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coldrestart
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workstation 8 windows XP SP3 + STEP7 SIEMENS

Hi everyone,

I have a laptop (without vmware) with the configuration -> windows XP 32bit  SP3

Here all  the software is running well, no problems.

I have my new laptop, the vm host system that runs on windows 7 64 bit

On this laptop i installed vmware workstation 8 and a virtual version of windows XP 32bit SP3 (also tested with SP2)

This vm may use 3GB ram and has 4 cores and one processor.

When installing the industrial software of siemens STEP7 (intended to program PLC's with) the installation process isn't that normal.

The process "S7oiehsx.exe" uses 100% of the CPU time.

After ignoring this service, while installing this service always uses a big amount of CPU load (approx 25% when I have 4 cores and one cpu).

Even after reboot this service will go high (what i don't see on my standard XP configuration)

After a lot google visits, some say that this service is not necessery, so I stopped the service.

The problems that i experiance is that when i want to go online with my PLC system via network (bridged) the communication server crashes somtimes.

In winCC flexible (another application) i experiance a slow response when scrolling.(what is also not normal)

When i open windows calculator, i experiance also a slow user interface.

all this i also tested with the service activated, with the same results. 😞

First of all, it is not my system that is too small for the job: An i7 processor with 16GB ram.

I run no software simultanious, just the vm in full screen.

I already installed a new (for the second time) fresh windows XP from scratch on the vmware workstation, on top of that i installed also again the software.(only that software no other stuff)

I've googled a lot and i hear from people that they have this configuration running well on a vmware player version.

Is it safe to install a version of vmware player next to vmware workstation?

Anyway i just want that the workstation version works fine.

Anyone who has an idea? Or know what the service s7oiehsx really does?

Or a method to detect what went wrong?

Another solved issue that i experianced with USB 3, is that the USB communication adapter of Siemens will not work on a USB port 3.

In device manager you get an error that the device is stopped working, just plug in to a USB2 port or lower.

(If i can help anyone with that info 😉 )

Kind regards,

Coldrestart.

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jreeser
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VMware Solution:

Max CPU usage by S7oiehsx.exe and S7epatsx.exe appears to be related  to a change in the VM BIOS (this was not an issue with Workstation 7).  Workstation 8's version of the BIOS allows for more CPUs and RAM.  Extract the VM BIOS from Workstation 7, then change your VM's settings  to use the version 7 BIOS. Running in 8 with a 7 BIOS eliminates the  problem.
See: http://pete.akeo.ie/2011/06/extracting-and-using-modified-vmware.html

Fix/Workaround confirmed with:
STEP 7 V5.3 SP2 HF15
STEP 7 V5.4 SP4 HF6

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RDPetruska
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"Is it safe to install a version of vmware player next to vmware workstation?"

The Player UI is already included with Workstation.

Re: USB ports:  Only certain Linux guests support USB3 ports, not Windows ones (as far as I know, from reading the Workstation release notes).  Not sure what the issue is here.

Have you installed the VMware Tools?

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coldrestart
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The issue about the USB is just for info, it works fine with USB2.0

Yes I have installed the vmware tools.

Normally workstation is the more advanced version of player, but maybe a difference that can cause problems?

I don't know and i haven't tested it.

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RDPetruska
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Workstation supports more features, but the actual virtualization engine / virtual machine monitor is identical.  The UI is different, and functions like teaming, cloning, snapshots, etc., are supported - but are handled by other utilities than the hypervisor itself.

I haven't personally worked with Siemens - mostly A-B/Rockwell and GE systems here.  So I can't offer any additional insights, sorry.

coldrestart
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Thanks for your help,

I've investigated the service s7oiehsx with process explorer from sysinternals (microsoft)

In some forums they say that the "Siemens SIMATIC IEtoPG Help service" is for the help service only, but i don't think that it is.

(a help service to external connections? )

In process explorer this service is listening on port 102 (the iso-tsap protocol)

Disabling the network adaptor or disabling the installed protocols from siemens on the adapter has no effect.

The thread who is creating the high cpu usage is: "s7oiehsx.exe+0xc66cc"

P.S. Disable the firewall or configuring exceptions has also no effect.

PPS. Disable the "bridged" network connection has also no effect.

PPPS: When you install vmware workstation, you also have installed vmware player....

Let's test on that system...

Kind regards,

coldrestart

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coldrestart
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I tested it with vmware player, and as expected, the same problem is still there, the service is going to 25% cpu usage.

Even with the networksuff disabled.

I will ask the question also at Siemens, maybe they have more info about the program.

Kind regards,

Cold restart

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coldrestart
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UPDATE: You can follow the discussion at the SIEMENS forum: https://www.automation.siemens.com/WW/forum/guests/PostShow.aspx?PageIndex=1&PostID=342902&Language=...

