create a new windows (xp) service that runs a jar file

[JPractitioner]

Hello guys,

Does anyone has experience/know how to create a new windows (xp)
service that runs a jar file? This issue rises as i need to hide the
most of the java implementation in this project before it goes live.

So the idea is, to have control on the exceution of the jar from
windows windows service console (which the users can define the startup
type i.e. manual, automatic, disabled and the running life cycle i.e.
start, stop, pause, resume, restart...).

so any leads to solving this will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance. Have a nice day!

 

[dsjoblom]

Hello guys,

Does anyone has experience/know how to create a new windows (xp)
service that runs a jar file? This issue rises as i need to hide the
most of the java implementation in this project before it goes live.

So the idea is, to have control on the exceution of the jar from
windows windows service console (which the users can define the startup
type i.e. manual, automatic, disabled and the running life cycle i.e.
start, stop, pause, resume, restart...).

so any leads to solving this will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance. Have a nice day!

I imagine you would create it like any other windows service. See
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q137890/

Regards,
Daniel Sjöblom

 

[Real Gagnon]

Does anyone has experience/know how to create a new windows (xp)

service that runs a jar file? This issue rises as i need to hide the
most of the java implementation in this project before it goes live.

Use the "Java Service Wrapper"

http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.org/doc/english/introduction.html#service

Bye.

 

[JPractitioner]

thx to the both of u.
i really appreciate..
good luck and all the best!

 

[JPractitioner]

Hi Daniel, I followed your way.
I just dont know how to start with java service wrapper. realgagnon
might have some idea on this that he can share with us?

So back to the topic, I managed to add a new service on my pc and it
shows in my services applet. But the service cannot run a jar file, it
throws error that says the service has been stopped because it is
inactive. Actually the program is active. It listens to client's
requests once started. It takes some configuration value from a few
files.

Anyway, i figured out that, windows might expect an exe instead of jar
to execute. So i tried to convert the jar to exe. I did that and the
exe can run. Following that, I edit my registry.. pointing the value
data to the exe i made.

I try again, this time i can see my program's console for a while and
then my program throws error saying that it cannot get the file as if
the file was not even there.

This is weird since i can run the program perfectley with the jar and
the exe but when it involves windows service to run the exe, the file
not found error slap me right on my face.

So, dsjoblom.. /other readers, do u have any idea why this happened and
how i can solve this?

Thinking of other alternatives, I will just copy a shortcut to my
startup folder, but this wont do very well since someone (administrator
in my case) has to log on before the system can run. The administrator
account will have to log on forever... or I might have to consider
another user account dedicated to this thing hmmmm......

ok guys, thanks.

 

[JPractitioner]

guys, when i meant "files".. they are the configuration files that feed
the configuration value such as remote address and so on...

 

[bowman]

I try again, this time i can see my program's console for a while and
then my program throws error saying that it cannot get the file as if
the file was not even there.

Where is it looking for the file? Services inherit from the SCManager and
often act as if the cwd is %WINDIR%\system32. I am not familiar with the
Java wrapper and don't know what tweaking it might do as the process is
spun up by the SCManager. If you are using a relative path, try an
absolute.

As a service is started, The SCManager expects feedback from the new thread
on a timely basis saying "I'm still trying to get it together", "I'm good
to go", and so forth and assumes it is not running if the reply isn't
received, but the wrapper should be taking care of this housekeeping.

 

[Luc The Perverse]

Hello guys,

Does anyone has experience/know how to create a new windows (xp)
service that runs a jar file? This issue rises as i need to hide the
most of the java implementation in this project before it goes live.

So the idea is, to have control on the exceution of the jar from
windows windows service console (which the users can define the startup
type i.e. manual, automatic, disabled and the running life cycle i.e.
start, stop, pause, resume, restart...).

so any leads to solving this will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance. Have a nice day!

If you really need to run a Java program as a Windows Service you might want
to natively compile it.

I know excelsior Jet professional has a windows service native compilation
option.

