How to access an Service on a Remote PC (Start/Stop it!!!)

[Peter01]

Hope this is the right place to ask.

I have a Sercive running on one PC. I need to be able to point this PC out from a VB .NET program running on another PC and with this VB program be able to start and stop the Service on the remote PC.

I have tested the program on with the Service running on the same PC as the VB program, and with this constellation it is possible to start and stop the service. But if I try and move the Service to a remote PC and the run the VB program again, I get an error.

From the PC with the VB program there are access to the remote PC, I am able to copy files between the two PC’s and I can look into a SQL database on the remote PC too.

I have looked around and it seems like there is other with the same problem, but I have not been able to find a solution any ware. Also the Microsoft documentation does not give any answer to this problem.

Peter

Imports System
Imports System.ServiceProcess

Module Module_Services

    Public Sub StartService()

        Dim DataSource As String = "MachineName"
        Dim myServiceName As String = "Service"
        Dim sStatus As String
        Dim myController As ServiceController

        myController = New ServiceController
        myController.MachineName = DataSource
        myController.ServiceName = myServiceName

        Try
            myController.Refresh()
            sStatus = myController.Status.ToString
            myController.Start()
        Catch exp As Exception
            MsgBox("Could not start service")
        End Try

    End Sub

End Module

[jmcilhinney]

if I try and move the Service to a remote PC and the run the VB program again, I get an error.

If you get an error then I would think that you get an error message. Care to share?

[Peter01]

The error is:

InvalidOperationException was unhandled
Cannot open Service Control manager on computer 'MachineName'. This operation might require other privileges.

Peter

[jmcilhinney]

You've got an unhandled exception. The first thing to do is to handle it to see if you can get any further information about it, e.g.

Try
    'Put your old code here.
Catch ex As Exception
    MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString())
End Try

You can do more than that too but it's a good place to start.

[Peter01]

Hi jmcilhinney
I Changed the Code as advised and now I get the following informaton:
First a small message boc comes up telling me:
Could not start service
Then:
System.InvalidOperationException: Cannot open Service control Manager on computer 'MachineName'. This operation might require other privileges. --> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The RPC server is unavailable
-- End of inner exception stack trace --
at System.ServerProcess.ServiceController.GetDataBaseHandleWothAccess(String machineName, Int32 serviceControlManagerAccess)
at System.ServerProcess.ServiceController.GetDataBaseHandleWithConnectAccess()
at System.ServerProcess.ServiceController.GetServiceHandle(Int32 desiredAccess)
at System.ServerProcess.ServiceController.GenerateStatus()
at System.ServerProcess.ServiceController..get_Status()
at LogDataFlowModule_Services.StartService() in C:\Folder\Module_Service.vb:line34

[Shuja Ali]

Seems like a permission issue to me. Do you have administrative privileges? Are you logging on to a Domain?

[Ginolard]

You did change the value of DataSource from "MachineName" to the name of the machine you want to scan didn't you?

[Peter01]

Yes for me too it lookes like I do not have permission to access the remote PC called "MachineName".

The Account and Password on the PC from where I run the VB program are not existing on the Remote PC, but I have Username and Password to this machine, and if there are any places where to key this information in, in the VB code I can do that.

The Remote PC is not in a Domain, it is in the default "workgroup".

For me it looks like I am missing some Code making the access to the remote PC. But I have not been able to locate any information about how to do. The only thing that I have found is that in the Microsoft documentation is that the "MachineName" has to be changed to the name of the Remote PC, but there are no examples and just changing the name do not work.

Peter

[Peter01]

Are there realy nobody that konws how to do this?
Peter

[steve_rm]

Hello Peter,

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...8VS.71%29.aspx

Here is an article on how to commuicate with a windows service. Not sure if it is what you want.

I would be interested in a solution to this problem, if you ever find one.

[sapator]

If the machine were in a network you could have done an "impersonation"
Now you say workgroup, so i'm not sure.
But have a look at Msdn.
And a sample: http://www.netomatix.com/ImpersonateUser.aspx

[Peter01]

Hi steve_rm
Hi sapator

I have already seen the link to Microsoft descriping the application to start and stop a service. But this application runs on the same PC as the service. I have 2 PC one with the service and one with the VB application. (The 2 PC are on the same network and there are access between them)

I have made a temperaly solution to the problem, by going trough SQL. From SQL it is possible to run DOC commands. (permission needs to be switched on!) then executing this SELECT statement on the Database on the remote PC from within VB:

SELECT EXEC xxxxxxxxx (somthing like this!!)

But I do not like the solution, and I need to remeber to switch off the permission to run DOS commands from withing the SQL studio, whne finished.

Peter

[steve_rm]

Hello,

http://www.codeguru.com/cpp/w-p/syst...cle.php/c5787/

Here is another link, not sure if it is what you need.

It would be good to find a solid solution for this solution, instead of your work around. I am sure that many programmers must have done something like this before.

Steve

[vegeta4ss]

I know this is almost a year later but did anyone get a solution to this?

