Powerfactory 2021: Advanced Installation and Configuration Manual

PowerFactory 2021
Advanced Installation and

Configuration Manual
F2021
POWER SYSTEM SOLUTIONS

MADE IN GERMANY
Publisher:
DIgSILENT GmbH
Heinrich-Hertz-Straße 9
72810 Gomaringen / Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 7072-9168-0
Fax: +49 (0) 7072-9168-88
[email protected]
Please visit our homepage at:

https://www.digsilent.de
Copyright © 2020 DIgSILENT GmbH

All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or
distributed in any form without written
permission of DIgSILENT GmbH.
December 14, 2020

PowerFactory 2021
Revision 1
Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 DIgSILENT Download Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.3 Knowledge Base of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.4 Technical Major Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.4.1 PowerFactory 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.4.2 PowerFactory 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.4.3 PowerFactory 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.4.4 PowerFactory 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.4.5 PowerFactory 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 PowerFactory Editions Overview 3
3 System Requirements 5
3.1 PowerFactory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.2 Network Licence Server (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4 Licence Server 7
4.1 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.2 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5 Licence Management 9
5.1 Network Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.1.1 HTTP Proxy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.1.2 Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.2 Virtual Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.3 Activating a Licence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
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5.4 Updating a Licence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
5.5 Selecting a Licence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5.6 Hot Standby Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5.7 Floating Licences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5.8 Hardware Changes and Softkey Licences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5.9 Moving a Licence (Softkey only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
6 Database 19
6.1 Local Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
6.1.1 Workspace and Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
6.1.2 Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
6.1.3 In-memory Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
6.2 Multi-User Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6.2.1 Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6.2.2 Oracle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6.2.3 Microsoft SQL Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
6.2.4 Directories for Result Files and/or Archive (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6.3 Read-only Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7 Security and Privacy 39
7.1 Audit Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
7.1.1 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
7.1.2 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
7.1.3 Report, Export, and Integrity Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
7.2 Idle Session Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
7.3 Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
7.4 Login Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
7.4.1 PowerFactory authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
7.4.2 Active Directory authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
7.4.3 No authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
8 Advanced Options 46
8.1 Application Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
8.2 Housekeeping (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
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CONTENTS
8.3 Application Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
8.3.1 Workspace directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
8.3.2 PowerFactory Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
8.4 Offline Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
8.4.1 PowerFactory in Normal Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
8.4.2 Offline Proxy Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
8.4.3 PowerFactory Offline Mode Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
8.4.4 PowerFactory Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
8.5 Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
8.6 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
8.6.1 General Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
8.6.2 Database Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
8.6.3 Workspace Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
8.6.4 External Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
8.6.5 Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
8.6.6 Geographic Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
8.6.7 Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
8.6.8 The PowerFactory.ini configuration file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
8.7 Command Line Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
8.7.1 /help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
8.7.2 /helpIni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
8.7.3 /config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
8.7.4 /housekeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
8.7.5 /ini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
8.7.6 /killFormerSession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.7.7 /lang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.7.8 /minimalMigration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.7.9 /migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.7.10 /readonlymode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.7.11 /inMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.7.12 /username and /password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.7.13 /unlockdatabase and /resetunlockkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
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CONTENTS
8.7.14 /reportLogFile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
8.7.15 /createSupportPackage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
8.7.16 /resetWindowPosition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
8.7.17 /general.workspacedirectory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
8.7.18 /database.driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
8.7.19 /database.service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
8.7.20 /database.username . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.7.21 /database.password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.7.22 /database.database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.7.23 /database.odbcDriver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.7.24 /database.resultFilesDirectory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.7.25 /database.archiveDirectory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.7.26 /license.server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.7.27 /license.container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.7.28 /license.hotstandbyserver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
8.7.29 /license.hotstandbycontainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
8.7.30 /advanced.additionalPath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
8.7.31 /advanced.commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
8.8 Silent Installation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
8.8.1 Command line options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
8.8.2 Error codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
8.8.3 Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
9 Upgrade and Migration 79
9.1 Licence Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
9.1.1 Using PowerFactory 15.2 or earlier with a PowerFactory 2019 Licence . . . . . . . 79
9.2 Upgrade PowerFactory Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
9.3 Data Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
9.3.1 Local Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
9.3.2 Multi-User Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.3.3 Complete vs. Minimal Database Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
9.3.4 Engine Licences (GUI disabled) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
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CONTENTS
10 Support 87
10.1 Support Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
10.1.1 Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
10.1.2 Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
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vi DIgSILENT PowerFactory 2021, Advanced Installation and Configuration Manual

Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Overview
Depending on the installation type, a PowerFactory system can have several components which have
to be installed and configured separately.
• The separately available "Getting Started" document covers the basic installation options.
• More advanced installation options e.g. multi-user database, installation on an application server,
and the Offline mode installation are described in this document.
1.2 DIgSILENT Download Area
Additional Software, Documents, and Examples for PowerFactory can be downloaded from the Down-
load Area on the DIgSILENT website https://www.digsilent.de/en/downloads.html.
Please note that access to the Download Area is granted for registered users only. The user registration
can be done via the support page https://www.digsilent.de/en/user-registration.html.
It initially requires the input of the company credentials that can be found in the licence agreement
document.
1.3 Knowledge Base of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A “Knowledge Base” database of information for commonly appearing issues, is available for any users
(whether registered or not) at https://www.digsilent.de/en/faq-powerfactory.html
1.4 Technical Major Changes
1.4.1 PowerFactory 2021
No changes.
DIgSILENT PowerFactory 2021, Installation Manual 1

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1.4. TECHNICAL MAJOR CHANGES
• Support for Oracle Client versions 18c and 19c.
• Support for Oracle Client 12c Release 2.

• New Security & Privacy features: Audit Log (see section 7.1 on page 39), Idle Session Timeout
(see section 7.2 on page 42), and Privacy settings (see section 7.3 on page 42).
• The application is built with Visual Studio 2017. Appropriate runtimes are shipped with the installer
• A new setup assistant guiding through initial configuration is now provided.

• The maintenance period is now stored on the PowerFactory licence. This means a licence update
will be required whenever the corresponding contract is prolonged.
• Due to PowerFactory ’s dependence on CodeMeter, the .NET 4.5.1 runtime and the Visual C++
Redistributable, the installer package has been further extended and now uses the common
bootstrapper approach. Its format has therefore changed to a standard executable.
• Oracle ODBC client is now supported (see section 6.2.2.5 on page 29).
• It might be necessary to update existing licences in order to access full functionality of PowerFac-
tory 2017. At the end of the installation process, the Licence Manager will be launched allowing
for an online search for updates (see section 5.4 on page 12 for more details on licence updates).
• A new Upgrade Assistant allows to transfer the applications settings (e.g. workspace directory,
database settings...) of an already existing installation. The older installation must be from version
2016 or higher to be found by the Upgrade Assistant.
• PowerFactory now uses the Windows Installer Engine and is therefore shipped as MSI package.
• The installation procedure has been greatly simplified.

• The whole licensing is now based on WIBU CodeMeter technology.
2 DIgSILENT PowerFactory 2021, Installation Manual

Chapter 2
PowerFactory Editions Overview
PowerFactory is licensed in three different editions:
The Single User Edition is intended to be installed on a workstation with a local dongle or softkey.
Figure 2.0.1: Single User Edition
The Multi User Edition allows for a dedicated licence server to be used. Such a licence server provides
easy licence sharing and concurrent work for multiple users1 within same local network.
Figure 2.0.2: Multi User Edition
1 Depending on the number of licensed concurrent users.

CHAPTER 2. POWERFACTORY EDITIONS OVERVIEW
The Team Edition extends the PowerFactory system architecture with a database server for centralised
storage. It consists of a central licence server and allows usage of a central multi-user database.
Figure 2.0.3: Team Edition
The following table gives an overview of components that need to be installed depending on the
purchased PowerFactory edition:
Single User Edition Multi User Edition Team Edition
PowerFactory Installer
X X X
(on all client computer(s))
LicenceComponentsBundle Installer
— X X
(on central licence server computer)
Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server DBMS(*)

— — X
(on central database server)
Table 2.0.1: Installation Components
(*) Not provided by DIgSILENT

Chapter 3
System Requirements
3.1 PowerFactory
DIgSILENT PowerFactory is an application for standard Windows operating systems. Both a 32-bit and
a 64-bit version are available. For running PowerFactory efficiently the computer should be equipped
with, as a minimum:
• Operating system:
– Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
– Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, or Windows Server
2019
– .NET Framework 4.5
– The 64-bit version of PowerFactory requires a 64-bit operating system
– The 32-bit version will run on both architectures
Note: Installation on Windows 8.1 requires KB2999226. To install through Windows Update, make
sure you install the latest recommended updates and patches from Microsoft Update before you
install the Windows SDK.
• Processor with 2 GHz
• Main memory of 2 GB RAM
• Hard disk space of 2 GB plus additional 5 GB per user
• SVGA graphic card with a resolution of at least 1280x1024 pixels
Additional requirements:
• Internet connection for licence activation, transfer and regular licence validity checks (every 30
days)
• Administrator privileges for the installation process
Optional requirements for data export / import:
• MS Excel 2010 or newer
• MS Access 2010 or newer with ODBC drivers with the same architecture (32 or 64 bit) as Power-
Factory
Optional requirements for Multi-User Database
• Microsoft SQL Server Database
– SQL Server 2012, 2016, 2017 or 2019

CHAPTER 3. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 3.2. NETWORK LICENCE SERVER (OPTIONAL)
– ODBC drivers for SQL Server (typically shipped with the operating system)
• Oracle Database
– Oracle Client 19c, 18c, 12c Release 2, or 12c Release 1 with the same architecture (32 or
64 bit) as PowerFactory (both full client and Instantclient are supported)
– Oracle server
* Oracle Client 19c supports: Oracle Server 19c, 18c, 12c Release 2, 12c Release 1, 11g
Release 2
* Oracle Client 18c supports: Oracle Server 19c, 18c, 12c Release 2, 12c Release 1, 11g
Release 2
* Oracle Client 12c Release 2 supports: Oracle Server 19c, 18c, 12c Release 2, 12c
Release 1, 11g Release 2
* Oracle Client 12c Release 1 supports: Oracle Server 19c, 18c, 12c Release 2, 12c
Release 1, 11g Release 2
• Fast network (100 Mbit/s or higher) with low latency (<1ms) connection between the database
server and the machines where PowerFactory is running.
Optional requirements for Python scripting:
• Python version 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 or 3.9 with the same architecture (32 or 64 bit) as PowerFactory
3.2 Network Licence Server (optional)
For network licences it is recommended to set-up a dedicated network server. The machine should fulfil
requirements as follows:
• Dedicated server:
– The server machine should be used exclusively for PowerFactory.
– Virtualisation:
* For softkey licences, a physical machine is required.
* For dongle based licences (hardlock) a virtual machine can be used (in conjunction with
an appropriate USB dongle server, see 5.2).
• Operating system:
– Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
– Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, or Windows Server
2019
– .NET Framework 4.5
• Processor with 2 GHz
• Main Memory of 2 GB RAM
Additionally:
• Fast network with short latency (100 Mbit/s or higher) connection between the licence server and
the machines where PowerFactory is running.
• Internet connection for licence activation, transfer and regular licence validity checks (every 30
days)
• Administrator privileges for the installation process
See also next chapter for installation and configuration.

Chapter 4
Licence Server
Running PowerFactory requires a valid licence. This can either be a workstation licence that is activated
on the same machine as the PowerFactory installation, or a network licence that is granted by a licence
server in your local network.
This section describes the installation and configuration process of a PowerFactory licence server.
Note: A licence server typically provides a network licence for a number of client machines (Multi User
or Team Edition licence). Although it is possible to install a workstation licences on a server
machine, this licence will not be accessible by client computers in your network.
4.1 Installation
Please run the Licence Components Bundle installer and follow the on-screen instructions which will
guide you through the installation process. The following components are installed:
• WIBU CodeMeter Runtime Server as Windows service
• Licence Manager required for activating the network licence on the server machine
• Licence Validation Service as a windows service. The installation of this service is optional,
but recommended. It performs regular online validation locally from the licence server without the
need to configure online access on any PowerFactory client.
• Installer package for Legacy Licence Service. The installation of this service is optional. It
allows PowerFactory 15.2 or 15.1 versions to be executed with a recent PowerFactory licence. A
separate installation is required. See 9.1.1.
4.2 Configuration
For network licences, two settings are critical:

• Correctly configured internet connection: see 5.1 for details.
• Licence server status: for a server licence to be visible in the local network, it is mandatory to start
a licence server on the server machine. The installation process includes steps to automatically
start the licence server. However, if problems with licence visibility occur, the licence server status
can be reviewed in a separate tab of the network settings dialogue in the Licence Manager (see
4.2.1).

CHAPTER 4. LICENCE SERVER 4.2. CONFIGURATION
Figure 4.2.1: Licence Server Status
The handling of a network licence regarding activation, update, and moving does not differ from that of a
workstation licence. Please follow the instructions given in Section 5.3 in order to activate your network
licence on the server machine.
Once the licence has been activated, it should automatically be detected by all PowerFactory installa-
tions on computers in your local network. If a client machine has trouble to access the network licence,
explicitly select the network licence on that computer as described in Section 5.5.

Chapter 5
Licence Management
PowerFactory uses the CodeMeter technology by WIBU-SYSTEMS AG for software protection and
licensing. The CodeMeter runtime is implicitly installed as a Windows service by both the PowerFactory
and the Licence Components Bundle installers. CodeMeter can be configured via its WebAdmin web
interface: http://localhost:22350. Modifying CodeMeter settings directly, however, is usually not
necessary and should only be done under the guidance of DIgSILENT support.
The Licence Manager is the primary tool for handling PowerFactory licences. It allows the user to
activate a licence on a workstation or a licence server, to update an already installed licence, and to
move a softkey licence to another computer. Furthermore, on machines with access to multiple licences,
the specific licence to be used by a PowerFactory installation can be selected.
The Licence Manager can be started in one of the following ways:

• Opening the Windows’ Start menu and running Windows Start button → All Apps→ PowerFactory
2019→ LicenceManager
• Running the LicenceManager∖LicenceManager.exe in the PowerFactory installation directory

• Launching it from PowerFactory via the TOOLS → Licence menu
The Licence Manager presents the task selection page on startup:
Figure 5.0.1: Startup page of the Licence Manager

CHAPTER 5. LICENCE MANAGEMENT 5.1. NETWORK CONFIGURATION
Note: The Licence Manager can generate a Licence Support Package via the respective button in the
lower left corner of the program window. That package is a ZIP archive containing log files and
additional diagnostic information about your system. Please include the support package when
consulting the DIgSILENT support with licence-related issues.
5.1 Network Configuration
Online access is mandatory for all computers with local PowerFactory licences (Single User Edition) as
well as PowerFactory licence servers (Multi User and Team Editions) for two different reasons:
• The licence transfer (activation, update, move) requires communication with the DIgSILENT server.
• Activated licences perform a periodic online check in order to verify their validity (30 day interval).
All network communication uses the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.
You can check the Internet connectivity of your machine in the Network Settings dialogue that is opened
by the respective link at the bottom of the Licence Manager program window.
5.1.1 HTTP Proxy
If your PowerFactory machine (workstation or licence server) is located behind a HTTP proxy, please
enter the proxy configuration in the Network Settings. The Licence Manager supports anonymous as
well as authenticating HTTP proxies. For authenticating proxies it is recommended to use the auto-
select authentication scheme.
The proxy settings are written to the registry and thus shared with other installations of PowerFactory
on the same PC. In some environments it can be necessary to overwrite the proxy settings for specific
installations. This can be done by manually editing the [network] section in the PowerFactory.ini file:
[network]
useHttpProxy = 1
; possible values:
; 0: none 1: system proxy 2: manual proxy 3: PAC file
httpProxyHost = myproxyserver.com
httpProxyPort = 8080
httpProxyAuth = 0
; possible values:
; 0: none 1: auto-select 2: basic 3: digest 4: NTLM 5: NTLM (Windows user) 6: Negotiate
httpProxyUser = username
httpProxyPassword = password
disableSslVerification = false
Note: Authenticating proxies need additionally to be configured in the WIBU CodeMeter settings. The
respective configuration page of the web frontend is reachable by the URL:
http://localhost:22350/configuration/proxy.html
5.1.2 Firewall
In case of a network licence the communication between client and licence server uses tcp/udp port
22350. This port 22350 is registered at IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) and uniquely
assigned for CodeMeter communication.

