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Servy CLI
Akram El Assas edited this page May 26, 2026
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Important
Console UI Compatibility
If your app tries to visually update the command prompt (like clearing the screen or moving the cursor), it will crash when running as a background service since services don't have visible windows. To fix this without changing your code, simply turn on --enableConsoleUI option in the service configuration while installing your service.
Servy includes a command-line interface (CLI) designed for full scripting, automated deployments, and seamless integration into CI/CD pipelines.
The CLI offers a lightweight, script-friendly alternative to the desktop app, focusing on automation and headless use cases while leveraging the same core service management logic as the desktop application.
After installation, the Servy directory is automatically added to the system PATH environment variable. This allows you to run servy-cli.exe directly from any elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell session.
Note
In servy-cli, the equals sign (=) is not supported when using single-character shortcuts (like -c or -p).
To get started, open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell window and run:
PS> servy-cli help
Servy.CLI <version>+<commit>
Copyright © 2026 Akram El Assas. All rights reserved.
install Install a service.
uninstall Uninstall a service.
start Start a Windows service.
stop Stop a Windows service.
status Get the current status of a Windows service. Possible results:
Stopped, StartPending, StopPending, Running, ContinuePending,
PausePending, Paused.
restart Restart a Windows service.
export Export a Servy Windows service configuration to a configuration
file.
import Import a Windows service configuration into the Servy database and
optionally install the service.
help Display more information on a specific command.
version Display version information.
For detailed help on any command, append --help after the command name. For example, to get help for the start command:
PS> servy-cli start --help
Servy.CLI <version>+<commit>
Copyright © 2026 Akram El Assas. All rights reserved.
-n, --name Required. Name of the service to start.
-q, --quiet Suppress spinner and run in non-interactive mode.
--help Display this help screen.
--version Display version information.
The main command for installing a Windows service is install.
Quick Example
The following command installs MyApp.exe as a Windows service named MyService:
PS> servy-cli install --name="MyService" --path="C:\path\to\MyApp.exe"
Detailed Usage
Here is its detailed usage:
PS> servy-cli install --help
Servy.CLI <version>+<commit>
Copyright © 2026 Akram El Assas. All rights reserved.
-n, --name Required. Unique service name to install.
--displayName The human-readable name shown in the Windows
Services console (services.msc). If left empty,
the service name will be used instead.
-d, --description Description of the service.
-p, --path Required. Path to the executable process.
Supports environment variable expansion, example:
%JAVA_HOME%\bin\java.exe
--startupDir Startup directory for the process. Supports
environment variable expansion, example:
%PROGRAMDATA%\MyApp
--params Additional parameters for the process. Supports
environment variable expansion, example:
--params="%ProgramData%\MyApp"
--params="%MY_VAR%\bin"
--startupType Service startup type. Options: Automatic,
AutomaticDelayedStart, Manual, Disabled.
--priority Process priority level. Options: Idle,
BelowNormal, Normal, AboveNormal, High, RealTime.
--enableConsoleUI Enable console user interface for the service.
When enabled, stdout/stderr redirection is
disabled.
--stdout Path to stdout log file.
--stderr Path to stderr log file.
--enableRotation Deprecated. Enable size-based log rotation. This
option is kept only for backward compatibility.
Use --enableSizeRotation instead.
--enableSizeRotation Enable size-based log rotation.
--rotationSize Log rotation size in Megabytes (MB). Must be
greater than or equal to 1 MB.
--enableDateRotation Enable date-based log rotation based on the date
interval specified by --dateRotationType. When
both size-based and date-based rotation are
enabled, size rotation takes precedence.
--dateRotationType Date rotation type. Options: Daily, Weekly,
Monthly, None (None disables date-based rotation;
use when only size rotation is desired).
--maxRotations Maximum rotated log files to keep. Set to 0 or
leave empty for unlimited.
--useLocalTimeForRotation Use local server time for log rotation instead of
UTC. Default is false.
--enableHealth Enable health monitoring.
--heartbeatInterval Heartbeat interval in seconds.
--maxFailedChecks Maximum allowed failed health checks.
--recoveryAction Recovery action on failure. Options: None,
RestartService, RestartProcess, RestartComputer.
Restart service and restart computer actions are
not available if the service runs under NT
AUTHORITY\NetworkService, NT
AUTHORITY\LocalService, or a user account without
the required privileges. Only the restart process
action will be available for these accounts.
--recoveryOnCleanExit Enable running recovery action even if the
process exits successfully. Default is false.
--maxRestartAttempts Maximum restart attempts on failure. Set to 0 for
unlimited restart attempts.
--failureProgramPath The failure program path. Configure a script or
executable to run when the process fails to
start. If health monitoring is disabled, the
program will run when the process fails to start.
If health monitoring is enabled, the program will
only run after all configured recovery action
retries have failed. Supports environment
variable expansion, example:
%JAVA_HOME%\bin\java.exe
--failureProgramStartupDir Specifies the directory in which the failure
program will start. Defaults to the failure
program directory. Supports environment variable
expansion, example: %PROGRAMDATA%\MyApp
--failureProgramParams Additional parameters for the failure program.
