This blog provides a simple template or example of a windows service which hosts a SignalR service.

Code: https://github.com/damienbod/SignalRWSelfHostingWindowsServiceTemplate

The Start and Stop methods used by the Windows Service use a long running Task which can be cancelled. SignalR is self hosted in OWIN.

using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR;
using Microsoft.Owin;
using Microsoft.Owin.Cors;
using Microsoft.Owin.Hosting;
using Owin;
using SignalREngine;

[assembly: OwinStartup(typeof(Startup))]

namespace SignalREngine
{
    public class Startup
    {
        static CancellationTokenSource _cancellationTokenSource = new CancellationTokenSource();

        // Your startup logic
        public static void StartServer()
        {
            var cancellationTokenSource = new CancellationTokenSource();
            Task.Factory.StartNew(RunSignalRServer, TaskCreationOptions.LongRunning
                                  , cancellationTokenSource.Token);  
        }

        private static void RunSignalRServer(object task)
        {
            string url = "http://localhost:8089";
            WebApp.Start(url);
        }

        public static void StopServer()
        {
            _cancellationTokenSource.Cancel();
        }

        // This code configures Web API. The Startup class is specified as a type
        // parameter in the WebApp.Start method.
        public void Configuration(IAppBuilder app)
        {
            app.Map("/signalr", map =>
            {
                map.UseCors(CorsOptions.AllowAll);
                var hubConfiguration = new HubConfiguration
                {
                };

                hubConfiguration.EnableDetailedErrors = true;
                map.RunSignalR(hubConfiguration);
            });
        }
    }
}

The main method of the service just starts the service. If you want to debug using a console application, just comment out the ServiceBase method and provide an command line argument.

using System;
using System.ServiceProcess;
using SignalREngine;

namespace SignalREngineServiceWindowsService
{
    static class Program
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// The main entry point for the application.
        /// </summary>
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Remove this if you want to test as a console application and add an arg
			ServiceBase.Run(new SignalREngineServiceWindowsService());

            if (args != null)
            {
                try
                {
                    Startup.StartServer();
                    Console.ReadKey();
                }
                finally
                {
                    Startup.StopServer();
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

The Windows service then calls the Start/Stop methods (SignalREngineServiceWindowsService):

protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
{
  Startup.StartServer();
  base.OnStart(args);
}

protected override void OnStop()
{
  Startup.StopServer();
  base.OnStop();
}

Install and uninstall batch files are provided for the application. These install and start the service or removes it from your computer. The path needs to be changed if you want to install it on your PC. Start the install script direct from your bin directory.

Once installed, the SignalR Hub will run and can be started or stopped using the window service menu (services.msc)

A Test WPF client has been provided to test the SignalR Hub in the service.
.\SignalRClientWPF\SignalRClientWPF\bin\Debug\SignalRClientWPF.exe

Now all you have to do is add your Hub with proper exception handling… (And off course remove the demo Hub)

Links:

http://www.asp.net/signalr