Node.js API as a Service

This project provides a simple solution to run a Node.js API as a system service on both Windows (using the node-windows package) and Linux (using systemd). The service will automatically start when the system boots and is configured to restart in case of failure. This script allows easy installation, uninstallation, starting, stopping, and restarting of the service from the command line.

Features

• Automatically run a Node.js API as a system service on both Windows and Linux
• Configured to restart on failure (up to 3 attempts)
• Logging support (file logs and Event Viewer on Windows)
• Easily manage the service lifecycle with install, uninstall, start, stop, and restart commands
• Cross-platform: Supports both Windows and Linux

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 12 or higher)
• npm
• Either Windows or Linux operating system

Installation

1. Clone this repository or copy the service.js script into your project directory.
2. In the root of your project directory (where service.js is located), run:

npm install

3. Ensure your Node.js API script (e.g., app.js) is located in the same directory as service.js.
4. Create a config.json file in the same directory as service.js with the following structure:

{
  "serviceName": "MyNodeApiService",
  "description": "Node.js API running as a system service",
  "scriptPath": "app.js",
  "nodeOptions": ["--harmony", "--max_old_space_size=4096"],
  "env": {
    "NODE_ENV": "production"
  },
  "logPath": "logs",
  "retryStrategy": {
    "maxRetries": 3,
    "wait": 1,
    "grow": 0.5
  }
}

Usage and Feature

Install the Service

To install the Node.js API as a system service:

• Windows

npm run install-service

• Linux and macOS:

sudo node service.js install

Uninstall the Service

To uninstall the service, use:

• Windows

npm run uninstall-service

• Linux and macOS:

sudo node service.js uninstall

Start the Service

To manually start the service if it's installed:

• Windows

npm run start-service

• Linux and macOS:

sudo node service.js start

Stop the Service

To manually stop the service:

• Windows

npm run stop-service

• Linux and macOS:

sudo node service.js stop

Restart the Service

To restart the service:

• Windows

npm run restart-service

• Linux and macOS:

sudo node service.js restart

Check Service Status

To check the status of the service:

• Windows:

npm run status-service

• Linux and macOS:

sudo node service.js status

Logs

Logs will be saved in the logs directory (created automatically in the same folder as service.js).

• Windows: Logs will be written to the Event Viewer under Applications and Services Logs > MyNodeApiService.
• Linux and macOS: Logs will be accessible using the journalctl command, e.g.,

sudo journalctl -u mynodeapiservice

• macOS: Logs will be saved in /var/log/ directory as MyNodeApiService.log and MyNodeApiService.error.log. Additionally, a log directory is created in the same folder as service.js, where logs are saved for both platforms.

Error Handling

If the service crashes, it will attempt to restart automatically up to 3 times, with increasing wait times between each attempt. All service actions (start, stop, install, etc.) are logged for easy debugging.

Customization

You can modify the service configuration (e.g., service name, description, environment variables) inside the config.json file to fit your needs.

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.