github.com/outbrain/consul@v1.4.5/website/source/docs/guides/windows-guide.html.md (about) 1 --- 2 layout: "docs" 3 page_title: "Windows Service" 4 sidebar_current: "docs-guides-windows-service" 5 description: |- 6 By using the _sc_ command either on Powershell or 7 the Windows command line, you can make Consul run as a service. For more details about the _sc_ command 8 the Windows page for [sc](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms682107(v=vs.85).aspx) 9 should help you get started. 10 11 --- 12 13 # Overview 14 By using the _sc_ command either on Powershell or 15 the Windows command line, you can make Consul run as a service. For more details about the _sc_ command 16 the Windows page for [sc](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms682107(v=vs.85).aspx) 17 should help you get started. 18 19 Please remember to create a permanent directory for storing the configuration files. It is always 20 advisable to start Consul with the _-config-dir_ option. 21 22 The steps presented here , we assume that the user has launched Powershell with _Adminstrator_ capabilities. 23 24 ## Running Consul run as a service on Windows 25 26 ### Installing Consul as a Service 27 28 Download the Consul binary for your architecture. 29 30 Use the _sc_ command to create a Service named **Consul**, which starts in the _dev_ mode. 31 32 ```text 33 sc.exe create "Consul" binPath="Path to the Consul.exe arg1 arg2 ...argN" 34 [SC] CreateService SUCCESS 35 ``` 36 37 38 If you get an output that is similar to the one above, then your service is 39 registered with the Service manager. 40 41 42 If you get an error, please check that 43 you have specified the proper path to the binary and check if you've entered the arguments correctly for the Consul 44 service. 45 46 47 ### Running Consul as a service 48 49 You have two ways to start the service. 50 51 * Go to the Windows Service Manager, and look for **Consul** under the 52 service name. Click the _start_ button to start the service. 53 * Using the _sc_ command: 54 55 ```text 56 sc.exe start "Consul" 57 58 SERVICE_NAME: Consul 59 TYPE : 10 WIN32_OWN_PROCESS 60 STATE : 4 RUNNING 61 (STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, ACCEPTS_SHUTDOWN) 62 WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0) 63 SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0) 64 CHECKPOINT : 0x0 65 WAIT_HINT : 0x0 66 PID : 8008 67 FLAGS : 68 ``` 69 70 The service automatically starts up during/after boot, so you don't need to 71 launch Consul from the command-line again.