windows Service Hangs

[Jacob Crossley]

Hello all. We have about 10 Window's services that we wrote in c#. We use
them to process row's that we have queued up in various SQL tables.

The services seem to hang at least once in any given 24 hour period. Once we
reset the service, it goes about its processing business until the next time
it hangs. We are wondering if the hanging problem is due to a load issue
(too many windows services on a single machine), a code flaw, or an inherent
c# bug? We used to write NT services in VB6 using the ntsvc.ocx. Those
services never hung. I'm wondering if we are going to have to rewrite all of
our c# services in old school vb6. I've included the Service code
below...any help would be much appreciated.

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.ServiceProcess;
using System.Configuration;

namespace IAR_Service
{
public class IAR : System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase
{
private System.Timers.Timer tmrWinService;
/// <summary>
/// Required designer variable.
/// </summary>
private System.ComponentModel.Container components = null;

public IAR()
{
// This call is required by the Windows.Forms Component Designer.
InitializeComponent();

// TODO: Add any initialization after the InitComponent call
}

// The main entry point for the process
static void Main()
{
System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase[] ServicesToRun;

// More than one user Service may run within the same process. To add
// another service to this process, change the following line to
// create a second service object. For example,
//
// ServicesToRun = New System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase[] {new
Service1(), new MySecondUserService()};
//
ServicesToRun = new System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase[] { new IAR() };

System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase.Run(ServicesToRu n);
}

/// <summary>
/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
/// the contents of this method with the code editor.
/// </summary>
private void InitializeComponent()
{
this.tmrWinService = new System.Timers.Timer();

((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.t mrWinService)).BeginInit()
;
//
// tmrWinService
//
//this.tmrWinService.Enabled = true;
this.tmrWinService.Interval = 20000;
this.tmrWinService.Elapsed += new
System.Timers.ElapsedEventHandler(this.tmrWinServi ce_Elapsed);
//
// IAR
//
this.AutoLog = false;
this.CanPauseAndContinue = true;
this.ServiceName = "IAR";

((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.t mrWinService)).EndInit();

}

/// <summary>
/// Clean up any resources being used.
/// </summary>
protected override void Dispose( bool disposing )
{
if( disposing )
{
if (components != null)
{
components.Dispose();
}
}
base.Dispose( disposing );
}

/// <summary>
/// Set things in motion so your service can do its work.
/// </summary>
protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
{
// TODO: Add code here to start your service.
tmrWinService.Enabled = true;
tmrWinService.AutoReset = true;
tmrWinService.Start();
//see if log exists. if not, create
if (!EventLog.SourceExists("IAR-Service")) EventLog.CreateEventSource("",
"IAR-Service", ".");
//log
EventLog log = new EventLog();
log.Log = "IAR-Service";
log.Source = "WinServiceIAR.OnStart";
log.WriteEntry("Starting IAR windows Service",
EventLogEntryType.Information);
log.Dispose();
}

/// <summary>
/// Stop this service.
/// </summary>
protected override void OnStop()
{
// TODO: Add code here to perform any tear-down necessary to stop your
service.
tmrWinService.Enabled = true;
tmrWinService.AutoReset = true;
tmrWinService.Stop();
//see if log exists. if not, create
if (!EventLog.SourceExists("IAR-Service")) EventLog.CreateEventSource("",
"IAR-Service", ".");
//log
EventLog log = new EventLog();
log.Log = "IAR-Service";
log.Source = "WinServiceIAR.OnStop";
log.WriteEntry("Stopping IAR windows Service",
EventLogEntryType.Information);
log.Dispose();
}

private void tmrWinService_Elapsed(Object sender,
System.Timers.ElapsedEventArgs e)
{
this.tmrWinService.Stop();
try
{
UserServices oUser = new UserServices();
ScriptingTelnet st = new ScriptingTelnet();
//CALL
oUser.processIAR();

}
catch (Exception err)
{
//see if log exists. if not, create
if (!EventLog.SourceExists("IAR-Service"))
EventLog.CreateEventSource("", "IAR-Service", ".");
//log
EventLog log = new EventLog();
log.Log = "IAR-Service";
log.Source = "WinServiceIAR.tmrWinService_Elapsed";
log.WriteEntry(err.Message.ToString(), EventLogEntryType.Error);
log.Dispose();
}
finally
{
this.tmrWinService.Start();
}
}
}
}

[Willy Denoyette [MVP]]

What's the purpose of this?

ScriptingTelnet st = new ScriptingTelnet();

Willy.

"Jacob Crossley" <ja***********@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:WY***************@fe25.usenetserver.com...

Hello all. We have about 10 Window's services that we wrote in c#. We use
them to process row's that we have queued up in various SQL tables.

