Mastering Service Control Manager A Comprehensive Guide
You’re responsible for system reliability, but one misconfigured service can trigger a cascade of outages, failed audits, or compliance red flags. The pressure is real. You need to navigate complex dependencies, enforce stability, and preempt failures before they hit production - not after. Yet most IT professionals learn Service Control Manager through trial and error. That approach costs time, errors, and lost credibility. Manual workarounds don’t scale. Scripts break. Troubleshooting takes hours when minutes matter. You’re not just managing services - you’re being tested on your ability to maintain uptime, security, and system integrity under pressure. Mastering Service Control Manager A Comprehensive Guide is the definitive protocol-driven framework that transforms how you control, monitor, and automate Windows services. This isn’t theory. It’s a field-tested, step-by-step methodology used by senior system administrators to deploy bulletproof service configurations, establish zero-downtime maintenance routines, and pass rigorous operational audits with confidence. One user, a Lead Infrastructure Engineer at a healthcare IT firm, applied this methodology to rebuild their service dependency tree after a failed patch cycle. Within two weeks, they reduced forced reboots by 94% across 1,200 endpoints and passed an internal compliance audit with zero findings - the first time in three years. This course delivers a clear, repeatable path from uncertainty to mastery. You’ll go from reactive troubleshooting to proactive design by following a structured curriculum that turns Service Control Manager into a precision instrument for system control. Here’s how this course is structured to help you get there.Course Format & Delivery Details Self-Paced, Immediate Access, On-Demand Learning
This course is designed for professionals who need results - not rigid schedules. Enroll once, and gain self-paced access to a fully interactive, modular curriculum that adapts to your workflow, not the other way around. You begin immediately after enrollment confirmation. There are no set start dates, no time zones to track, and no weekly waiting periods. Progress at your own speed, on your own terms. - Typical completion time: 21 days with just 60–90 minutes per session.
- First results seen within: 3–5 days, using the rapid implementation checklist provided.
- Lifetime access: All materials, tools, and updates are included forever - no annual renewals, no additional fees.
- 24/7 global access: Learn anytime, from any device.
- Mobile-friendly: Continue your progress seamlessly on smartphones and tablets.
High-Trust Instructor Support & Guidance
You’re not on your own. This course includes structured expert guidance through detailed instructional sequences, contextual decision trees, and direct-response support channels. All queries are reviewed by senior system architects with over 15 years of enterprise Windows operations experience. Support focuses on implementation, troubleshooting, and environmental adaptation - helping you apply concepts in your specific infrastructure context with confidence. Certificate of Completion Issued by The Art of Service
Upon successful completion, you will earn a verifiable Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service, a globally recognised credential in IT system management. This certification signals deep functional expertise in service lifecycle governance and is increasingly referenced in senior role requirements across finance, healthcare, and government sectors. The certificate includes a unique verification ID and is formatted for direct inclusion in LinkedIn profiles, CVs, and audit documentation packages. No Hidden Fees. Transparent Pricing. Protected Investment.
The price you see is the price you pay. There are no upsells, no subscription traps, and no surprise charges. One-time payment covers everything: curriculum, tools, support, and certification. We accept all major payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. International payments are processed in your local currency with transparent conversion reporting. Zero-Risk Enrollment: 60-Day Satisfied or Refunded Guarantee
If you complete the first four modules and don’t feel a significant increase in control, clarity, and confidence with Service Control Manager, simply request a full refund. No forms, no justification, no delays. This is not a 30-day window - it’s 60 days. Because real mastery takes time, and we’re committed to your measurable outcome, not just your purchase. Will This Work for Me?
Yes - even if you’ve only used Services.msc for basic start/stop actions. This course is built for real-world complexity. It works whether you manage a single server or a distributed enterprise network. It works even if you're not a scripting expert. The methodology includes pre-formatted command templates, dependency analysis blueprints, and configuration checklists that eliminate guesswork. Consider Ana K., a Systems Analyst at a regulated financial institution: I was afraid of breaking something during service updates. After using the rollback protocol from Module 5, I automated patching across 300 servers with zero incidents. Passed the ISO audit effortlessly. This course is engineered for success across roles: System Administrators, Infrastructure Engineers, DevOps Analysts, Security Operations Specialists, and IT Auditors. It bridges technical depth with operational governance - the exact combination employers demand. After enrollment, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Your access details will be sent separately once your course materials are finalised and ready, ensuring you begin with a fully tested, updated learning environment.
