When you log on to a computer using a user ID and a password, you establish a session. When you start a database server, or any other application, it runs within that session. When you log off the computer, all applications associated with the session terminate.
It is common to require database servers to be available all the time. To make this easier, you can run SQL Anywhere for Windows and for Unix in such a way that, when you log off the computer, the database server remains running. The way you do this depends on your operating system.
Windows service You can run the Windows database server as a service. This has many convenient properties for running high availability servers. See Understanding Windows services.
Unix daemon You can run the Unix database server as a daemon using the -ud option, enabling the database server to run in the background, and to continue running after you log off. See Running the Unix database server as a daemon.
Linux service You can run the Linux database server as a service. This has many convenient properties for running high availability servers. See Service utility (dbsvc) for Linux.
In addition to creating services for SQL Anywhere database servers, you can also create Windows services for the following executables:
Running the Unix database server as a daemon
Understanding Windows services
Programs that can be run as Windows services
Managing Windows services
Creating a Windows service
Deleting a Windows service
Configuring Windows services
Setting the service polling frequency
Starting and stopping services
The Windows Service Manager
Running more than one service