Run JAR as a Windows service

Question

I have a JAR file and I would like to register and run it as a Windows service. With a well-configured JAR and already registered JVM shutdown hooks it should not be a big work to do this.

I already have a JAR with external lib dir, I can start it with java -jar My.jar and stop with Ctrl+C.

I also checked JSL, JSmooth, and procrun from Apache with no working solution.

I would need a working solution with a good tutorial.

Update: I succeeded with both procrun (at last), and the manual .net service wrapper too... Here is the code for the procrun version of my install.bat:

set PR_PATH=%CD%
SET PR_SERVICE_NAME=MyService
SET PR_JAR=MyService.jar
SET START_CLASS=org.my.Main
SET START_METHOD=main
SET STOP_CLASS=java.lang.System
SET STOP_METHOD=exit
rem ; separated values
SET STOP_PARAMS=0
rem ; separated values
SET JVM_OPTIONS=-Dapp.home=%PR_PATH%
prunsrv.exe //IS//%PR_SERVICE_NAME% --Install="%PR_PATH%\prunsrv.exe" --Jvm=auto --Startup=auto --StartMode=jvm --StartClass=%START_CLASS% --StartMethod=%START_METHOD% --StopMode=jvm --StopClass=%STOP_CLASS% --StopMethod=%STOP_METHOD% ++StopParams=%STOP_PARAMS% --Classpath="%PR_PATH%\%PR_JAR%" --DisplayName="%PR_SERVICE_NAME%" ++JvmOptions=%JVM_OPTIONS%

I presume to

• run this from the same directory where the jar and prunsrv.exe is
• the jar has its working MANIFEST.MF
• and you have shutdown hooks registered into JVM (for example with context.registerShutdownHook() in Spring)...
• not using relative paths for files outside the jar (for example log4j should be used with log4j.appender.X.File=${app.home}/logs/my.log or something alike)

Thanks to the apache procrun team (http://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-daemon//procrun.html) and to marifnst (http://a089lp.wordpress.com/tag/procrun-tutorial/)

Update 2: a new good tutorial with winsv: https://dzone.com/articles/spring-boot-as-a-windows-service-in-5-minutes

Solution 1

Write your own service from these samples:

• http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/3990/Simple-Windows-Service-Sample
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb540476%28v=vs.85%29.aspx?bcsi-ac-bbaf765720ef3335=20190C4200000503o7MxKbMq7UL6Af4O24rqKSGuh1gPAwAAAwUAAPvrLQAIBwAAbwEAAGhCCQA=
• http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/windowsdesktop/CppWindowsService-cacf4948?bcsi-ac-bbaf765720ef3335=20190C4200000503o7MxKbMq7UL6Af4O24rqKSGuh1gPAwAAAwUAAPvrLQAIBwAAbwEAAGhCCQA=

Into onStart you have to do CreateProcess( "java", "-jar", "MyJar.jar" ), keep its PID

Into onStop you have to kill by the PID

Solution 2

Try this java launcher

http://winrun4j.sourceforge.net/

free and open source

start service example at the end of the page

Solution 3

You can use Java Service Wrapper

http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.com/doc/english/download.jsp

They not to distribute compiled x86_64 windows version of Comunity Edition but you can build it by yourself.

Comments

[Prabhu Prabhakaran]

Fine and Easy one To Use

[BTakacs]

Thanks. It's working with Process.Start( "java", "-jar MyJar.jar" )

[firephil]

that's a cool utiity thanks