Windows Service

Windows Service

NeXroll can run as a Windows Service for background operation without user login.

Overview

The Windows Service (NeXrollService) provides:

• Automatic startup on system boot
• Runs without user session
• Survives user logoff/login
• Managed by Windows Services console

Installation

During Initial Install

Select "Install as Windows Service" during NeXroll installation:

1. Run NeXroll_Installer.exe as administrator
2. Check "Install as Windows Service"
3. Complete installation

Manual Installation

After installation, install the service manually:

cd "C:\Program Files\NeXroll"
NeXrollService.exe install
NeXrollService.exe start

Service Management

Windows Services Console

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc
2. Find "NeXroll Service"
3. Right-click for Start/Stop/Restart/Properties

Command Line

# Install service
NeXrollService.exe install

# Start service
NeXrollService.exe start

# Stop service
NeXrollService.exe stop

# Restart service
NeXrollService.exe restart

# Remove service
NeXrollService.exe remove

# Check status
sc query NeXrollService

System Tray Controls

If tray app is installed, use tray menu:

• Right-click tray icon
• Start Service / Stop Service / Restart Service

Service Configuration

Service Properties

• Service Name: NeXrollService
• Display Name: NeXroll Service
• Description: NeXroll background service
• Startup Type: Automatic (Delayed Start)
• Log On: Local System account

Dependencies

The service depends on:

• Windows Event Log
• Network services (for Plex/Jellyfin access)

Operation

Startup Process

1. Windows starts service at boot
2. Service initializes NeXroll backend
3. Web UI becomes available on port 9393
4. Scheduler begins monitoring schedules

Runtime Behavior

• Runs in background with no UI
• Monitors Plex/Jellyfin connections
• Executes scheduled preroll changes
• Handles API requests
• Logs to %ProgramData%\NeXroll\logs\service.log

Shutdown

• Graceful shutdown on system shutdown
• Saves current state
• Stops scheduler cleanly

Monitoring

Service Status

Check service health:

sc queryex NeXrollService

Logs

Service logs location:

%ProgramData%\NeXroll\logs\service.log

Monitor logs for:

• Startup messages
• Connection status
• Schedule execution
• Error conditions

Performance

Monitor service resource usage:

• CPU: Should be <5% when idle
• Memory: ~100-200 MB typical
• Network: Minimal, mostly API calls

Troubleshooting

Service Won't Start

Symptoms: Service fails to start after boot/installation

Solutions:

1. Check service logs for errors
2. Verify port 9393 is not in use
3. Ensure proper permissions
4. Try starting manually: NeXrollService.exe start

Common errors:

• Port conflict: Another service using port 9393
• Permission denied: Run installer as administrator
• Missing dependencies: Reinstall NeXroll

Service Crashes

Symptoms: Service stops unexpectedly

Solutions:

1. Check Windows Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System
2. Review service logs for stack traces
3. Verify database integrity
4. Check system resources (memory/disk)

Web UI Not Accessible

Symptoms: http://localhost:9393 not responding

Solutions:

1. Verify service is running
2. Check firewall rules
3. Try restarting service
4. Check service logs

High Resource Usage

Symptoms: Service using excessive CPU/memory

Solutions:

1. Check for runaway processes
2. Review recent schedule executions
3. Verify Plex/Jellyfin connectivity
4. Restart service

Security

Service Account

Runs as Local System account with:

• Full access to NeXroll installation directory
• Access to %ProgramData%\NeXroll
• Network access for Plex/Jellyfin
• No interactive login capability

Permissions

Service requires:

• Read/write access to data directory
• Network access to media servers
• Windows service management rights

Firewall

Service needs inbound rule for TCP port 9393 (created by installer).

Backup and Recovery

Service Configuration

Service settings are stored in Windows registry:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NeXrollService

Data Backup

Service data includes:

• Database: %ProgramData%\NeXroll\nexroll.db
• Logs: %ProgramData%\NeXroll\logs\
• Configuration files

Recovery

To recover from service failure:

1. Stop service
2. Backup data directory
3. Reinstall service
4. Restore data
5. Start service

Advanced Configuration

Service Parameters

Modify service parameters in registry or use command line:

# Set custom port
NeXrollService.exe --port 9394

# Debug mode
NeXrollService.exe --debug

Environment Variables

Service inherits system environment variables. Custom variables:

set NEXROLL_PORT=9394
set NEXROLL_DEBUG=1

Startup Dependencies

Configure service dependencies:

sc config NeXrollService depend= LanmanServer

Integration

With System Tray

• Tray app monitors service status
• Provides start/stop controls
• Shows service notifications

With Task Scheduler

Can be combined with Windows Task Scheduler for additional automation.

With Windows Event Log

Service logs important events to Windows Event Log:

• Application log
• Source: NeXrollService

Uninstallation

During NeXroll Uninstall

Uninstaller automatically:

• Stops service
• Removes service registration
• Cleans up registry entries

Manual Removal

# Stop and remove service
NeXrollService.exe stop
NeXrollService.exe remove

# Clean registry (optional)
reg delete "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NeXrollService" /f

Development

Service Wrapper

The service uses pywin32 to wrap the NeXroll application:

import win32serviceutil
import win32service
import win32event

class NeXrollService(win32serviceutil.ServiceFramework):
    _svc_name_ = "NeXrollService"
    _svc_display_name_ = "NeXroll Service"

    def __init__(self, args):
        win32serviceutil.ServiceFramework.__init__(self, args)
        self.hWaitStop = win32event.CreateEvent(None, 0, 0, None)

    def SvcStop(self):
        self.ReportServiceStatus(win32service.SERVICE_STOP_PENDING)
        win32event.SetEvent(self.hWaitStop)

    def SvcDoRun(self):
        # Start NeXroll application
        import subprocess
        self.process = subprocess.Popen(["NeXroll.exe", "--service"])
        win32event.WaitForSingleObject(self.hWaitStop, win32event.INFINITE)

Debugging Service

Debug service issues:

# Run service interactively
NeXrollService.exe debug

# Check service events
eventvwr.msc → Windows Logs → System

Service Logs

Enable verbose logging:

import logging
logging.basicConfig(
    filename=r'C:\ProgramData\NeXroll\logs\service.log',
    level=logging.DEBUG,
    format='%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s'
)

Performance Tuning

Memory Management

• Service automatically manages memory
• Monitor for memory leaks
• Restart periodically if needed

CPU Optimization

• Background processing for thumbnails
• Asynchronous API calls
• Efficient database queries

Network Optimization

• Connection pooling for Plex/Jellyfin
• Timeout handling
• Retry logic for failed requests

Best Practices

Monitoring

• Regularly check service status
• Monitor log files
• Set up alerts for service failures

Maintenance

• Keep NeXroll updated
• Regularly backup data
• Monitor disk space
• Clean old log files

Security

• Keep Windows updated
• Use strong Plex/Jellyfin tokens
• Monitor service account permissions
• Regular security audits