5.2. VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS CHAPTER 5. LICENCE MANAGEMENT
Further, if your PowerFactory machine on which the licence resides (workstation or licence server) is
located behind a firewall, please make sure it allows outgoing HTTP/HTTPS (TCP ports 80 and 443)
connections from that machine to the following destinations:
• https://lc.codemeter.com/23827/gateways/
• http://cmtime.codemeter.com/
Note: Starting with CodeMeter 7.10a (delivered with PowerFactory 2021) there is a https alternative for
the second URL. However, if you want the system to use https://cmtime.codemeter.com/
this has to be activated manually in the licence system for the moment:
open http://127.0.0.1:22350/configuration/certified_time.html and make sure
that option "use https" is selected.
Figure 5.1.1: Settings page for CodeMeter licence system.
5.2 Virtual Environments
Due to copy protection reasons the activation of a softkey in a virtual environment is not supported.
Nevertheless, server virtualisation is possible with a USB dongle holding a network licence. In this
scenario, the USB dongle needs to be plugged either to the USB port of the physical machine hosting
the VM or to a "USB via network solution" device. Then, the dongle can be connected to the VM
(exclusive mode).
As the provider of the DIgSILENT licensing system maintains a loose cooperation with the company
SEH Computertechnik GmbH it is recommended to use one of their "USB Dongle Server" (myUTN)
solutions.
5.3 Activating a Licence
A PowerFactory licence is either a single-user workstation licence that needs to be activated on the
computer where PowerFactory is installed, or a network licence that has to be activated on the machine
acting as licence server. The online activation process is the same for both types of licences.

CHAPTER 5. LICENCE MANAGEMENT 5.4. UPDATING A LICENCE
Please start the Licence Manager on the machine where you want to activate a licence and select
Activate Licence. You will then be prompted to enter the "Activation Key":
Figure 5.3.1: Online licence activation using the Licence Manager
If you are a new customer, you have received your Activation Key as part of the Licence Agreement.
Users of former versions of PowerFactory 15.x, however, need to migrate their old licence first (please
visit: https://www.digsilent.de/en/licence-migration.html).
Please enter the Activation Key and press Next. The following page displays information about the
licence associated with the entered Activation Key. If you have purchased a USB dongle licence, you
are also asked to select the container you want the licence to be stored in. In this case, please plug in
the USB dongle you have received with the PowerFactory installation package, hit the refresh button,
and select the dongle in the drop-down list.
Hint: A licence container stores a single PowerFactory licence and may either be a USB dongle or a
softkey that is located on a specific machine. The type of container in which a licence can reside
is a property of the licence, i.e., dongle licences cannot be stored in a softkey and vice-versa. A
licence container is identified by a serial of the format 123-12345678 or 3-12345678.
After clicking Activate the licence will be transferred from the DIgSILENT server to your computer
and is then ready to be used. The activated licence should be automatically detected by PowerFactory
on the next startup (see also 5.5 for licence selection).
5.4 Updating a Licence
There are several reasons why a customer should update a licence:

• the customer wants an upgrade of a licence, e.g. buy additional modules or increase the bus
count. DIgSILENT sales will provide an update in this case that the customer can fetch via the
update mechanism of the Licence Manager.
• the customer has extended the maintenance contract of a licence. Within this process a licence
update will be provided and has to be applied to the licence via the update mechanism of the

5.4. UPDATING A LICENCE CHAPTER 5. LICENCE MANAGEMENT
Licence Manager in order to run more recent PowerFactory versions (from PowerFactory 2019
this replaces the old mechanism of the cmApm.bin file).
• the customer installs a new major version and wants to access new functions and features that
are separately licensed. In this case, the update is automatically generated and can be fetched
via the update mechanism of the Licence Manager.
Please start the Licence Manager on the machine where your existing licence(s) have been activated
and select Update Licence.
Figure 5.4.1: Online licence update using the Licence Manager
Clicking Next will start an online search for updates for all your local licences. The serial numbers of
the licences with an update available will be listed on the next page. You can select for each licence
whether it should be updated or not.
Figure 5.4.2: Selection page for updates using the Licence Manager

CHAPTER 5. LICENCE MANAGEMENT 5.4. UPDATING A LICENCE
Note: In case a customer bought a specific upgrade for one licence, he receives the activation code
together with the Licence Agreement and might not want to perform an online search for update.
In this case the specific activation code can be entered on the first update page. Clicking Next
will in this case lead to a direct update of the licence under consideration.

5.5. SELECTING A LICENCE CHAPTER 5. LICENCE MANAGEMENT
5.5 Selecting a Licence
By default, PowerFactory scans the local machine and the local network for available licences and
automatically picks a suitable one on startup. When there are multiple licences, or if this auto-search
fails, it might however be necessary to explicitly define the licence to be used by a PowerFactory
installation. This can be done on the Select Licence page of the Licence Manager:
Figure 5.5.1: Licence selection page of the Licence Manager
A user can select between three licence access modes:
• automatic search: The licence is dynamically selected by PowerFactory on each startup.

• local softkey / USB dongle: PowerFactory uses a specific licence that is either locally installed or
stored on a USB dongle plugged into the local machine. The licence is identified by the serial of
the container it is stored in. If the selected licence is not available, PowerFactory does not start.
• network licence: PowerFactory uses a specific network licence that is identified by the server ad-
dress (hostname or IP) and container serial. If the specified licence is not available, PowerFactory
does not start.
Hint: All available licence servers are usually listed in the drop-down list. In more complex
network setups, such as virtual private networks, however, the server broadcast might fail. In
this case, please enter the server address directly and hit the refresh button: If the licence
server is reachable from your local machine, it should now be found.
A summary of the currently selected licence is displayed on the right of the selection page.
Please make your selection and click Save.

The licence configuration is then written to the PowerFactory.ini file in the PowerFactory installation
directory, using the following section and keys:
[license]
container = 130-87312763
server = mylicenceserver.domain.com

CHAPTER 5. LICENCE MANAGEMENT 5.6. HOT STANDBY SERVER
5.6 Hot Standby Server
A network licence server grants licences to several PowerFactory processes running in a computer
network. If this server for any reason does not respond, it will not be possible to run PowerFactory. The
licence availability can be increased by providing a second licence (with a separate dongle / softkey) on
another server within the local network. This second licence is called a Hot Standby licence
In general, PowerFactory will contact the main licence server. Only if the main licence server does not
respond, the Hot Standby licence server will be contacted. If the Hot Standby licence server does not
respond, PowerFactory will be closed with an appropriate error message.
To configure PowerFactory for the use of a Hot Standby licence, first configure the main licence using
the Licence Manager as described in chapter 5.5. Afterwards, the PowerFactory.ini file has to be
edited manually. In the [licence] section, add the keys hotStandbyServer and hotStandbyContainer:
[license]
container = 130-87312763
server = mylicenceserver.domain.com
hotStandbyContainer = 130-87309214
hotStandbyServer = myhotstandbyserver.domain.com
Hint: The serial number of your Hot Standby licence can be determined using the Select Licence
page of the Licence Manager : chose network licence and select the server holding the Hot
Standby licence. The serial number is shown in the drop-down list.
5.7 Floating Licences
In case of using a network licence server where PowerFactory can only be started while connected to
that server, it might be useful to have the possibility to temporarily check-out one licence and store it on
the local machine allowing to work offline, i.e. detached from the network. This is generally supported
with a so called Floating Server Licence (network licence with the Floating Server feature enabled
(separately licensed)):
Floating Licences are time-limited local workstation licences that can be generated on demand from a
Floating Server Licence. After generation of a Floating Licence only n-1 user licences will be available
on the Floating Server Licence for the validity period of the Floating Licence. Floating Licences are
typically used in PowerFactory offline mode (see chapter 8.4) where they are generated implicitly
according to the offline mode configuration. However, it is also possible to generate, renew and return
Floating Licences manually from within PowerFactory :
Generate a Floating Licence
A Floating Licence can be generated from PowerFactory via the TOOLS → Licence menu. To gen-
erate a Floating Licence PowerFactory must be configured to use a Floating Server Licence. During
the generation procedure PowerFactory will terminate, generate the Floating Licence and adapt its
configuration to use the newly generated licence. PowerFactory will use this licence from the next start.
Renew a Floating Licence
A Floating Licence can be generated for a maximum of 30 days. When getting close to expiration,
the Floating Licence can be renewed to extend its validity. The renewal option can be found in the

5.8. HARDWARE CHANGES AND SOFTKEY LICENCES CHAPTER 5. LICENCE MANAGEMENT
PowerFactory TOOLS → Licence menu. Please note, that PowerFactory has to be able to reach the
Floating Server Licence via the network to successfully perform the renewal.
Return a Floating Licence
A Floating Licence is time-limited and will automatically be returned to the Floating Server Licence after
expiration (i.e. the number of licensed users on the server will be increased by 1). However, if a Floating
Licence is no longer needed, it can manually be return via the PowerFactory TOOLS → Licence menu.
Please note that PowerFactory has to be able to reach the Floating Server Licence via the network to
successfully perform the return.
5.8 Hardware Changes and Softkey Licences
A PowerFactory software licence (softkey) is stored on the hard disk of the PC where it has been
activated. Its validity is based on a hardware fingerprint of this PC. For security and copy protection
reasons the softkey licence might stop working when major hardware changes are applied to the
computer.
In order to avoid downtime it is recommended to deactivate a softkey licence before applying major
changes to the hardware or operating system of the PC hosting the licence. After all changes have been
applied, the softkey licence can be activated again on the same PC. For details on licence deactivation
please refer to section 5.9.
If a PC has to be reset due to a crash or hardware failure the softkey licence might have to be restored.
In this case, please contact the DIgSILENT support team who can guide you through the restoration
process.
5.9 Moving a Licence (Softkey only)
A PowerFactory software licence (softkey) can be moved between computers a limited number of times
per year. This can be useful, for example, in the case of hardware replacement (see also 5.8).
The licence move is a two-stage process:
1. An activated licence needs to be transferred back to the DIgSILENT server via the Deactivate
Licence feature of the Licence Manager.
2. The deactivated licence can be activated again on any computer as described in Section 5.3.
For initiating a licence move, please start the Licence Manager and click on Deactivate Licence
on the startup page. The Licence Manager will then scan your computer for local licences and prompt
you to select the one you want to deactivate:

CHAPTER 5. LICENCE MANAGEMENT 5.9. MOVING A LICENCE (SOFTKEY ONLY)
Figure 5.9.1: Licence deactivation as first step of a licence move
After you have made your selection and pressed Deactivate, you will get notified about the remaining
number of moves that are allowed for the selected licence in the current year. If you confirm the
deactivation, the Licence Manager will return the licence to the DIgSILENT server. After the successful
deactivation, the Licence Manager will display the Activation Key to use for re-activating the licence on
another machine.

Chapter 6
Database
6.1 Local Database
6.1.1 Workspace and Backup
PowerFactory stores data in a workspace directory in the Windows user profile. When a user named
Frodo runs PowerFactory, the application data is stored usually in e.g.
C:\Users\Frodo\AppData\Local\DIgSILENT\PowerFactory 2019\Workspace.ComHLsIb
The workspace directory contains
• The local database including all projects and libraries.

• Result files (e.g. results of simulation calculations)
• Log files which are very useful when analysing application problems.
• Temporary files.
6.1.1.1 Export and Import Workspace
It’s possible to manipulate e.g. backup and copy Workspace directories directly. However PowerFactory
provides functionality for saving a workspace (including all data files in all subdirectories) as a conve-
nient *.zip archive which can be used as data backup. Similarly an exported workspace *.zip file
can be easily be re-imported into the same PowerFactory installation (i.e. restoring a backup) or into a
completely different PowerFactory installation on another computer (data transfer, data migration).
The workspace functions are available in the TOOLS → Workspace sub menu:
• TOOLS → Workspace→ Show Workspace Directory : opens a Windows Explorer showing the
workspace directory.
• TOOLS → Workspace→ Export Workspace: packs your workspace into ZIP archive. This may
take some time.
• TOOLS → Workspace→ Import Workspace: deletes your current workspace and replaces it with
a workspace ZIP archive.

CHAPTER 6. DATABASE 6.1. LOCAL DATABASE
Note: It’s strongly suggested to create workspace backups on a regular basis.
Note: A Workspace import replaces the current Workspace with the imported Workspace i.e. the
current Workspace is completely deleted and can not be recovered.
6.1.1.2 Workspace Directory Configuration
Storing the Workspace in the Windows user profile is convenient, but it might not be suitable under
some special circumstances. Customers might want to choose a different Workspace directory:
• A company-wide policy recommends that application data should be stored inside a given direc-
tory (e.g. D:∖Data) which is part of the company-wide backup strategy.
• Several Windows users e.g. Frodo, Sam, and Pippin want to work on the very same local
database. Though they can’t work concurrently at the same time, they might work in turns. Then
the workspace should be in a directory accessible by all three users.
• Several Windows users are running PowerFactory concurrently on an Application Server. The
installation on Application Server is described in section 8.3 on page 49.
Under these circumstances it makes sense to adapt the Workspace directory, see section 8.6.3 on
page 66 for details.
Note: We strongly advise not to use a network share for the Workspace directory if the local database
driver is used. Using a network share under these circumstances might lead to data loss.
6.1.2 Encryption
It’s possible to encrypt the whole local database with a password.
• Log on as Administrator user

• Initiate the encryption via PowerFactory ’s main menu ADMINISTRATION → Security & Privacy→
Local Database Encryption
• Set the password in the configuration (section 8.6.2.1 on page 62).
The database file is encrypted with the AES-128 or AES-256 algorithm depending on the length of the
password. The password might be empty, then the database is unencrypted.
6.1.3 In-memory Mode
When using a local database, PowerFactory can be started in a "in-memory" mode. Once the applica-
tion running in that mode is terminated all database modifications are lost. This mode is intended for
automation purposes. It’s similar to the "read-only" mode (section 6.3 on page 37), but usually much
faster.
This mode of operation is especially useful if the instances need to import data from external sources
before they can perform their work. Once the instance has been terminated all the imported data is
gone, preventing the accidental accumulation of data.
As the in-memory mode uses a copy of the existing local database, it is very easy to prepare a baseline
of information required for the instances to do their work. Libraries, scripts, template projects etc. can
all be provided in the normal local database and are then available to all in-memory clients.

