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2.3.2. Running the JBoss ON Server as a Service

The JBoss ON server can be configured to run as a service, managed with systems tools, on both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Windows.
2.3.2.1. Configuring the JBoss ON Server as a Service on Red Hat Enterprise Linux
The rhq-server.sh script can be managed by the init process so that the server starts automatically when the system boots. This also allows the server process to be managed by services like service and chkconfig.
  1. Copy the rhq-server.sh script into the /etc/init.d/ directory. 
    cp serverRoot/bin/rhq-server.sh /etc/init.d/
  2. Edit the /etc/init.d/rhq-server.sh script to set the RHQ_SERVER_HOME variable to the JBoss ON server install directory and the RHQ_SERVER_JAVA_HOME variable to the appropriate directory for the JVM. For example: 
    RHQ_SERVER_HOME=serverRoot/jon-server-3.1.2.GA1/
    RHQ_SERVER_JAVA_HOME=/usr/
  3. Edit the /etc/init.d/rhq-server.sh script, and add the following lines to the top of the file, directly under #!/bin/sh. 
    #!/bin/sh
#chkconfig: 2345 95 20   
#description: JBoss Operations Network Server
#processname: run.sh
    The last two numbers in the #chkconfig: 2345 95 20 line specify the start and stop priority, respectively, for the JBoss ON server.
  4. Add the service to the chkconfig service management command, and verify that it was added properly. 
    chkconfig --add rhq-server.sh
chkconfig rhq-server.sh --list
  5. Set the rhq-server.sh service to run at run level 5. 
    chkconfig --level 5 rhq-server.sh on
Once the init scripts and chkconfig files are updated, then the JBoss ON server can be started and stopped using the servicecommand. The status of the process can also be checked. 
service rhq-server.sh {start|stop|status}
2.3.2.2. Configuring JBoss ON as a Windows Service
The rhq-server.bat script has an installation option that installs the script as a Windows service. Once installed, the JBoss ON server can be started, stopped, and managed through Windows tools (Add and Remove Programs and Services) or through the rhq-server.bat script.
  1. Set the environment variable to run the Windows service as.
    Every Windows service has to run as some system user. There are two environment variables in the rhq-server.bat script that set the user to use:
    • RHQ_SERVER_RUN_AS sets any Windows user to be the JBoss ON server user. The username given here must be in the standard Windows format, DOMAIN\user, such as EXAMPLEDOMAIN\jsmith.
    • RHQ_SERVER_RUN_AS_ME sets the server to run as whoever the current user is. This overrides the RHQ_SERVER_RUN_AS, if both as set.
    If neither environment variable is set, then the JBoss ON server runs as the system account.
  2. Run the rhq-server.bat script with the install option to set up the service. This prompts for the password of whatever user account is used for the JBoss ON service. 
    serverRoot\bin\rhq-server.bat install
After the service is set up, the JBoss ON server can be started or stopped using Windows administrative tools or by using any of the options in Table 4, “rhq-server.bat Options” with the script.

Table 4. rhq-server.bat Options

Option Description
start Starts the server service.
stop Stops the server service.
status Prints the current status (running or stopped) of the service.
remove Removes, or uninstalls, the JBoss ON server service.
The JBoss ON server Windows service can be modified by changing or adding parameters in the service wrapper configuration file, serverRoot\bin\wrapper\rhq-server-wrapper.conf. Table 5, “Common Wrapper Properties” lists some of the wrapper properties that are most commonly edited.

Note

Before editing the wrapper file, check out the list of properties in the Java Service Wrapper documentation at http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.org/doc/english/properties.html.

Table 5. Common Wrapper Properties

Parameter Description
wrapper.app.parameter.# Passes command-line options to the server (the JBoss AS container). Each individual option and its value must be given its own wrapper configuration property and must be placed in numerical order.

Important

Do not change any of the five default properties, wrapper.app.parameter.1. The number for new properties must begin at 5.
wrapper.java.additional.# Passes additional options to the virtual machine, such as -Xmx or -D. Increments the parameters upward numerically.

Important

Do not edit the wrapper.java.additiona.1 property unless you want to point to your own log configuration file. Any other properties can be added, removed, or modified.
For example: 
wrapper.java.additional.5=-XX:+DisableExplicitGC
wrapper.ntservice.starttype Sets the start type, either automatically when the system boots (AUTO_START) or manually (DEMAND_START).
Alternatively, the wrapper service can be configured by creating a wrapper include file, in the serverRoot\bin\wrapper\rhq-server-wrapper.inc. An include file augments the service wrapper configuration file and is the recommended way to add more Java VM.