Module 1: Foundations of Service Control Manager - Understanding the role of Service Control Manager in Windows architecture
- How SCM interacts with NT Kernel and system startup processes
- Exploring the difference between legacy services and modern service models
- Core responsibilities of SCM: startup, monitoring, recovery, and shutdown
- Service states: stopped, running, paused, starting, stopping
- Service control codes and their operational significance
- How services differ from processes and applications
- Key registry locations used by SCM for configuration storage
- Understanding svchost.exe and shared service hosting
- Service dependencies and their enforcement logic
- Security context requirements for service execution
- Service SID (Security Identifier) and isolation principles
- Service control programs: sc.exe, PowerShell cmdlets, and WMI
- Leveraging Event Viewer for initial service diagnostics
- Common misconceptions about SCM and service autonomy
- How group policies can override local service configurations
- Local System vs Network Service vs Local Service accounts
- Service hardening through account privilege minimisation
- Understanding delayed start and its performance impact
- How SCM handles service failure and recovery actions
Module 2: Service Lifecycle Management Frameworks - Introducing the 5-phase service lifecycle: define, deploy, monitor, maintain, retire
- Creating standard operating procedures for service installations
- Designing service naming conventions for organisational clarity
- Documenting service purpose, owner, and criticality level
- Establishing pre-deployment validation criteria
- How to use sc create with advanced configuration flags
- Setting service start type: boot, system, automatic, manual, disabled
- Defining recovery actions: restart, run program, reboot system
- Configuring first, second, and subsequent failure responses
- Time intervals between failure actions and their optimal values
- Using PowerShell to script bulk service deployments
- Automating service installation with configuration templates
- Managing services in clustered environments
- Service failover mechanisms in high-availability systems
- Proper service shutdown sequencing during updates
- Creating rollback strategies for failed deployments
- Traffic isolation during service restarts
- Version control for service configuration states
- Using checksums to detect configuration drift
- Integrating SCM actions into change management workflows
Module 3: Service Dependency Architecture & Design - Analysing service dependency trees using built-in and custom tools
- Identifying circular dependencies and resolution techniques
- Mapping service chains for critical business applications
- Visualising dependencies with dependency graph templates
- Using PowerShell to export and audit dependency chains
- Validating dependency logic before system reboots
- Differentiating hard vs soft dependencies
- Configuring optional dependencies for flexible startups
- Handling dependent services that start too early
- Delaying dependent services using startup triggers
- Using service triggers for event-driven startups
- Event-based triggers: custom logs, security events, network availability
- Designing fault-tolerant dependency chains
- Fail-safe dependency configurations for disaster recovery
- Service group management using LoadOrderGroup
- Setting group order priorities to prevent bottlenecks
- Creating service startup sequences for multi-tier systems
- Managing cross-server service dependencies
- Validating dependency integrity after patch cycles
- Automated dependency validation scripts
Module 4: Operational Monitoring and Diagnostics - Interpreting SCM event logs for root cause analysis
- Event IDs 7000–7041: meaning, urgency, and response logic
- Setting up custom event log filters for service issues
- Correlating service failures with system performance drops
- Using Performance Monitor to track service resource usage
- Baseline CPU, memory, and I/O usage for normal service operation
- Identifying runaway services consuming excessive resources
- Creating alerts for unusual service behaviour
- Integrating SCM alerts into enterprise monitoring tools
- Designing service health dashboards
- Interpreting service hang and timeout indicators
- Detecting services that fail to respond to control requests
- Analysing service startup delays and bottlenecks
- Using Process Explorer to diagnose service hangs
- Thread state analysis for unresponsive services
- Dumping service memory for deep diagnostics
- Linking service errors to application and driver issues
- Interpreting access denied and logon failure errors
- Resolving service account permission conflicts
- Validating service configuration integrity after updates
Module 5: Configuration Hardening and Security Protocols - Principle of least privilege for service accounts
- Using managed service accounts (gMSA) for domain services
- Creating and deploying virtual accounts for local isolation
- Securing service registry keys with access control lists
- Removing unnecessary permissions from service configurations
- Using Service Control Manager to enforce account lockout policies
- Preventing unauthorised service creation and modification
- Auditing service changes via Security Event Log
- Event IDs 4697 and 4703: detecting service installation attempts
- Blocking malicious services using AppLocker rules
- Integrating SCM controls with Windows Defender
- Hardening services against privilege escalation attacks
- Disabling unnecessary services to reduce attack surface
- Automating service audit compliance checks
- Using PowerShell to generate service inventory reports
- Exporting service list with start type, account, and status
- Comparing service configurations across servers
- Detecting rogue or unknown services
- Service signing verification and binary integrity checks
- Creating immutable service configuration baselines
Module 6: Automation and Scripting for Service Orchestration - Mastering sc.exe command syntax and switches
- Scripting service control actions with batch files
- Advanced PowerShell: Get-Service, Set-Service, Restart-Service
- Filtering services by status, start mode, or display name
- Stopping multiple services based on naming patterns
- Restarting services in dependency order
- Automating service status validation after restarts
- Creating service health check scripts
- Building service dependency rollback scripts
- Using WMI queries for deep service introspection
- Win32_Service class: properties and methods
- Remote service management across domains
- Establishing trusted execution paths for remote control
- Using scheduled tasks for automated service maintenance
- Automated restart of failed critical services
- Logging script actions for compliance and audit trails
- Error handling in service scripts
- Retry logic and timeout management
- Validating script outputs before production use
- Version control and testing environment usage
Module 7: Disaster Recovery and Service Resilience - Designing service recovery plans for system outages
- Creating post-reboot service startup validation scripts
- Validating network and storage availability before service start
- Implementing service health probes
- Service dependency readiness checks
- Automated recovery from partial startup failures
- Using restart counters to detect persistent failures
- Alerting on service recovery exhaustion
- Integrating SCM with backup and restore workflows
- Recovering service configurations from backup snapshots
- Rebuilding service dependency trees after disaster
- Documenting manual intervention procedures
- Creating runbooks for service recovery scenarios
- Testing recovery with simulated failure exercises
- Using virtual machines for recovery validation
- Designing service state persistence models
- Preventing configuration drift during recovery
- Aligning recovery time objectives (RTO) with service actions
- Meeting recovery point objectives (RPO) through logging
- Integrating with business continuity planning frameworks
Module 8: Integration with Enterprise Management Ecosystems - Integrating SCM with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
- Using Group Policy Preferences to manage services
- Deploying service configurations at scale via GPO
- Synchronising service policies across domain controllers
- Monitoring service status with Microsoft Intune
- Deploying service scripts via Intune PowerShell policies
- Using Azure Automation for cloud-based service control
- Scheduled runbooks for recurring maintenance
- Linking SCM actions to Azure Monitor alerts
- Using Desired State Configuration (DSC) for service enforcement
- Configuring DSC to maintain service start type and state
- Reporting non-compliant systems automatically
- Integrating with SIEM tools for security monitoring
- Sending service alerts to Splunk, LogRhythm, or QRadar
- Creating correlation rules for service-related incidents
- Using ServiceNow to track service change requests
- Linking SCM actions to ITIL change management processes
- Automating approvals for high-risk service modifications
- Setting up audit trails for compliance reporting
- Exporting service data for regulatory submissions
Module 9: Advanced Troubleshooting and Root Cause Methodology - Applying the 7-step diagnostic framework to service failures
- Isolating service issues from driver, application, or OS problems
- Using boot logging to trace early startup service failures
- Differentiating between user-mode and kernel-mode service failures
- Analysing services that hang during shutdown
- Resolving services that block system reboot
- Using Safe Mode to test service independence
- Disabling services in startup sequence to isolate conflicts
- Analysing service interactions with antivirus software
- Handling services that conflict with backup agents
- Resolving port and resource contention issues
- Diagnosing services that fail after Windows updates
- Using Windows Update rollback to confirm update causality
- Checking compatibility with security patches
- Interpreting application event logs alongside service events
- Linking service failures to specific .NET runtime versions
- Verifying dependencies on Visual C++ redistributables
- Handling services that rely on deprecated APIs
- Using Process Monitor to trace service file and registry access
- Filtering and interpreting real-time access attempts
Module 10: Implementation Projects and Certification Preparation - Project 1: Build a service inventory report for your environment
- Project 2: Design and implement a service dependency map
- Project 3: Automate the recovery of a critical service chain
- Project 4: Harden a high-risk service using gMSA and ACLs
- Project 5: Create a compliance-ready service audit package
- Using the service assessment checklist for operational reviews
- Documenting service configurations with standard templates
- Generating configuration baselines for change control
- Creating visual runbooks for service incident response
- Designing a service lifecycle policy for your organisation
- Integrating SCM practices into onboarding and offboarding
- Establishing service deprecation protocols
- Training team members using internal knowledge transfer guides
- Preparing for the Certificate of Completion assessment
- Reviewing key concepts and decision frameworks
- Practicing scenario-based troubleshooting exercises
- Validating mastery with self-assessment checklists
- Submitting your final project for optional review
- Earning your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service
- Leveraging your certification for career advancement and recognition
- Understanding the role of Service Control Manager in Windows architecture
- How SCM interacts with NT Kernel and system startup processes
- Exploring the difference between legacy services and modern service models
- Core responsibilities of SCM: startup, monitoring, recovery, and shutdown
- Service states: stopped, running, paused, starting, stopping
- Service control codes and their operational significance
- How services differ from processes and applications
- Key registry locations used by SCM for configuration storage
- Understanding svchost.exe and shared service hosting
- Service dependencies and their enforcement logic
- Security context requirements for service execution
- Service SID (Security Identifier) and isolation principles
- Service control programs: sc.exe, PowerShell cmdlets, and WMI
- Leveraging Event Viewer for initial service diagnostics
- Common misconceptions about SCM and service autonomy
- How group policies can override local service configurations
- Local System vs Network Service vs Local Service accounts
- Service hardening through account privilege minimisation
- Understanding delayed start and its performance impact
- How SCM handles service failure and recovery actions
Module 2: Service Lifecycle Management Frameworks - Introducing the 5-phase service lifecycle: define, deploy, monitor, maintain, retire
- Creating standard operating procedures for service installations
- Designing service naming conventions for organisational clarity
- Documenting service purpose, owner, and criticality level
- Establishing pre-deployment validation criteria
- How to use sc create with advanced configuration flags
- Setting service start type: boot, system, automatic, manual, disabled
- Defining recovery actions: restart, run program, reboot system
- Configuring first, second, and subsequent failure responses
- Time intervals between failure actions and their optimal values
- Using PowerShell to script bulk service deployments
- Automating service installation with configuration templates
- Managing services in clustered environments
- Service failover mechanisms in high-availability systems
- Proper service shutdown sequencing during updates
- Creating rollback strategies for failed deployments
- Traffic isolation during service restarts
- Version control for service configuration states
- Using checksums to detect configuration drift
- Integrating SCM actions into change management workflows
Module 3: Service Dependency Architecture & Design - Analysing service dependency trees using built-in and custom tools
- Identifying circular dependencies and resolution techniques
- Mapping service chains for critical business applications
- Visualising dependencies with dependency graph templates
- Using PowerShell to export and audit dependency chains
- Validating dependency logic before system reboots
- Differentiating hard vs soft dependencies
- Configuring optional dependencies for flexible startups
- Handling dependent services that start too early
- Delaying dependent services using startup triggers
- Using service triggers for event-driven startups
- Event-based triggers: custom logs, security events, network availability
- Designing fault-tolerant dependency chains
- Fail-safe dependency configurations for disaster recovery
- Service group management using LoadOrderGroup
- Setting group order priorities to prevent bottlenecks
- Creating service startup sequences for multi-tier systems
- Managing cross-server service dependencies
- Validating dependency integrity after patch cycles
- Automated dependency validation scripts
Module 4: Operational Monitoring and Diagnostics - Interpreting SCM event logs for root cause analysis
- Event IDs 7000–7041: meaning, urgency, and response logic
- Setting up custom event log filters for service issues
- Correlating service failures with system performance drops
- Using Performance Monitor to track service resource usage
- Baseline CPU, memory, and I/O usage for normal service operation
- Identifying runaway services consuming excessive resources
- Creating alerts for unusual service behaviour
- Integrating SCM alerts into enterprise monitoring tools
- Designing service health dashboards
- Interpreting service hang and timeout indicators
- Detecting services that fail to respond to control requests
- Analysing service startup delays and bottlenecks
- Using Process Explorer to diagnose service hangs
- Thread state analysis for unresponsive services
- Dumping service memory for deep diagnostics
- Linking service errors to application and driver issues
- Interpreting access denied and logon failure errors
- Resolving service account permission conflicts
- Validating service configuration integrity after updates
Module 5: Configuration Hardening and Security Protocols - Principle of least privilege for service accounts
- Using managed service accounts (gMSA) for domain services
- Creating and deploying virtual accounts for local isolation
- Securing service registry keys with access control lists
- Removing unnecessary permissions from service configurations
- Using Service Control Manager to enforce account lockout policies
- Preventing unauthorised service creation and modification
- Auditing service changes via Security Event Log
- Event IDs 4697 and 4703: detecting service installation attempts
- Blocking malicious services using AppLocker rules
- Integrating SCM controls with Windows Defender
- Hardening services against privilege escalation attacks
- Disabling unnecessary services to reduce attack surface
- Automating service audit compliance checks
- Using PowerShell to generate service inventory reports
- Exporting service list with start type, account, and status
- Comparing service configurations across servers
- Detecting rogue or unknown services
- Service signing verification and binary integrity checks
- Creating immutable service configuration baselines
Module 6: Automation and Scripting for Service Orchestration - Mastering sc.exe command syntax and switches
- Scripting service control actions with batch files
- Advanced PowerShell: Get-Service, Set-Service, Restart-Service
- Filtering services by status, start mode, or display name
- Stopping multiple services based on naming patterns
- Restarting services in dependency order
- Automating service status validation after restarts
- Creating service health check scripts
- Building service dependency rollback scripts
- Using WMI queries for deep service introspection
- Win32_Service class: properties and methods
- Remote service management across domains
- Establishing trusted execution paths for remote control
- Using scheduled tasks for automated service maintenance
- Automated restart of failed critical services
- Logging script actions for compliance and audit trails
- Error handling in service scripts
- Retry logic and timeout management
- Validating script outputs before production use
- Version control and testing environment usage
Module 7: Disaster Recovery and Service Resilience - Designing service recovery plans for system outages
- Creating post-reboot service startup validation scripts
- Validating network and storage availability before service start
- Implementing service health probes
- Service dependency readiness checks
- Automated recovery from partial startup failures
- Using restart counters to detect persistent failures
- Alerting on service recovery exhaustion
- Integrating SCM with backup and restore workflows
- Recovering service configurations from backup snapshots
- Rebuilding service dependency trees after disaster
- Documenting manual intervention procedures
- Creating runbooks for service recovery scenarios
- Testing recovery with simulated failure exercises
- Using virtual machines for recovery validation
- Designing service state persistence models
- Preventing configuration drift during recovery
- Aligning recovery time objectives (RTO) with service actions
- Meeting recovery point objectives (RPO) through logging
- Integrating with business continuity planning frameworks
Module 8: Integration with Enterprise Management Ecosystems - Integrating SCM with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
- Using Group Policy Preferences to manage services
- Deploying service configurations at scale via GPO
- Synchronising service policies across domain controllers
- Monitoring service status with Microsoft Intune
- Deploying service scripts via Intune PowerShell policies
- Using Azure Automation for cloud-based service control
- Scheduled runbooks for recurring maintenance
- Linking SCM actions to Azure Monitor alerts
- Using Desired State Configuration (DSC) for service enforcement
- Configuring DSC to maintain service start type and state
- Reporting non-compliant systems automatically
- Integrating with SIEM tools for security monitoring
- Sending service alerts to Splunk, LogRhythm, or QRadar
- Creating correlation rules for service-related incidents
- Using ServiceNow to track service change requests
- Linking SCM actions to ITIL change management processes
- Automating approvals for high-risk service modifications
- Setting up audit trails for compliance reporting
- Exporting service data for regulatory submissions
Module 9: Advanced Troubleshooting and Root Cause Methodology - Applying the 7-step diagnostic framework to service failures
- Isolating service issues from driver, application, or OS problems
- Using boot logging to trace early startup service failures
- Differentiating between user-mode and kernel-mode service failures
- Analysing services that hang during shutdown
- Resolving services that block system reboot
- Using Safe Mode to test service independence
- Disabling services in startup sequence to isolate conflicts
- Analysing service interactions with antivirus software
- Handling services that conflict with backup agents
- Resolving port and resource contention issues
- Diagnosing services that fail after Windows updates
- Using Windows Update rollback to confirm update causality
- Checking compatibility with security patches
- Interpreting application event logs alongside service events
- Linking service failures to specific .NET runtime versions
- Verifying dependencies on Visual C++ redistributables
- Handling services that rely on deprecated APIs
- Using Process Monitor to trace service file and registry access
- Filtering and interpreting real-time access attempts
Module 10: Implementation Projects and Certification Preparation - Project 1: Build a service inventory report for your environment
- Project 2: Design and implement a service dependency map
- Project 3: Automate the recovery of a critical service chain
- Project 4: Harden a high-risk service using gMSA and ACLs
- Project 5: Create a compliance-ready service audit package
- Using the service assessment checklist for operational reviews
- Documenting service configurations with standard templates
- Generating configuration baselines for change control
- Creating visual runbooks for service incident response
- Designing a service lifecycle policy for your organisation
- Integrating SCM practices into onboarding and offboarding
- Establishing service deprecation protocols
- Training team members using internal knowledge transfer guides
- Preparing for the Certificate of Completion assessment
- Reviewing key concepts and decision frameworks
- Practicing scenario-based troubleshooting exercises
- Validating mastery with self-assessment checklists
- Submitting your final project for optional review
- Earning your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service
- Leveraging your certification for career advancement and recognition
- Analysing service dependency trees using built-in and custom tools
- Identifying circular dependencies and resolution techniques
- Mapping service chains for critical business applications
- Visualising dependencies with dependency graph templates
- Using PowerShell to export and audit dependency chains
- Validating dependency logic before system reboots
- Differentiating hard vs soft dependencies
- Configuring optional dependencies for flexible startups
- Handling dependent services that start too early
- Delaying dependent services using startup triggers
- Using service triggers for event-driven startups
- Event-based triggers: custom logs, security events, network availability
- Designing fault-tolerant dependency chains
- Fail-safe dependency configurations for disaster recovery
- Service group management using LoadOrderGroup
- Setting group order priorities to prevent bottlenecks
- Creating service startup sequences for multi-tier systems
- Managing cross-server service dependencies
- Validating dependency integrity after patch cycles
- Automated dependency validation scripts
Module 4: Operational Monitoring and Diagnostics - Interpreting SCM event logs for root cause analysis
- Event IDs 7000–7041: meaning, urgency, and response logic
- Setting up custom event log filters for service issues
- Correlating service failures with system performance drops
- Using Performance Monitor to track service resource usage
- Baseline CPU, memory, and I/O usage for normal service operation
- Identifying runaway services consuming excessive resources
- Creating alerts for unusual service behaviour
- Integrating SCM alerts into enterprise monitoring tools
- Designing service health dashboards
- Interpreting service hang and timeout indicators
- Detecting services that fail to respond to control requests
- Analysing service startup delays and bottlenecks
- Using Process Explorer to diagnose service hangs
- Thread state analysis for unresponsive services
- Dumping service memory for deep diagnostics
- Linking service errors to application and driver issues
- Interpreting access denied and logon failure errors
- Resolving service account permission conflicts
- Validating service configuration integrity after updates
Module 5: Configuration Hardening and Security Protocols - Principle of least privilege for service accounts
- Using managed service accounts (gMSA) for domain services
- Creating and deploying virtual accounts for local isolation
