Updated: November 2007

Services are installed using an installation utility such as InstallUtil.exe. The System.ServiceProcess namespace provides installation classes that write service information to the registry. The ServiceProcessInstaller class provides an encompassing class which installs components common to all the services in an installation. For each service, you create an instance of the ServiceInstaller class to install service-specific functionality.

The ServiceController class enables you to connect to an existing service and manipulate it or get information about it. This class is typically used in an administrative capacity, and enables you to start, stop, pause, continue, or perform custom commands on a service. Where the ServiceBase class defines the processing a service performs when a command occurs, the ServiceController is the agent that enables you to call those commands on the service.

 Classes

	Class	Description
	ServiceBase	Provides a base class for a service that will exist as part of a service application. ServiceBase must be derived from when creating a new service class.
	ServiceController	Represents a Windows service and allows you to connect to a running or stopped service, manipulate it, or get information about it.
	ServiceControllerPermission	Allows control of code access security permissions for service controllers.
	ServiceControllerPermissionAttribute	Allows declarative service controller permission checks.
	ServiceControllerPermissionEntry	Defines the smallest unit of a code access security permission that is set for a ServiceController.
	ServiceControllerPermissionEntryCollection	Contains a strongly-typed collection of ServiceControllerPermissionEntry objects.
	ServiceInstaller	Installs a class that extends ServiceBase to implement a service. This class is called by the install utility when installing a service application.
	ServiceProcessDescriptionAttribute	Specifies a description for a property or event.
	ServiceProcessInstaller	Installs an executable containing classes that extend ServiceBase. This class is called by installation utilities, such as InstallUtil.exe, when installing a service application.
	TimeoutException	The exception that is thrown when a specified timeout has expired.

 Structures

	Structure	Description
	SessionChangeDescription	Identifies the reason for a Terminal Services session change.

 Enumerations

	Enumeration	Description
	PowerBroadcastStatus	Indicates the system's power status.
	ServiceAccount	Specifies a service's security context, which defines its logon type.
	ServiceControllerPermissionAccess	Defines access levels used by ServiceController permission classes.
	ServiceControllerStatus	Indicates the current state of the service.
	ServiceStartMode	Indicates the start mode of the service.
	ServiceType	Represents the type of the service.
	SessionChangeReason	Specifies the reason for a Terminal Services session change notice.