A few quick refresher questions about Windows Services

I wrote one Windows Service app under dot net 1.1 about 5 years ago, as part
of my web services cert. I've just been told to write a Windows Service
program in VB, Dot Net 2.0. (Business as usual :-) So refresh my memory:

1. The installutil program is the only way to install a windows service?

2. It will probably be necessary to make it possible for a non-programmer to
change a few settings. So far as I know, what I'll probably have to do is
write a separate windows app to edit whatever sort of config file is used.
If there's a better way to do this, please let me know.

3. To the best of my knowledge, this service is intended to monitor a
directory and ftp any xml file that shows up to another computer. I have
never done anything like this either, (I have never done anything with FTP
in a Microsoft environment) although the code I've looked at seems simple
enough. If there are any examples out there that do approximately that,
please point them out.

Thanks.

rhaazy
Fri Jul 11 15:33:29 CDT 2008

On Jul 10, 4:15=A0pm, B. Chernick <BChern...@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote:
> I wrote one Windows Service app under dot net 1.1 about 5 years ago, as p=
art
> of my web services cert. =A0I've just been told to write a Windows Servic=
e
> program in VB, Dot Net 2.0. =A0 (Business as usual :-) =A0So refresh my m=
emory:
>
> 1. The installutil program is the only way to install a windows service?
>
> 2. It will probably be necessary to make it possible for a non-programmer=
to
> change a few settings. =A0So far as I know, what I'll probably have to do=
is
> write a separate windows app to edit whatever sort of config file is used=
. =A0
> If there's a better way to do this, please let me know.
>
> 3. To the best of my knowledge, this service is intended to monitor a
> directory and ftp any xml file that shows up to another computer. =A0I ha=
ve
> never done anything like this either, =A0(I have never done anything with=
FTP
> in a Microsoft environment) =A0although the code I've looked at seems sim=
ple
> enough. =A0If there are any examples out there that do approximately that=
,
> please point them out.
>
> Thanks.

1. Yes
2. no comment
3. Look into the filewatcher object that is part of .net

BChernick
Mon Jul 14 08:56:03 CDT 2008

Thanks, but let me re-phrase my first question: I get the impression from my
cert manuals that programming windows services is almost an afterthought in
Dot Net, something that is not often done. Is it possible to create a custom
install project for a Windows Service or is deploying a WS strictly an ad-hoc
manual affair? Can a 'Setup' type project be used?

"rhaazy" wrote:

> On Jul 10, 4:15 pm, B. Chernick <BChern...@discussions.microsoft.com>
> wrote:
> > I wrote one Windows Service app under dot net 1.1 about 5 years ago, as part
> > of my web services cert. I've just been told to write a Windows Service
> > program in VB, Dot Net 2.0. (Business as usual :-) So refresh my memory:
> >
> > 1. The installutil program is the only way to install a windows service?
> >
> > 2. It will probably be necessary to make it possible for a non-programmer to
> > change a few settings. So far as I know, what I'll probably have to do is
> > write a separate windows app to edit whatever sort of config file is used..
> > If there's a better way to do this, please let me know.
> >
> > 3. To the best of my knowledge, this service is intended to monitor a
> > directory and ftp any xml file that shows up to another computer. I have
> > never done anything like this either, (I have never done anything with FTP
> > in a Microsoft environment) although the code I've looked at seems simple
> > enough. If there are any examples out there that do approximately that,
> > please point them out.
> >
> > Thanks.
>
> 1. Yes
> 2. no comment
> 3. Look into the filewatcher object that is part of .net
>

