win_service – Manage and query Windows services

Synopsis

  • Manage and query Windows services.

  • For non-Windows targets, use the service module instead.

Parameters

Parameter Choices/Defaults Comments
dependencies
list
A list of service dependencies to set for this particular service.
This should be a list of service names and not the display name of the service.
This works by dependency_action to either add/remove or set the services in this list.
dependency_action
string
    Choices:
  • add
  • remove
  • set ←
Used in conjunction with dependency to either add the dependencies to the existing service dependencies.
Remove the dependencies to the existing dependencies.
Set the dependencies to only the values in the list replacing the existing dependencies.
description
string
The description to set for the service.
desktop_interact
boolean
    Choices:
  • no ←
  • yes
Whether to allow the service user to interact with the desktop.
This should only be set to yes when using the LocalSystem username.
display_name
string
The display name to set for the service.
force_dependent_services
boolean
    Choices:
  • no ←
  • yes
If yes, stopping or restarting a service with dependent services will force the dependent services to stop or restart also.
If no, stopping or restarting a service with dependent services may fail.
name
string / required
Name of the service.
If only the name parameter is specified, the module will report on whether the service exists or not without making any changes.
password
string
The password to set the service to start as.
This and the username argument must be supplied together.
If specifying LocalSystem, NetworkService or LocalService this field must be an empty string and not null.
path
string
The path to the executable to set for the service.
start_mode
string
    Choices:
  • auto
  • delayed
  • disabled
  • manual
Set the startup type for the service.
A newly created service will default to auto.
delayed added in Ansible 2.3
state
string
    Choices:
  • absent
  • paused
  • started
  • stopped
  • restarted
The desired state of the service.
started/stopped/absent/paused are idempotent actions that will not run commands unless necessary.
restarted will always bounce the service.
absent was added in Ansible 2.3
paused was added in Ansible 2.4
Only services that support the paused state can be paused, you can check the return value can_pause_and_continue.
You can only pause a service that is already started.
A newly created service will default to stopped.
username
string
The username to set the service to start as.
This and the password argument must be supplied together when using a local or domain account.
Set to LocalSystem to use the SYSTEM account.
A newly created service will default to LocalSystem.
If using a custom user account, it must have the SeServiceLogonRight granted to be able to start up. You can use the win_user_right module to grant this user right for you.

See Also

See also

service – Manage services

The official documentation on the service module.

win_nssm – Install a service using NSSM

The official documentation on the win_nssm module.

win_user_right – Manage Windows User Rights

The official documentation on the win_user_right module.

Examples

- name: Restart a service
  win_service:
    name: spooler
    state: restarted

- name: Set service startup mode to auto and ensure it is started
  win_service:
    name: spooler
    start_mode: auto
    state: started

- name: Pause a service
  win_service:
    name: Netlogon
    state: paused

- name: Ensure that WinRM is started when the system has settled
  win_service:
    name: WinRM
    start_mode: delayed

# A new service will also default to the following values:
# - username: LocalSystem
# - state: stopped
# - start_mode: auto
- name: Create a new service
  win_service:
    name: service name
    path: C:\temp\test.exe

- name: Create a new service with extra details
  win_service:
    name: service name
    path: C:\temp\test.exe
    display_name: Service Name
    description: A test service description

- name: Remove a service
  win_service:
    name: service name
    state: absent

- name: Check if a service is installed
  win_service:
    name: service name
  register: service_info

# This is required to be set for non-service accounts that need to run as a service
- name: Grant domain account the SeServiceLogonRight user right
  win_user_right:
    name: SeServiceLogonRight
    users:
    - DOMAIN\User
    action: add

- name: Set the log on user to a domain account
  win_service:
    name: service name
    state: restarted
    username: DOMAIN\User
    password: Password

- name: Set the log on user to a local account
  win_service:
    name: service name
    state: restarted
    username: .\Administrator
    password: Password

- name: Set the log on user to Local System
  win_service:
    name: service name
    state: restarted
    username: LocalSystem
    password: ''

- name: Set the log on user to Local System and allow it to interact with the desktop
  win_service:
    name: service name
    state: restarted
    username: LocalSystem
    password: ""
    desktop_interact: yes

- name: Set the log on user to Network Service
  win_service:
    name: service name
    state: restarted
    username: NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService
    password: ''

- name: Set the log on user to Local Service
  win_service:
    name: service name
    state: restarted
    username: NT AUTHORITY\LocalService
    password: ''

- name: Set dependencies to ones only in the list
  win_service:
    name: service name
    dependencies: [ service1, service2 ]

- name: Add dependencies to existing dependencies
  win_service:
    name: service name
    dependencies: [ service1, service2 ]
    dependency_action: add

- name: Remove dependencies from existing dependencies
  win_service:
    name: service name
    dependencies:
    - service1
    - service2
    dependency_action: remove

Return Values

Common return values are documented here, the following are the fields unique to this module:

Key Returned Description
can_pause_and_continue
boolean
success and service exists
Whether the service can be paused and unpaused.

Sample:
True
depended_by
list
success and service exists
A list of services that depend on this service.

dependencies
list
success and service exists
A list of services that is depended by this service.

description
string
success and service exists
The description of the service.

Sample:
Manages communication between system components.
desktop_interact
boolean
success and service exists
Whether the current user is allowed to interact with the desktop.

display_name
string
success and service exists
The display name of the installed service.

Sample:
CoreMessaging
exists
boolean
success
Whether the service exists or not.

Sample:
True
name
string
success and service exists
The service name or id of the service.

Sample:
CoreMessagingRegistrar
path
string
success and service exists
The path to the service executable.

Sample:
C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k LocalServiceNoNetwork
start_mode
string
success and service exists
The startup type of the service.

Sample:
manual
state
string
success and service exists
The current running status of the service.

Sample:
stopped
username
string
success and service exists
The username that runs the service.

Sample:
LocalSystem


Status

Red Hat Support

More information about Red Hat’s support of this module is available from this Red Hat Knowledge Base article.

Authors

  • Chris Hoffman (@chrishoffman)

Hint

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