The services seem to hang at least once in any given 24 hour period. Once
we
reset the service, it goes about its processing business until the next
time
it hangs. We are wondering if the hanging problem is due to a load issue
(too many windows services on a single machine), a code flaw, or an
inherent
c# bug? We used to write NT services in VB6 using the ntsvc.ocx. Those
services never hung. I'm wondering if we are going to have to rewrite all
of
our c# services in old school vb6. I've included the Service code
below...any help would be much appreciated.

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.ServiceProcess;
using System.Configuration;

namespace IAR_Service
{
public class IAR : System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase
{
private System.Timers.Timer tmrWinService;
/// <summary>
/// Required designer variable.
/// </summary>
private System.ComponentModel.Container components = null;

public IAR()
{
// This call is required by the Windows.Forms Component Designer.
InitializeComponent();

// TODO: Add any initialization after the InitComponent call
}

// The main entry point for the process
static void Main()
{
System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase[] ServicesToRun;

// More than one user Service may run within the same process. To add
// another service to this process, change the following line to
// create a second service object. For example,
//
// ServicesToRun = New System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase[] {new
Service1(), new MySecondUserService()};
//
ServicesToRun = new System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase[] { new IAR() };

System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase.Run(ServicesToRu n);
}

/// <summary>
/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
/// the contents of this method with the code editor.
/// </summary>
private void InitializeComponent()
{
this.tmrWinService = new System.Timers.Timer();

((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.t mrWinService)).BeginInit()
;
//
// tmrWinService
//
//this.tmrWinService.Enabled = true;
this.tmrWinService.Interval = 20000;
this.tmrWinService.Elapsed += new
System.Timers.ElapsedEventHandler(this.tmrWinServi ce_Elapsed);
//
// IAR
//
this.AutoLog = false;
this.CanPauseAndContinue = true;
this.ServiceName = "IAR";

((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.t mrWinService)).EndInit();

}

/// <summary>
/// Clean up any resources being used.
/// </summary>
protected override void Dispose( bool disposing )
{
if( disposing )
{
if (components != null)
{
components.Dispose();
}
}
base.Dispose( disposing );
}

/// <summary>
/// Set things in motion so your service can do its work.
/// </summary>
protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
{
// TODO: Add code here to start your service.
tmrWinService.Enabled = true;
tmrWinService.AutoReset = true;
tmrWinService.Start();
//see if log exists. if not, create
if (!EventLog.SourceExists("IAR-Service"))
EventLog.CreateEventSource("",
"IAR-Service", ".");
//log
EventLog log = new EventLog();
log.Log = "IAR-Service";
log.Source = "WinServiceIAR.OnStart";
log.WriteEntry("Starting IAR windows Service",
EventLogEntryType.Information);
log.Dispose();
}

/// <summary>
/// Stop this service.
/// </summary>
protected override void OnStop()
{
// TODO: Add code here to perform any tear-down necessary to stop your
service.
tmrWinService.Enabled = true;
tmrWinService.AutoReset = true;
tmrWinService.Stop();
//see if log exists. if not, create
if (!EventLog.SourceExists("IAR-Service"))
EventLog.CreateEventSource("",
"IAR-Service", ".");
//log
EventLog log = new EventLog();
log.Log = "IAR-Service";
log.Source = "WinServiceIAR.OnStop";
log.WriteEntry("Stopping IAR windows Service",
EventLogEntryType.Information);
log.Dispose();
}

private void tmrWinService_Elapsed(Object sender,
System.Timers.ElapsedEventArgs e)
{
this.tmrWinService.Stop();
try
{
UserServices oUser = new UserServices();
ScriptingTelnet st = new ScriptingTelnet();
//CALL
oUser.processIAR();

}
catch (Exception err)
{
//see if log exists. if not, create
if (!EventLog.SourceExists("IAR-Service"))
EventLog.CreateEventSource("", "IAR-Service", ".");
//log
EventLog log = new EventLog();
log.Log = "IAR-Service";
log.Source = "WinServiceIAR.tmrWinService_Elapsed";
log.WriteEntry(err.Message.ToString(), EventLogEntryType.Error);
log.Dispose();
}
finally
{
this.tmrWinService.Start();
}
}
}
}

[Jacob Crossley]

That just instantiates another class in the sln....Its a custom class that
adds and removes people from an acl on a router to restrict/permit internet
access at our ISP...I could include that code if you'd like, but all of our
services hang, regardless of what they do in the worker classes...I'd
propose that the service would hang even if it called a class that wrote
'hello world' to a text file.
"Willy Denoyette [MVP]" <wi*************@pandora.be> wrote in message
news:uv**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

What's the purpose of this?

ScriptingTelnet st = new ScriptingTelnet();

Willy.

"Jacob Crossley" <ja***********@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:WY***************@fe25.usenetserver.com...

Hello all. We have about 10 Window's services that we wrote in c#. We use them to process row's that we have queued up in various SQL tables.

The services seem to hang at least once in any given 24 hour period. Once we
reset the service, it goes about its processing business until the next
time
it hangs. We are wondering if the hanging problem is due to a load issue
(too many windows services on a single machine), a code flaw, or an
inherent
c# bug? We used to write NT services in VB6 using the ntsvc.ocx. Those
services never hung. I'm wondering if we are going to have to rewrite all of
our c# services in old school vb6. I've included the Service code
below...any help would be much appreciated.

