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Exception occurred while reading xml configuration file from windows service

We have below xml configuration file.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
      <SQLServers>
            <add name="PERTRACQADB"/>
            <add name="DBNYC1"/>
            <add name="IRDB"/>
            <add name="IRTRACKERDB"/>
            <add name="LPCAPDB"/>
      </SQLServers>
      <PerTracServices>
            <add name="CMS-Email-Auto-Log"/>
            <add name="CMSImporter3SVC"/>
            <add name="DESVCDIR 2x5"/>
            <add name="SSUPDATES 2.0"/>
      </PerTracServices>
</configuration>
We are using C# code to read the configuration file as in code snippet.

We can successfully run the code to load the configuration file as an individual application but we are getting the following exception while we are running it as windows service and the service has been stopped abnormally.

EventType clr20r3, P1 pertracmonitor.service.exe, P2 1.0.0.0, P3 49d9e873, P4 system.configuration, P5 2.0.0.0, P6 461ef187, P7 1a6, P8 136, P9 ioibmurhynrxkw0zxkyrvfn0boyyufow, P10 NIL.

Service cannot be started. System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException: Configuration system failed to initialize ---> System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException: Unrecognized configuration section SQLServers. (C:\Program Files\PerTracMonitor\Setup\CustomActions\PerTracMonitor.Service.exe.config line 3)
at System.Configuration.ConfigurationSchemaErrors.ThrowIfErrors(Boolean ignoreLocal)
at System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.ThrowIfParseErrors(ConfigurationSchemaErrors schemaErrors)
at System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.ThrowIfInitErrors()
at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.EnsureInit(String configKey)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.EnsureInit(String configKey)
at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.System.Configuration.Internal.IInternalConfigSystem.GetSection(String sectionName)
at System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.GetSection(String sectionName)
at System.Configuration....

Can anyone please help me to resolve this.

private static void ConfigReader()
{
          
   try
   {
      string[] splitedPath = System.Reflection.Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location.Split(new char[] { '\\' });
      string parentDir = string.Join("\\", splitedPath, 0, splitedPath.Length - 1);
      string configFile = parentDir + "\\PerTracMonitor.xml";
      if (!File.Exists(configFile))
      {
         msgBody = "Configuration file not found.";
         sendEmail();
         return;
      }
              XmlDocument xml_doc = new XmlDocument();
               XmlNodeList childNodes = xml_doc.GetElementsByTagName("SQLServers");                
                foreach (XmlNode cNode in childNodes)                
                     SQLServers.Add(cNode.Attributes["name"].Value);
 
                childNodes = xml_doc.GetElementsByTagName("PerTracServices");
                foreach (XmlNode cNode in childNodes)
                     PerTracServices.Add(cNode.Attributes["name"].Value);
           }
            catch (System.Exception ex)
            {
               msgBody += "Exception occured while reading config file.\n";
                msgBody += ex.Message;
                sendEmail();
            }
}

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angus_young_acdc

Why don't you just use ConfigurationManager? Then you can use the ConnectionString property, or even just appsettings. EG add this to your XML:
<add key="ConnectionString" value="YourConnectionString"/>

Then just call it:
string connection = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["ConnectionString"];

Then you have your string easy.

deshaw

ASKER

Thanks for your suggestion.

But I want to have two sections namely "SQLServers" and "PerTracServices" and I did not find the way to have sections in <appSettings>. Could you please tell me how I can define the sections using <appSettings>.

I would be great full if you can find the reason for the exceptions while I am running the given code as a windows service.

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angus_young_acdc

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deshaw

ASKER

Thank you.
I have tried the code. But it also gives the same problem. It works well if we are using it in an individual application but it is not getting values from the configuration file while running as windows service. It does not give any exceptions.

angus_young_acdc

I have similar code and it works, very odd. So for each service you have added the App.Config to the solution? Services wouldn't really throw exceptions, they are more silent annoyances.

Try declaring this at the top of your service:
private static readonly string _sqlServers =
ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["SQLServers"]; etc.

deshaw

ASKER

Service is not throwing any exception but it is getting stopped immediately and I could see the reason for that in Application event log. It says the given exception in my main thread.
Thanks.

angus_young_acdc

Yes, the exception causes your service to stop running. Is your Config file formatted correctly?

deshaw

ASKER

thanks