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Applies to: 
SQL Server (all supported versions) Azure SQL Managed Instance
Important
On Azure SQL Managed Instance, most, but not all SQL Server Agent features are currently supported. See Azure SQL Managed Instance T-SQL differences from SQL Server for details.
SQL Server Agent allows you to use tokens in Transact-SQL job step scripts. Using tokens when you write your job steps gives you the same flexibility that variables provide when you write software programs. After you insert a token in a job step script, SQL Server Agent replaces the token at run time, before the job step is executed by the Transact-SQL subsystem.
Understanding Using Tokens
Important
Any Windows user with write permissions on the Windows Event Log can access job steps that are activated by SQL Server Agent alerts or WMI alerts. To avoid this security risk, SQL Server Agent tokens that can be used in jobs activated by alerts are disabled by default. These tokens are: A-DBN, A-SVR, A-ERR, A-SEV, A-MSG., and WMI(property). Note that in this release, use of tokens is extended to all alerting.
If you need to use these tokens, first ensure that only members of trusted Windows security groups, such as the Administrators group, have write permissions on the Event Log of the computer where SQL Server resides. Then, right-click SQL Server Agent in Object Explorer, select Properties, and on the Alert System page, select Replace tokens for all job responses to alerts to enable these tokens.
SQL Server Agent token replacement is simple and efficient: SQL Server Agent replaces an exact literal string value for the token. All tokens are case-sensitive. Your job steps must take this into account and correctly quote the tokens you use or convert the replacement string to the correct data type.
For example, you might use the following statement to print the name of the database in a job step:
PRINT N'Current database name is $(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(A-DBN))' ;
In this example, the ESCAPE_SQUOTE macro is inserted with the A-DBN token. At run time, the A-DBN token will be replaced with the appropriate database name. The escape macro escapes any single quotation marks that may be inadvertently passed in the token replacement string. SQL Server Agent will replace one single quotation mark with two single quotation marks in the final string.
For example, if the string passed to replace the token is AdventureWorks2012'SELECT @@VERSION --, the command executed by the SQL Server Agent job step will be:
PRINT N'Current database name is AdventureWorks2012''SELECT @@VERSION --' ;
In this case, the inserted statement, SELECT @@VERSION, does not execute. Instead, the extra single quotation mark causes the server to parse the inserted statement as a string. If the token replacement string does not contain a single quotation mark, no characters are escaped and the job step containing the token executes as intended.
To debug token usage in your job steps, use print statements such as PRINT N'$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLDIR))' and save job step output to a file or table. Use the Advanced page of the Job Step Properties dialog box to specify a job step output file or table.
SQL Server Agent Tokens and Macros
The following tables list and describe the tokens and macros that SQL Server Agent supports.
SQL Server Agent Tokens
| Token | Description |
|---|---|
| (A-DBN) | Database name. If the job is run by an alert, the database name value automatically replaces this token in the job step. |
| (A-SVR) | Server name. If the job is run by an alert, the server name value automatically replaces this token in the job step. |
| (A-ERR) | Error number. If the job is run by an alert, the error number value automatically replaces this token in the job step. |
| (A-SEV) | Error severity. If the job is run by an alert, the error severity value automatically replaces this token in the job step. |
| (A-MSG) | