Keep TOP Server Running Unattended as a Windows System Service

Configurable runtime modes for the needs of your project

The TOP Server installs as a Windows system service on all supported operating systems. This allows unattended operation on systems where you won't always have a user logged in to the operating system and can speed start-up time during a reboot of the operating system.

The TOP Server has two Runtime Process Modes:

• System Service (Default)
• Interactive

For full details, consult the TOP Server main help file that installs with TOP Server under Standard Features - Process Modes.

Interactive runtime mode increases compatibility with certain applications

When running in Interactive mode, the TOP Server runtime remains stopped until a client attempts to connect to it. Once started, it runs until all clients have disconnected and then shuts down. The runtime also shuts down if the user account logs out of the operating system. OPC and Suitelink connections should typically run in the default Service mode.

Due to the way current operating systems allow desktop interactions with Windows services using separate sessions that cannot interact with each other, users making DDE or NetDDE connections to TOP Server must set the Runtime Process Mode to "Interactive".   Further details are available in our knowledgebase.

TOP Server services work together

When running as a Windows system service, TOP Server relies on multiple installed services working together.  If you have installed the TOP Server and you don’t see the six services displayed in the image to the right, you will need to reinstall the TOP Server with Administrative privileges

NOTE: Depending on which version you install, you may also have a "TOPServerScriptEngine" service. Also, if you chose not to install the Local Historian or OPC.NET interface, those services would also be missing, which is only an issue if you plan to use those features.

If you see the Event Logger service, but not the TOP Server Runtime Service, please check the Administrative settings for Runtime Process to ensure "System Service" is the selected runtime process mode.