Installing Joget as a Windows Service

Setting up Joget as a service allows you to run it continuously in the background, meaning it will always be available without manually opening the application. Ensures quick and reliable access to your Joget application, enhancing the user experience.

The application's optimal performance is ensured by configuring MySQL as a service and making Tomcat dependent on MySQL. This is particularly important if the Joget application relies on MySQL for database operations, as it guarantees that both components are available and running when required.

Installation process

Below are the detailed steps for installing Joget as a service on a Windows system.

Download and Setup

1. Download the Windows specific distribution of Tomcat from its official site. Click on the Tomcat 11 version to obtain it.
2. Ensure that you pick the bundle meant for Windows as highlighted below. For this tutorial, we will be using the Windows Service Installer.
   
   
   
   Compatibility with Java
   Ensure that the version of Tomcat matches your version of Java to ensure smooth functionality and avoid compatibility issues.
3. Download and install Joget DX 9. We will use this Joget Instance Installation to transfer over a few default configuration files in a later step.

Configure Environment Variables

1. Configure system environment Variables. Search Environment and press ENTER. In the System Properties window, click Environment Variables. This is require, so Joget can find your Java path.
2. Under System Variables, click New....
3. For Variable name, type JAVA_HOME, and for Variable value, enter the jre21.0.x folder directory in your Joget installation folder or JDK folder if you installed Java in a different directory. In this example, we will specify C:\Joget-DX9.0.4-Enterprise\jre21.0.5.
   
4. In the System variables, look for the Path variable and click it.
5. Click Edit.... Click New and type in %JAVA_HOME%\bin and click OK.
   
   
   
6. To check if your JAVA_HOME is successfully configured, open Command Prompt, type in java -version , and press Enter. The response below indicates it is successfully configured:
   
7. Create a new folder called apache-tomcat-11.0.22 (this will be named as the latest version of Apache Tomcat) in the Joget installation folder.

Install Tomcat Service

1. Run the Tomcat Windows Service Installer exe file. Click Next, and click I Agree to continue.
   
   Note
   This article assumes that the Joget installation directory is C:\joget-9\Joget-DX9.0.4, and the downloaded version of Apache Tomcat is apache-tomcat-11.0.22. However, these details may vary depending on the specific system configuration and the current Joget and Apache Tomcat versions. Be sure to adjust file paths and versions as necessary during installation.
   
2. In the Apache Tomcat Setup window, uncheck Start Menu Items, Documentation, and Manager. Click Next.
3. Add in a desired Server Shutdown Port, and HTTP/1.1 Connector Port.
4. Provide a Windows Service Name, for example, Tomcat11JogetDX9, and click Next.
   
5. Confirm the Java path is correct. If it is not filled in, click Browse and select the Java directory. Click Next.
6. For Destination Folder, click Browse and select the folder created in step 7 of the Configure Environment Variables section.
7. Click Install.
8. Uncheck Run Apache Tomcat and Show Readme, and click Finish.

Transfer Joget Files and Configuration

1. Copy the jw.war from the existing Tomcat's web apps folder into the new one, i.e., from \apache-tomcat-11.0.13\webapps to \apache-tomcat-11.0.22\webapps.
   
   Optional
   If you plan to start Joget manually next time, either by running the usual batch file or through the Windows Start Menu, you can make the following modification:
   Update the joget.start file to point to the new Tomcat directory.

   Existing code
   

   set CATALINA_HOME=.\apache-tomcat-11.0.13

   New code
   

   set CATALINA_HOME=.\apache-tomcat-11.0.22

2. Replace the Tomcat configuration files to avoid the manual setup.
3. Navigate to the conf folder in the existing Tomcat folder, copy the context.xml, server.xml, and tomcat-users.xml files.
4. Navigate to the conf folder of the new Tomcat directory.
5. Paste the copied file, and replace the existing files in that directory. 

Configure Service Java Options

1. Manually start up the database service. For example, in the Joget installation directory, run the mariadb-start.bat file to start MariaDB.
2. Configure the Tomcat service by navigating to the new apace-tomcat-10.0.22 folder, opening the bin folder, and running Tomcat11JogetDX9w.exe.
3. Verify the service configuration in Computer Management > Services.
   
4. Return to the \apache-tomcat-11.0.22\bin folder. Then, run the Tomcat11JogetDX9w.exe file.
   
5. Go to the Log On tab. Note that the default value, Local Service does not provide sufficient permissions to run Joget.
6. Change this value by selecting a local system or user account to run the service. For more information, see Java -Tomcat Logging While running as a windows service.
   
   
7. Go to the Logging tab. Verify that the Log path is pointing to the correct location. By default, it should point to the logs folder of the current Tomcat installation.
8. Select the desired level of logging from the Level drop-down list and preferred Log Path.
   
9. Go to the Java tab.
10. Change the Java Virtual Machine file path according to the file path in your Joget installation file path.
11. Append the following lines in the Java Options field.
    

    -Dwflow.home=C:\joget-9\Joget-DX9.0.0\wflow
    -javaagent:C:\joget-9\Joget-DX9.0.0\wflow\wflow-cluster.jar
    -javaagent:C:\joget-9\Joget-DX9.0.0\wflow\aspectjweaver-1.9.22.jar
    -javaagent:C:\joget-9\Joget-DX9.0.0\wflow\glowroot\glowroot.jar

12. Add the following under the Java 9 Options field.

    --add-opens=java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED

    This is to define the wflow home folder from where Joget will run. At the same time, configure the maximum memory pool accordingly (i.e., 1024).
    

13. Go to the Startup tab.
14. Ensure that Working Path is pointing to your Apache Tomcat folder. 
15. Set the Mode to Java.
    
16. Repeat the same steps for the Shutdown tab.
17. Click Apply and click OK.

Start the service

Now, you can start Joget as a service on your system. In Windows, search for Services and look for the Apache Tomcat 11.0 Tomcat11JogetDX9 service. Double-click it and click Start.

After successfully adding Tomcat as a service, you may also consider adding MySQL. This can be beneficial if your application relies on MySQL for its database operations. Additionally, you can configure Tomcat to depend on MySQL, ensuring that Tomcat starts only after MySQL runs.

For instructions on how to install MySQL as a Windows service and add it as a dependency to the Tomcat service, see the Apache Tomcat 11 - Windows service HOW-TO guide.