Pion can be run as either a service or an application.

Option 1: Run Pion as an application

Just double-click the "Pion" shortcut installed on your desktop or located within the "Pion" folder in your Start Menu. This will run the Pion server inside of a command window. Close the window or type Ctrl-C to stop Pion.

Windows Vista/7/2008: The system will prompt you with the User Account Control dialog asking to confirm running Pion as an elevated access application. Select “Yes” to continue or enter administrative user credentials based to Windows UAC settings.

Option 2: Run Pion as a service

Pion installer adds a Windows service named “pion” with the display name “Atomic Labs Pion”. The service can be used to run Pion as a background server process without logging on the system. By default, the service’s startup type is set to “Manual”, but the service can be configured to start automatically on system startup.

Note: Running Pion as a service is fully supported on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7 and Windows XP systems.

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 (not R2) systems are not supported.

To start Pion service, use one of the following options:

• a. Open a command window (cmd.exe), type:
• net start pion
• click Enter

• Windows Vista/7/2008: you must be logged on as Administrator or use “Run as Administrator” option to open the command prompt window.

• b. Open up the Run dialog from Windows Start menu, type:
• %windir%\system32\services.msc in the dialog’s input field,
• click Enter.
• Right-click on “Atomic Lab Pion” service
• select “Start”

To stop Pion service:

Issue net stop pion command from the system command prompt window (must have administrative privileges) or select “Stop” context menu command on “Atomic Lab Pion” service in the Services Control Panel applet window.