- Securing service registry keys with access control lists
- Removing unnecessary permissions from service configurations
- Using Service Control Manager to enforce account lockout policies
- Preventing unauthorised service creation and modification
- Auditing service changes via Security Event Log
- Event IDs 4697 and 4703: detecting service installation attempts
- Blocking malicious services using AppLocker rules
- Integrating SCM controls with Windows Defender
- Hardening services against privilege escalation attacks
- Disabling unnecessary services to reduce attack surface
- Automating service audit compliance checks
- Using PowerShell to generate service inventory reports
- Exporting service list with start type, account, and status
- Comparing service configurations across servers
- Detecting rogue or unknown services
- Service signing verification and binary integrity checks
- Creating immutable service configuration baselines
Module 6: Automation and Scripting for Service Orchestration - Mastering sc.exe command syntax and switches
- Scripting service control actions with batch files
- Advanced PowerShell: Get-Service, Set-Service, Restart-Service
- Filtering services by status, start mode, or display name
- Stopping multiple services based on naming patterns
- Restarting services in dependency order
- Automating service status validation after restarts
- Creating service health check scripts
- Building service dependency rollback scripts
- Using WMI queries for deep service introspection
- Win32_Service class: properties and methods
- Remote service management across domains
- Establishing trusted execution paths for remote control
- Using scheduled tasks for automated service maintenance
- Automated restart of failed critical services
- Logging script actions for compliance and audit trails
- Error handling in service scripts
- Retry logic and timeout management
- Validating script outputs before production use
- Version control and testing environment usage
Module 7: Disaster Recovery and Service Resilience - Designing service recovery plans for system outages
- Creating post-reboot service startup validation scripts
- Validating network and storage availability before service start
- Implementing service health probes
- Service dependency readiness checks
- Automated recovery from partial startup failures
- Using restart counters to detect persistent failures
- Alerting on service recovery exhaustion
- Integrating SCM with backup and restore workflows
- Recovering service configurations from backup snapshots
- Rebuilding service dependency trees after disaster
- Documenting manual intervention procedures
- Creating runbooks for service recovery scenarios
- Testing recovery with simulated failure exercises
- Using virtual machines for recovery validation
- Designing service state persistence models
- Preventing configuration drift during recovery
- Aligning recovery time objectives (RTO) with service actions
- Meeting recovery point objectives (RPO) through logging
- Integrating with business continuity planning frameworks
Module 8: Integration with Enterprise Management Ecosystems - Integrating SCM with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
- Using Group Policy Preferences to manage services
- Deploying service configurations at scale via GPO
- Synchronising service policies across domain controllers
- Monitoring service status with Microsoft Intune
- Deploying service scripts via Intune PowerShell policies
- Using Azure Automation for cloud-based service control
- Scheduled runbooks for recurring maintenance
- Linking SCM actions to Azure Monitor alerts
- Using Desired State Configuration (DSC) for service enforcement
- Configuring DSC to maintain service start type and state
- Reporting non-compliant systems automatically
- Integrating with SIEM tools for security monitoring
- Sending service alerts to Splunk, LogRhythm, or QRadar
- Creating correlation rules for service-related incidents
- Using ServiceNow to track service change requests
- Linking SCM actions to ITIL change management processes
- Automating approvals for high-risk service modifications
- Setting up audit trails for compliance reporting
- Exporting service data for regulatory submissions
Module 9: Advanced Troubleshooting and Root Cause Methodology - Applying the 7-step diagnostic framework to service failures
- Isolating service issues from driver, application, or OS problems
- Using boot logging to trace early startup service failures
- Differentiating between user-mode and kernel-mode service failures
- Analysing services that hang during shutdown
- Resolving services that block system reboot
- Using Safe Mode to test service independence
- Disabling services in startup sequence to isolate conflicts
- Analysing service interactions with antivirus software
- Handling services that conflict with backup agents
- Resolving port and resource contention issues
- Diagnosing services that fail after Windows updates
- Using Windows Update rollback to confirm update causality
- Checking compatibility with security patches
- Interpreting application event logs alongside service events
- Linking service failures to specific .NET runtime versions
- Verifying dependencies on Visual C++ redistributables
- Handling services that rely on deprecated APIs
- Using Process Monitor to trace service file and registry access
- Filtering and interpreting real-time access attempts
Module 10: Implementation Projects and Certification Preparation - Project 1: Build a service inventory report for your environment
- Project 2: Design and implement a service dependency map
- Project 3: Automate the recovery of a critical service chain
- Project 4: Harden a high-risk service using gMSA and ACLs
- Project 5: Create a compliance-ready service audit package
- Using the service assessment checklist for operational reviews
- Documenting service configurations with standard templates
- Generating configuration baselines for change control
- Creating visual runbooks for service incident response
- Designing a service lifecycle policy for your organisation
- Integrating SCM practices into onboarding and offboarding
- Establishing service deprecation protocols
- Training team members using internal knowledge transfer guides
- Preparing for the Certificate of Completion assessment
- Reviewing key concepts and decision frameworks
- Practicing scenario-based troubleshooting exercises
