Application as Service - How to run your application as Windows service?

You can manage the task using our GUI application, command line or XML configuration file. Despite of the fact that all these methods will do the same, we recommend you start with graphical user interface since last two options require some experience.

1. Create Eltima service and run your application as service using graphical interface

• Click "Create" button on Toolbar to invoke "Create service" tab.
• Tick "Run application as service" checkbox on "Create service" tab and select application to run as service.

• Customize required service parameters at the corresponding tabs and click "Create service" button.
• On successful service creation you may see it in "Eltima services" in the "Service list".
• If you haven't specified "Automatic" start-up type (the default value is "Manual") the service won't be started until you explicitly do so. In order to start the service, please, select it in the "Service list" and press "Start" Toolbar button. Once the service is started, you may see its status is set to "running". Please, note that if you haven't enabled "Interaction with desktop" option your application will run in background.

 



2. Create Eltima service and run your application as service from command line

• Install the service by typing the full path to app2srv.exe file (by default it is "c:\Program Files\Eltima Software\Application as Service\", alternatively you may add this path to Path environment variable), INSTALL and providing all necessary command line options. For instance:

c:\Program Files\Eltima Software\Application as Service\app2srv.exe INSTALL /SN=Notepad /PM="C:\WINDOWS\System32\notepad.exe"

• SN (Service Name) and PM (Executable file) parameters are mandatory. Please, not that your application will run in background unless you provide the /ID1 parameter (Interaction with desktop enabled) and set "User account" to "LocalSystem" (which is default parameter and therefore, could be omitted).
• Start the service by typing full path to the app2srv.exe file, START and valid SN (Service Name) key. For instance:

c:\Program Files\Eltima Software\Application as Service\app2srv.exe START /SN=Notepad


3. Create Eltima service and run your application as service using XML configuration file

• The easiest way to create Eltima service and run your application as service using XML configuration file is with the help of graphical interface. Please, click "Create" button on Toolbar and select "Import from XML"
• Select your XML configuration file and click "Open" button. On successful creation you will see your service in "Eltima services" section of Services list.
• The second way to create new system service is to install the service by typing the full path to app2srv.exe file (by default it is "c:\Program Files\Eltima Software\Application as Service\", alternatively you may add this path to Path environment variable), INSTALLXML command and providing the full path to your XML_FILE. For instance:

c:\Program Files\Eltima Software\Application as Service\app2srv.exe INSTALLXML c:\Work\App2srv_config.xml

• Start the service by typing full path to the app2srv.exe file, START and valid SN (Service Name) key. For instance:

c:\Program Files\Eltima Software\Application as Service\app2srv.exe START /SN=Notepad