Start and stop apache service running on a remote server in ANT

[Prabha Dhandapani]

What is the best solution to remotely start and stop the apache service (running as a windows service) from an ANT script. I looked into the exec tag to run it by executing cmd.exe.

We had apache running on Windows 2000 server where we called the sc.exe directly from the ant script to stop and start the apache service. However, we recently migrated to Windows 2003 which has more security at teh OS level so a non administrator user cannot start the sc.exe remotely. What are the other options that can be used to start and stop the apache server from the build script.

Can someone please provide sample ant code to do this ASAP?

Please note that apache is running on a remote server.

Many thanks in advance!

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Prabha,
Before trying to figure out what to do in Ant, you need to figure out how to start/stop the service remotely. What do the administrators who tightened security recommend?

[Prabha Dhandapani]

Thanks for the response Jeanne!

The adminsitrators are ok with any solution to start and stop the service remotely as long as they dont have to give the user running the ant script to do this does not need admninstrator rights on the server or giving adminstrator rights to the user but the password is not visible in the ant script or anywhere in the properties.

The administrators are ok with executing any .exe or script , etc on the server locally once we connect to the server (Windows 2003 server).

Thanks,
Prabha

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Prabha,
One solution is to create a script on the remote machine that calls the start/stop service command. This script can be set to run by any user (or whatever user you run ant as) but "run as" a user that can stop/start the service.

I know this works on UNIX. I haven't used Windows Server, but assume they have something similar.

[Mohammed Yousuff]

Is there any way i can access and restart apache in another development machine ???.. because i have to restart the apache of my friends machine ??? ...

we both are using windows machine, i have to access while his computer has locked....

[Martijn Verburg]

Hi there, you might be better off posting this question in the Tomcat Forum.