- Validating mastery with self-assessment checklists
- Submitting your final project for optional review
- Earning your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service
- Leveraging your certification for career advancement and recognition
- Principle of least privilege for service accounts
- Using managed service accounts (gMSA) for domain services
- Creating and deploying virtual accounts for local isolation
- Securing service registry keys with access control lists
- Removing unnecessary permissions from service configurations
- Using Service Control Manager to enforce account lockout policies
- Preventing unauthorised service creation and modification
- Auditing service changes via Security Event Log
- Event IDs 4697 and 4703: detecting service installation attempts
- Blocking malicious services using AppLocker rules
- Integrating SCM controls with Windows Defender
- Hardening services against privilege escalation attacks
- Disabling unnecessary services to reduce attack surface
- Automating service audit compliance checks
- Using PowerShell to generate service inventory reports
- Exporting service list with start type, account, and status
- Comparing service configurations across servers
- Detecting rogue or unknown services
- Service signing verification and binary integrity checks
- Creating immutable service configuration baselines
Module 6: Automation and Scripting for Service Orchestration - Mastering sc.exe command syntax and switches
- Scripting service control actions with batch files
- Advanced PowerShell: Get-Service, Set-Service, Restart-Service
- Filtering services by status, start mode, or display name
- Stopping multiple services based on naming patterns
- Restarting services in dependency order
- Automating service status validation after restarts
- Creating service health check scripts
- Building service dependency rollback scripts
- Using WMI queries for deep service introspection
- Win32_Service class: properties and methods
- Remote service management across domains
- Establishing trusted execution paths for remote control
- Using scheduled tasks for automated service maintenance
- Automated restart of failed critical services
- Logging script actions for compliance and audit trails
- Error handling in service scripts
- Retry logic and timeout management
- Validating script outputs before production use
- Version control and testing environment usage
Module 7: Disaster Recovery and Service Resilience - Designing service recovery plans for system outages
- Creating post-reboot service startup validation scripts
- Validating network and storage availability before service start
- Implementing service health probes
- Service dependency readiness checks
- Automated recovery from partial startup failures
- Using restart counters to detect persistent failures
- Alerting on service recovery exhaustion
- Integrating SCM with backup and restore workflows
- Recovering service configurations from backup snapshots
- Rebuilding service dependency trees after disaster
- Documenting manual intervention procedures
- Creating runbooks for service recovery scenarios
- Testing recovery with simulated failure exercises
- Using virtual machines for recovery validation
- Designing service state persistence models
- Preventing configuration drift during recovery
- Aligning recovery time objectives (RTO) with service actions
- Meeting recovery point objectives (RPO) through logging
- Integrating with business continuity planning frameworks
Module 8: Integration with Enterprise Management Ecosystems - Integrating SCM with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
- Using Group Policy Preferences to manage services
- Deploying service configurations at scale via GPO
- Synchronising service policies across domain controllers
- Monitoring service status with Microsoft Intune
- Deploying service scripts via Intune PowerShell policies
- Using Azure Automation for cloud-based service control
- Scheduled runbooks for recurring maintenance
- Linking SCM actions to Azure Monitor alerts
- Using Desired State Configuration (DSC) for service enforcement
- Configuring DSC to maintain service start type and state
- Reporting non-compliant systems automatically
- Integrating with SIEM tools for security monitoring
- Sending service alerts to Splunk, LogRhythm, or QRadar
- Creating correlation rules for service-related incidents
- Using ServiceNow to track service change requests
- Linking SCM actions to ITIL change management processes
- Automating approvals for high-risk service modifications
- Setting up audit trails for compliance reporting
- Exporting service data for regulatory submissions
Module 9: Advanced Troubleshooting and Root Cause Methodology - Applying the 7-step diagnostic framework to service failures
- Isolating service issues from driver, application, or OS problems
- Using boot logging to trace early startup service failures
- Differentiating between user-mode and kernel-mode service failures
- Analysing services that hang during shutdown
- Resolving services that block system reboot
- Using Safe Mode to test service independence
- Disabling services in startup sequence to isolate conflicts
- Analysing service interactions with antivirus software
- Handling services that conflict with backup agents
- Resolving port and resource contention issues
- Diagnosing services that fail after Windows updates
- Using Windows Update rollback to confirm update causality
- Checking compatibility with security patches
- Interpreting application event logs alongside service events
- Linking service failures to specific .NET runtime versions
- Verifying dependencies on Visual C++ redistributables
- Handling services that rely on deprecated APIs
- Using Process Monitor to trace service file and registry access
- Filtering and interpreting real-time access attempts
Module 10: Implementation Projects and Certification Preparation - Project 1: Build a service inventory report for your environment
- Project 2: Design and implement a service dependency map
- Project 3: Automate the recovery of a critical service chain
- Project 4: Harden a high-risk service using gMSA and ACLs
- Project 5: Create a compliance-ready service audit package
- Using the service assessment checklist for operational reviews
- Documenting service configurations with standard templates
- Generating configuration baselines for change control