6.2. MULTI-USER DATABASE CHAPTER 6. DATABASE
As with the read-only mode (section 6.3 on page 37), multiple instances need a dedicated instance
directory for their log files, temporary files, result files etc.
Usage: the in-memory mode is enabled by the command line switch /inMemory. An instance identifier
can be set with /instance e.g.:
PowerFactory.exe /inMemory /instance INST1
PowerFactory uses now a db-INST1 directory. If it’s not there it’s created automatically:
WORKSPACE
+- db // normal workspace data
| +- log
| +- tmp
| +- ...
|
+- db-INST1 // workspace data for instance INST1
+- log
+- tmp
+- ...
In some cases it might be convenient to provide the in-memory switch via the PowerFactory.ini configu-
ration file, eg:
[database]
inMemory = true
Possible values are true and false.
6.2 Multi-User Database
Normally PowerFactory stores the user data in a local database (Single User Edition) on the computer
where PowerFactory is installed. This means if multiple users want to work on the same project, one
has to export it into a file and another one has to re-import the copy into his database (see figure 6.2.1).
Figure 6.2.1: Local Databases
In a multi-user database all data is stored in one central database server (see figure 6.2.2).

CHAPTER 6. DATABASE 6.2. MULTI-USER DATABASE
Figure 6.2.2: Multi-User Database
Advantages of a multi-user database are
• read-only or read-write sharing of projects

• project locking mechanisms
• better organisation of company-wide data (e.g. library, DPL scripts, template projects)
• backups have to be taken only from one database
PowerFactory supports two common commercial database systems:
• Oracle Database Server (see section 6.2.2 on page 22)

• Microsoft SQL Server (see section 6.2.3 on page 31)
6.2.1 Installation Overview
Generally, the following steps are required for setting up a multi-user environment:
1. Install PowerFactory (see section 8.3 on page 49). Verify that the application runs smoothly before
proceeding with the next actions
2. Install and configure Oracle Database Server (see section 6.2.2 on page 22) or Microsoft SQL
Server (see section 6.2.3 on page 31) and configure connection settings in PowerFactory
3. (Optionally) Set up and configure a shared result files directory or archive directory (see sec-
tion 6.2.4 on page 36)
4. Administrate the PowerFactory database e.g. create PowerFactory user accounts and user groups.
5. (Optionally) Import projects, libraries, or other data from other PowerFactory installations
6.2.2 Oracle
6.2.2.1 Requirements
PowerFactory uses Oracle’s OCCI/OCI programming interface to communicate with the server. OCCI/OCI
itself uses a proprietary communication scheme on top of TCP/IP.

PowerFactory supports Oracle Client versions as shown below:
• Client: 19c
– PowerFactory 64bit (x64) requires
* Oracle Client for x64
• Client: 18c
* Visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2013 x64
* Visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2013 x86
• Client: 12c Release 2:
* Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 x64
• Client: 12c Release 1:
* Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2010 x64, and
* Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2010 x86, and
Hint: Oracle Client requires the Microsoft C++ Redistributable Packages mentioned above. These can
be obtained directly from:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads
PowerFactory supports Oracle Server versions as shown below:

• Oracle Client 19c supports Oracle Server 19c, 18c, 12c Release 2, 12c Release 1, 11g Release 2
• Oracle Client 18c supports Oracle Server 19c, 18c, 12c Release 2, 12c Release 1, 11g Release 2
• Oracle Client 12c Release 2 supports Oracle Server 19c, 18c, 12c Release 2, 12c Release 1, 11g
Release 2
• Oracle Client 12c Release 1 supports Oracle Server 19c, 18c, 12c Release 2, 12c Release 1, 11g
Release 2
Server Requirements: The Oracle server machine should fulfil requirements as follows:
• Dedicated server: the server machine should be used exclusively for PowerFactory.
• CPU: two or more cores/processors
• Memory: 2GB RAM or more

• Hard disk: 100 GB or more

• High network bandwidth (100 Mbit/s or higher) connection between the Oracle server and the
machines where PowerFactory is running.
Depending on the number of users and projects the above numbers have to be adapted.
This section describes the installation and usage of the Oracle database server and client.
Before you set up and configure the client computers in section 6.2.2.3 (Client Installation), the server
must be prepared as explained in section 6.2.2.2 (Server Installation).
6.2.2.2 Server Installation
Install the Oracle server software on the server computer (ORACLESERVER being the server computer
name used in this section). Please follow the Oracle Server installation instructions.
Let us assume that ORACLESERVER is accessible by the name oracleserver.domain.com in the net-
work. In order to use the Oracle server for PowerFactory you have to do the steps as follows:
• Create a new Oracle database with a database name (SID) of PFSERVER (stands for: PowerFactory
Server) or use an existing one. The character set for the Oracle instance should be WE8MSWIN1252.
– An Oracle listener is needed on the server, in order to pass on connection requests from
clients to the database. If you created the database with the Oracle installer, the listener
is configured for you automatically. If you create the database manually, then configure the
listener using the Oracle Net Configuration Assistant tool.
– (Recommended but not essential) create the database with redo log files sized at 500MB.
• PowerFactory needs a place to store its data. Oracle stores data in so-called tablespaces. It is
suggested to create a new tablespace where PowerFactory (and only PowerFactory ) stores its
data. You might adapt and use the SQL statement below to your purposes:
CREATE TABLESPACE "POWERFACTORYTABLESPACE"

LOGGING
DATAFILE ’D:\ORACLE\ORADATA\DIGSI\POWERFACTORYTABLESPACE.DBF’
SIZE 5000M REUSE
EXTENT MANAGEMENT LOCAL
The statement creates a new tablespace named POWERFACTORYTABLESPACE which is stored in a

POWERFACTORYTABLESPACE.ora file in the given directory. The file size is restricted to 5000M i.e. about
5GB.
In order to use the Oracle instance for PowerFactory one new Oracle schema is required. Create
a new schema with the default profile. We suggest the schema name PF.
Define a password for PF. In this example we use aPasswordForPf.
Associate default and temporary tablespaces to schema PF. It is assumed that a temporary
tablespace TEMP is available.
Grant the roles CONNECT and RESOURCE and the system privileges UNLIMITED TABLESPACE and
ALTER SESSION to PF. You might use and adapt the SQL script below to create the schema:
CREATE USER PF
PROFILE DEFAULT
IDENTIFIED BY aPasswordForPf
DEFAULT TABLESPACE POWERFACTORYTABLESPACE
TEMPORARY TABLESPACE TEMP
ACCOUNT UNLOCK;

GRANT UNLIMITED TABLESPACE TO PF;

GRANT CONNECT TO PF;
GRANT RESOURCE TO PF;
GRANT ALTER SESSION TO PF;
Start the Oracle instance process and Oracle listener process if they are not already started.
Note: The amount of tablespace space PowerFactory requires depends heavily on how PowerFactory
is used. The space is roughly proportional to the number of objects in PowerFactory. Observe the
tablespace fill-state regularly (e.g. once per month) and increase the size limit accordingly.
Note: Regarding the recommended sizing of the redo log files when creating the database; this con-
figuration of the redo log files is to increase performance. PowerFactory can generate very large
quantities of redo data in short bursts. This is particularly the case when importing data, copying
large projects or deleting large projects. If for other reasons you require smaller redo log files, (for
example to reduce database recovery time), you should increase the number of log file groups as
an alternative to increasing the file size.
Note: It is highly recommended to configure security as described in section 6.2.2.6 on page 29.
Note: It is highly recommended to backup the Oracle schema on a daily basis. A backup procedure is
described in section 6.2.2.7 on page 30
6.2.2.3 Client Installation
Two Oracle client packages can be used:
• (Normal) Oracle Client: This package includes many Oracle tools (e.g. management console,
management tools, networking services, utilities etc.) which are not actually required for using
PowerFactory ; supports TNS names.
• Oracle Instant Client: This package contains only the files required for using PowerFactory ;
doesn’t support TNS names.
Both (normal) Oracle Client and Oracle Instant Client are available for 32bit applications and 64bit
applications. PowerFactory 64bit requires a 64bit Oracle Client; PowerFactory 32bit requires a 32bit
Oracle Client.
Note: The required architecture of Oracle Client depends on PowerFactory only. This is not necessarily
identical to the architecture of the Windows operating system. E.g. PowerFactory 32bit requires
Oracle Client 32bit even if executed on Windows 64bit.
Install and configure Oracle Instant Client
Instant Client is a package of DLL files which can be downloaded freely from the Oracle website. The
packages are ZIP archives that can be extracted anywhere e.g. to c:∖instantclient_12_1 (see
figure 6.2.3). PowerFactory uses these DLL files in order to communicate with the Oracle Database
server.

Figure 6.2.3: Database Figure: Oracle Instant Client installation directory
Install and configure (normal) Oracle Client
• Please use the newest version of the Client and follow the installation documentation. When
asked for choose to install the "Runtime" installation option. It is assumed that the client software
is installed in C:\app\client\product\12.1.0\client_1 (see figure 6.2.4).
Figure 6.2.4: (Normal) Oracle Client installation directory
• (Optionally) It’s possible to add an TNS name entry for PFSin the configuration file
C:\app\client\product\12.1.0\client_1\network\admin\TNSNAMES.ORA
The entry could be e.g.
PFS =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = oracleserver)(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = PFSERVER)

)
)
Then the PFS TNS name can be used in the PowerFactory configuration.
6.2.2.4 PowerFactory Configuration via Client Libraries
Start PowerFactory in configuration mode (see refsectionsec:conf).
Switch to the Database page
Insert the database connection settings as described below:
Figure 6.2.5: PowerFactory Configuration for Oracle Server
Database driver select Oracle (Client Version 12c Release 1) or Oracle (Client Version 12c
Release 2).
Database service this field describes the connection. It must be conform to the format
//host[:port][/servicename]
With the values used above (host=oracleserver, port=1521 (default port), and SID=PFSERVER)
the connection name is
//oracleserver/PFSERVER
If we had used a non-default port=8888 the connection name would be
//oracleserver:8888/PFSERVER
If you’ve installed a (normal) Oracle Client and made an entry (e.g. PFS) in the TNSNAMES.ORA
configuration file, you can use the TNS name instead. Then the Database service is just
PFS

Username and Password During the Oracle server setup an Oracle schema PF with the password
aPasswordForPf has been created. Enter these values in the Username and Password fields.
PowerFactory uses files in the Oracle Client installation folder the communication with the server. In
order to find them, the installation folders must be configured explicitly:
Switch to the Advanced page

Insert the folders as described below (see figure 6.2.6)
Figure 6.2.6: PowerFactory Configuration for Oracle Server
Additional directories in PATH
• Oracle Instant Client 19c installed e.g. in C:\instantclient_19:
C:\instantclient_19
• (Normal) Oracle Client 19c installed e.g. in C:\app\client\product\19.0.0\client_1:
C:\app\client\product\19.0.0\client_1\bin
• Oracle Instant Client 18c installed e.g. in C:\instantclient_18:
C:\instantclient_18
• (Normal) Oracle Client 18c installed e.g. in C:\app\client\product\18.0.0\client_1:
• Oracle Instant Client 12c Release 2 installed e.g. in C:\instantclient_12_2:
C:\instantclient_12_2
• (Normal) Oracle Client 12c Release 2 installed e.g. in C:\app\client\product\12.1.0\

client_1:
• Oracle Instant Client 12c Release 1 installed e.g. in C:\instantclient_12_1:

C:\instantclient_12_1\vc11
C:\instantclient_12_1
• (Normal) Oracle Client 12c Release 1 installed e.g. in C:\app\client\product\12.2.0\

client_1:
C:\app\client\product\12.1.0\client_1\oci\lib\msvc\vc11
6.2.2.5 PowerFactory Configuration via ODBC
Oracle also provides ODBC drivers for their database clients. The drivers and installation instructions
can be downloaded from Oracle directly.
Note: The ODBC driver must be registered to use at least version 12c Release 1 of the Oracle client
libraries.
The Microsoft Windows ODBC Data Source Administration tool (odbcad32.exe) provides a list of
installed drivers. Once the installation of the Oracle ODBC driver has been completed they will be listed
there. This tool can also be used to briefly test if the driver was installed correctly.
The ODBC driver name is the only additional information required in the PowerFactory database set-
tings, everything else can be set up as described in 6.2.2.4. Make sure to spell the driver name exactly
as shown in the ODBC Data Source Administration tool.
When using the Oracle ODBC driver, specifying the driver location in the Additional directories in PATH
setting is not required.
6.2.2.6 Security
Network Encryption
The network traffic between PowerFactory and the database server is in plaintext and can be easily
eavesdropped by any computer in the network, unless security is configured properly. Therefore it is
strongly recommended to configure and enable Oracle’s network security features.
Oracle provides data network encryption (Data is converted to ciphertext before it’s sent over the
network. It’s highly infeasible that eavesdroppers are able to decrypt it.) and integrity (protection
against data modification attacks and replay attacks) to ensure that data is secure as it travels across the
network. Encryption and integrity can be easily enabled by adding some lines to the listener.ora
configuration file on the server side:
# listener.ora (on the server!)
...
# Enforce encryption and integrity

SQLNET.ENCRYPTION_SERVER = required
SQLNET.ENCRYPTION_TYPES_SERVER = (AES256,AES128)
SQLNET.CRYPTO_CHECKSUM_SERVER = required
SQLNET.CRYPTO_CHECKSUM_TYPES_SERVER = (SHA256)

The above example enforces encryption with the AES256 or AES128 algorithm and integrity validation
with the SHA256 algorithm. It’s enforced for any connection to this database server.
Please consult the Oracle documentation for more details, especially the Oracle® Database Security
Guide document. It also describes how to set up a certificate-based SSL/TLS authentication.
Transparent Data Encryption
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) optionally encrypts data files on the hard disks of the database
server. A encrypted tablespace can be create with the statement below:
CREATE TABLESPACE "POWERFACTORYTABLESPACE"

LOGGING
DATAFILE ’D:\ORACLE\ORADATA\DIGSI\POWERFACTORYTABLESPACE.DBF’
SIZE 5000M REUSE
EXTENT MANAGEMENT LOCAL
ENCRYPTION USING ’AES256’ ENCRYPT;
Besides it’s also possible to encrypt an existing tablespace. Please consult the Oracle documentation
for more details, especially the Oracle® Database Advanced Security Guide document.
6.2.2.7 Backup
Create Backup
Describing Oracle’s backup facilities is far beyond the scope of this installation manual. In this section
only a simple technique is described. Please consult the Oracle documentation for detailed information
or other backup strategies. One backup method is the creation of database dumps. The exp.exe and
imp.exe tools are part of the Oracle distribution. To export all data of the schema PF run the exp.exe
tool:
exp.exe PF/aPasswordForPf@PFS file=d:\backups\database.dump owner=PF
where PF is the schema, aPasswordForPf is his password, PFS is the TNS name, and d:∖backup
∖database.dump is the filename of the dump file.
Note: During the export or import process no PowerFactory user must be active. This backup strategy
is suitable only for e.g. nightly backups.
Oracle also supports so-called hot backups where clients can still use the database during the backup
process. Please consult the Oracle documentation for this backup strategy.
Restore Backup
To re-import a database dump, first drop and re-create the Oracle schema PF. Then run the imp.exe
tool:
imp.exe PF/aPasswordForPf@PFS file=d:\backup\database.dump fromuser=PF touser=PF

If you import the dump into another Oracle instance ensure that there is a tablespace with the same
name as the source instance.
6.2.3 Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft provides several editions of its relational database system SQL Server. Depending on Version
(2008 or newer) the availability of the editions may vary.
DIgSILENT PowerFactory is capable to use all editions as database engine. The free Express Edition
provides almost the same functionality as the other editions but limits database size to 4 GB and lacks
some of the more advanced administration tools. For a complete list of features for all editions consult
the official SQL Server Homepage.
SQL Server operates as a service. Services are applications that run as background processes. The
behaviour of services differs from that of other applications. For example, while most applications
are executed only when a user launches the application from the Start menu, services such as SQL
Server are generally started and stopped by the operating system environment. A service runs in the
background and waits for processing requests. In the case of SQL Server, these requests are for
database operations.
All actions described in this section are to be done on the server computer. Throughout this section
SERVERNAME is used as computer name.
6.2.3.1 Server Installation
Install the SQL Server software according to its documentation.
6.2.3.2 Server Configuration
Before the SQL Server service can be used it must be configured to allow for connections over the
network.
From the Start Menu select:

• Microsoft SQL Server 20xx, depending on the version installed
• Configuration Tools
• SQL Server Configuration Manager
Expand the SQL Server 20xx Network Configuration node
Click on Protocols for SQLEXPRESS node (or the instance name you configured during installa-
tion respectively)
On the right side, right click the TCP/IP entry and select Enable from the context menu
Click on the SQL Server 20xx services node
On the right side, right click the SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS) entry and select Restart from
the context menu. The value in braces is the instance name, so make sure to select the correct
one.
On the right side, right click the SQL Server Browser entry and select Start from the context
menu if it’s not already running.
Your newly installed instance is now configured to allow network connections. With the next steps a
database for PowerFactory is created.

