The document introduces Windows services and provides best practices for creating them. It recommends creating a class library containing the core logic, a Windows Forms app for debugging, and a lightweight service wrapper. The class library handles all work and errors, supports cancellation, and provides callbacks for logging. The Windows Forms app uses the class library and outputs logs, while the service simply hosts the class library configuration-free. This architecture separates concerns and makes services easier to program, debug and deploy.

1. Introduction to Windows Services (Easier then you think) Josef Finsel AzureDBA.com

2. Who am I? Database Administrator C# Programmer Author/Maintainer of a half dozen Services used daily on my job

3. What’s a Service Long running program Runs when computer starts Can specify security context

4. Services Have Bad Rep Supposedly Services are: Hard to program Hard to debug Only true if you let them be true

5. Windows Services the Easy Way Solution with three projects: Class Library that does all of the work Win Form app for debugging Actual service that is nothing more than a wrapper for the Class Library Every line of code excluded from the service is one less line to debug the hard way

6. Class Library Project Contains no Config information Does no logging Offers a callback to communicate with calling program for logging Includes property for stopping long-running processes Should handle all errors

7. Win Form Application Project App.Config contains all necessary configuration for the Class Instantiates the class using only App.Config entries Outputs all log information to screen Has Timer, Checkbox to control Timer, Button to run without Timer and Button to test Stopping

8. Demo 1 Using the Win Form and the Class Library

9. Windows Service Project Supports Service Functions App.Config contains all necessary configuration for the Class Instantiates the class using only App.Config entries Outputs all log information to screen Has Timer Copy of code from Win Form

10. Reviewing Service Code

11. Service Installer Class used for installing a service Right-click on the Service Component Window and select Add Installer Set the Description Display name Start type Other service dependencies

12. Service Process Installer Set Security Context

13. Installing the Service InstallUtil (Visual Studio Command Prompt) Provide account context if required

14. Important Caveat Do not recompile after the Installer information has changed without uninstalling first! Uninstall is same as install but with –u Failure to Uninstall leads to RegEdit

15. Running and Debugging a Service Demo

16. Service States OnStart enable timer OnStop disable timer OnShutdown disable timer OnPause disable timer OnContinue enable timer

17. When is a Service Frozen? If Windows initiates a State Change and gets no response in 30 seconds, it’s frozen and may get killed

18. When a Service Fails When a service fails you can: Do nothing Restart it Run a program Restart the computer

19. Deploying a Service Deploy in stages: Running WinForm on Desktop in Debug mode to test stability Running as a Service on your box with Debugger Attached Deploying as real service

20. Best Practices Service = Lightweight Wrapper around class Class has callback for logging Class has cancel mechanism Most debugging done in WinForm

21. Questions?

22. Contact me http://www.azuredba.com Twitter: @carpdeus