- Creating visual runbooks for service incident response
- Designing a service lifecycle policy for your organisation
- Integrating SCM practices into onboarding and offboarding
- Establishing service deprecation protocols
- Training team members using internal knowledge transfer guides
- Preparing for the Certificate of Completion assessment
- Reviewing key concepts and decision frameworks
- Practicing scenario-based troubleshooting exercises
- Validating mastery with self-assessment checklists
- Submitting your final project for optional review
- Earning your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service
- Leveraging your certification for career advancement and recognition
- Designing service recovery plans for system outages
- Creating post-reboot service startup validation scripts
- Validating network and storage availability before service start
- Implementing service health probes
- Service dependency readiness checks
- Automated recovery from partial startup failures
- Using restart counters to detect persistent failures
- Alerting on service recovery exhaustion
- Integrating SCM with backup and restore workflows
- Recovering service configurations from backup snapshots
- Rebuilding service dependency trees after disaster
- Documenting manual intervention procedures
- Creating runbooks for service recovery scenarios
- Testing recovery with simulated failure exercises
- Using virtual machines for recovery validation
- Designing service state persistence models
- Preventing configuration drift during recovery
- Aligning recovery time objectives (RTO) with service actions
- Meeting recovery point objectives (RPO) through logging
- Integrating with business continuity planning frameworks
Module 8: Integration with Enterprise Management Ecosystems - Integrating SCM with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
- Using Group Policy Preferences to manage services
- Deploying service configurations at scale via GPO
- Synchronising service policies across domain controllers
- Monitoring service status with Microsoft Intune
- Deploying service scripts via Intune PowerShell policies
- Using Azure Automation for cloud-based service control
- Scheduled runbooks for recurring maintenance
- Linking SCM actions to Azure Monitor alerts
- Using Desired State Configuration (DSC) for service enforcement
- Configuring DSC to maintain service start type and state
- Reporting non-compliant systems automatically
- Integrating with SIEM tools for security monitoring
- Sending service alerts to Splunk, LogRhythm, or QRadar
- Creating correlation rules for service-related incidents
- Using ServiceNow to track service change requests
- Linking SCM actions to ITIL change management processes
- Automating approvals for high-risk service modifications
- Setting up audit trails for compliance reporting
- Exporting service data for regulatory submissions
Module 9: Advanced Troubleshooting and Root Cause Methodology - Applying the 7-step diagnostic framework to service failures
- Isolating service issues from driver, application, or OS problems
- Using boot logging to trace early startup service failures
- Differentiating between user-mode and kernel-mode service failures
- Analysing services that hang during shutdown
- Resolving services that block system reboot
- Using Safe Mode to test service independence
- Disabling services in startup sequence to isolate conflicts
- Analysing service interactions with antivirus software
- Handling services that conflict with backup agents
- Resolving port and resource contention issues
- Diagnosing services that fail after Windows updates
- Using Windows Update rollback to confirm update causality
- Checking compatibility with security patches
- Interpreting application event logs alongside service events
- Linking service failures to specific .NET runtime versions
- Verifying dependencies on Visual C++ redistributables
- Handling services that rely on deprecated APIs
- Using Process Monitor to trace service file and registry access
- Filtering and interpreting real-time access attempts
Module 10: Implementation Projects and Certification Preparation - Project 1: Build a service inventory report for your environment
- Project 2: Design and implement a service dependency map
- Project 3: Automate the recovery of a critical service chain
- Project 4: Harden a high-risk service using gMSA and ACLs
- Project 5: Create a compliance-ready service audit package
- Using the service assessment checklist for operational reviews
- Documenting service configurations with standard templates
- Generating configuration baselines for change control
- Creating visual runbooks for service incident response
- Designing a service lifecycle policy for your organisation
- Integrating SCM practices into onboarding and offboarding
- Establishing service deprecation protocols
- Training team members using internal knowledge transfer guides
- Preparing for the Certificate of Completion assessment
- Reviewing key concepts and decision frameworks
- Practicing scenario-based troubleshooting exercises
- Validating mastery with self-assessment checklists
- Submitting your final project for optional review
- Earning your Certificate of Completion issued by The Art of Service
- Leveraging your certification for career advancement and recognition
- Applying the 7-step diagnostic framework to service failures
- Isolating service issues from driver, application, or OS problems
- Using boot logging to trace early startup service failures
- Differentiating between user-mode and kernel-mode service failures
- Analysing services that hang during shutdown
- Resolving services that block system reboot
- Using Safe Mode to test service independence
- Disabling services in startup sequence to isolate conflicts
- Analysing service interactions with antivirus software
- Handling services that conflict with backup agents
- Resolving port and resource contention issues
- Diagnosing services that fail after Windows updates
- Using Windows Update rollback to confirm update causality
- Checking compatibility with security patches
- Interpreting application event logs alongside service events
- Linking service failures to specific .NET runtime versions
- Verifying dependencies on Visual C++ redistributables
- Handling services that rely on deprecated APIs
- Using Process Monitor to trace service file and registry access
- Filtering and interpreting real-time access attempts