Again, from the Start Menu select:

• Microsoft SQL Server 20xx
• SQL Server Management Studio Express
Change Authentication to SQL Server Authentication
Enter the login name sa and enter the Password for sa, chosen during installation
Select File → New→ Query with Current Connection
Enter the following lines in the Query Window to the right:
sp_addlogin pf, aPasswordForPf

GO
CREATE DATABASE pfdb
GO
ALTER DATABASE pfdb SET ALLOW_SNAPSHOT_ISOLATION ON
GO
USE pfdb
GO
sp_grantdbaccess pf
GO
GRANT CREATE TABLE TO pf
GO
Click Execute in the toolbar
You have now created a database named pfdb with a corresponding login named pf which uses the
password aPasswordForPf. Feel free to change the values according to your needs.
Note: It is highly recommended to create daily backups of the database. The backup procedure for
SQL Server is described in section 6.2.3.5
6.2.3.3 PowerFactory Configuration
Start PowerFactory in configuration mode (see section 8.6 on page 62).

Insert the database connection settings as described below (see figure 6.2.7)

Figure 6.2.7: PowerFactory Configuration for SQL Server
Database driver select Microsoft SQL Server

Database service The Database service uses the format server_name∖instance_name. If you
used the default values SQL Server provides, it would be SERVERNAME∖SQLEXPRESS for the 2008
edition. SERVERNAME is our virtual server name during this manual, as stated earlier.
Username, Password, and Database name for this manual it would be pf as username, aPasswordForPf
as password and pfdb as database name.
6.2.3.4 Security
Network Encryption
SQL Server supports encryption of connections using the TLS protocol. The Microsoft support pages
list in detail which versions of SQL Server support which TLS versions.
Encryption can be enabled on the server side and requires a trusted Certificate Authority signed certifi-
cate for maximum security. SQL Server allows the usage of self-signed certificates but this option is not
recommended for production environments as it is prone to man-in-the-middle attacks.
Please note that PowerFactory cannot enforce a connection to be encrypted. It’s the server that
specifies if encryption is required or not. This way encryption can easily be enabled at any time, and
also be removed if there is no further need for it.
Transparent Data Encryption
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) optionally encrypts data files on the hard disks of the database
server. A database can be encrypted with the statement below:
ALTER DATABASE pfdb SET ENCRYPTION ON;
Please consult the SQL Server documentation for more details.

6.2.3.5 Backup
Create a Backup
As with Oracle, SQL Server’s backup facilities are far beyond the scope of this documentation. It is
highly suggested you consult the official Microsoft documentation for detailed backup strategies. We
present a very simple method to backup a database and must stress that this method only satisfies the
most basic needs.
A full SQL Server database backup can be easily created from a DOS console on the server computer.
Open a command prompt and enter (all in one line):
sqlcmd -S SERVERNAME\SQLEXPRESS -U sa -P aPasswordForSa -e

-Q "BACKUP DATABASE pfdb TO DISK=’d:\backupdir\pfdb.dump’ WITH INIT"
This dumps the database named pfdb to a file d:∖backupdir∖pfdb.dump, sa and

aSecurePasswordForSa are username and password of the database administrator user.
It is suggested to create a batch script which performs this task. To do so:
Open a new batch file e.g. d:∖backupdir∖backup.bat with a text editor (e.g. Windows’ Notepad
editor).
Insert the above text into the file (all in one line!).
Close the file.
Windows’ Scheduled Tasks utility allows you to run this batch script automatically, for example every
day at midnight.
Open the scheduler manager Windows Start menu:

Start → Programs→ AccessoriesSystem Tools → Scheduled Tasks
Add a new scheduler task PowerFactory backup and configure it as follows (see the Windows
documentation for further information)
Enter the backup script d:∖backupdir∖backup.bat to be run.
Select the daily option and 00:00 as start time.
This configuration creates nightly backups. The pfdb.dump file is overwritten each time. If you want to
keep the latest three backup dumps enhance the above backup.bat script as follows.
Open the batch script created earlier

Replace its contents with the following lines (again, the sqlcmd command in one line)
copy d:/backupdir/pfdb2.dump d:/backupdir/pfdb3.dump

copy d:/backupdir/pfdb1.dump d:/backupdir/pfdb2.dump
copy d:/backupdir/pfdb.dump d:/backupdir/pfdb1.dump
sqlcmd -S SERVERNAME\SQLEXPRESS -U sa -P aPasswordForSa -e
-Q "BACKUP DATABASE pfdb TO DISK=’d:/backupdir/pfdb.dump’ WITH INIT"
Save the file.

Restore a Backup
The RESTORE_DATABASE command recovers a database from a dump file. To restore a database
backup on the same database server where it was created follow the instructions below.
Run sqlcmd from the command prompt
sqlcmd -S SERVERNAME\SQLEXPRESS -U sa -P aPasswordForSa
Run the following commands inside sqlcmd
DROP DATABASE pfdb

GO
RESTORE DATABASE pfdb FROM DISK=’c:/backupdir/pfdb.dump’ WITH RECOVERY
GO
Restoring the database on a different SQL Server installation is more complicated. Let c:∖msde2 be the
installation folder of the target SQL Server. All commands are to be run inside sqlcmd.
First create a database user pf for PowerFactory usage.
sp_addlogin pf, aPasswordForPf

GO
Import the database dump as follows:
RESTORE DATABASE pfdb

FROM DISK = ’d:\backup\pfdb.bak’
WITH MOVE ’pfdb’ TO ’C:\msde2\mssql\data\pfdb.mdf’,
MOVE ’pfdb_log’ TO ’C:\msde2\mssql\data\pfdb.ldf’,
RECOVERY
GO
Adjust the access rights of the pf user
USE pfdb
GO
sp_change_users_login AUTO_FIX, pf
GO

6.2.4 Directories for Result Files and/or Archive (optional)
A result files directory is a shared directory where all PowerFactory instances can read and write files.
PowerFactory stores almost all data in the database. Result Files are an exception. Result Files are
binary files containing the result of simulation calculation. Due to performance reasons (these results
can be arbitrarily large) they are not stored in the database but directly in files on the hard disk of the
local computer.
Result Files are actually redundant since they are re-created when re-running the calculation. However
since a simulation calculation can take hours to finish, it’s worth to keep them at hand.
In a multi-user database scenario where two PowerFactory users USER1 and USER2 work on the very
same project, USER2 cannot access the Result Files created by USER1 because they’re stored on
USER1’s hard disk.
Result files in a result files directory can be accessed by all PowerFactory users working on the same
multi-user database (see figure 6.2.8).
Figure 6.2.8: Result files and archive directory
Similarly there’s a directory for Project Archiving: users can "archive" their projects. The projects are
exported into the archive directory and then deleted from the database. Users can restore them later.
The Housekeeping configuration allows to archive projects that have not been used for a long time
automatically.
Any shared directory (e.g. on a file server) can be used as result files directory or archive directory if
all PowerFactory users (i.e. the Windows users running PowerFactory ) have read and write access to
it. The directory paths have to be configured in PowerFactory.


6.3. READ-ONLY MODE CHAPTER 6. DATABASE
Figure 6.2.9: PowerFactory Configuration for SQL Server
Directories: Result files specify a directory path e.g. a mapped network drive
E:\data\resultfiles
or the raw network path.
\\fileserver\data\resultfiles
The specified directory must exist and the current Windows user must have read and write access
to this directory.
Directories: Archives specify a directory path accordingly.
Note: A result files directory is required only in rare scenarios e.g. when PowerFactory users often
run long-running simulations and work on the very same shared project. In all other cases this
directory is not needed.
Note: An archive directory is only required if using the project archiving feature. In all other cases this
directory is not needed.
Note: It’s strongly suggested to create backups of the directories on a regular basis.
6.3 Read-only Mode
PowerFactory can be started in a "read-only mode". In this mode the application reads data from an
existing database, but never writes data back to the database i.e. all data changes are lost when the
application is closed.
Its purpose is a parallel calculation on the same data e.g. several PowerFactory engines perform similar
calculations on the very same project. Without read-only mode this scenario would require for each
concurrent engine a separate PowerFactory user, each owning a separate copy of the project. With
read-only mode all engines can use the same project and the same PowerFactory user.

CHAPTER 6. DATABASE 6.3. READ-ONLY MODE
Note: In read-only mode the functionality is restricted e.g. database-related operations like creation of
versions, PFD export etc. are not available.
Though all engine instances read from the very same database, each engine instance requires a
separate instance directory within the workspace directory where instance-specific temporary data is
stored e.g. the log file or other temporary files.
Usage: the read-only mode is enabled by the command line switch /readonlymode. The instance
identifier can be set with /instance. Please note that the instance argument is mandatory for starting
multiple instances from same working directory. Example:
PowerFactory.exe /readonlymode /instance INST1
PowerFactory uses now a db-INST1 directory. If it’s not there it’s created automatically:
WORKSPACE
+- db // normal workspace data
| +- log
| +- tmp
| +- ...
|
+- db-INST1 // workspace data for instance INST1
+- log
+- tmp
+- ...
C++-API example: start a read-only engine instance for user USERNAME and password PASSWD with the
instance identifier INST1.
CreateApiInstanceV1(
"USERNAME",
"PASSWD",
"/readonlymode /instance INST1");

Chapter 7
Security and Privacy
7.1 Audit Log
PowerFactory is capable to record security-relevant events in an Audit Log (e.g. failed user authentica-
tion or data modifications in the global Configuration folder). The Audit Log is stored in the database
in a secure way, protected against accidental or malevolent manipulation.
7.1.1 Configuration
The Audit Log function is configured in the SetAuditlog object located in the configuration section of
the database:
Database
+- Configuration
+- Security & Privacy
+- Audit Log configuration.SetAuditlog
This object is also conveniently available from PowerFactory ’s main menu via ADMINISTRATION →
Security & Privacy → Auditlog:
• The Audit Log can be enabled or disabled.

• If enabled, a retention period between 1 and 365 days can be specified. Events older than that
period are purged regularly. Records are purged when the Administrator user logs on or during
the Housekeeping job (see section 8.2.0.1 on page 47).
7.1.2 Events
The Audit Log stores information about a fixed set of security-related events that might occur during a
PowerFactory session. For each event several attributes are recorded as shown below:
• Time: A UTC timestamp.

• SessionId: A unique ID that identifies a session unambiguously. It’s required to correlate events,
especially when many users work concurrently.
• SequenceId: Within a session each event is numbered.
• Category: An event category e.g. authentication.successful or user.addToGroup.

CHAPTER 7. SECURITY AND PRIVACY 7.1. AUDIT LOG
• Details: Category-dependent additional information.
The remainder of this section describes all categories in detail.
application.*: Application startup and shutdown
• application.start: start of PowerFactory. It also could be C++-API application or a stand-

alone Python script. The following details are recorded:
– windowsUsername: name of the Windows user.
– computerName: name of the Computer.
– executable name and path of executable e.g.
C:\ProgramFiles\DIgSILENT\PowerFactory2019SP2\PowerFactory.exe.
• application.stop: application is closed. If the application stops unexpectedly e.g. due to a
crash or loss of network connection to the database server, there’ll be no such event.
authentication.*: Authentication-related events:
• authentication.successful successful authentication of a user.

– username: PowerFactory user name
• authentication.unsuccessful.unknownUsername: the specified user can not be found in

the database. (The user name itself is not recorded: it might be the password, if the user confuses
the user name field with the password field, and the clear text password would be recorded in the
Audit Log.)
• authentication.unsuccessful.wrongPassword: wrong password for user name
– username: user name, but only if it is a known user in the database. (It might be the
password, if the user confuses the user name field with the password field, and the clear text
password would be recorded in the Audit Log.)
• authentication.unsuccessful.userDisabled: authentication failed because user is dis-
abled.
– username
• authentication.unsuccessful.userExpired: authentication failed because the user is
enabled only for a restricted time period.
– username
• authentication.unsuccessful.refusedToSetNewPassword: authentication was success-
ful, but the user refused to change the password according to the configured password policy.
– username
• authentication.userSharing: User successfully authenticated as user X but works as user Y.
– authenticatedUser
– effectiveUser
session.*: Categories for session events
• session.terminate: Administrator explicitly kills other user’s session.

– username
• session.terminateFormerSession: A user is already logged on and starts a second ses-
sion, terminating the former session.
• session.terminated: This session was killed by one of the above events.
• session.idleSessionTimeout: Application was closed because it was idle for too long.

7.1. AUDIT LOG CHAPTER 7. SECURITY AND PRIVACY
user.*: Changes in user configuration:
• user.create: Administrator creates user

– username
• user.modifyRelevantAttribute: security-relevant modification of user XYZ (IntUser ob-
ject). Security-relevant attributes:
– username
– attribute attribute name
– previousValue previous value
– newValue new value
• user.moveToRecycleBin: Adminstrator deletes user object.
– username
• user.restoreFromRecycleBin: Administrator restores user object from recycle bin
– username
• user.deleteFromRecycleBin: Administrator empties recycle bin containing a user object.
– username
• user.addToGroup: Administrator adds user to group.
– username
– groupname
• user.removeFromGroup: Administrator removes user from group.
– username
– groupname
configuration.*: Changes in configuration (Database\Configuration)
• configuration.create: Add object in configuration.

– object: full object path
• configuration.modify: Modify object in configuration.
– object: full object path
• configuration.moveToRecycleBin Delete object in configuration and move it to the recycle
bin.
– object: full path to the object before deletion
• configuration.restoreFromRecycleBin: Restore configuration object from recycle bin.
– object: full path to the object after restore.
auditlog.*: Audit Log functionality
• auditlog.report: Audit report occurred.