--envVars Environment variables for the process. Enter
variables in the format varName=varValue
separated by semicolons (;). Use \= to escape
'=', \" to escape '"', \; to escape ';' and \\ to
escape '\'. Supports environment variable
expansion, example: VAR1=%ProgramData%\MyApp;
VAR2=%VAR1%\bin
--deps Specify one or more Windows service names (not
display names) that this service depends on
separated with semicolons (;). Use service key
names without spaces or special characters. Each
dependency service must be installed and running
before this service can start. If a dependency's
start type is Automatic, Windows will try to
start it automatically before this service. If a
dependency fails to start or is disabled, this
service will not start.
--user The service account username (e.g., .\username,
DOMAIN\username, or DOMAIN\gMSA$). If this option
is not set, the service runs under Local System.
If the service runs under an account other than
Local System, you must grant write access to
%ProgramData%\Servy for the account that runs the
service.
--password The service account password. SECURITY WARNING:
Use the SERVY_PASSWORD environment variable
instead to avoid exposing credentials in OS
process listings.
--preLaunchPath The pre-launch executable path. Configure an
optional script or executable to run before the
main service starts. This is useful for preparing
configurations, fetching secrets, or other setup
tasks. If the pre-launch script fails, the
service will not start unless you enable
--preLaunchIgnoreFailure. Supports environment
variable expansion, example:
%JAVA_HOME%\bin\java.exe
--preLaunchStartupDir Specifies the directory in which the pre-launch
executable will start. Defaults to the service
working directory. Supports environment variable
expansion, example: %PROGRAMDATA%\MyApp
--preLaunchParams Additional parameters for the pre-launch
executable.
--preLaunchEnv Environment variables for the pre-launch
executable. Enter variables in the format
varName=varValue separated by semicolons (;). Use
\= to escape '=', \" to escape '"', \; to escape
';' and \\ to escape '\'. Supports environment
variable expansion, example:
VAR1=%ProgramData%\MyApp; VAR2=%VAR1%\bin
--preLaunchStdout Path to stdout log file of the pre-launch
executable.
--preLaunchStderr Path to stderr log file of the pre-launch
executable.
--preLaunchTimeout Timeout for the pre-launch executable. Set the
timeout to 0 to run the pre-launch hook in
fire-and-forget mode. When set to 0, the hook is
started and the service is launched immediately
without waiting for completion. Use this only for
tasks that do not affect the service's ability to
start or run correctly. Stdout/Stderr redirection
and retries are not available in fire-and-forget
mode.
--preLaunchRetryAttempts Number of retry attempts for the pre-launch
executable if it fails. Must be greater or equal
to 0.
--preLaunchIgnoreFailure Ignore failure and start service even if
pre-launch executable fails.
--postLaunchPath The post-launch executable path. Configure an
optional script or executable to run after the
process starts successfully. Supports environment
variable expansion, example:
%JAVA_HOME%\bin\java.exe
--postLaunchStartupDir Specifies the directory in which the post-launch
executable will start. Defaults to the directory
of the post-launch program. Supports environment
variable expansion, example: %PROGRAMDATA%\MyApp
--postLaunchParams Additional parameters for the post-launch
executable.
--debug Whether debug logs are enabled. When enabled,
environment variables and process parameters are
recorded in the Servy.Service.log file. Not
recommended for production environments, as these
logs may contain sensitive information.
--startTimeout Timeout in seconds to wait for the process to
start successfully before considering the startup
as failed. Must be greater than or equal to 1
second. Defaults to 10 seconds.
--stopTimeout Timeout in seconds to wait for the process to
exit. Must be greater than or equal to 1 second.
Defaults to 5 seconds.
--preStopPath The pre-stop executable path. Configure an
optional script or executable to run before the
main service stops. This can be used for graceful
shutdown tasks such as notifying external systems
or draining resources. The pre-stop process runs
synchronously and extends the service stop
timeout while it is running. Set the timeout to 0
to run the pre-stop process in fire-and-forget
mode. Supports environment variable expansion,
example: %JAVA_HOME%\bin\java.exe
--preStopStartupDir Specifies the directory in which the pre-stop
executable will start. Defaults to the directory
of the pre-stop program. Supports environment
variable expansion, example: %PROGRAMDATA%\MyApp
--preStopParams Additional parameters for the pre-stop
executable.
--preStopTimeout Timeout for the pre-stop executable. Set the
timeout to 0 to run the pre-stop process in
fire-and-forget mode.
--preStopLogAsError Log pre-stop failure as error.
--postStopPath The post-stop executable path. Configure an
optional script or executable to run after the
wrapped process and all of its child processes
have exited. The post-stop process is started in
fire-and-forget mode and does not block service
shutdown. Supports environment variable
expansion, example: %JAVA_HOME%\bin\java.exe
--postStopStartupDir Specifies the directory in which the post-stop
executable will start. Defaults to the directory
of the post-stop program. Supports environment
variable expansion, example: %PROGRAMDATA%\MyApp
--postStopParams Additional parameters for the post-stop
executable.
