Apache Tomcat 9

Windows service HOW-TO

Table of Contents

Tomcat service application

Tomcat9 is a service application for running Tomcat 9 as a Windows service.

Tomcat monitor application

Tomcat9w is a GUI application for monitoring and configuring Tomcat services.

The available command line options are:

//ES//	Edit service configuration	This is the default operation. It is called if the no option is provided but the executable is renamed to servicenameW.exe
//MS//	Monitor service	Put the icon in the system tray

Command line arguments

Each command line directive is in the form of //XX//ServiceName

The available command line options are:

//TS//	Run the service as console application	This is the default operation. It is called if the no option is provided. The ServiceName is the name of the executable without exe suffix, meaning Tomcat9
//RS//	Run the service	Called only from ServiceManager
//SS//	Stop the service
//US//	Update service parameters
//IS//	Install service
//DS//	Delete service	Stops the service if running

Command line parameters

Each command line parameter is prefixed with —. If the command line parameter is prefixed with ++ then it’s value will be appended to the existing option. If the environment variable with the same name as command line parameter but prefixed with PR_ exists it will take precedence. For example:

is equivalent to providing

as command line parameter.

ParameterName	Default	Description
—Description	Service name description (maximum 1024 characters)
—DisplayName	ServiceName	Service display name
—Install	procrun.exe //RS//ServiceName	Install image
—Startup	manual	Service startup mode can be either auto or manual
—DependsOn	List of services that this service depend on. Dependent services are separated using either # or ; characters
—Environment	List of environment variables that will be provided to the service in the form key=value. They are separated using either # or ; characters. If you need to use either the # or ; character within a value then the entire value must be enclosed inside single quotes.
—User	User account used for running executable. It is used only for StartMode java or exe and enables running applications as service under account without LogonAsService privilege.
—Password	Password for user account set by —User parameter
—JavaHome	JAVA_HOME	Set a different JAVA_HOME than defined by JAVA_HOME environment variable
—Jvm	auto	Use either auto (i.e. find the JVM from the Windows registry) or specify the full path to the jvm.dll. You can use the environment variable expansion here.
—JvmOptions	-Xrs	List of options in the form of -D or -X that will be passed to the JVM. The options are separated using either # or ; characters. If you need to embed either # or ; characters, put them inside single quotes. (Not used in exe mode.)
—JvmOptions9	List of options in the form of -D or -X that will be passed to the JVM when running on Java 9 or later. The options are separated using either # or ; characters. If you need to embed either # or ; characters, put them inside single quotes. (Not used in exe mode.)
—Classpath	Set the Java classpath. (Not used in exe mode.)
—JvmMs	Initial memory pool size in MB. (Not used in exe mode.)
—JvmMx	Maximum memory pool size in MB. (Not used in exe mode.)
—JvmSs	Thread stack size in KB. (Not used in exe mode.)
—StartMode	One of jvm, Java or exe. The modes are: jvm — start Java in-process. Depends on jvm.dll, see —Jvm. Java — same as exe, but automatically uses the default Java executable, i.e. %JAVA_HOME%\bin\java.exe. Make sure JAVA_HOME is set correctly, or use —JavaHome to provide the correct location. If neither is set, procrun will try to find the default JDK (not JRE) from the Windows registry. exe — run the image as a separate process
—StartImage	Executable that will be run. Only applies to exe mode.
—StartPath	Working path for the start image executable.
—StartClass	Main	Class that contains the startup method. Applies to the jvm and Java modes. (Not used in exe mode.)
—StartMethod	main	Method name if differs then main
—StartParams	List of parameters that will be passed to either StartImage or StartClass. Parameters are separated using either # or ; character.
—StopMode	One of jvm, Java or exe. See —StartMode for further details.
—StopImage	Executable that will be run on Stop service signal. Only applies to exe mode.
—StopPath	Working path for the stop image executable. Does not apply to jvm mode.
—StopClass	Main	Class that will be used on Stop service signal. Applies to the jvm and Java modes.
—StopMethod	main	Method name if differs then main
—StopParams	List of parameters that will be passed to either StopImage or StopClass. Parameters are separated using either # or ; character.
—StopTimeout	No Timeout	Defines the timeout in seconds that procrun waits for service to exit gracefully.
—LogPath	%SystemRoot%\System32\LogFiles\Apache	Defines the path for logging. Creates the directory if necessary.
—LogPrefix	commons-daemon	Defines the service log filename prefix. The log file is created in the LogPath directory with .YEAR-MONTH-DAY.log suffix
—LogLevel	Info	Defines the logging level and can be either Error, Info, Warn or Debug. (Case insensitive).
—StdOutput	Redirected stdout filename. If named auto then file is created inside LogPath with the name service-stdout.YEAR-MONTH-DAY.log.
—StdError	Redirected stderr filename. If named auto then file is created inside LogPath with the name service-stderr.YEAR-MONTH-DAY.log.
—PidFile	Defines the file name for storing the running process id. Actual file is created in the LogPath directory