• auditlog.export: Audit export occurred.
– minTime, maxTime: time filter in UTC time.
– filepath the path of the export file.
– size: the size of the export file.
– sha256Checksum: SHA256 checksum of exported file.
• auditlog.automaticPurge: Automatic Audit purge occurred
– retention: retention time in days.
– time: sessions starting before this time (in UTC) were purged.
– numberOfDeletedSessions: number of sessions that were purged.

CHAPTER 7. SECURITY AND PRIVACY 7.2. IDLE SESSION TIMEOUT
duk.*: Database Unlock Key (DUK) functions
• duk.unlock: The Administrator password was reset using the DUK.
• duk.reset: The DUK was changed.
Other functionality:
• data.export User exports data to PFD or DZ file.

– objects: full path of top-level objects that are exported
– filepath: export file name
7.1.3 Report, Export, and Integrity Check
Several functions are provided for evaluating the Audit Log.
The ComAuditlog command object provides functions for retrieving information from the Audit Log.
These functions are available only for the Administrator user.
Report Writes some statistics about the Audit Log to the Output Window e.g. date of first and last
recorded event or count of each event category.
Export Writes the content of Audit Log to a text file which can be imported e.g. in Microsoft Excel for
further analysis. Regular text exports can be archived for a later reference.
Integrity Check PowerFactory stores Audit Log events on the database server. It uses encryption and
checksum in order to ensure data integrity. With this check function it’s possible to detect data
manipulation e.g. modification or deletion of events.
7.2 Idle Session Timeout
This security function automatically closes a running PowerFactory application when the user does not
interact with it by mouse or keyboard for a configurable time period. The application is not closed during
a long-running operation e.g. a complicated calculation or a DPL/Python script run.
The Administrator can configure it globally for all PowerFactory users with the SetSessionidle object
located in the configuration section of the database:
Database
+- Configuration
+- Session Idle Configuration.SetSessionidle
Security & Privacy → Idle Session Timeout.
It’s possible to override this global setting for each user separately in the IntUser object.
7.3 Privacy
The Administrator can configure privacy globally for all PowerFactory users with the SetPrivacy object
located in the configuration section of the database:

7.4. LOGIN POLICY CHAPTER 7. SECURITY AND PRIVACY
Database
+- Configuration
+- Privacy Configuration.SetPrivacy
Security & Privacy → Privacy.
Enable recording of modifying user in object If enabled: persistently stores the PowerFactory user-
name of the user who modified the object last.
Display system account in User object If enabled and the user has started a PowerFactory session:
the system account (the Windows username) of the user is shown in the IntUser object.
7.4 Login Policy
PowerFactory 2021 supports three different login modes, which can be configured in the SetLoginpolicy
object located in the configuration section of the database:
Database
+- Configuration
+- Login Policy.SetLoginpolicy
Security & Privacy → Login Policy. When initializing a multi-user database it will automatically be shown
up in the course of database initialisation.
The default setting equals the behavior of former PowerFactory versions.
Figure 7.4.1: Selection dialogue for login policy to PowerFactory (default settings)

CHAPTER 7. SECURITY AND PRIVACY 7.4. LOGIN POLICY
7.4.1 PowerFactory authentication
This mode uses the built-in authentication mechanism of PowerFactory. The PowerFactory administra-
tor can configure the password policy according to the company security guide lines.
In case there are users with higher requirements regarding password quality these settings can also be
overwritten in the IntUser object (subpage "Password Policy") for individual users. The same applies
for the enforcement to set a new password. The administrator can force an individual user to set a new
password with the next login by setting the flag "Force password change" in the "General" page of the
IntUser object.
Hint: The default setting does not enforce password quality or length. To meet common security
requirements a password should have at least a length of 10 characters and enforce characters
from at least three of the offered categories. Regular password changes (after 90 days) are also
highly recommended.
Password recovery
Forgotten passwords can easily be reset by the PowerFactory administrator.
For the case that the PowerFactory administrator password gets lost, PowerFactory offers the possibility
to set a so-called database unlock key (DUK) on database initialisation. It’s a 32-character string with
high entropy that is meant to be stored in a secure place until needed.
When initializing a multi-user database, the initial setup dialogue is shown in PowerFactory (see 7.4.2.
Here the PowerFactory administrator will be forced to set the administrator password as well as a
database unlock key (use the ’Generate’ button to generate a random key).
Figure 7.4.2: Initial Setup Dialogue
On clicking ’OK’ the specified DUK will automatically be copied to the clipboard so it can be pasted into
a text document using Ctrl+V.
To unlock a database using the DUK or to reset the DUK use the command line options as specified in
section 8.7.13 on page 74.
Hint: DIgSILENT CANNOT provide access to a database when the administrator’s password and the
unlock key have been lost!

7.4. LOGIN POLICY CHAPTER 7. SECURITY AND PRIVACY
7.4.2 Active Directory authentication
This authentication mode is suitable for customers who are already using Microsoft Active Directory and
would like to manage PowerFactory users in this same central system.
Figure 7.4.3: Selection dialogue for login policy to PowerFactory (Active Directory authentication
settings)
PowerFactory supports to configure certain Active Directory user groups, so members of these groups
can run PowerFactory and log on to the application without providing username and password.
The configuration allows to specify user groups for

• Standard Users: Users of this group are granted log-in rights to PowerFactory using their domain
username.
• Administrators: Users of this group are allowed to log-in to PowerFactory as user Administrator.
There can only be one user logged in as Administrator at any given time.
• Publishing Users: Users of this group are allowed to log-in as any publishing user.
PowerFactory will always check certain Active Directory groups so it is always possible to restore access
to the application should the configuration be defective. For PowerFactory 2020 these user groups are
named
• PowerFactory 2020 Users

• PowerFactory 2020 Administrators
• PowerFactory 2020 Publishers
Hint: Active Directory authentication has been introduced in PowerFactory 2019. For all versions after
PowerFactory 2019 the default groups are named according to the major version.
7.4.3 No authentication
This mode is meant for users that explicitly want to avoid authentication for PowerFactory (is default for
single-user, local database usage).

Chapter 8
Advanced Options
Most installation variants in this chapter usually make only sense in a multi-user context with PowerFac-
tory running in a server environment.
• Instead of activating a workstation licence on each computer with a PowerFactory installation, you
can use a central licence server that provides a network licence for all users in your network (see
section 4 on page 7).
• PowerFactory stores user data in a Workspace on the hard disk. The Workspace functionality is
described in section 6.1.1 on page 19.
• A multi-user database allows several PowerFactory users to work concurrently and share their
data (see section 6.2).
• Several users can work on the same application server (see section 8.3 on page 49).
• Offline Mode is based on a multi-user database. It allows to run PowerFactory without a perma-
nent connection to the server (see section 8.4 on page 51).
8.1 Application Language
The PowerFactory application does not support Unicode. Running PowerFactory with e.g. Chinese
as application language requires that Windows’ "Language for non-Unicode Programs" is configured
accordingly.
• Chinese: requires "Chinese (Simplified, China)"

• French: requires "French (France)"
• German: requires "German (Germany)"
• Russian: requires "Russian (Russia)"
• Spanish: requires "Spanish (Spain)"
• Turkish: requires "Turkish (Turkey)"
English as application language needs no special configuration. The "Language for non-Unicode
Programs" can be configured as follows (see figure 8.1.1):
1. Open Windows’ "Region & language settings".
2. Follow the "Administrative language settings" link. A small "Region" dialogue is shown.
3. Select the "Administrative" page.
4. Select the "Language for non-Unicode programs" as described above. This might require a
Windows restart.

8.2. HOUSEKEEPING (OPTIONAL) CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS
Figure 8.1.1: Language for non-Unicode programs
8.2 Housekeeping (optional)
Over the course of time the database grows and is cluttered with old data that might have a general
negative impact on the database performance. PowerFactory provides a Housekeeping job that can be
configured to be run as periodical background job e.g. every night.
• Deletion of items older than a configurable age in all users’ recycle bin.
• Archiving (or even complete deletion) of projects that have not been activated recently.
• Regular purge of project storage.
Housekeeping has to be configured in PowerFactory database by the Administrator as described in the

PowerFactory User Manual.
8.2.0.1 Scheduling Housekeeping
This is an optional installation step that can be carried out at a later date. Housekeeping is described in
the Program Administration chapter of the PowerFactory User Manual.
Housekeeping is executed via a Windows Scheduled Task from a computer with PowerFactory installed.
Typically this will be a terminal server (e.g. Citrix) or some other application server. Housekeeping
makes use of a command line initiation of PowerFactory. An example execution is as follows:
"C:\Program Files\DIgSILENT\PowerFactory 2019\PowerFactory.exe" /housekeeping:8:60
In the example above, 8 specifies the maximum run duration of the housekeeping as eight hours. If
the housekeeping is scheduled to start at 11 p.m. and is still not finished at 7 a.m., it will exit after

CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS 8.2. HOUSEKEEPING (OPTIONAL)
completing its current action.
In the example above, 60 specifies the sleep period, in seconds, after a housekeeping action. If there
were no sleep period the housekeeping would place a heavy workload on the system, possibly affecting
other active users.
Housekeeping connects as a special administrative PowerFactory user called Housekeeper, which is

automatically created when housekeeping is run for the first time.
The housekeeping execution should be triggered via a Windows Scheduled Task (Windows 2008:
Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Task Scheduler/Create Task). An example of the action configuration
is shown in figure 8.2.1.
Figure 8.2.1: Configuring a scheduled task to run housekeeping
Program/script Insert the path to the PowerFactory executable e.g.
"C:\Program Files\DIgSILENT\PowerFactory 2019\PowerFactory.exe"
The leading and trailing quote characters (") are required since the path contains space charac-
ters.
Add arguments (optional) Insert the housekeeping parameters e.g.
/housekeeping:8:60

8.3. APPLICATION SERVER CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS
Windows scheduled tasks can be automatically stopped. It is preferable to configure this via the
housekeeping maximum run duration parameter, but the scheduled task configuration can be used
as a ‘backstop’. When configuring the scheduled task, choose an appropriate operating system user to
run the task. The user does not need to be logged on.
8.3 Application Server
An Application Server (e.g. Citrix Application Server) allows to run an application several times in
parallel Windows sessions. A typical scenario for a PowerFactory installation is shown in figure 8.3.1.
Several machines and components are involved:
Many Workstations The actual PowerFactory user works locally on his Workstation. When the user
starts the application, a PowerFactory process is started on the Application Server. The applica-
tion windows is shown on the Workstation.
One or more Application Servers One or more instances of PowerFactory are running on this server.
There might be several Application Server Computers organised in a Server Farm.
Database Server Manages the central PowerFactory database. All PowerFactory instances commu-
nicate with it.
File Server (Optional) provides a shared result files or archives directory (section 6.2.4 on page 36).
Licence Server Installed along with the Licence Components (see section 4 on page 7). The Licence
Server doesn’t have to run necessarily on a separate computer, it can be hosted on the Applica-
tion Server.
Figure 8.3.1: Application Server Environment
Installing PowerFactory on an Application Server offers several advantages over a "normal" multi-user
database installation:
• PowerFactory has to be configured only once on the Application Server computer, but can be
used by potentially hundreds of Workstations.
• A high-bandwidth network connection is necessarily required between PowerFactory and a database
server. Bigger companies have their PowerFactory users distributed over several remote locations
with low-bandwidth network.

CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS 8.3. APPLICATION SERVER
Figure 8.3.1 suggests that all components have to be installed on different machines. But it’s possible
to deploy several components on the same computer e.g. the Application Server machine can host
PowerFactory, Licence Server, and the Vault directory.
Note: PowerFactory is executed in its entirety on the application server. It is important that the server
complies with PowerFactory ’s computing requirements: RAM, CPU(s), hard disk space, etc.
This section describes how to configure PowerFactory on application server for three Windows users
Frodo, Sam, and Pippin. It is assumed that
• PowerFactory is already installed on the computer.
• Additionally a multi-user database should be up and running as described and PowerFactory is

configured to use it section 6.2 on page 21.
The PowerFactory installation directory (usually C:∖Program Files∖DIgSILENT∖PowerFactory 2019)

contains
• PowerFactory the application binary PowerFactory.exe along with several DLL files
• the configuration file PowerFactory.ini
• other data e.g. a template for initial database content, Demo examples etc.
C:\
+ Program Files
+- DIgSILENT
+- PowerFactory 2019
+- PowerFactory.exe // executable
+- PowerFactory.ini // configuration
+- ...
Each Windows user that runs PowerFactory requires a separate workspace directory which will hold
temporary data and log files. The workspace directories are subfolder of a common workspace directory
e.g. d:∖Data∖PowerFactory Workspaces:
D:\
+- Data
+- PowerFactory Workspaces
+- Frodo // Frodo’s workspace directory
+- Sam // Sam’s workspace directory
+- Pippin // Pippin’s workspace directory
+- ...
+- resultfiles // (optional) common result files directory
+- archive // (optional) common archive directory
The resultfiles and archive directories are optional (see section 6.2.4 on page 36). The workspaces
directory must not be necessarily on a local hard disk. It can be on an network drive instead e.g.
∖∖SERVER∖PowerFactory Workspaces.
8.3.1 Workspace directories
Create a root directory for all Workspaces e.g.

8.4. OFFLINE MODE CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS
D:\Data\PowerFactory Workspaces
Create a Workspace directory for each Windows user:
D:\Data\PowerFactory Workspaces\Frodo
D:\Data\PowerFactory Workspaces\Sam
D:\Data\PowerFactory Workspaces\Pippin
Verify that each Windows user has read and write access to his Workspace directory
(optional) Create a result files directory e.g.
D:\Data\PowerFactory Workspaces\resultfiles
Verify that each Windows user has read and write access to the Vault directory.
8.3.2 PowerFactory Configuration
Switch to the Workspace page

Uncheck Use Default Workspace Directory
Insert as Directory
D:\Data\PowerFactory Workspaces\%USERNAME%
%USERNAME% will be replaced by the current Windows username.
%USERNAME% will be replaced by the current Windows username.
(Optional) If your using a result files or archive directory, set the directories on the Database page as
described in section 6.2.4 on page 36.
8.4 Offline Mode
Since Version 15.0 PowerFactory provides the ability to work in Offline Mode when a network connection
to the database server is unavailable. The required project data is cached to the user’s local machine,
which can then later be synchronised to the server database. Floating Licences can be generated
which allow to work without a permanent connection to the Licence Server. More information on
Floating Licences can be found in chapter 5.7.
Note: Offline Mode requires the Multi-user database module and the Floating Licence Server feature.
Note: Offline Mode can not be combined with the Project Archiving functionality.

CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS 8.4. OFFLINE MODE
This section describes the installation and configuration of the Offline Proxy Service, a software
component of PowerFactory to be used with the Offline Mode database driver. Figure 8.4.1 gives
an overview over all components.
Figure 8.4.1: Offline Mode Components Overview
The installation procedure consists of the following steps:
1. First a PowerFactory environment in normal (i.e. not-offline) mode has to be set up. It contains at
least a PowerFactory installation, the Licence Server, and a multi-user database server (Oracle
or SQL Server) (see section 8.4.1).
2. Installation of the Offline Proxy Service on an application server (see section 8.4.2).
3. Configuration of an Offline PowerFactory (see section 8.4.3).
A final section describes the procedure when upgrading to a newer PowerFactory version (see sec-
tion 8.4.4).
8.4.1 PowerFactory in Normal Mode
Before Offline Mode can be set up PowerFactory must be installed and a multi-user database must be
configured and initialised (see section 6.2 on page 21).
The Database page of the PowerFactory Configuration might resemble figure 8.4.2

Figure 8.4.2: PowerFactory Database Configuration
Relevant for the Offline Proxy Service configuration are the parameters below:
• Oracle Database Server parameters

– Connection specifier (e.g //servername/instancename)
– Oracle user name (e.g. schemaname) and password
– A network path to the result files directory (e.g. ∖∖fileserver∖resultfiles)
• SQL Server parameters
– Connection specifier (e.g servername∖instancename)
– SQL Server user name (e.g. schemaname) and password
– SQL Server database name
– A network path to the result files directory (e.g. ∖∖fileserver∖resultfiles)
8.4.2 Offline Proxy Service
8.4.2.1 General Requirements
The Offline Proxy Service requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.
8.4.2.2 Requirements for Oracle
Either Oracle Instant Client 11.2 or a normal Oracle Client 11.2 is required. The architecture must
match the one of the Offline Proxy Service to be installed, either 32 Bit or 64 Bit.
Oracle Instant Client
To be able to access the Oracle Database you need to install a driver called Oracle Instant Client. It
is also used with PowerFactory and can be obtained from the Oracle Homepage. The Offline Proxy
Service requires version 11.2.

Download the ZIP package from there.

Unzip the package to the hard drive, preferably to C:∖oracle∖instantclient_11_2.
(Normal) Oracle Client
Install the Oracle Client using the installer.
8.4.2.3 Requirements for SQL Server
There are no additional requisitions.
8.4.2.4 Offline Proxy Service Installation
The Offline Proxy Service is installed using a Microsoft Installer (MSI) package. The installer files can
be downloaded from our website. They are also shipped on the installation media, subfolder contents.
Both a 32 Bit and a 64 Bit version are available. The Offline Proxy Service architecture does not
necessarily match the PowerFactory architecture, 32 Bit and 64 Bit can be mixed freely.
Run the appropriate MSI installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
The Offline Proxy Service executable and configuration files are (for the 64 Bit version) by default
located in the folder
C:\Program Files\DIgSILENT\PowerFactory Offline Service x.x\
Figure 8.4.3: Offline Proxy Service Installation Directory
Before starting the Offline Proxy Service, it must be configured.

8.4.2.5 Configuration file offline.ini
Navigate to the directory where you have installed the Offline Proxy Service and find the file offline.ini.
Open it with any Text Editor, for example Notepad. It will look like this:
[Network]
Port=9401
[Database]
Type=Oracle
DataSource=//servername/instancename
UserId=schemaname
Password=schemapassword
VaultPath=\\fileserver\resultfiles
[Folders]
DataRoot=E:\temp\offline
AdditionalPath=C:\oracle\instantclient_11_2
The different sections and their contents in detail:
Network Settings
[Network]
Port=9401
Port This port is opened by the server machine to accept incoming connections. It may be necessary
to add an inbound rule to the Windows Firewall. This is covered later in this document.
Database settings for Oracle
[Database]
Type=Oracle
DataSource=//servername/instancename
UserId=schemaname
Password=schemapassword
Type Must be set to Oracle

DataSource A string defining the server machine and Oracle instance to connect to.
UserId The Oracle user/schema id where the PowerFactory database schema is stored.
Password The encrypted (!) password for the Oracle user. Must be set using the console.exe
using the /setdbpassword command from a command shell. Open a command window in the
installation directory and type
console /setdbpassword <password>
VaultPath the result files directory by PowerFactory
These values should match the Database settings in the Online PowerFactory log on dialogue as
described in section 8.4.1.

Database settings for SQL Server
[Database]
Type=SqlServer
Server=servername\instancename
UserId=sqlserverUsername
Password=sqlserverPassword
Database=sqlserverDatabase
Type Must be set to SqlServer

Server A string defining the SQL Server machine and the instance name.
UserId The SQL Server user id
Password The encrypted (!) password. Must be set using the console.exe using the /setdbpassword
command from a command shell. Open a command window in the installation directory and type:
console /setdbpassword <password>
Database the database name

VaultPath the result files directory network folder by PowerFactory
These values should match the Database settings in the Online PowerFactory log on dialogue as
described in section 8.4.1.
Folder settings
[Folders]
DataRoot=E:\temp\offline
AdditionalPath=C:\oracle\instantclient_11_2
DataRoot This is a directory for temporary files created by the Offline Proxy Service. It may be
necessary to change the access rights on this directory. This is covered later in this document.
AdditionalPath The directories added here are temporarily added to the system PATH variable for this
application only. This can be used to tell the Offline Proxy Service where to find the Oracle
Instant Client libraries without modifying the systems PATH variable using Windows system
settings.
Per default, the Offline Proxy Service will write log messages to the Windows application log. This
behaviour is configurable through the file service.exe.config.
8.4.2.6 Setting up Security and Access Rights
The Offline Proxy Service is run as using the system NETWORK SERVICE user account.
• It is mandatory for the NETWORK SERVICE account to have read and write access to the directory
specified as Folders/DataRoot folder. It is also mandatory to allow incoming connections on the
port specified under Network/Port.
• It is mandatory for the NETWORK SERVICE account to have read&write access to the directory
specified as Database/VaultPath
• It is mandatory for the NETWORK SERVICE account to have read&write access to the folder con-
figured for logging C:∖Program Files∖DIgSILENT∖Offline Service

• Oracle only: The NETWORK SERVICE account requires a read access to the Oracle Instant Client
directory.
8.4.2.7 Firewall Settings
To allow connections from remote clients to the Offline Proxy Service, the configured port must be
added as Inbound Rule to the Windows Firewall. Open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
MMC Snap-In. It can be searched for via the Start Menu in Windows 7 and above.
Right click on Inbound Rules and select New Rule...

Set Rule Type to Port and click Next
Set Protocol to TCP. Enter the Port number that is configured in the configuration file for Net-
work/Port and click Next.
Select Allow the Connection and click Next.
Check whatever is suitable for when this new rule is to be applied. This depends on your corporate
network policy and click Next.
Enter a Name and Description and click Finish.
Service Configuration in the MMC: No special actions needed. All general settings are working as usual.
8.4.2.8 Verify Configuration
Log on to the server as the Windows user, which will run the Offline Proxy Service as Windows service.
Open a DOS console

Change directory to the installation directory
Run console
Now the Offline Proxy Service is started as a normal console application and writes messages into
the console window:
C:\Program Files\DIgSILENT\Offline Service>console
2011-11-09 14:48:50,343 [1] INFO Offline.Program - Acting as OfflineProxy Server.

2011-11-09 14:48:50,390 [1] DEBUG Offline.Engine - Engine.Start() ...
2011-11-09 14:48:50,781 [1] DEBUG Offline.Sockets.SocketServer -
FileServerHandler(’d:\tmp\offline_tmp’) ...
2011-11-09 14:48:50,781 [1] DEBUG Offline.Sockets.SocketServer - ...
FileServerHandler(’d:\tmp\offline_tmp’)
2011-11-09 14:48:50,781 [1] DEBUG Offline.Sockets.SocketServer -
FileServerHandler(’\\oracleserver\fullshared\offline_resultfiles’) ...
2011-11-09 14:48:50,781 [1] DEBUG Offline.Sockets.SocketServer - ...
FileServerHandler(’\\oracleserver\fullshared\offline_resultfiles’)
2011-11-09 14:48:50,781 [1] DEBUG Offline.Engine - ... Engine.Start()
Press Return to exit
Verify that no errors are reported.
press Return key and close window
If there are any errors, adapt the configuration accordingly and restart console until there are no more
errors.

8.4.2.9 Start the Offline Service
Having resolved all configuration errors Offline Proxy Service is ready to run as a Windows Service.
Open Windows Services console window and start the Service.
Right-click on Offline Service, and select Start in the context menu (see figure 8.4.4).
Figure 8.4.4: Windows Services
Adapt the service settings:
Right-click on Offline Service, and select Properties in the context menu
An Offline Service Properties dialogue is shown.
Set the Startup type to Automatic.

Figure 8.4.5: Offline Service Properties
Eventually adapt the Windows user in the Log On tab.
The service writes messages into the log file

C:∖Program Files∖DIgSILENT∖Offline Service∖service.log
Before you proceed with the next section, verify that this log file was created and that there are no error
messages in the log file.
8.4.3 PowerFactory Offline Mode Configuration
On each of the Workstations PowerFactory has to be configured in order to communicate with the
Offline Proxy Service.


Figure 8.4.6: PowerFactory Configuration for Offline Mode
Database driver select Offline Proxy Server
Database service insert the host name or IP address of the Offline Server machine, followed by ":"
and the port number e.g. servername:9401 or 192.168.32.367:45600
Use Floating Licence check this option if the offline mode should work without a permanent connec-
tion to the licence server (default).
• Validity: floating licences can be generated for a maximum of 30 days.
• Renewal before expiry: when getting close to expiration a floating licence can be renewed
to extend its validity. In offline mode, PowerFactory reminds the user a configurable number
of days before expiry and offers to start the renewal procedure (please note that renewal
requires connection to the floating licence server).
8.4.4 PowerFactory Upgrade
This section describes the steps to take when PowerFactory is upgraded to a new version e.g. from
15.0.3 to 15.2.0.
8.4.4.1 Step 0: Create Data Backups
Before changing the system create backups of
• Oracle Schema or SQL Server database used for PowerFactory

• the Vault directory on the Vault file server
• workspaces of all Offline PowerFactory instances
8.4.4.2 Step 1: Upgrade PowerFactory Online instance(s)
Run the PowerFactory installer and replace the existing version with the new version.

8.5. ADMINISTRATOR CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS
8.4.4.3 Step 2: Migrate Online Database
With the upgraded PowerFactory installation it’s possible to upgrade the database on the Database
server.
Start an upgraded online PowerFactory installation

Confirm when asked for database migration.
8.4.4.4 Step 3: Upgrade Offline PowerFactory instances, migrate Offline Database
Run the PowerFactory installer and replace the existing version with the new version.
Start PowerFactory. The local offline database is migrated automatically.
8.4.4.5 Step 4: Upgrade Offline Proxy Service
Make a Backup of all configuration files: console.exe.config, offline.exe.config, and offline.ini

Stop the service
Uninstall the service using the Add or remove programs tool
Install the new service

Restore the configuration files
Restart the service
8.5 Administrator
Some functions (e.g. user management or changing the configuration in the PowerFactory database)
require to start PowerFactory as Administrator user (Administrator Mode).
A separate short cut starts PowerFactory in Administrator Mode.
Open Windows’ Start menu and run Windows Start button → All apps→ PowerFactory 2019→
PowerFactory (Administrator).
Alternatively it’s possible re-start PowerFactory and log as Administrator via the menu Tools → Switch
User....
Usually the PowerFactory Administrator user has a password. Therefore you’re asked to insert a
password.
Insert the password.
Press OK.

CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS 8.6. CONFIGURATION
8.6 Configuration
A separate short cut starts PowerFactory in Configuration Mode.
Open Windows’ Start menu and run Windows button → All Apps→ PowerFactory 2019→ Power-
Factory (Configuration).
A PowerFactory Configuration dialogue is shown. Alternatively you can review and change the configu-
ration from within a running PowerFactory via the menu Tools → Configuration....
The Configuration dialogue contains several pages which are explained in the next sub sections.
8.6.1 General Settings
See figure 8.6.1.
Figure 8.6.1: General Settings
Language Specifies the application language. Some language might require to adapt Windows’ "Lan-
guage for non-Unicode Programs" (see section 8.1 on page 46).
8.6.2 Database Settings
Depending on the database type there are different settings.
8.6.2.1 Local Database
See figure 8.6.2.

8.6. CONFIGURATION CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS
Figure 8.6.2: Database Settings (Local Database)
Password An optional password for the database encryption as described in section 6.1.2 on page 20.
8.6.2.2 Oracle native client
The Database page allows to set the Oracle connection settings (see figure 8.6.3).
Figure 8.6.3: Database Settings (Oracle native client)
Database driver select Oracle (Client Version 12c Release 1) or Oracle (Client Version 12c
Release 2).
Database service this field describes the connection. It must be conform to the format
//host[:port][/servicename]
With the values used above (host=oracleserver, port=1521 (default port), and SID=PFSERVER)
the connection name is

//oracleserver/PFSERVER
If we had used a non-default port=8888 the connection name would be
//oracleserver:8888/PFSERVER
If you’ve installed a (normal) Oracle Client and made an entry (e.g. PFS) in the TNSNAMES.ORA
configuration file, you can use the TNS name instead. Then the Database service is just
PFS
Username and Password During the Oracle server setup an Oracle schema PF with the password
aPasswordForPf has been created. Enter these values in the Username and Password fields.
Result Files/Archive Directory (Optional) Directories as described in section 6.2.4 on page 36.
Note: Usually the Oracle Client installation directory path must be configured on Advanced page.
Otherwise PowerFactory can’t find the required Oracle Client Runtime files.
8.6.2.3 Oracle ODBC client
The Database page allows to set the Oracle connection settings (see figure 8.6.4).
Figure 8.6.4: Database Settings (Oracle ODBC client)
Database driver select Oracle via ODBC

Database service, Username, Password, Directories see the Oracle native client section.
ODBC driver The name of the ODBC driver.
Note: Usually the Oracle Client installation directory path must be configured on Advanced page.
Otherwise PowerFactory can’t find the required Oracle Client Runtime files.

8.6.2.4 SQL Server
The Database page allows to set the SQL Server connection settings (see figure 8.6.5).
Figure 8.6.5: Database Settings (SQL Server)
Database driver Select Microsoft SQL Server

Database service The Database service uses the format
host\instancename
e.g.
MYSERVER\SQLEXPRESS
Username and Password The SQL Server name and password.

Database name The database name.
Result Files/Archive Directory (Optional) directories as described in section 6.2.4 on page 36.
8.6.2.5 Offline Proxy Server
PowerFactory ’s Offline Mode (section 8.4 on page 51) requires to configure a server.

Figure 8.6.6: Database Settings (Offline Mode)
Database driver Select Offline Proxy Server

Database service Specify server host name and port, separated by a colon e.g.
OFFLINEPROXYSERVER:9401
Floating licence Configure floating licence usage. For details see section 8.4.3 on page 59.
8.6.3 Workspace Settings
The Workspace page allows to change the Workspace directories (see 8.6.7).
Figure 8.6.7: Workspace Settings
Use Default Workspace Directory Uncheck this option to specify a own Workspace directory.
Workspace Directory Path of the current Workspace directory.
Open Workspace Directory Opens Windows Explorer showing the Workspace directory.

