Services and Devices

 

Hyena has extensive support for management of services and devices.  

 

Since services and devices are closely related entities in Windows NT and Windows 2000, many of the administrative tasks discussed in this topic apply to both.  The term "services" will be used in describing these functions.

 

Viewing

 

Double clicking on the Services or Devices object will display the services/devices in Hyena's list window.  Optionally, the Services/Devices object's context menu can also be used to display only running or only inactive services.

 

Hyena displays running services with a green icon, and stopped services with a red icon.  A yellow icon next to a service or device indicates that the service is not running, but is configured for auto-startup.

 

The Services view can be customized under the Tools->Settings->Display dialog.

 

Controlling Services (Start, Stop, Restart, Pause, Continue)

 

Individual services can be controlled through Hyena's list window, with the Start, Stop, Restart, Pause, or Continue commands.  Multiple services can also be controlled at the same time.

 

The Restart option is a shortcut for stopping, and then starting the service.

 

One of Hyena's more powerful functions is the ability to control a service on more than one computer at the same time.  To do this, first display the Computers for a given domain or Quick Access group in Hyena's list view window.  Select the computers whose service you wish to control, and select Service Control from the More Functions menu.

 

The following information can be entered in the Service Control dialog:

 

Service/Device Driver Name - Enter the name of the service to control. The name entered must be exactly as it appears in the Services list for the selected workstations.  Use the service name, NOT the display name of the service, which can be different.

 

Log Activity Filename (optional) - Enter the path and filename for an optional log file to be generated. The information logged includes workstation name, service name, and success/failure status. The Settings button will display logging options, such as whether to log successes and/or failures, and also whether to skip offline workstations. Settings are automatically restored from their previous states.

 

Operation - Select either the Start or Stop operation for the service.

 

After clicking OK, the selected service will either be started or stopped on all computers selected. If an error occurs, the affected workstation name will be displayed. Note that this operation can take several seconds for each workstation selected and possibly longer depending upon the speed of the network. It is recommended that a refresh (F5) be done prior to starting this operation to ensure that an up-to-date computer list is available.

 

Note: If the service is already stopped or started, an error will NOT be displayed.

 

 

 

Changing Startup Options

 

The startup options for individual services is controlled through the Properties option.

 

Hyena can also be used to change startup options for a service running on multiple computers at the same time.  To do this, first display the Computers for a given domain in Hyena's list view window.  Select the computers whose service you wish to control, and select Service Startup from the More Functions menu.

 

When modifying startup options for multiple computers, the Service Startup dialog is used in a similar way to the Service Control dialog described above.  Additionally:

 

The service configuration will be set to be exactly what is entered for all the selected computers. As a result, all of the service startup information must be entered, including the local/domain user account, password, and startup options.

 

If a user account other than "LocalSystem" is used to startup the service, the account will automatically be granted the "Logon as a Service" right.

 

Viewing Dependencies

 

Some services depend on other services, which are called dependencies.  The dependencies can be viewed in the Dependencies column when viewing services in the right list window.  For a better view of the dependencies, select the View Dependencies option.

 

Deleting Services

 

Some services support remote deletion.  This is implemented by the service, not by Hyena.  Select the Delete option from the context menu for a service to remove the service.  If the service does not support removal in this way, the Delete option will be disabled.

 

Installing Services

 

To install a service on one or more computers, select the computer(s) in Hyena's right window, and select More Functions->Install Service... To perform the function from the left window, expand a computer object, right click on Services, and select Install Service...

 

Service installation is an advanced operation, and should therefore be tested on a single computer prior to performing the operation on multiple computers.  Hyena's uses a wizard-based procedure to install services to reduce confusion about this operation.  The following guidelines will help in completing Hyena's service installation wizard:

 

General - The Service Name and Service Display Names are used to display the service information when viewing Services for a computer.  Select a meaningful name, and try to keep the Service Name short.  The 'Service executable command line' must use a local path relative to the computer that the service is being installed on.  Generally, services are installed in the Windows system directories.  Consult the documentation for the vendor whose service you are installing (or view the path for an existing installed service) to see exactly how to supply this information.  Use quotations for long paths if providing parameters to the service executable.

 

Copying Files - Hyena can optionally copy service installation files to the remote computer.  The destination directory should always include %computername%, which will be replaced by the remote computer address when copying files.

 

Startup Account - Currently, Hyena does not attempt to give the (non system) startup account the "logon as a service" right.  This will be address in a future patch.