Installing services

The safest way to manually install the service is to use the provided service.bat script. Administrator privileges are required to run this script. If necessary, you can use the /user switch to specify a user to use for the installation of the service.

NOTE: On Windows Vista or any later operating system with User Account Control (UAC) enabled you will be asked for additional privileges when ‘Tomcat9.exe’ is launched by the script.
If you want to pass additional options to service installer as PR_* environment variables, you have to either configure them globally in OS, or launch the program that sets them with elevated privileges (e.g. right-click on cmd.exe and select «Run as administrator»; on Windows 8 (or later) or Windows Server 2012 (or later), you can open an elevated command prompt for the current directory from the Explorer by clicking on the «File» menu bar). See issue 56143 for details.

There is a 2nd optional parameter that lets you specify the name of the service, as displayed in Windows services.

If using tomcat9.exe, you need to use the //IS// parameter.

Running Apache for Windows as a Service

Apache can be run as a service on Windows NT/2000. (There is also some experimental support for similar behavior on Windows 95/98, introduced with Apache 1.3.13).

Installing Apache as a service should only be done once you can successfully run it in a console window. See Using Apache with Microsoft Windows before you attempt to install or run Apache as a service. Changes to the httpd.conf file should always be followed by starting Apache as a console window. If this succeeds, the service should succeed.

NOTE: Prior to version 1.3.13, the configuration was not tested prior to performing the installation, and a lack of service dependencies often caused the console window to succeed, but the service would still fail. See below if you are having problems running a version of Apache prior to 1.3.13 to resolve the issue. If you have this problem with version 1.3.13 or greater, first try uninstalling (-u) and re-installing (-i) the Apache service. Better yet, upgrade to the most recent version.

To start Apache as a service, you first need to install it as a service. Multiple Apache services can be installed, each with a different name and configuration. To install the default Apache service named «Apache», choose the «Install as Service for All Users» option when launching the Apache installation package. Once this is done you can start the «Apache» service by opening the Services window (in the Control Panel, hidden in «Administrative Tools» on Windows 2000), selecting Apache, then clicking on Start. Apache will now be running, hidden in the background. You can later stop Apache by clicking on Stop. As an alternative to using the Services window, you can start and stop the «Apache» service from the command line with

See Controlling Apache as a Service for more information on installing and controlling Apache services.

Apache, unlike many other Windows NT/2000 services, logs most errors to its own error.log file, in the logs folder within the Apache server root folder. You will find few Apache error details in the Windows NT Event Log. Only errors as Apache attempts to start are captured in the Application Event Log.

After starting Apache as a service (or if you have trouble starting it) you can test it using the same procedure as for running in a console window. Remember to use the command:

to assure you are using the service’s default configuration.

Running Apache for Windows as a Service

Note: The -n option to specify a service name is only available with Apache 1.3.7 and later. Earlier versions of Apache only support the default service name ‘Apache’. Only version 1.3.21 supports Windows 2000 ability to ‘rename’ the display name of a service.