It looks that the network interface will causing the problems.

The Siemens software installs also other protocols on the ethernet adapter (e.g. industrial ethernet) how is the connection made when working in bridge mode?

Is it possible to really delete the NIC from the VM?

When i go to hardware in device manager, i can uninstall the drivers for the NIC, but after reboot it will automatically be installed again Smiley Sad

I have now LAN connection 5.

I disabled all the network settings, also in the "settings", unchecked "connected" and "connected at power on", still same trouble.

Also did ->removable devices -> network adapter -> disable.

Regards.

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coldrestart
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Update 2:
Last attempt to let it run on vmware workstation, I did a clean install of windows XP SP3, without any network hardware selected at installation. Even with that configuration the installation process was not successfully.

I installed windows XP mode from microsoft, here the installation passes good (also windows XP version 2002 SP3) , i will now test the hardware insterfaces and hopfully it will work as i should be.

Regards.

--- UPDATE 3:

The USB device has problems to start in windows XP mode from microsoft, even with USB2.0. Smiley Sad

Here the software itself is running well.

I imported the XP virtual machine in VMware workstation, here only the windows is imported without the software installed on...

When I installed STEP7 on this system, same problem with blocking service....

Still no solution....

-------UPDATE 4:

Finally I have system that works:

Windows XP MODE + the drivers for the USB adapter Version 2.0!!!! works fine.

Also Using the ehternet connection to go online works also fine.

If somone has a solution to run the software on vmware, please post it! Thanks.

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blackducati
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Hello,

same problem in Vmware Workstation8 WinXPSP3 + Siemens MicroWin + Siemens PCS7 v7.0SP3

with S7oiehsx.exe and S7epatsx.exe

newer version of OS (Win7) and Siemens (PCS7 v7.1SP3) works fine.

but no solution for the old version...

mfg

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jreeser
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VMware Solution:

Max CPU usage by S7oiehsx.exe and S7epatsx.exe appears to be related  to a change in the VM BIOS (this was not an issue with Workstation 7).  Workstation 8's version of the BIOS allows for more CPUs and RAM.  Extract the VM BIOS from Workstation 7, then change your VM's settings  to use the version 7 BIOS. Running in 8 with a 7 BIOS eliminates the  problem.
See: http://pete.akeo.ie/2011/06/extracting-and-using-modified-vmware.html

Fix/Workaround confirmed with:
STEP 7 V5.3 SP2 HF15
STEP 7 V5.4 SP4 HF6

coldrestart
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Hi jreeser,

Thankx for the help!

Indeed, i downgraded workstation totally (uninstall ws8 and install ws7) an installed STEP7 and here it works fine!

There is an option available in workstation 8 to use the "hardware configuration of previous versions", i tried that but that does not work!!!

You really have to downgrade the whole software.

Kind regards,

Coldrestart.

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blackducati
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jreeser schrieb:

VMware Solution:

Max CPU usage by S7oiehsx.exe and S7epatsx.exe appears to be related  to a change in the VM BIOS (this was not an issue with Workstation 7).  Workstation 8's version of the BIOS allows for more CPUs and RAM.  Extract the VM BIOS from Workstation 7, then change your VM's settings  to use the version 7 BIOS. Running in 8 with a 7 BIOS eliminates the  problem.
See: http://pete.akeo.ie/2011/06/extracting-and-using-modified-vmware.html

Fix/Workaround confirmed with:
STEP 7 V5.3 SP2 HF15
STEP 7 V5.4 SP4 HF6

It works fine, :smileygrin:

thx.

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tltlink
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Hi all, this issue still exists in workstation V11 & V12 where Simatic S7 installed in Windows XP Pro VM process S7oiehsx.exe at 100% and makes VM unusable.

Forcing the process to end using task manager fixes it but causes comms issues.

This software in this configuration will need to be used forever because the machines will always be out there.

Any advice from those with more knowledge?

Thank you Smiley Happy

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javely
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Your solution work for me :smileygrin:

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Bob1231
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I running v16 of Workstation and I can confirm the solution still works.  Question is though is why do I have to do this?  What is different about v7's bios file from v8's and up?  I'm sure us Step7 users are slim but those PLCs are still out there humming away.  And finding physical Win XP hardware is becoming more and more difficult.  Virtualizing is the say to go but vmware seems to be migrating away from supporting the old stuff.  Even their vcenter standalone converter software doesn't work on Win XP anymore.  Just seems odd to me as I still see XP everywhere.  And for anyone out there who doesn't understand why I'm writing this, then you've never been in an industrial plant.  I can bet 99% of plants out there, like mine, still rely on 30+ year old hardware.

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