How to Run Selenium Server (Grid) as a Windows Service with AlwaysUp

Selenium Server supports the automated testing of websites.

The flexible, Java-based software can be deployed across multiple machines in grid fashion, or run in Standalone mode as a comprehensive solution on a single machine.

This guide show you how to start a Standalone installation as soon as your server boots, and keep it running continuously in the background. It will only take a few minutes to put that in place.

To install Selenium Server as a Windows Service with AlwaysUp:

1. If necessary, download the Selenium Server JAR file. Save it to a suitable location and make sure you can start it from a Java command line:

   java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar standalone

   For this guide, we downloaded version 4.43.0 (selenium-server-4.43.0.jar) and placed it in "C:\SeleniumServer". We were able to launch Selenium Standalone without trouble:

   

2. Download and install AlwaysUp, if necessary.

3. Start AlwaysUp.

4. Select Application > Advisor to launch the Application Advisor:

   

5. Click Next to move past the welcome page:

   

6. Since Selenium Server is a Java based product, choose Java (JAR/WAR) from the list of applications:

   

   Click Next to proceed.

7. AlwaysUp will spend a few seconds collecting information on your Java installation. Afterwards, you will be prompted to enter the full path to the Selenium Server JAR file.

   That's "C:\SeleniumServer\selenium-server-4.43.0.jar" on our system:

   

   Click Next to move on.

8. Selenium should run in your Windows account, where you've installed Java and configured the required environment variables (e.g. JAVA_HOME). Please enter your password:

   

   Click Next.

9. The application advisor is done collecting the settings for installing Selenium Server as a Windows Service. Click Next to launch the Add Application window:

   

10. Almost done! We must make one modification to run Selenium in Standalone mode.

    1. In the Arguments field, add this parameter at the end of the text:

       standalone

    2. And since we're here, you might as well change the Name to "Selenium Server" (or anything else you like):

    

    Click the Save button to complete the process.

11. In a few seconds, a new entry will appear in the AlwaysUp window. Selenium Server is now installed as a Windows Service but it's not running yet (it's in the "Stopped" state):

    

12. To start your new Selenium Server service, choose Application > Start "Selenium Server". The state will transition to "Running" and your testing framework will come to life in the background:

    

13. That's it! Next time your computer boots, Selenium Grid Server will start up immediately, before anyone logs on.

    We encourage you to edit the entry in AlwaysUp and check out the advanced settings that may be good for your specific situation.

    For example, you can:

    • set up a sanity check to automatically restart Selenium Standalone if it stops doing its work;
    • schedule a weekly restart, to diminish the effect of resource leaks in the JVM;
    • send email if the server is interrupted; and more.

Selenium Server not working properly as a Windows Service?

• To capture diagnostic output and error messages from java.exe, edit your application in AlwaysUp, check the Capture output to this log file box on the Extras tab and specify the path to a new text file. Please review the contents of the file after a failed run.

• Consult the AlwaysUp Troubleshooter — our online tool that can help you resolve the most common problems encountered when running an application as a Windows Service.

• From AlwaysUp, select Application > Report Activity > Today to bring up an HTML report detailing the interaction between AlwaysUp and Selenium Server. The AlwaysUp Event Log Messages page explains the more obscure messages.

• Browse the AlwaysUp FAQ for answers to commonly asked questions and troubleshooting tips.

• Contact us and we will be happy to help!