You can install Apache as a Windows NT service as follows:

To install a service to use a particular configuration, specify the configuration file when the service is installed:

You can pass any other arguments, such as -d to change the default server root directory, -D, -C or -c to change config file processing, etc. Since these are stored in the registry and are difficult to modify, use this command to clear the options and replace them with a new list of options;

To remove an Apache service, use:

The default «service name», if one is not specified, is «Apache».

Once a service is installed, you can use the -n option, in conjunction with other options, to refer to a service’s configuration file. For example:

To test a service’s configuration file and report the default options for the service (configured with -i, -k install or -k config) use:

To start a console Apache using a service’s configuration file and its default options, use:

Effective with Apache release 1.3.15, the -k install option was added as an alias to -i, and the -k uninstall option was added as an alias to -u. The original -i and -u options are deprecated in Apache 2.0. These aliases were added to ease the transition for administrators running both versions.

Important Note on service dependencies:

Prior to Apache release 1.3.13, the dependencies required to successfully start an installed service were not configured. After installing a service using earlier versions of Apache, you must follow these steps:

If you are using COM or DCOM components from a third party module, ISAPI, or other add-in scripting technologies such as ActiveState Perl, you may also need to add the entry Rpcss to the DependOnService list. To avoid exposing the TCP port 135 when it is unnecessary, Apache does not create that entry upon installation. Follow the directions above to find or create the DependOnService value, double click that value if it already exists, and add the Rpcss entry to the list.

Other installations may require additional dependencies. If any files required at startup reside on a network drive, you may need to first configure the service to depend on the network redirector (usually lanmanworkstation) and follow the directions below under the «User Account for Apache Service to Run As» section.

Attempting to use both IIS and Apache, on the same port but on two different IP addresses may require the W3SVC (IIS) to start prior to Apache, because IIS tries to glom onto all IP addresses (0.0.0.0) as it starts, and will fail if Apache has already started on a specific IP address.

Apache 1.3.21 introduces a MUCH simpler way to add a dependency. The -W «servicename» argument modifies the -k install or -k config commands to configure a dependency for Apache. Multiple -W arguments may be given, but they should all occur after the -k option. For example, to add the LanmanWorkstation dependency to an installed «Apache» service, use this command:

User Account for Apache Service to Run As (NT/2000)

When Apache is first installed as a service (e.g. with the -i option) it will run as user «System» (the LocalSystem account). There should be few issues if all resources for the web server reside on the local system, but it has broad security privileges to affect the local machine!

LocalSystem is a very privileged account locally, so you shouldn’t run any shareware applications there. However, it has no network privileges and cannot leave the machine via any NT-secured mechanism, including file system, named pipes, DCOM, or secure RPC.

NEVER grant network privileges to the SYSTEM account! Create a new user account instead, grant the appropriate privileges to that user, and use the ‘Log On As:’ option. Select the Start Menu -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Services -> apache service . and click the «Startup» button to access this setting.

A service that runs in the context of the LocalSystem account inherits the security context of the SCM. It is not associated with any logged-on user account and does not have credentials (domain name, user name, and password) to be used for verification.

The SYSTEM account has no privileges to the network, so shared pages or a shared installation of Apache is invisible to the service. If you intend to use any network resources, the following steps should help:

• Select Apache from the Control Panel’s Service dialog and click Startup.
• Verify that the service account is correct. You may wish to create an account for your Apache services.
• Retype the password and password confirmation.
• Go to User Manager for Domains.
• Click on Policies from the title bar menu, and select User Rights.
• Select the option for Advanced User Rights.
• In the drop-down list, verify that the following rights have been granted to the selected account:
  • Act as part of the operating system
  • Back up files and directories
  • Log on as a service
  • Restore files and directories
• Confirm that the selected account is a member of the Users group.
• Confirm the selected account has access to all document and script directories (minimally read and browse access).
• Confirm the selected account has read/write/delete access to the Apache logs directory!

