens Support entry 11769423: Assigning OCX toolbar functions to external buttons.

' VBScript invoked on click of a custom button (WinCC Professional, TIA V15.1+)
Dim objAlarmCtrl
Set objAlarmCtrl = HmiRuntime.Screens("MainScreen").ScreenItems("AlarmControl_1")

' "Export" corresponds to OCX toolbar button ID 6
objAlarmCtrl.Export "D:\Exports\AlarmExport_" & Format(Now,"YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS") & ".csv", _
                    hmiExportSeparatorTab, _
                    hmiExportSelectionVisible, _
                    hmiExportFormatCSV
Set objAlarmCtrl = Nothing

5. Automatic Export via Scheduled Global Script

For unattended CSV export (for example, every 30 minutes), implement a global VBScript action triggered by a scheduler tag or by the WinCC Scheduler.

5.1 Scheduling Options

5.2 Scheduler-Triggered Action Skeleton

' Global action bound to a 30-minute cyclic scheduler task
Const strPath = "D:\Exports\Alarm_"
Dim strFile
strFile = strPath & Year(Now) & Right("0" & Month(Now),2) & Right("0" & Day(Now),2) _
        & "_" & Right("0" & Hour(Now),2) & Right("0" & Minute(Now),2) & ".csv"

Dim objAlarm
Set objAlarm = HmiRuntime.Screens("Overview").ScreenItems("AlarmControl_Export")
objAlarm.Export strFile, hmiExportSeparatorTab, hmiExportSelectionAll, hmiExportFormatCSV

HMIRuntime.Trace "Alarm export written: " & strFile & vbCrLf
Set objAlarm = Nothing

6. Programmatic Export via the WinCC/ODK API

The WinCC Open Development Kit (ODK) provides ANSI-C and .NET APIs that enumerate, read, and write archive segments without a screen object. The API exposes archive management functions for listing existing archives, reading data out of archives, and inserting data into archives, with the ability to export the data into *.csv files.

Reference: SIMATIC WinCC WinCC Engineering V15.1 – Programming reference (entry 109755216).

6.1 Key API Calls

6.2 C Skeleton (WinCC/ODK, ANSI-C)

/* Export the entire AlarmLog_1 archive to a CSV file using ODK */
#include "apdefap.h"
void ExportAlarmLog(void)
{
    DM_ARCHIVE_INFO sInfo;
    DM_ARCHIVE_HANDLE hArchive = 0;
    char szFile[] = "D:\\Exports\\AlarmLog_FullExport.csv";

    if (DMArchiveGetID("AlarmLog_1", &hArchive) == DM_ARCHIVE_OK) {
        if (DMArchiveExport(hArchive, szFile, DM_EXPORT_CSV, DM_EXPORT_APPEND_OFF,
                            DM_EXPORT_TIME_FROM_FIRST, DM_EXPORT_TIME_TO_LAST) == DM_ARCHIVE_OK) {
            printf("Export OK\n");
        } else {
            printf("Export failed: %d\n", DMGetLastError());
        }
    }
}

7. Export via WinCC OLE DB Provider (Connectivity Pack)

The WinCC Connectivity Pack exposes the archive database through an OLE DB Provider so that any OLE DB consumer (SQL Server Management Studio, Power BI, custom .NET, Python via pyodbc) can query alarms directly. The provider name is WinCCOLEDBProvider.1 and the connection string is fixed-format:

Provider=WinCCOLEDBProvider.1;
Catalog=CC_<ProjectName>_<HH-MM-SS>;
Data Source=.<WinCCServer>;

' Example for a project named "PlantLine_A" with start time 09-30-00:
Provider=WinCCOLEDBProvider.1;Catalog=CC_PlantLine_A_09-30-00;Data Source=.\WinCC

The alarm archive tables follow the naming convention ALG<ViewName> for configuration and AL<ViewName> for runtime data. The runtime table columns include MsgNr, State, TimeComing, TimeGoing, TimeAcknowledgement, Ms, MsgText, MsgClass, Counter, and UserName.

7.1 SQL Query Skeleton

SELECT
    MsgNr,
    State,
    TimeComing,
    TimeGoing,
    TimeAcknowledgement,
    Ms,
    MsgText,
    MsgClassSymbol,
    UserName
FROM
    ALGVAlarmLog_1
WHERE
    TimeComing BETWEEN '2024-01-01 00:00:00.000' AND '2024-01-31 23:59:59.999'
ORDER BY
    TimeComing ASC;

7.2 References for OLE DB Export

• Exporting Archive Data with the Aid of the SIMATIC WinCC/Connectivity Pack (OLE DB Provider)
• Export of WinCC/CAS archive data with a separate application

8. Industrial Data Bridge

The Industrial Data Bridge (IDB) is a separate WinCC option that provides source-to-destination data pipelines, with transformations, for archive and message data. IDB supports destinations including SQL Server, Oracle, ODBC, CSV, and OPC UA.

Reference: SIMATIC WinCC/IndustrialDataBridge V7.3 Released for Delivery.

8.1 Typical Pipeline

1. Source: WinCC archive via OLE DB or WinCC archive XML.
2. Transform: map ALGVAlarmLog_1 columns to destination schema; convert UTC/local timestamps; apply text replacements.
3. Destination: SQL Server historian (e.g., OSIsoft PI, Wonderware Historian, AVEVA) or flat-file CSV on network share.

8.2 When to Use IDB

• Long-term retention beyond the runtime backup window.
• Multi-server aggregation across several WinCC stations.
• Forwarding to an MES or cloud endpoint that requires periodic delta updates.

9. PM-OPEN EXPORT Premium Add-On

PM-OPEN EXPORT is a premium third-party add-on (distributed through the SIMATIC WinCC Premium Add-ons program) that exports process values (archive and online values), messages, and User Archive data into ASCII files such as CSV. It runs as a WinCC add-in and supports scheduled exports with file rotation.

Reference: Where can you find information about the WinCC Premium Add-ons?

9.1 Comparison with Native Mechanisms

10. Simulation vs Runtime Mode Caveat

A common commissioning trap is that WinCC Runtime Professional simulation mode does not persist closed archive segments to the backup path. The Alarm Control OCX shows historical data within the simulated session because segments are held in memory, but after the simulator closes, all segments are discarded.

To distinguish the two states at runtime, read the tag @ServerState or query the WinCC service via sc query "CCArchiveMgr"; the RUNNING state indicates a real runtime, while simulation launches CCSimRT.exe as a child process.

11. Restoring Backup Segments

Closed segments in the backup path are detached SQL Server databases. To restore:

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio on a SQL Server instance matching the original runtime version.
2. Right-click Databases > Attach.
3. Browse to <BackupPath>\AlarmLog_1\<YYYY-MM-DD>_<HH-MM-SS>_R<NNNN>.mdf.
4. Confirm the transaction log path resolves, then click OK.
5. Query the attached database using the same column layout as live runtime.

12. Verification Checklist After Commissioning

13. Troubleshooting Matrix

14. Frequently Asked Questions