Overview
The MDS is capable to run as a Windows service. The MDS server can be run either as a background service (hidden) or the MDS can be run with its console window. Using Services, you can start or stop services on remote and local computers, and configure startup options.
Setup
| · | Install the MDS by running the MDS installer.
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| · | To configure service startup, you must be logged on as a Windows administrator or as a member of the Administrators group.
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| · | If you want to run Metatude Dialogue Server as a service, you must have run the server with its console window at least once to pass its initialization parameters.This can be done by starting the MDS from the Windows Start menu or from the Service panel with the console window enabled.
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How to start Metatude Dialogue Server as a service
| · | Click Start > Programs > Metatude > Metatude Dialogue Server > Start MDS as a Service. The Metatude Dialogue Server will be started with the console window enabled.
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How to stop Metatude Dialogue Server service
| · | Click Start > Programs > Metatude > Metatude Dialogue Server > Stop MDS as a Service. The Metatude Dialogue Server service will be stopped.
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Change Service settings
| · | After installation, open Services. To open Services, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Services. Look for the service name Metatude Dialogue Server.
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Figure 1. Windows services
| · | Right-click the service name Metatude Dialogue Server, and then click Properties.
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Figure 2. Service properties
| · | On the General tab, under Startup, you can set the startup type to Automatic, Manual, or Disabled. The default is Manual. Set this to Automatic if you want the Metatude Dialogue Server to start when the system is booted.
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| · | Click the Log On tab, and then click System account. To disable the Metatude Dialogue Sever console window on the desktop that can be used by anyone who is logged on when the service is started, deselect the Allow service to interact with desktop check box.
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Figure 3. Show MDS console window
| · | Go back to General tab and click the Start button to start the service with the console window.
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For details on how to configure a windows service visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/default.asp?url=/windows2000/en/server/help/sys_srv_configure_startup.htm
Metatude Dialogue Server as a background (hidden) service
If Metatude Dialogue Server runs as a background service, users will not be able to see the server console window. To run the server as a background service, uncheck the Allow service to interact with desktop at the Log On tab of the Service properties (figure 3). And start/restart the service.
Installation defaults for Metatude Dialogue Server as Windows service
Service Name: Metatude Dialogue Server
Display Name: Metatude Dialogue Server
Path to executables: <User_Installation_path_of_MDS>\service\srvany.exe
Startup type: Manual
Service status: Stopped
Allow service to interact with desktop: Yes
How to uninstall/remove service after uninstalling Metatude Dialogue Server
Stop the Metatude Dialogue Server service before you attempt to uninstall it. Otherwise the un-installation process will fail to remove a few files. After uninstalling Metatude Dialogue Server, to remove the service entries from the service panel, run the RemoveNTService.bat located at <Metatude Dialogue Server Installation Directory>\service.
Difficulty with database connections
The Metatude Dialogue Server may fail to connect to a database that uses windows ODBC if started as a service. If the server is started manually from the Start menu, there will be no ODBC errors.
If the Metatude Dialogue Server fails to connect to the database while creating a Directory Server, the Metatude Project Manager will show the following error:
Unable to connect to directory server.
Reason and solution:
The main reason for this connection problem is related to User rights. The user must be logged on as an administrator or as a member of the Administrators group. If the database is running from a machine other than the MDS machine and the database machine is under a domain, the MDS machine user must have proper access to that domain. The user should log on as a domain user for the above configuration. This can be configured in the services properties, as shown above. If an ODBC database is on the same computer as the MDS, try using a System DSN for creating an ODBC Datasource.
Some services rely on other services to start. Metatude Dialogue Server service may start before other services depending upon your system. Other service will be unavailable to the MDS if they start after the MDS starts. This problem may cause a database service or ODBC related database to be unavailable to the MDS. Stop and start the Metatude Dialogue Server service again to overcome this situation.