If you allow the account to log in as a user, then you can log in yourself and test that the account has the privileges to execute the scripts, read the web pages, and that you can start Apache in a console window. If this works, and you have followed the steps above, Apache should execute as a service with no problems.

Note: error code 2186 is a good indication that you need to review the ‘Log On As’ configuration, since the server can’t access a required network resource.

Troubleshooting Apache for Windows as a Service

When starting Apache as a service you may encounter an error message from Windows service manager. For example if you try to start Apache using the Services applet in Windows Control Panel you may get the following message;

You will get this error if there is any problem starting Apache. In order to see what is causing the problem you should follow the instructions for Testing Apache at the Command Prompt.

Also, Apache 1.3.13 now records startup errors in the Application Event Log under Windows NT/2000, if Apache is run as a service. Run the Event Viewer and select Log . Application to see these events.

Check the Application Event Log with the Event Viewer in case of any problems, even if no error message pops up to warn you that an error occurred.

Running Apache for Windows from the Command Line

Controlling Apache as a Service

Multiple instances of Apache can be installed and run as services. Signal an installed Apache service to start, restart, or shutdown/stop as follows:

For the default «Apache» service, the -n Apache option is still required, since the -k commands without the -n option are directed at Apache running in a console window. The quotes are only required if the service name contains spaces.

Note: the -k stop alias for the -k shutdown command was introduced in Apache version 1.3.13. Earlier versions of Apache will only recognize the -k shutdown option. Prior to 1.3.3, Apache did not recognize any -k options at all!

Note that you may specify startup options on the apache -k start command line, including the -D, -C and -c options. These affect the processing of the service configuration, and may be used with an block to conditionally process directives. You may also override the server root path or configuration file with the -d or -f options. The options should also be passed to the -k restart command, but they are ignored if the service is running, and only processed if the service is started.

The service also appears in the Service Control applet on Windows NT/2000. For NT, this is found in the Settings -> Control Panel -> Services entry, and on 2000 it is found in the Settings -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services entry. Here you can select the desired Apache service to start or stop it. Pass additional options such as -D, -C and -c, or override the default -d or -f options in the Start Parameters box before clicking the Start button. These options behave identically to the apache -k start command.

In addition, you can use the native Windows NT/2000 command NET to start and stop Apache services:

Again, quotes are only required if the service name contains spaces. There is no way using the NET START command to pass additional options such as -D, -c or -C using the NET START command. If options are required, use one of the other two methods instead.

Experimental Windows 95/98 Service

Note: The service options for Windows 95 and 98 are only available with Apache 1.3.13 and later. Earlier versions of Apache only supported Apache in a console window for Windows 95/98.

There is some support for Apache on Windows 95/98 to behave in a similar manner as a service on Windows NT/2000. It is experimental, if it works (at all) the Apache Software Foundation will not attest to its reliability or future support. Proceed at your own risk!

Once you have confirmed that Apache runs correctly at the Command Prompt you can install, control and uninstall it with the same commands as the Windows NT/2000 version.

There are, however, significant differences that you should note:

Apache will attempt to start and if successful it will run in the background. If you run the command

via a shortcut on your desktop, for example, then if the service starts successfully a console window will flash up but immediately disappears. If Apache detects any errors on startup such as a incorrect entries in the httpd.conf file, then the console window will remain visible. This may display an error message which will be useful in tracking down the cause of the problem, and you should also review the error.log file in the Apache logs directory.

Windows 95/98 does not support NET START or NET STOP commands so you must use Apache’s Service Control options at a command prompt. You may wish to set up a shortcut for each of these commands so that you can just choose it from the start menu or desktop to perform the required action.

Apache and Windows 95/98 offer no support for running the Apache service as a specific user with network privileges. In fact, Windows 95/98 offers no security on the local machine, either. This is the simple reason that the Apache Software Foundation never endorses the use of Windows 95/98 as a public httpd server. These facilities exist only to assist the user in developing web content and learning the Apache server, and perhaps as a intranet server on a secured, private network.