-q, --quiet Suppress spinner and run in non-interactive mode.
--help Display this help screen.
--version Display version information.
Note
If the value of --params in install command includes arguments that start with --, use an equals sign (=) to prevent parsing issues. Example: --params="--mode=production --port=7008" Without the equals sign, the CLI might interpret --mode or --port as its own options instead of part of the service parameters.
Important
Security Best Practice: Avoid using the --password flag in production or scripts. Passing passwords as CLI arguments makes them visible in the Windows Process List and shell history. Instead, set the SERVY_PASSWORD environment variable before running the install command.
Below is the recommended way to install a service with credentials:
# 1. Set the password in the current process environment
$env:SERVY_PASSWORD = "your_secret_password"
# 2. Run the install command without the --password flag
servy-cli install `
--name="My NodeJS Service" `
--description="My NodeJS Server" `
--path="C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe" `
--startupDir="C:\Apps\App" `
--params="C:\Apps\App\index.js" `
--startupType="Automatic" `
--priority="Normal" `
--stdout="C:\Apps\App\stdout.log" `
--stderr="C:\Apps\App\stderr.log" `
--enableSizeRotation `
--rotationSize=10 `
--enableHealth `
--heartbeatInterval=10 `
--maxFailedChecks=3 `
--recoveryAction="RestartService" `
--maxRestartAttempts=5 `
--envVars="ENV_VAR1=VAL1; ENV_VAR2=VAL2;" `
--deps="MongoDB; MySQL80" `
--user=".\serviceuser"
# 3. Clear the variable from memory immediately after use
Remove-Item Env:SERVY_PASSWORDBelow is an example usage of the install command:
servy-cli install `
--name="My NodeJS Service" `
--description="My NodeJS Server" `
--path="C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe" `
--startupDir="C:\Apps\App" `
--params="C:\Apps\App\index.js" `
--startupType="Automatic" `
--priority="Normal" `
--stdout="C:\Apps\App\stdout.log" `
--stderr="C:\Apps\App\stderr.log" `
--enableSizeRotation `
--rotationSize=10 `
--enableHealth `
--heartbeatInterval=10 `
--maxFailedChecks=3 `
--recoveryAction="RestartService" `
--maxRestartAttempts=5 `
--envVars="ENV_VAR1=VAL1; ENV_VAR2=VAL2;" `
--deps="MongoDB; MySQL80"Below is an example usage of the install command with a pre-launch script:
servy-cli install `
--name="MyLegacyService" `
--description="Runs legacy app with dynamic config" `
--path="C:\Apps\LegacyApp\LegacyApp.exe" `
--startupDir="C:\Apps\LegacyApp" `
--params="--mode=production" `
--preLaunchPath="C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" `
--preLaunchStartupDir="C:\Scripts" `
--preLaunchParams="-File C:\Scripts\GenerateConfig.ps1 -VaultUrl https://vault.example.com -SecretName AppSecrets" `
--preLaunchEnv="ENV=production;API_KEY=abcdef123" `
--preLaunchStdout="C:\Logs\prelaunch_stdout.log" `
--preLaunchStderr="C:\Logs\prelaunch_stderr.log" `
--preLaunchTimeout="60" `
--preLaunchRetryAttempts="2" `
--preLaunchIgnoreFailure `
--enableHealth `
--heartbeatInterval="30" `
--maxFailedChecks="3" `
--recoveryAction="RestartService" `
--maxRestartAttempts="5" `
--stdout="C:\Logs\service_stdout.log" `
--stderr="C:\Logs\service_stderr.log" `
--enableSizeRotation `
--rotationSize="10"-
uninstall: Uninstall an existing service by name. -
start: Start a Windows service by name. -
stop: Stop a Windows service by name. -
restart: Restart a Windows service by name. -
status: Get a Windows service status by name. -
export: Export a Servy Windows service configuration to a configuration file. -
import: Import a Windows service configuration into Servy's database and optionally install it. -
--version: Show CLI version (it's a global flag).
- Always run the CLI with Administrator privileges when executing commands that modify Windows services.
- Use the
--helpflag with any command to display detailed usage information and available options. - When automating with scripts or CI/CD pipelines, rely on the CLI's exit codes:
0indicates success, any other value indicates failure. - Ensure that log file paths are writable by the user account under which the service runs to avoid permission issues.
Copyright © Akram El Assas. All rights reserved.
- Home
- Overview
- Installation Guide
- Advanced Configuration
- Usage
- Servy Desktop App
- Servy Manager
- Servy CLI
- PowerShell Module
- Examples & Recipes
- Logging & Log Rotation
- Health Monitoring & Recovery
- Environment Variables
- Service Dependencies
- Pre-Launch & Post-Launch Actions
- Pre-Stop & Post-Stop Actions
- Shutdown & Teardown
- Export/Import Services
- Automation & CI/CD
- Integration with Monitoring Tools
- Service Event Notifications
- Comparison with Alternatives
- Security
- Architecture
- Building from Source
- Troubleshooting
- FAQ