Use Default Backup Directory Uncheck this option to specify a own Workspace Backup directory.
This directory is used when workspaces are exported.
Backup Directory Path of the current Workspace Backup directory.
Open Backup Directory Opens Windows Explorer showing the Workspace Backup directory.
Note: Be careful when changing the Workspace Directory. The new workspace directory is not
initialised with the current workspace directory. First export the workspace to a *.zip file and
re-import it afterwards.
8.6.4 External Applications
The External Applications page allows to change the configuration when using external applica-
tions (see 8.6.8).
Figure 8.6.8: External Applications Settings
8.6.4.1 Python
Settings for running and editing Python scripts.
Version choose which Python version should be used. The Python version is expected to be installed.
Editor choose an application to edit Python script files
8.6.4.2 Visual Studio
Settings for compiling DSL models.
Version choose which Visual Studio version should be used. The Visual Studio version is expected to
be installed.
Shell Extension Allows to choose a different Shell Extension

8.6.4.3 PDF viewer
PowerFactory ’s documentation is delivered as PDF documents. Here you can specify which application
is used for displaying these documents
system viewer use the Window’s default PDF viewer

SumatraPDF use the built-in viewer
custom insert the path to an arbitrary viewer application
8.6.5 Network Settings
Allows to configure general network parameters. These are used for loading background maps from
Map servers and licence checks. It’s possible to configure an HTTP proxy, optionally with authentication.
See figure 8.6.9.
Figure 8.6.9: Network Settings
8.6.6 Geographic Maps
Settings for accessing Map Servers. See figure 8.6.10.

Figure 8.6.10: Geographic Maps Settings
Use default map cache directory Map data is downloaded from the Map Server and cached locally.
You can specify a directory to share map tiles between users e.g. on a file server.
Preferred tile size The size of the fetched tiles

Max server connections Maximum number of concurrent downloads.
Download timeout Timeout used for server or network problems.
Google Maps/Bing Maps/Geoportail Access data for specific Map Server providers.
8.6.7 Advanced Settings
See figure 8.6.11.
Figure 8.6.11: Advanced Settings
Additional directories in PATH A set of directories (each directory on a separate line) where Power-
Factory should look for *.dll files e.g. the Oracle Client Runtime.

Directories for external digex libraries Set of paths that are searched for such DLL files.
The Advanced sub page allows to specify some really advanced settings (see figure 8.6.12).
Figure 8.6.12: Advanced page, Advanced tab Settings
Debug Runs PowerFactory in Debug mode.

Master in Distributed Simulation If checked: this PowerFactory instance acts as Master, otherwise
as slave.
Unattended Mode If checked: PowerFactory runs in non-interactive mode i.e. there no dialogues are
shown which wait for user input.
Run simulation in separate thread Allows to run a simulation calculation a separate thread (experi-
mental)
Startup Commands List of commands that are executed when PowerFactory is started.
Authentication Server Specifies an Authentication Server.
8.6.8 The PowerFactory.ini configuration file
The settings mentioned in the previous sections are persistently stored in the PowerFactory.ini file
in the PowerFactory installation directory. Below find a typical configuration for a multi-user environment:
[advanced]
additionalPath = C:\Oracle\instantclient_12_2_x64
[database]
driver = oracle
password = 9pTOg5c/IjZochfLdBZ6373dJ
service = //oracleserver/instance
username = oracleschemaname
[general]
language = de
[license]

8.7. COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS
container = 130-1434393412
server = my.licenceserver.com
The command line parameter /helpIni displays a list of all settings (see section 8.7.2 on page 71).
It’s possible to use Windows environment variables in the configuration e.g. %USERNAME% is replaced
by the actual Windows user name.
8.7 Command Line Parameters
PowerFactory can be started with optional command line parameters.

"/parameter1:value" "/parameter2:another value"
Alternatively you can use the format below:

/parameter1 "value" /parameter2 "another value"
The double quote characters ("") can be omitted if the argument contains no spaces.
The remainder of this section describes only the most important parameters. Use /help to get a
complete list of all parameters.
8.7.1 /help
Prints a list of all available command line parameters e.g.:
PowerFactory command line parameters:
/ini <path to INI file> - Path to a PowerFactory INI file
/username <name> - PowerFactory username
/password <password> - PowerFactory user password
/config - Edit PowerFactory configuration
[...]
8.7.2 /helpIni
Prints a list of all available parameters in the PowerFactory.ini configuration file.

CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS 8.7. COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS
[general] language=<language code> - application language, one of the

following values: "cn" (Simplified Chinese), "de" (German), "en"
(English), "es" (Spanish), "fr" (French), "ru" (Russian), or "tr"
(Turkish)
[general] title=<title> - text shown in application window
[general] workspacedirectory=<writable directory> - path to workspace

directory
[general] backupdirectory=<writable directory> - path to workspace

backup directory
[general] tempdirectory=<writable directory> - path to directory for

temporary files
[...]
8.7.3 /config
Show and edit PowerFactory configuration (see section 8.6 on page 62).
8.7.4 /housekeeping
Execute a database Housekeeping in the database (section 8.2.0.1 on page 47).
8.7.5 /ini
PowerFactory reads the configuration from the file PowerFactory.ini in the installation directory.
In some scenarios it might be convenient to have several configuration files PowerFactory_1.ini,
PowerFactory_2.ini etc. These files can be in any directory, not necessarily in the installation direc-
tory. For each configuration follow the procedure below.
1. Edit and save PowerFactory configuration (see section 8.6 on page 62). The configuration is
saved to the PowerFactory.ini in the installation directory
2. Copy PowerFactory.ini to e.g. C:∖PowerFactory Configurations∖PowerFactory_1.ini
3. Start PowerFactory with the /ini parameter:

/ini "C:\PowerFactory Configurations\PowerFactory_1.ini"
The path to the *.ini file must be an absolute path. A leading dot (.) is interpreted as PowerFactory
installation directory. Example:
/ini ".\PowerFactory_1.ini"
is equivalent to
/ini "C:\Program Files\DIgSILENT\PowerFactory 2019\PowerFactory_1.ini"

8.7.6 /killFormerSession
If there is already an active session of the PowerFactory user, it will be terminated without any confir-
mation. This parameter is applicable for multi-user databases only.
8.7.7 /lang
/lang <LANGUAGE> Ignore the Language setting in the configuration, and run PowerFactory with a
different language:
• cn: Simplified Chinese,

• en: English,
• es: Spanish,
• de: German,
• fr: French,
• ru: Russian, or
• tr: Turkish
8.7.8 /minimalMigration
Perform a minimal migration of the database (see section 9.3.3 on page 83 and section 9.3.4 on page 85
for details).
8.7.9 /migration
Migrate all not-migrated projects after a Minimal Database Migration (see section 9.3.3 on page 83 for
details)
8.7.10 /readonlymode
Database read-only mode (see section 6.3 on page 37 for details).
8.7.11 /inMemory
Database in-memory mode (see section 6.1.3 on page 20 for details).
8.7.12 /username and /password
/username:<USERNAME> specifies which PowerFactory user is to be used. Example: start as Frodo

Baggins user.

/username "Frodo Baggins"
Optionally a password can be specified with /password:<PASSWORD>:

CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS 8.7. COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS

/username "Frodo Baggins" /password "Frodos password"
8.7.13 /unlockdatabase and /resetunlockkey
Use previously set database unlock key (DUK) or reset the DUK to a new value. When starting
PowerFactory with one of these options a dialogue is shown asking for the currently configured DUK
/ the PowerFactory administrator password and guide the user through the selected process (see
section 7.4.1 on page 44 for details).
8.7.14 /reportLogFile
Report log file paths in console.
8.7.15 /createSupportPackage
/createSupportPackage <filename>
Creates a support package with the specified file name.
8.7.16 /resetWindowPosition
Resets the position, size and layout of the PowerFactory main window.
8.7.17 /general.workspacedirectory
/general.workspacedirectory <directory>
Specifies the path to the workspace directory.
8.7.18 /database.driver
/database.driver <driver>
• sqlite: Local database

• oracle: Oracle database using Oracle 12 Release 1 via OCCI
• oracle122: Oracle database using Oracle 12 Release 2 via OCCI
• oracleodbc: Oracle via ODBC
• sqlserver: Microsoft SQL Server
• offline: Offline mode
8.7.19 /database.service
/database.service <service>
Database service endpoint, depending on the database driver used.

8.7.20 /database.username
/database.username <username>
Username to be used when connecting to the database service.
8.7.21 /database.password
/database.password <password>
Encrypted password for database service.
8.7.22 /database.database
/database.database <identifier>
Database or schema identifier, depending on database driver used.
8.7.23 /database.odbcDriver
/database.odbcDriver <driver>
ODBC driver to be used for the ad-hoc connection. Only applies to SQL Server or Oracle via ODBC.
8.7.24 /database.resultFilesDirectory
/database.resultFilesDirectory <directory>
Path to the result files directory.
8.7.25 /database.archiveDirectory
/database.archiveDirectory <directory>
Path to the archive directory.
8.7.26 /license.server
/license.server <server>
Name or network address of the network licence server.
8.7.27 /license.container
/license.container <container>
CodeMeter licence container Id.

CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS 8.8. SILENT INSTALLATION OPTIONS
8.7.28 /license.hotstandbyserver
/license.hotstandbyserver <server>
Name or network address of the hotstandby network licence server.
8.7.29 /license.hotstandbycontainer
/license.hotstandbycontainer <container>
CodeMeter licence container Id of the hotstandby licence server.
8.7.30 /advanced.additionalPath
/license.hotstandbycontainer <directory1;directory2;directory3>
Additional directories in PATH, separated by semicolon.
8.7.31 /advanced.commands
/advanced.commands <command1;command2;command3>
Additional commands to be executed after logging in to PowerFactory, typically used to execute DPL
commands after startup.
8.8 Silent Installation Options
The PowerFactory installer can be run in silent mode via the command line. The easiest way to trigger
a silent installation of PowerFactory is by executing the command
PowerFactory-2019_x64.exe -quiet -install
in the directory where the PowerFactory installation executable is located.
Please note that this command will execute the installation in a new process, no graphical user interface
will be shown and no other interaction with the installation process is possible. Per default the program
will install all features and packages of the product to the default installation location %PROGRAMFILES%
\DIgSILENT\PowerFactory 2019\.
Note: Administrator privileges are required to successfully run the installation. The silent installation
will be executed in a separate process and after issuing an installation command the command line will
immediately return. The installation process continues to run in the background until it finishes or is
cancelled due to an error (see subsection 8.8.2).
8.8.1 Command line options
To start any silent installation operation, type the name of the PowerFactory installation executable, the
argument -quiet and one of the following operation arguments:

8.8. SILENT INSTALLATION OPTIONS CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS
-install installs PowerFactory.

-uninstall removes an existing PowerFactory installation. If no PowerFactory installation is
present, this command will have no effect.
Figure 8.8.1: Operation commands for silent installation
The installer supports the following additional command line arguments when using -install:
• INSTALLDIR: Specifies the installation directory. Must be a full path where the application should
be installed. The installer will not create a sub folder for the product.
• CREATEDESKTOPICON: Enables or disables the creation of a shortcut for the application on the
user’s desktop. Possible values are "yes" or "no". The default value is "yes".
Note that the following rules must be satisfied for any chosen installation path:
• the installation path defined by the INSTALLDIR parameter must be given in quotes and may
not end with a backslash (\). If you want to install PowerFactory into the directory E:\PF 2019,
for instance, use INSTALLDIR="E:\PF 2019". Do not use INSTALLDIR="E:\PF 2019\" or
INSTALLDIR=E:\PF 2019.
• The installation path must be given as an absolute path to the desired installation folder (e.g.
D:\path\to\folder, not \relative\path or D:\path\to\file.xyz).
• The corresponding drive of the chosen path
– must exist,
– must not be a read-only drive (such as a DVD drive),
– must not be a network drive
– and must have sufficient free disk space.
• The administrator of your system needs reading and writing rights for the installation path.
• The installation folder must be empty.
During installation or removal, log files are created. By default they are written to %LOCALAPPDATA%
\Temp\PowerFactory*.log. However, you may specify a custom log file location by using the -log
command argument:
PowerFactory-2019_x64.exe -quiet -install -log "D:\path\to\log-file.txt"
Besides the main log file, additional log files for the separate packages of the installation bundle are
created in the same directory and use the name of the main log file as prefix.
8.8.2 Error codes
Whenever the installation operation finishes or is cancelled, an error code is returned to indicate what
went wrong (if something went wrong).
The error code of the operation will be written into the log file as hexadecimal number and it may be
easily found by searching the log text for the term ’Exit code: 0x’. For instance, the output Exit
code: 0x1002 means that the operation yielded the error code 0x1002 (which is 4098 in the decimal
system).
Please note: The error code 0x0 indicates that the operation was successful, i.e. there were no errors.
There are three types of error codes that may be returned by the installer:

CHAPTER 8. ADVANCED OPTIONS 8.8. SILENT INSTALLATION OPTIONS
• Windows Installer Error codes: These error codes are transmitted by the Microsoft Windows
Installer engine. Any error code smaller than 4096 (hexadecimal: 0x1000) indicates a Win-
dows Installer error. For an explanation for these error codes, please refer to the official Mi-
crosoft Developer Network (MSDN) pages, e.g. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/
library/windows/desktop/aa368542(v=vs.85).aspx or https://msdn.microsoft.
com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms681385(v=vs.85).aspx.
• PowerFactory installer error codes: These error codes indicate errors specific to the Power-
Factory installer. The codes start at 4096 (hexadecimal: 0x1000) and are listed in figure 8.8.2.
• MSI error code: In some cases, one of the Microsoft Installer (MSI) packages included in the
PowerFactory installer will abort an operation. In that case, the returned error code will be 8192
(hexadecimal 0x2000). The specific nature of the error is given in the accompanying log file.
Error code Explanation

0x1000 The operation was cancelled by the user.
0x1001 Not enough space on operating system drive. Your operating system’s root drive
(typically C:\) does not have enough free disk space for installation. Please note
that regardless of the chosen installation path, the installation also requires disk
space on the operating system drive.
0x1002 Not enough space on target installation drive. The root drive of the chosen
installation path does not have enough free disk space.
0x1003 The selected installation folder is not empty.
0x1004 The chosen installation path is invalid. Note that the installation path must be given
as an absolute path to the desired installation folder.
0x1005 The chosen installation path is on a network drive. Note that PowerFactory cannot
be installed on a network drive.
0x1006 The root drive of the installation path does not exist or does not allow installation.
0x1007 Access to the installation path was denied. Note that installation requires administra-
tor privileges and the administrator needs to have reading and writing rights for the
selected installation path.
0x1008 A 64 bit version of the installer is being executed on a 32 bit operation system.
0x1009 Administrator rights were not granted for the installer. Note that installation requires
administrator privileges.
Figure 8.8.2: Comprehensive list of PowerFactory installer error codes
8.8.3 Examples
To install PowerFactory silently to the directory E:\PowerFactory 2019, use the command
PowerFactory-2019_x64.exe -quiet -install INSTALLDIR="E:\PowerFactory 2019"
To remove an existing PowerFactory installation and create the log file D:\temp\log.txt, use
PowerFactory-2019_x64.exe -quiet -uninstall -log "D:\temp\log.txt"

