# Run Julia server as Windows Service to work after user log out **URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/run-julia-server-as-windows-service-to-work-after-user-log-out/37261 **Category:** General Usage **Tags:** question, windows, services **Created:** [April 9, 2020, 3:04am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/run-julia-server-as-windows-service-to-work-after-user-log-out/37261 "2020-04-09T03:04:47Z") **Posts on this page:** 3 **Page:** 1

### Author: ![sairus7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/sairus7/32/10816_2.png) [@sairus7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sairus7) #### Post date: [April 9, 2020, 3:04am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/run-julia-server-as-windows-service-to-work-after-user-log-out/37261/1 "2020-04-09T03:04:47Z")

I’m trying to make Julia server working on a Windows machine without being closed when a user log out. So, I’ve tried to wrap a simple Julia HTTP server script (and WebSocket server script) into a service on Windows 10 x64 platform – with no success yet. What I am doing wrong? **Prerequisites:** - Create Julia script file with a simple HTTP server (HTTP.jl package should be added): _C:\test\_julia\_server\http\_server.jl_ ```julia using HTTP import Sockets using Dates open("C:\\test_julia_server\\log.txt", "a") do io println(io, "$(now()) Julia http_server script enter") end function handle(reg::HTTP.Request) "Hello from Julia!" |> HTTP.Response end # define REST endpoints to dispatch to "service" functions router = HTTP.Router() HTTP.@register(router, "GET", "", handle) localIP = Sockets.localhost port = 8080 @sync HTTP.serve(router, localIP, port) # @sync to wait for completion # in browser enter: http://127.0.0.1:8080/ ``` - Another option – create Julia script file with a simple WebSocket server (WebSockets.jl package should be added): _C:\test\_julia\_server\ws\_server.jl_ ```julia using Dates open("C:\\test_julia_server\\log.txt", "a") do io println(io, "$(now()) Julia ws_server script enter") end using WebSockets serverWS = WebSockets.ServerWS((req) -> WebSockets.Response(200), (ws_server) -> (writeguarded(ws_server, "Hello"); readguarded(ws_server))) WebSockets.with_logger(WebSocketLogger()) do WebSockets.serve(serverWS, port = 8000) end ``` - Create batch file _C:\test\_julia\_server\run\_server.bat_ ```plaintext @echo off @echo Batch: enter>> C:\test_julia_server\log.txt cd C:\Julia\1.4.0_x64\bin\ @echo Batch: dir changed>> C:\test_julia_server\log.txt julia.exe C:\test_julia_server\http_server.jl @echo Batch: exit>> C:\test_julia_server\log.txt ``` Now, let’s try to run it as a service on Windows. * * * **1. Using built-in tool SC** - Run cmd as admin and type `sc create julia_sc start= demand displayname= "julia_sc" binpath= C:\test_julia_server\run_server.bat` - Try to start a service `sc start julia_sc` `Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.` - Failed, so delete the service: `sc delete julia_sc` - Log file: ```julia Batch: enter Batch: dir changed Batch: exit ``` **Looks like it cannot even execute Julia…** * * * **2. Using NSSM** > - Run cmd as admin from the folder with nssm.exe `nssm install julia_server_nssm` - Fill in the form, several tries: #1: Call julia executable with script file as an argument ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/6/8/68d49f4024b53ea982109575a3bd6ac47229b89f.png) #2 Call batch file _C:\test\_julia\_server\run\_server.bat_ ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/8/8/88d6fd89c5874f14ad03387106fd274d2251befe.png) - Trying to start the server, it returns error `nssm start julia_server_nssm` `julia_server: Unexpected status SERVICE_PAUSED in response to START control.` - Or start from Services window and get: ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/e/c/ec261b9d2a1468acc13e75c62d1ff2c6ff7ab40a.png) - Failed, so stop and delete the service `nssm stop julia_server_nssm` `nssm remove julia_server_nssm` - Check log file: #1: ```julia 2020-04-09T04:16:26.281 Julia http_server script enter 2020-04-09T04:16:31.599 Julia http_server script enter 2020-04-09T04:16:40.933 Julia http_server script enter ``` #2: ```julia Batch: dir changed 3:53:40 Julia http_server script enter Batch: exit Batch: enter Batch: dir changed 3:53:43 Julia http_server script enter Batch: exit ``` **Looks like it actually runs Julia script, but fails to wait inside HTTP.serve and repeats… The same with websocket server.