rhaazy
Tue Jul 15 14:51:45 CDT 2008

On Jul 14, 9:56=A0am, B. Chernick <BChern...@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote:
> Thanks, but let me re-phrase my first question: =A0I get the impression f=
rom my
> cert manuals that programming windows services is almost an afterthought =
in
> Dot Net, something that is not often done. =A0Is it possible to create a =
custom
> install project for a Windows Service or is deploying a WS strictly an ad=
-hoc
> manual affair? =A0Can a 'Setup' type project be used? =A0
>
>
>
> "rhaazy" wrote:
> > On Jul 10, 4:15 pm, B. Chernick <BChern...@discussions.microsoft.com>
> > wrote:
> > > I wrote one Windows Service app under dot net 1.1 about 5 years ago, =
as part
> > > of my web services cert. =A0I've just been told to write a Windows Se=
rvice
> > > program in VB, Dot Net 2.0. =A0 (Business as usual :-) =A0So refresh =
my memory:
>
> > > 1. The installutil program is the only way to install a windows servi=
ce?
>
> > > 2. It will probably be necessary to make it possible for a non-progra=
mmer to
> > > change a few settings. =A0So far as I know, what I'll probably have t=
o do is
> > > write a separate windows app to edit whatever sort of config file is =
used.. =A0
> > > If there's a better way to do this, please let me know.
>
> > > 3. To the best of my knowledge, this service is intended to monitor a
> > > directory and ftp any xml file that shows up to another computer. =A0=
I have
> > > never done anything like this either, =A0(I have never done anything =
with FTP
> > > in a Microsoft environment) =A0although the code I've looked at seems=
simple
> > > enough. =A0If there are any examples out there that do approximately =
that,
> > > please point them out.
>
> > > Thanks.
>
> > 1. Yes
> > 2. no comment
> > 3. Look into the filewatcher object that is part of .net- Hide quoted t=
ext -
>
> - Show quoted text -

When you create a windows service project the project is added to a
solution.
Right click your solution, and add a new "setup project"
Then you add the primary output of your service to your startup
project.
There are lots of examples of this, go to google and type in adding
start up project to windows service in (programming language of choice)

BChernick
Tue Jul 15 15:39:02 CDT 2008

Thanks. I found a fairly straightforward example over on support:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/317421

It's beginning to make sense...

"rhaazy" wrote:

> On Jul 14, 9:56 am, B. Chernick <BChern...@discussions.microsoft.com>
> wrote:
> > Thanks, but let me re-phrase my first question: I get the impression from my
> > cert manuals that programming windows services is almost an afterthought in
> > Dot Net, something that is not often done. Is it possible to create a custom
> > install project for a Windows Service or is deploying a WS strictly an ad-hoc
> > manual affair? Can a 'Setup' type project be used?
> >
> >
> >
> > "rhaazy" wrote:
> > > On Jul 10, 4:15 pm, B. Chernick <BChern...@discussions.microsoft.com>
> > > wrote:
> > > > I wrote one Windows Service app under dot net 1.1 about 5 years ago, as part
> > > > of my web services cert. I've just been told to write a Windows Service
> > > > program in VB, Dot Net 2.0. (Business as usual :-) So refresh my memory:
> >
> > > > 1. The installutil program is the only way to install a windows service?
> >
> > > > 2. It will probably be necessary to make it possible for a non-programmer to
> > > > change a few settings. So far as I know, what I'll probably have to do is
> > > > write a separate windows app to edit whatever sort of config file is used..
> > > > If there's a better way to do this, please let me know.
> >
> > > > 3. To the best of my knowledge, this service is intended to monitor a
> > > > directory and ftp any xml file that shows up to another computer. I have
> > > > never done anything like this either, (I have never done anything with FTP
> > > > in a Microsoft environment) although the code I've looked at seems simple
> > > > enough. If there are any examples out there that do approximately that,
> > > > please point them out.
> >
> > > > Thanks.
> >
> > > 1. Yes
> > > 2. no comment
> > > 3. Look into the filewatcher object that is part of .net- Hide quoted text -
> >
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> When you create a windows service project the project is added to a
> solution.
> Right click your solution, and add a new "setup project"
> Then you add the primary output of your service to your startup
> project.
> There are lots of examples of this, go to google and type in adding
> start up project to windows service in (programming language of choice)
>