Simplify.WindowsServices 2.14.0

There is a newer version of this package available.
See the version list below for details.
dotnet add package Simplify.WindowsServices --version 2.14.0                
NuGet\Install-Package Simplify.WindowsServices -Version 2.14.0                
This command is intended to be used within the Package Manager Console in Visual Studio, as it uses the NuGet module's version of Install-Package.
<PackageReference Include="Simplify.WindowsServices" Version="2.14.0" />                
For projects that support PackageReference, copy this XML node into the project file to reference the package.
paket add Simplify.WindowsServices --version 2.14.0                
#r "nuget: Simplify.WindowsServices, 2.14.0"                
#r directive can be used in F# Interactive and Polyglot Notebooks. Copy this into the interactive tool or source code of the script to reference the package.
// Install Simplify.WindowsServices as a Cake Addin
#addin nuget:?package=Simplify.WindowsServices&version=2.14.0

// Install Simplify.WindowsServices as a Cake Tool
#tool nuget:?package=Simplify.WindowsServices&version=2.14.0                

Simplify.WindowsServices Documentation

Provides BasicServiceHandler, SingleTaskServiceHandler, MultitaskServiceHandler windows-services base classes, ServiceInstallerBase installation base class.

Allows you to simply create and use windows services. Every user class instance will be instantiated using Simplify.DI IOC container which provides DI by default for your windows services.

Available at NuGet as binary package

Principle of work

To use Simplify.WindowsServices, you must create a class with the Run method in it and pass this class to the handler as a type parameter. The Run method will be invoked by the handler class (the handler types are listed below), this method will be your execution process root. An instance of your class will be created using the IOC Simplify.DI container, so you can register any types that your class depends on through DIContainer.Current, and they will be automatically resolved.

Run method can be one of the following:

  • Parameterless Run() method.
  • Run(string serviceName) if you want to access a service name.
  • Run(IJobArgs args) if you want to access a service name or startup parameters.

Run method can be void or can return Task (can be used for async/await code).

Quick start

There is a templates package available at nuget.org for Simplify.WindowsServices.

Install the Simplify.WindowsServices templates package:

dotnet new -i Simplify.WindowsServices.Templates

Create an initial Simplify.WindowsServices based project:

dotnet new simplify.windowsservice -n HelloWorld

Or create an initial Simplify.WindowsServices + work with database based project:

dotnet new simplify.windowsservicewithdatabase -n HelloWorld

BasicServiceHandler

BasicServiceHandler class is best suited for services that run without timers, for example, a TCP server or client.

Example

MyClass.cs
public class MyClass
{
    public void Run()
    {
        // Some task
    }
}
Program.cs
static void Main(string[] args)
{
    new BasicServiceHandler<MyClass>(true).Start(args);
}

The true parameter indicates what MyClass class will be automatically registered in DIContainer.Current like DIContainer.Current.Register<MyClass>(); otherwise you should do it manually:

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    DIContainer.Current.Register<MyClass>();
    new BasicServiceHandler<MyClass>().Start(args);
}

SingleTaskServiceHandler

SingleTaskServiceHandler class is best suited to perform one task, which must be periodically started by a timer.

You can specify timer intervals in seconds or just set the Ncrontab expression for timer. This options should be set via configuration. If no settings specified in a config, then the timer will be executed once every minute. If both timer interval and crontab expression specified in the config, then the crontab expression will be used instead.

Example

App.config
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
    <configSections>
        <section name="ServiceSettings" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler, System, Version=1.0.5000.0,Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
    </configSections>

    <ServiceSettings>
        
        <add key="CrontabExpression" value="* * * * *" />

        
        <add key="ProcessingInterval" value="30" />
    </ServiceSettings>
</configuration>

For crontab expression examples see

Multiple crontab expressions can be specified, for example: 30 14 * * *|45 1 * * *|0 12 * * Mon

SingleTaskServiceHandler working example

MyClass.cs

public class MyClass
{
    public void Run()
    {
        // Some task
    }
}

Program.cs

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    new SingleTaskServiceHandler<MyClass>(true).Start(args);
}

MultitaskServiceHandler

MultitaskServiceHandler class is best suited for multiple tasks services.

This is the same as SingleTaskServiceHandler but allows you to specify multiple working classes/methods. You can add multiple jobs with different timer intervals/crontab expressions.

You can use single class with several methods, each specified method will be launched by the corresponding task (a new instance of the class will be created), or simply use several classes.

Example

MultitaskServiceHandler working example

Program.cs
static void Main(string[] args)
{
    // Handler creation
    var handler = new MultitaskServiceHandler();

    // Jobs addition

    // If configuration section is not specified then 'YourClassName + Settings' section name will be used
    handler.AddJob<TaskProcessor1>(true);

    // Manually specified section name and invoke method name
    handler.AddJob<TaskProcessor1>("TaskProcessor1SecondTaskSettings", "RunTask2");

    // Registering class manually

    DIContainer.Current.Register<TaskProcessor2>();
    handler.AddJob<TaskProcessor2>();

    handler.Start(args);
}
TaskProcessor1.cs
public class TaskProcessor1
{
    public void Run()
    {
        Debug.WriteLine("TaskProcessor1 Run executed");
    }

    public void RunTask2()
    {
        Debug.WriteLine("TaskProcessor1 RunTask2 executed");
    }
}
TaskProcessor2.cs
public class TaskProcessor2
{
    public void Run()
    {
        Debug.WriteLine("TaskProcessor2 Run executed");
    }
}
App.config
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
    <configSections>
        <section name="TaskProcessor1Settings" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler, System, Version=1.0.5000.0,Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
        <section name="TaskProcessor1SecondTaskSettings" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler, System, Version=1.0.5000.0,Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
        <section name="TaskProcessor2Settings" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler, System, Version=1.0.5000.0,Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
    </configSections>

    <TaskProcessor1Settings>
        <add key="CrontabExpression" value="*/2 * * * *" />
    </TaskProcessor1Settings>

    <TaskProcessor1SecondTaskSettings>
        <add key="ProcessingInterval" value="30" />
    </TaskProcessor1SecondTaskSettings>

    <TaskProcessor2Settings>
        <add key="ProcessingInterval" value="45" />
    </TaskProcessor2Settings>
</configuration>

Services installation/uninstallation

If you pass the args parameter from your Main method to the Start handler method, then you can install/uninstall the service using the service command line parameters.