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.ServiceProcess;
using System.Configuration;

namespace IAR_Service
{
public class IAR : System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase
{
private System.Timers.Timer tmrWinService;
/// <summary>
/// Required designer variable.
/// </summary>
private System.ComponentModel.Container components = null;

public IAR()
{
// This call is required by the Windows.Forms Component Designer.
InitializeComponent();

// TODO: Add any initialization after the InitComponent call
}

// The main entry point for the process
static void Main()
{
System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase[] ServicesToRun;

// More than one user Service may run within the same process. To add
// another service to this process, change the following line to
// create a second service object. For example,
//
// ServicesToRun = New System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase[] {new
Service1(), new MySecondUserService()};
//
ServicesToRun = new System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase[] { new IAR() };

System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase.Run(ServicesToRu n);
}

/// <summary>
/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
/// the contents of this method with the code editor.
/// </summary>
private void InitializeComponent()
{
this.tmrWinService = new System.Timers.Timer();

((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.t mrWinService)).BeginInit() ;
//
// tmrWinService
//
//this.tmrWinService.Enabled = true;
this.tmrWinService.Interval = 20000;
this.tmrWinService.Elapsed += new
System.Timers.ElapsedEventHandler(this.tmrWinServi ce_Elapsed);
//
// IAR
//
this.AutoLog = false;
this.CanPauseAndContinue = true;
this.ServiceName = "IAR";

((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.t mrWinService)).EndInit();
}

/// <summary>
/// Clean up any resources being used.
/// </summary>
protected override void Dispose( bool disposing )
{
if( disposing )
{
if (components != null)
{
components.Dispose();
}
}
base.Dispose( disposing );
}

/// <summary>
/// Set things in motion so your service can do its work.
/// </summary>
protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
{
// TODO: Add code here to start your service.
tmrWinService.Enabled = true;
tmrWinService.AutoReset = true;
tmrWinService.Start();
//see if log exists. if not, create
if (!EventLog.SourceExists("IAR-Service"))
EventLog.CreateEventSource("",
"IAR-Service", ".");
//log
EventLog log = new EventLog();
log.Log = "IAR-Service";
log.Source = "WinServiceIAR.OnStart";
log.WriteEntry("Starting IAR windows Service",
EventLogEntryType.Information);
log.Dispose();
}

/// <summary>
/// Stop this service.
/// </summary>
protected override void OnStop()
{
// TODO: Add code here to perform any tear-down necessary to stop your
service.
tmrWinService.Enabled = true;
tmrWinService.AutoReset = true;
tmrWinService.Stop();
//see if log exists. if not, create
if (!EventLog.SourceExists("IAR-Service"))
EventLog.CreateEventSource("",
"IAR-Service", ".");
//log
EventLog log = new EventLog();
log.Log = "IAR-Service";
log.Source = "WinServiceIAR.OnStop";
log.WriteEntry("Stopping IAR windows Service",
EventLogEntryType.Information);
log.Dispose();
}

private void tmrWinService_Elapsed(Object sender,
System.Timers.ElapsedEventArgs e)
{
this.tmrWinService.Stop();
try
{
UserServices oUser = new UserServices();
ScriptingTelnet st = new ScriptingTelnet();
//CALL
oUser.processIAR();

}
catch (Exception err)
{
//see if log exists. if not, create
if (!EventLog.SourceExists("IAR-Service"))
EventLog.CreateEventSource("", "IAR-Service", ".");
//log
EventLog log = new EventLog();
log.Log = "IAR-Service";
log.Source = "WinServiceIAR.tmrWinService_Elapsed";
log.WriteEntry(err.Message.ToString(), EventLogEntryType.Error);
log.Dispose();
}
finally
{
this.tmrWinService.Start();
}
}
}
}

[Willy Denoyette [MVP]]

Willy.

"Jacob Crossley" <ja***********@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:il***************@fe25.usenetserver.com...

That just instantiates another class in the sln....Its a custom class that
adds and removes people from an acl on a router to restrict/permit
internet
access at our ISP...I could include that code if you'd like, but all of
our
services hang, regardless of what they do in the worker classes...I'd
propose that the service would hang even if it called a class that wrote
'hello world' to a text file.

No need to check this with a simple "hello world" service :-),I have a
couple of services ,running for weeks now, performing some tasks at regular
intervals using System.Threading.Timer.

Is it possible that this custom class takes longer than the interval? And,
when it's the possibility exists, are you sure that, your custom class is
threadsafe, and there is no possibility for race conditions leading to
deadlocks?
I suggest you watch some resources like # of handles, # of run-able threads
when the service runs and when it hangs.
Another thing you can do is attach a debugger to your hung service and try
to find out where it hangs.

Willy.