** * * * **3. Using RunAsAlive** > - Run from console: `RunAsService install "julia_asalive" "C:\Julia\1.4.0_x64\bin\julia.exe" "C:\test_julia_server\http_server.jl"` `net start "julia_asalive"` - Log file output - server it starts only once: `2020-04-09T05:00:13.561 Julia script enter!` - Try to access it from browser: `http://127.0.0.1:8080/` - Connection refused, so it is not working. - Try to stop it: `net stop "julia_asalive"` `The service could not be controlled in its present state.` **So, it just stuck dead in services list.** * * * **4. Using SrvStart** > **[GitHub - rozanski/srvstart: This repository contains the legacy code I wrote...](https://github.com/rozanski/srvstart)** > > This repository contains the legacy code I wrote for SrvStart in 2000. SrvStart allows you to run an ordinary Windows executable as a Windows service. - GitHub - rozanski/srvstart: This repository ... Instructions: [https://www.howtogeek.com/50786/using-srvstart-to-run-any-application-as-a-windows-service/](https://www.howtogeek.com/50786/using-srvstart-to-run-any-application-as-a-windows-service/) - Write configuration file: _E:\juliasrv.ini_ ```julia [julia_srv] startup=C:\Julia\1.4.0_x64\bin\julia.exe C:\test_julia_server\http_server.jl shutdown_method=winmessage ``` - Command prompt: create server (with no slashes in config file): `sc create julia_srv Displayname= "julia_srv" binpath= "srvstart.exe julia_srv -c E:juliasrv.ini" start= auto` `sc start julia_srv` ```julia SERVICE_NAME: julia_srv TYPE : 10 WIN32_OWN_PROCESS STATE : 2 START_PENDING (STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, IGNORES_SHUTDOWN) WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0) SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0) CHECKPOINT : 0x1 WAIT_HINT : 0x1 PID : 4732 FLAGS : ``` - Trying to start it from Services window - it just closes immediately ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/6/3/63e7683fc73c1310cccb6693924e649c1a95321f.png) - Delete server: `sc delete julia_srv` - Check log file - empty * * * Any ideas? Should I write custom service app and embedd Julia call into it? ---

### Author: ![sairus7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/sairus7/32/10816_2.png) [@sairus7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sairus7) #### Post date: [April 9, 2020, 12:51pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/run-julia-server-as-windows-service-to-work-after-user-log-out/37261/2 "2020-04-09T12:51:09Z")

Finally, get it to work by setting admin user and password under Lon On property of `julia_server_nssm` in Services window. ---

### Author: ![hhaensel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/hhaensel/32/1207_2.png) [@hhaensel](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/hhaensel) #### Post date: [February 28, 2022, 9:54pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/run-julia-server-as-windows-service-to-work-after-user-log-out/37261/3 "2022-02-28T21:54:16Z")

> [@sairus7](#): > > sc start julia\_srv Thanks for your contribution here. It helped me a lot. I’d like to comment on your soulution and to add another possibility that worked for me. I think the reason that supplying your credentials to start the service assures that julia finds all required resources - in your case the packages. A cleaner way, which I manged to get working today, is probably that you save your julia files in a directory that is available to the service (which I think you did) and to call ```julia using Pkg Pkg.instantiate() ``` at the beginning of the script. I used NSSM to get it running without supplying my credentials. EDIT: I found the solution by setting the log files for out and error in the nssm dialog box. The error log showed the information about missing packages.