Home
Deployment
Topics you need to know before using WinCC OA.
Virtual Environment Support
WinCC OA is designed to operate on virtualized x86_64 guest operating systems and is architecturally hypervisor-agnostic.

Version Information
Release Notes, Update information, Certifications and Frequently Asked Questions.
Concepts
Your first step into modern and powerful process visualization.
Deployment
Topics you need to know before using WinCC OA.
- Hardware and software requirements for WinCC OA
  This section contains the current hardware and software requirements for various WinCC OA application scenarios. Recommendations are given for practical deployment of WinCC OA depending on the specific application and scale of the project.
- WinCC OA Licensing
  Overview of the licensing model used by WinCC OA
- WinCC OA License Portal
  The SIMATIC WinCC Open Architecture License Portal streamlines license management with a modern, user-friendly interface and advanced features, launching in October 2025. This documentation offers comprehensive guidance, support resources, and step-by-step instructions to help users and administrators efficiently manage licenses and access essential materials.
- Installation
  How to properly install WinCC OA.
- Docker Support
  An introduction on how to use WinCC OA within a Docker container, what specifics must be considered and where to find further information on the topic.
- Virtual Environment Support
  WinCC OA is designed to operate on virtualized x86_64 guest operating systems and is architecturally hypervisor-agnostic.
  - VMware vSphere
    VMWare's vSphere is a virtualization environment that allows users to create clusters consisting of multiple hosts.
  - Proxmox Virtual Environment
    Proxmox Virtual Environment (Proxmox VE) is an open-source platform designed for managing virtual machines (VMs), containers, storage, and networking through a unified interface.
  - Nutanix AHV
    Nutanix AHV (Acropolis Hypervisor) is an enterprise-grade hypervisor built on open-source KVM technology, delivered as part of the Nutanix hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) platform.
  - Microsoft Hyper-V
    Microsoft Hyper-V is a native hypervisor built into Windows, enabling the creation and management of virtual machines on Windows Server and Windows client editions.
  - SEH Dongle
    In order to fully utilize the high availability capabilities of a virtual environment, a dongle server is needed. The SEH Dongle Server enables the distribution of dongle licenses over the network. This applies to all supported virtual environments, including VMware vSphere, Proxmox, Nutanix AHV, and Microsoft Hyper-V. See Virtual Environment Support for details.
  - Conversion of Virtual Environments - VMWare to Proxmox
    This chapter provides a guide for converting the VM Ware based VM's to a ProxmoxVE.
- WinCC OA Product Packaging
  Explains the file structure presented in the configuration bundles as well as some use cases with detailed descriptions
- WinCC OA for Industrial Edge
  With WinCC OA offered as an app for Industrial Edge, WinCC OA brings advanced data processing and integration capabilities directly to edge devices. This enables manufacturers to optimize industrial workflows and improve operational efficiency.
Security
Go beyond the norm in cybersecurity.
Engineering
Powerful tools for easy or complex engineering tasks.
Data Management
Classify, structure and archive your data.
Business Logic / Control
Endless possibilities in data processing for your projects.
Data Visualization
User interfaces, Trends and Reports for every purpose and device.
Southbound Interfaces
The process connection to the actual machines/sensors.
Northbound Interfaces
Your portal to the cloud or supervising systems.
Web Connectivity / Network Interfaces
Data exchange, APIs and web technologies
User Management
All about authorization, authentication and login-customization.
Availability
How to get your system uptime to the maximum.
Reporting
Create state of the art project reports without limits.
Addons
Useful tools and enhancements for special demands.
Reference Tables
Detailed and extensive content for special project adaptation.
Videos & Tutorials
Explore the capabilities of WinCC OA with our carefully selected collection of video tutorials and guides.
eLearning
Build Your Expertise Step by Step
Documentation
Basic information about terms and functions within the documentation.
Support & Services
An experienced team of support agents, consultants and trainers are ready to facilitate active partnerships with our customers, so they can profit from our comprehensive service.
Disclaimer
A brief clarification of liability exclusions or legal notices.
SIMATIC WinCC OA World
Explore the World of WinCC OA and Stay updated with the latest product news

Virtual Environment Support

WinCC OA is designed to operate on virtualized x86_64 guest operating systems and is architecturally hypervisor-agnostic.

Supported Virtualization Platforms and Reference Testing

The following virtualization platforms are regularly used by ETM for reference testing and validation:

Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE) - 9.2.2
Nutanix AHV - AOS 7.5 / AHV 11.0.0.2
VMware vSphere - VMware ESXi / VMware vSphere High Availability - 8.0.3e / 9.1
Microsoft Hyper-V - Windows 11 Enterprise, Windows Server 2022/2025

These platforms are regularly used for full functional, performance, and lifecycle validation, including live migration, backup/restore scenarios, and network-based licensing operation.

Other Virtualization Platforms and Issue Handling

Due to the high level of standardization in modern hypervisors, identical guest operating system and WinCC OA configurations are generally expected to behave consistently across virtualization platforms. Therefore, other virtualization platforms (e.g. Red Hat KVM, OpenShift Virtualization) are supported as well, if they offer equivalent virtual CPU, memory, network, and storage abstractions and comply with the documented WinCC OA system requirements.

Issues must be provided to ETM in a reproducible form on a supported WinCC OA operating system, independent of the virtualization platform. Where possible, providing the reproducible environment as an exported or backed-up Hyper-V or Proxmox virtual machine is preferred, as this can significantly simplify issue reproduction and analysis.

For the unlikely case of a hypervisor-specific issue, additional analysis and customer cooperation may be required, which can result in longer processing times.