Explain Windows Service in three minutes

Windows Sevice Definition :

In Windows NT operating systems, a Windows service is a computer program that operates in the background. It is similar in concept to a Unix daemon. A Windows service must conform to the interface rules and protocols of the Service Control Manager, the component responsible for managing Windows services.

Features of Windows Service: 

1. Start service automatically along with system
2. On service failure, it takes action restart service, restart the server and execute/run a program
3. There are 4 Service startup types - Automatic,  Manual, Disabled and Automatic ( Delayed Start)

 

4.  There is no user interface associated with services  - you cannot give any input values - like in the calculator you provide inputs.
5. It is the program that runs in the background.

6. Service behavior can be controlled.

7. Services consumes systems resources - how much? -is dependent upon program they are executing.
8. It is the core component of operating system
9. Only one instance of windows services run on the device.
10. Run services with specific user or with local system accounts.
11. It can run forever unless interrupted by some inputs or interruption.

Services are broadly Categories as below : 

• Local Service
• Network Service
• System 

There are 3 basic states of service:

• Running
• Stopped
• Paused

Services can also repot below status :

• Started
• Stopped
• Start pending
• Stop pending