Chapter 9
Upgrade and Migration
This chapter addresses typical scenarios where an existing PowerFactory installation is modified.
• Licence Migration: an existing licence is migrated (see section 9.1 on page 79)
• Upgrade to a newer PowerFactory version e.g. from 15.2 to 2019 (see section 9.2 on page 81).
9.1 Licence Migration
With the release of PowerFactory 2016 the licensing system has been re-implemented and is based
on a new technology since. Users of former versions of PowerFactory (15.x or previous), need to
migrate their old licence when upgrading to PowerFactory 2016 or later. Please visit: https://www.
digsilent.de/en/licence-migration.html.
After you have received the Activation Key of your migrated PowerFactory licence from DIgSILENT
sales, please activate it as described in Section 5.3.
9.1.1 Using PowerFactory15.2 or earlier with a PowerFactory2019 Licence
Users who have already migrated their PowerFactory licence but nevertheless need to run earlier
versions of PowerFactory (15.x or previous) from time to time, will have to install a new version of
the PowerFactory licence server, which is called LegacyLicenceService.
Hint: The LegacyLicenceService requires a local licence (dongle connected to the local machine
or softkey activated on the local system). PowerFactory instances however can connect to the
LegacyLicenceService from any PC in the network.
Also note that - due to changes in the functionality contained in PowerFactory base package
from PowerFactory 15.x to PowerFactory 2016 and later - it is only possible to run an older
PowerFactory version with a recent PowerFactory licence that contains at least the following
additional modules (which are contained in any migrated licence): Contingency Analysis, Quasi-
Dynamic Simulation, Network Reduction, Techno-Economical Analysis, Scripting and Automation.
9.1.1.1 Installation of Legacy Licence Service
The installer for LegacyLicenceService can be found in the PowerFactory 2019 installation directory
(folder Legacy Licence Service). After running the installer, the Licence Service Utility tool can be
started by:

CHAPTER 9. UPGRADE AND MIGRATION 9.1. LICENCE MIGRATION
• Opening the Windows’ Start menu and running Start → All Programs→ PowerFactory Legacy
Licence Service→ Licence Service Utility or
• Running the LicenceServiceUtility.exe in the Legacy Licence Service installation directory.
Hint: This tool can only be started if a migrated PowerFactory licence is available on the local machine.
Within this tool press the Install Legacy Licence Service button. If there are different Power-
Factory licences available on the local computer, it is important to select one licence before starting the
service (see 9.1.1.2).
After installing, LegacyLicenceService will start automatically when rebooting your system. However,
LegacyLicenceService depends on the start of CodeMeter. To configure this dependency, open a
command prompt with administrator rights and type:
sc config LegacyLicenceService depend= CodeMeter.exe
9.1.1.2 Configuration and start of PowerFactory
Configuration for PowerFactory Workstation Licence
If using a PowerFactory workstation licence, PowerFactory has to be configured as workstation. Run

TOOLS∖Configure.bat in the installation directory of your old PowerFactory version. The PowerFactory
configuration dialogue opens. Navigate to page Licence and select PowerFactory Workstation. Close
the dialog.
For using a workstation licence it is important to stop the old PowerFactory licence service (DIgLiseSer-
vice) on the local system (if all your licences have been migrated to the new licence system you can
uninstall the service.).
Configuration for PowerFactory Network Licence
If using a PowerFactory network licence, PowerFactory has to be configured as server. Run

TOOLS∖Configure.bat in the installation directory of your old PowerFactory version. The PowerFactory
configuration dialogue opens. Navigate to page Licence and select PowerFactory Server. In the Server
Name field enter 127.0.0.1 or the IP address of the PC where LegacyLicenceService is running. Go
to the Advanced tab and change the RPC-Endpoint to 4010. Close the dialog.
Selection of a specific PowerFactory Licence
If there are more than one migrated PowerFactory licences available on the local system, it is important
to configure the licence to be used by pressing the button Select Licence Container in Licence
Service Utility. This will open the Select Licence page of the Licence Manager which is described
in 5.5.
Afterwards the file LegacyLicenceService.ini (located in the installation directory) should contain a
[licence] section similar to the following:
[license]
container = 128-8130889
Hint: Licence configuration takes effect after restarting the LegacyLicenceService.

9.2. UPGRADE POWERFACTORY VERSION CHAPTER 9. UPGRADE AND MIGRATION
Start PowerFactory
Make sure Legacy Licence Service is running. It can be started from the Licence Service Utility tool
(see 9.1.1).
Then start your old PowerFactory version as usual.
Figure 9.1.1: Licence Service Utility
9.2 Upgrade PowerFactory Version
Beginning with PowerFactory 2016, upgrade installations are no longer supported. Each PowerFactory
release must be installed as a separate, new product.
9.3 Data Migration
A data migration is required when switching from one major release to another one, e.g. from version
2018 to version 2019. There is no migration required if only the service pack number changes. In the
latter case, only the following folders are updated:
• System
• Library
Please make sure these folders do not contain any custom data. They are reset in the process.
9.3.1 Local Database
Since version PowerFactory 15.1 workspaces (including the local database) can be easily exported and
imported.

CHAPTER 9. UPGRADE AND MIGRATION 9.3. DATA MIGRATION
Start the former PowerFactory and export the workspace to a *.zip file (section 6.1.1.1 on
page 19)
Start the new PowerFactory and import the *.zip file.
9.3.2 Multi-User Database
Since version 14.0 PowerFactory can access and use multi-user database from former versions. The
database is migrated automatically when the new PowerFactory version is started. The PowerFactory
Administrator password is required.
Note: A multi-user database is always migrated in-place. After migration the former PowerFactory
version won’t be able to use the database anymore. Ensure that the former version is disabled or
completely removed.
Note: The database migration temporarily requires more data space for e.g. intermediate tables or
table indexes which are dropped at the end of the migration. On Oracle ensure that the temporary
tablespace TEMP can grow up to at least 10 percent of the size of the OBJECT_ table.
The migration resets all changes in these top-level objects:
• System
• Library
Before you migrate, please make sure that these folders don’t contain any data you need afterwards.
Inform all PowerFactory users about the migration.

(Optional) Disable the former PowerFactory version (e.g. on Application Server).
Ensure that no PowerFactory user is logged on.
Create a database backup.
The new PowerFactory installation must be configured to use the same database connection
parameters.
Start the new PowerFactory version. A warning dialogue is shown (see figure 9.3.1).
Figure 9.3.1: DB Migration Dialogue
Press Yes to start the migration.

9.3. DATA MIGRATION CHAPTER 9. UPGRADE AND MIGRATION
Before the migration is started you’re asked for the PowerFactory Administrator password.
The existing database is now migrated to the new PowerFactory database structure. Depending on
the size of the database this may take several minutes up to several hours. Please don’t interrupt the
migration process. When the migration is completed a success dialogue will appear (see figure 9.3.2).
Figure 9.3.2: Successful Database Migration
9.3.3 Complete vs. Minimal Database Migration
Earlier PowerFactory versions always migrated the database completely. A complete migration—
especially on a multi-user environment—could run for several days depending on the database size
(i.e. the number of users, the number of projects, and the project sizes) and the available hardware
resources. PowerFactory users could not use the application during that period.
Since PowerFactory version 15.2 it’s possible to run a Minimal Migration, that reduces the downtime
period for big database essentially. It only alters the database structure, but doesn’t migrate the users’
projects.
Before the actual migration is started a dialogue allows to choose between Complete and Minimal
migration (see figure 9.3.3).
Figure 9.3.3: Database Migration Settings Dialogue
• Complete (recommended): alters database structure and migrates all projects right now. This
may take very long depending on the number of projects and their sizes.
• Minimal: alters only the database structure. Projects will be migrated later on first activation.
After a Minimal Migration the Data Manager displays not-migrated projects in a grey-coloured font
without any content (see figure 9.3.4). Not-migrated can be renamed, moved, and deleted like normal
projects. They’re automatically migrated on activation.

Figure 9.3.4: Not-migrated project
Some projects might not be used any more, and stay un-migrated forever. However, in some cases it
might be desirable to enforce the migration of the projects. On account of this PowerFactory can be
started in Migration Mode with the /migration command line argument:
PowerFactory.exe /migration:<maximum duration in hours>[:<sleep interval in seconds>]
It migrates not-migrated projects sequentially and stops either after a given time period has passed, or
there aren’t any more projects to migrate.
PowerFactory.exe /migration:8
runs for up to 8 hours. An optional parameter allows to set a sleep time between migrating two projects
in order to reduce the load on the database server. The command below runs the migration for up to 8
hours, pausing for 60 seconds after each project.
PowerFactory.exe /migration:8:60
The migration order of the projects can be influenced by the PowerFactory users. A relative migration
priority can be set in the project dialogue (see figure 9.3.5). First all projects with a High priority are
migrated, then all projects with Medium priority, and finally projects with Low priority. Projects with the
most recent activation date are favoured. Base projects are automatically migrated before their derived
projects.

9.3. DATA MIGRATION CHAPTER 9. UPGRADE AND MIGRATION
Figure 9.3.5: Migration Priority of a project
Here’s a possible scenario for upgrading a big multi-user database:
1. Minimal Migration: during that time the system can not be used by any PowerFactory user.
2. A Windows task is created and scheduled to start PowerFactory in Migration Mode to run for
some hours during each night. During that time users might change the migration priority to High
of projects they think they need in the next days. After all projects have been migrated, the job
can be removed.
3. Immediately after the Minimal Migration PowerFactory users can use the system, and migrate the
projects that they’re actually working on.
9.3.4 Engine Licences (GUI disabled)
Migrating a database for a PowerFactory installation using only engine licences requires a two step
approach via the command line for a full migration.
1. Run a minimal migration to ensure the database can be read from the new version
2. Perform a project migration if the engines need to access already existing projects
A minimal migration can be started via the command line using the following command:
PowerFactory.exe /minimalMigration [/password:<password for Administrator>]
If the Administrator user in PowerFactory has a password set it is required to specify this password via
the command line. An empty password must not be specified and the parameter can be omitted.

After the minimal migration has terminated successfully, run PowerFactory in Migration Mode as de-
scribed in section 9.3.3 on page 83.

Chapter 10
Support
For additional information and help in case of problems, please visit our Support Centre at
https://www.digsilent.de/en/support.html.
10.1 Support Package
Handling and analysis of support cases often requires more information about the environment, log
files and various application settings. To make the collection of all these details more convenient,
PowerFactory provides a built-in function to collect all relevant information in a so called ’Support
Package’. Such a package must be created manually and should be provided when requested by
the support team.
Hint: Please note: This support package contains detailed diagnostic information about the computer
and its environment. These data should be checked and, if necessary, made anonymous before
being passed on to third parties. This is the sole responsibility of the user.
10.1.1 Creation
A support package can easily be created from within the application via menue ’Help’ → ’Support’ →
’Create support package...’ or via a shortcut called ’Create Support Package’ in the PowerFactory group
of the Windows start-menu.
Hint: Before creating a support package, it is strongly recommended to re-produce the issue with full
logging enabled: Start PowerFactory , enable full logging via ’Help’ → ’Support’ → ’Full logging
enabled’ and re-produce the problem. Afterwards create a support package as described above.
10.1.2 Contents
For transparency, the package is stored as a standard zip archive and contains the following data in
plain text files. It’s the user’s responsibility to remove all sensitive data before passing the package to
someone else.
• User log files
• Application startup log files

CHAPTER 10. SUPPORT 10.1. SUPPORT PACKAGE
• Crashdump files for the last 10 PowerFactory crashes

• Licence Manager log files
• Licence provider log file (CmDust.log)

• Text file listing all environment variables
• Text file listing version, installation directory, system and database timestamps, computer name,
Windows user name, command line and PowerFactory.ini path used at application startup
• Text file listing all content from the installation directory

• Text file listing all ODBC drivers found
• Currently used PowerFactory configuration (PowerFactory.ini)
• Text file listing currently allocated licences
• Text file listing all found Python installations

• Text file containing a dump of the [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE \DIgSILENT GmbH]
registry node
• Text file listing all currently running processes

ABOUT DIGSILENT
DIgSILENT was founded in 1985 and is a fully
independent and privately owned company located in
Gomaringen close to Stuttgart, Germany. DIgSILENT Our Power System Monitoring PFM300 p roduct
continued expansion by establishing offices in Australia, line features grid and plant supervision, fault
South Africa, Italy, Chile, Spain, France, the USA and recording, and power quality and grid charac-
Oman, thereby facilitating improved service following the teristics analysis. The Grid Code Compliance
world-wide increase in usage of its software products Monitoring PFM300-GCC system also offers
and services. DIgSILENT has established a strong partner compliance auditing of power plants with
network in many countries such as Mexico, Malaysia, respect to grid code requirements. This monitor-
UK, Switzerland, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, China and India. ing and non-compliance detection provides the
DIgSILENT services and software installations are used in complete transparency and assurance required
more than 150 countries. by both plant operators and utilities.
The DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 accredited DIgSILENT

Test Laboratory for NAR Conformity carries out
DIgSILENT produces the leading integrated measurements in accordance with FGW TR3 on
power system analysis software PowerFactory, the operational type 1 generation plant (directly
which covers the full range of functionality from coupled synchronous machines). These measure
standard features to highly sophisticated and ments are carried out in accordance with the
advanced applications including wind power, “individual verification procedure” as required
distributed generation, real-time simulation by the German grid connection guidelines VDE-
and performance monitoring for system test- AR-N 4110/20/30. DIgSILENT has many years of
ing and supervision. For various applications, international expertise in the field of generation
PowerFactory has become the power industry’s and consumption/load systems testing. The
de-facto standard tool, due to PowerFactory in-house developed and produced measuring
models and algorithms providing unrivalled systems enable the testing laboratory to offer
accuracy and p erformance. customised measuring solutions for a wide range
of power plants and applications.
StationWare is a central asset management

system for primary and secondary equipment. DIgSILENT GmbH is staffed with experts of
In addition to handling locations and devices in various disciplines relevant for performing
a user-definable hierarchy, the system allows consulting services, research activities, user
manufacturer-independent protection settings training, educational programs and software
to be stored and managed in line with customer- development. Highly specialised expertise is
specific workflows. It facilitates the management available in many fields of electrical engineer-
of a wide variety of business processes within a ing applicable to liberalised power markets and
company and centralises the storage of docu- to the latest developments in power generation
ments. StationWare can be integrated seamlessly technologies such as wind power and distribut-
into an existing IT environment and the inter- ed generation. DIgSILENT has provided expert
face with PowerFactory enables the transfer of consulting services to several prominent PV and
calculation-relevant data for p rotection studies. wind grid integration studies.

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December 14, 2020

1.2 DIgSILENT Download Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.3 Knowledge Base of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.4 Technical Major Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.4.1 PowerFactory 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.4.2 PowerFactory 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.4.3 PowerFactory 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.4.4 PowerFactory 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.4.5 PowerFactory 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2 PowerFactory Editions Overview 3

3.2 Network Licence Server (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

5.1 Network Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

5.1.1 HTTP Proxy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

5.2 Virtual Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

5.3 Activating a Licence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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5.4 Updating a Licence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

5.5 Selecting a Licence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

5.6 Hot Standby Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

5.7 Floating Licences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

5.8 Hardware Changes and Softkey Licences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

5.9 Moving a Licence (Softkey only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

6.1 Local Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

6.1.1 Workspace and Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

6.1.3 In-memory Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

6.2 Multi-User Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

6.2.1 Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

6.2.3 Microsoft SQL Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

6.2.4 Directories for Result Files and/or Archive (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

6.3 Read-only Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

7 Security and Privacy 39

7.1 Audit Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

7.1.3 Report, Export, and Integrity Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

7.2 Idle Session Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

7.4 Login Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

7.4.1 PowerFactory authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

7.4.2 Active Directory authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

8.1 Application Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

8.2 Housekeeping (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

ii DIgSILENT PowerFactory 2021, Advanced Installation and Configuration Manual

8.3 Application Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

8.3.1 Workspace directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

8.3.2 PowerFactory Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

8.4 Offline Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

8.4.1 PowerFactory in Normal Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

8.4.2 Offline Proxy Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

8.4.3 PowerFactory Offline Mode Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

8.4.4 PowerFactory Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

8.6.1 General Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

8.6.2 Database Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62