(I think Jet is the only byte code to windows code converter that is still
around and up to date.) There is a GNU byte code to Linux binary compiler.

 

[JPractitioner]

Hi bowman,
After i read your comment, i realized that those file were refered
relatively. So i changed them to an absolute path. and it
<b>WORKS!!!!!</b>

thanks man for teaching me this.

however, some xml files were also out of reach.. and the error said
that the xml cant be found in c:\windows\system32

so i place the xml files there, and its working.

I have one more question.. why is that when i stop the service, only
srvany.exe being killed.. but my app still alive? and also if i kill my
app, the srvany.exe still alive.. why is it like this?

Again, thanks a lot bowman, the tips u gave is the key that i will use
to learn more about windows.

Thanks,
Makmur.

 

[JPractitioner]

Thanks Luc, I'll take a look of this software,,

 

[bowman]

I have one more question.. why  is that when i stop the service, only
srvany.exe being killed.. but my app still alive? and also if i kill my
app, the srvany.exe still alive.. why is it like this?

I don't use srvany so I am not positive, but I do not think srvany
implements the stop event. In C/C++, you add code to the application. The
SCManager calls that as main(), which sets up the dispatcher, usually
ServiceMain() by convention. That threads off the real application, and
also registers a callback with the SCManager.

When the dispatch thread receives a stop event from the SCManager, it
reports back that it is stopping the application, does something to make
that happen, reports when it is stopped. I believe srvany spins up the
application, and after that it's on its own. It is meant to be a quick and
dirty way to make something into a service when you don't have source.

It isn't necessary, but I usually play a few games in the code to get the
process's cwd back to where it really is so I don't clutter up
%WINDIR%\system32, but afaik srvany doesn't do this. Also, if things are
set up so the application will drop a core if things go bad, that usually
is in system32, too.

You can do a lot of interesting things with services in C, but I have no
idea how you would do it in Java, except maybe JNI magic.

 

[Steve Sobol]

You can do a lot of interesting things with services in C, but I have no
idea how you would do it in Java, except maybe JNI magic.

http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.org

and there are a couple other similar products.

 

[JPractitioner]

i see.. so srvany is not the best way eh.
bowman, seems like u are really into windows programming. I had some
very basic knowledge with C/C++. I suppose to call ServiceMain(), i
will have to include some header files, probably C headers. Can u tell
me whats the header file i will have to use?
Yeah i will use JNI with C headers. By the way, converting the JAR to
EXE involves JNI. So i'll use the the headers appropriately with JNI to
explore deeper on controlling native threads.

Before this, I also tried to make the srvany to run a batch file that
will call the jar file. Just wont work. Windows services only run exe
files i guess.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[bowman]

I suppose to call ServiceMain(), i
will have to include some header files, probably C headers. Can u tell
me whats the header file i will have to use?

It is declared in Winsvc.h, but you would probably have to start with
Windows.h which may cause problems. I don't suppose you have DevStudio and
the MSDN docs. It documents the StartServiceCtrlDispatcher,
RegisterServiceCtrlHandler, SetServiceStatus, and all the other hoops you
have to jump through. Lacking that, there should be an example someplace on
the 'net; it's pretty much boilerplate code.

 

[bowman]

http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.org

Looks pretty handy, especially the third method. Often an application
running as a service should do some atexit cleanup and shutdown gracefully
rather than get chopped off at the knees with a ^C.

 

[JPractitioner]

Thanks a lot bowman =)

It is declared in Winsvc.h, but you would probably have to start with
Windows.h which may cause problems. I don't suppose you have DevStudio and
the MSDN docs. It documents the StartServiceCtrlDispatcher,
RegisterServiceCtrlHandler, SetServiceStatus, and all the other hoops you
have to jump through. Lacking that, there should be an example someplace on
the 'net; it's pretty much boilerplate code.

 

[liquid]

JPractitioner

Hello,

I wanted to ask JPractitioner to make a post summarizing the steps he took to achieve his goal (run JAR as windows service) I'm trying to do the same thing here. Your help would be greatly appreciated.