Configure STAF to run as a Windows service

There are some advantages on running STAF as a Windows service. Common reason being that the STAF functionality is available even without user logged into the system.

Configuring STAF to run as a service needs an auxiliary application, like srvany.exe. This file is part of Windows Resource Kit. Due to licensing restrictions I cannot attach the file here but it should not be big of a problem as you can download the resource kit from Microsoft for free. Do a google using the keywords "Windows Resource kit" and start from there. The filename of the installer normally is rktools.exe. Once downloaded, install the software look for srvany.exe and instsrv.exe.  You can copy this files somewhere so that you can use it other machines. See below for the steps for configuring STAF to run as a service:

1) Copy instsrv.exe and srvany.exe into C:\Windows\System32 (actually $windir\system32 ).

2) In Windows console ( Start->Run "cmd.exe"), change to directory C:\Windows\System32.

3) Install a Windows service placeholder, like:

instsrv.exe STAF C:\Windows\System32\svrany.exe

Note "STAF" here can be any string but for convenience and easy correlation we used STAF.

4) Modify this service to actually run STAFProc.exe via registry. Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\STAF

5) Under this subkey, add a key named as "parameters".

6) Select the new "parameters" key and add a string value named "application". It should be of type REG_SZ.

7) Change the data to "C:\STAF\bin\STAFProc.exe".

8) Close regedit.exe.

9) If we need STAF to interact with the desktop then minor adjustment is necessary. Modify the STAF service using services applet ( in Windows 2003/Windows XP it can be accessed via Start->Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services ). Double click on STAF service ( or via context menu then Properties ), select Log on tab. Enable "Allow service to interact with desktop"

Useful links:

How To Create a User-Defined Service by Microsoft

~ts