I *had* working code that would start/stop remotely. I was using impersonation for the starts and stops, and un-doing it right after. I was however not using impersonation to check the remote service's status. Now, this machine has been joined on a domain and they claim that it has no sec policies I should worry about because it's in a loopback OU on the domain.

both machines have a matching windows account names, are on the same subnet, and are part of the administrators groups.

here's my error:
"Error System.InvalidOperationException: Cannot open Service Control Manager on computer '10.103.2.43'. This operation might require other privileges.
---> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: Access is denied --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GetDataBaseHandleWithAccess(String machineName, Int32 serviceControlManaqerAccess) at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GetDataBaseHandleWithConnectAccess() at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateNames() at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_ServiceName() at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateStatus() at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_Status() at appMonitor.ctrlApplication.pCheckProcesses(String appName)"

So, can someone recommend another thing for me to check to make this code work again? I have tried forcing an impersonate right before the "pcheckprocesses" but I get the same exact results.

Somewhere some permission has gotten turned off that at one time did work. Thanks to anyone that can help lead me in the right direction.

[niteshade69]

I've been searching and searching and searching for code on how to change the StartMode of a service (IE Enable and Disable) on remote computers, but can't seem to locate that functionality.

I know it can be done, because I can do it in VBScript. In VBScript, I use...

'Restart the Automatic Updates service (Prompt to Enable service if it is disabled).
Set oService = GetObject("WinMgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!//" & strPCName & "/root/cimv2:Win32_Service.Name='wuauserv'")
If Err = 462 Then
	MsgBox "Computer " & strPCName & " does not exist.", 16, "Error"
Else
	If oService.StartMode = "Disabled" Then
		Auto = MsgBox("The Automatic Updates service on " & strPCName & " is set to Disabled." & vbCRLF & "Do you want to set it to Automatic?", 36, "Automatic Updates Service")
		If Auto = vbYes Then 
			oService.ChangeStartMode("Automatic")
		Else
			If oService.StartMode = "Manual" Then
				Auto = MsgBox("The Automatic Updates service on " & strPCName & " is set to Manual." & vbCRLF & "Do you want to set it to Automatic?", 36, "Automatic Updates Service")
			If Auto = vbYes Then
				oService.ChangeStartMode("Automatic")
			End If
			oService.StopService
		End If
		'Wait until the service stops
		Do
			Set oService = GetObject("WinMgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!//" & strPCName & "/root/cimv2:Win32_Service.Name='wuauserv'")
		Loop Until oService.State = "Stopped"
		'Start the Automatic Updates service
		Set oService = GetObject("WinMgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!//" & strPCName & "/root/cimv2:Win32_Service.Name='wuauserv'")
		oService.StartService
		'Wait until the service starts
		Do
			Set oService = GetObject("WinMgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!//" & strPCName & "/root/cimv2:Win32_Service.Name='wuauserv'")
		Loop Until oService.State = "Running"
	End If
End If

But I need to be able to do the same thing in my GUI vb.net app, and prefer not to call an external VBscript. Anyone have any suggestions?



Thanks in advance.

Dave Wright

[niteshade69]

Never mind... I answered my own questions after more research.

Here is the code that worked...

    Private Sub cmdEnableService_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmdEnableService.Click
        Try
            Dim SvcMgr As New Management.ManagementObject(Nothing, New Management.ManagementPath("\\" & strComputer & "\root\CIMV2:Win32_Service.Name=""" & ctlServiceController.ServiceName & """"), Nothing)
            Dim inParams As Management.ManagementBaseObject = Nothing
            inParams = SvcMgr.GetMethodParameters("ChangeStartMode")
            inParams("StartMode") = "Automatic"            
            ' inParams("StartMode") = "Disabled" <--- If you want to DISABLE a service instead.           
            Dim outParams As Management.ManagementBaseObject = SvcMgr.InvokeMethod("ChangeStartMode", inParams, Nothing)
        Catch ex As Exception
            lblStatusBarLabel.Text = "Error:  Unable to enable " & ctlServiceController.DisplayName.ToString & " on " & strComputer
            lblStatusBarLabel.ForeColor = Color.Red
        End Try
    End Sub

Hope this helps... I have tested it and it works great on local and remote machines once authenticated. I have not tried it on a workgroup computer, but I suspect it won't work. If anyone ever figures out how to query a workgroup PC, I'd love to hear all about how.

Thanks,

Dave Wright

[sapator]

Yes old post indeed
I have created an old 2003 that user remote and local services.
I have tested the application on a network that i have administrative privileges and it works like a charm.
I used ServiceController with servicename and computername.
Never tried on workgroup.
Also if some services fail to start or stop it's not the applications fault (p.e. you cannot (and must not) stop the VGA Display controller service )

Anyway i just show your code and us much as i like WMI i think it's unnecessary complication here.

(tested on XP not Vista)

P.S. I saw (may be wrong) that u use IP's for passing the commands. I find it working better if you resolve the IP's to actually computer names and pass this value to the servicecontroller.

[niteshade69]

I am using the service controller to start and stop services, but see no way to enable or disable or otherwise change the startup type for services without using WMI. Unless I am missing something.... If I am, please enlighten me.