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Service

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Synopsis

Manage a Windows service.

Syntax

Service [String] #ResourceName
{
    Name = [string]
    [BuiltInAccount = [string]{ LocalService | LocalSystem | NetworkService }]
    [Credential = [PSCredential]]
    [Dependencies = [string[]]]
    [DependsOn = [string[]]]
    [Description = [string]]
    [DesktopInteract = [bool]]
    [DisplayName = [string]]
    [Ensure = [string]{ Absent | Present }]
    [Path = [string]]
    [PsDscRunAsCredential = [PSCredential]]
    [StartupTimeout = [UInt32]]
    [StartupType = [string]{ Automatic | Disabled | Manual }]
    [State = [string]{ Ignore | Running | Stopped }]
    [TerminateTimeout = [UInt32]]
}

Description

The Service resource enables you to add, update, and remove services.

Requirements

None.

Key properties

Name

Specify the service name as a string.

Note

Sometimes this value is different from the display name. You can get a list of the services and their current state with the Get-Service cmdlet.

Type: System.String

Optional properties

BuiltInAccount

Specify the name of the machine account to run the service as. The account must have access to the executable specified by Path in order to start the service.

Don't specify this property with the Credential property.

Type: System.String
Accepted Values:
  - LocalService
  - LocalSystem
  - NetworkService
Default Value: Null

Credential

Specify the credential for an account to run the service as. The account must have access to the executable specified by Path to start the service. The resource automatically grants this account the "Log on as a Service" right.

Don't specify this property with the BuiltInAccount property.

Type: System.Management.Automation.PSCredential
Default Value: None

Dependencies

Specify the names of services that this service requires to be running as an array of strings.

Type: System.String[]
Default Value: None

Description

Specify the description of the service as a string. The service description appears in Computer Management, Services.

Type: System.String
Default Value: None

DesktopInteract

Specify whether the service can create or communicate with a window on the desktop. This property must be $false if BuiltInAccount isn't specified as LocalSystem.

The default value is $false.

Type: System.Boolean
Default Value: false

DisplayName

Specify the human-friendly display name of the service as a string.

Type: System.String
Default Value: None

Ensure

Specify whether the service should exist. To add or update a service, set this property to Present. To remove a service, set this property to Absent.

The default value is Present.

Type: System.String
Accepted Values:
  - Absent
  - Present
Default Value: Present

Path

Specify the path to the service's executable file as a string. This property is required if the service doesn't exist.

Type: System.String
Default Value: None

StartupTimeout

Specify the time to wait for the service to start in milliseconds.

The default value is 30000.

Type: System.UInt32
Default Value: 30000

StartupType

Specify how the service should behave on system start-up. The value must be one of the following:

  • Automatic - The service is started by the operating system at system start-up. If an automatically started service depends on a manually started service, the manually started service is also started automatically at system start-up.
  • Disabled - The service is disabled and can't be started by a user or application.
  • Manual - The service is started only manually, by a user, using the Service Control Manager, or by an application.

If the service doesn't exist, the default value is Automatic.

Type: System.String
Behavior: Write
Accepted Values:
  - Automatic
  - Disabled
  - Manual
Default Value: None

State

Specify whether the service should run. The value must be one of the following:

  • Running - The resource starts the service if it's not already started.
  • Stopped - The resource stops the service if it's running.
  • Ignore - The resource doesn't start or stop the service.

The default value is Running.

Type: System.String
Accepted Values:
  - Running
  - Stopped
  - Ignore
Default Value: Running

TerminateTimeout

Specify the time to wait for the service to stop in milliseconds. The default value is 30000.

Type: System.UInt32
Default Value: 30000

Examples