Installation example

MyService.exe install

Uninstallation example

MyService.exe uninstall

Windows-service installer base class

ServiceInstallerBase class allows you to install a windows service with information from your assembly information fields, like Title, Description.

Description and Title fields of a specified assembly will be used as your service name and description.

  • Title will be used as a service ID
  • Description will be used as a service name and description (you will be able to see that information in Services.msc after service will be installed).

Default ServiceInstallerBase usage

[RunInstaller(true)]
public class ServiceInstaller : ServiceInstallerBase
{
}

Specifying service "RunAs" user

Through the configuration file, you can specify the username and password under which the service will be launched.

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<configuration>
     <configSections>
        <section name="ServiceInstallerSettings" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler, System, Version=1.0.5000.0,Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
    </configSections>

    <ServiceInstallerSettings>
        <add key="RunAsUserName" value="UserName"/>
        <add key="RunAsUserPassword" value="UserPassword"/>
    </ServiceInstallerSettings>
</configuration>

Specifying service system account

You can specify the service system account under which the service will be launched.

<ServiceInstallerSettings>
        <add key="ServiceAccount" value="NetworkService"/>
</ServiceInstallerSettings>

Possible values: LocalService, NetworkService, LocalSystem

Note: if RunAsUserName and RunAsUserPassword is set in the config, then the ServiceAccount parameter will be ignored.

Note: you can specify any user, for example: domain user as "YourDomain\UserName".

Additional settings

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
    <configSections>
        <section name="ServiceSettings" type="System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler, System, Version=1.0.5000.0,Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
    </configSections>

    <ServiceSettings>
        
        <add key="CleanupOnTaskFinish" value="true" />

        
        <add key="MaximumParallerTasksCount" value="2" />
    </ServiceSettings>
</configuration>

Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration support in Simplify.WindowsServices

Simplify.WindowsServices support configuration via IConfiguration instead of old ConfigurationManager App.config, just use one of the respective handler methods

Example

Program.cs
...
var configuration = new ConfigurationBuilder()
    .AddJsonFile("appsettings.json", false)
    .Build();

var handler = new SingleTaskServiceHandler<MyClass>(configuration);
...
appsettings.json
{
    "ServiceSettings":
    {
        "CrontabExpression": "* * * * *"
    }
}

Global exceptions catching which can be thrown when resolving instances by Simplify.DI in handler

Simplify.WindowsService can catch all exceptions thrown by a user code To receive such catch event you should subscribe to handler OnException event.

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    var handler = new SingleTaskServiceHandler<MyClass>();

    handler.OnException += OnException;
    hander.Start(args);
}

static void OnException(ServiceExceptionArgs args)
{
    Console.Write(args.ServiceName);
    Console.Write(args.Exception.Message);
}

DI example

Classes
public interface IMyClass2
{
    SomeMethod();
}

public class MyClass2 : IMyClass2
{
    public SomeMethod()
    {
    }
}

public class MyClass
{
    private IMyClass2 _myclass2;

    public MyClass(IMyClass2 myclass2)
    {
        _myclass2 = myclass2;
    }

    public void Run()
    {
        _myclass2.SomeMethod();
    }
}
Program.cs
static void Main(string[] args)
{
    DIContainer.Current.Register<IMyClass2, MyClass2>();
    DIContainer.Current.Register<MyClass>();

    new SingleTaskServiceHandler<MyClass>().Start(args);
}
Product Compatible and additional computed target framework versions.
.NET Framework net462 is compatible.  net463 was computed.  net47 was computed.  net471 was computed.  net472 was computed.  net48 was computed.  net481 was computed. 
Compatible target framework(s)
Included target framework(s) (in package)
Learn more about Target Frameworks and .NET Standard.

NuGet packages

This package is not used by any NuGet packages.

GitHub repositories

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Version Downloads Last updated
2.14.1 1,107 8/24/2023 2.14.1 is deprecated.
2.14.0 1,296 11/18/2021
2.13.0 729 2/4/2021
2.12.1 429 2/2/2021
2.12.0 1,117 12/9/2019
2.10.0 785 9/26/2019
2.9.1 596 9/12/2019
2.9.0 656 7/2/2019
2.8.1 677 6/23/2019
2.8.0 841 12/20/2018
2.7.0 788 12/5/2018
2.6.0 1,113 3/14/2018
2.5.0 1,148 8/15/2017
2.4.0 1,251 8/19/2016
2.3.0 1,066 4/29/2016
2.2.0 1,253 1/10/2016
2.1.2 3,024 11/10/2014
2.1.1 2,071 11/5/2014
2.1.0 2,254 11/5/2014
2.0.0 1,361 10/16/2014
1.0.3 1,469 8/15/2014
1.0.2 1,166 5/21/2014
1.0.1 1,145 4/28/2014
1.0.0 1,233 2/25/2014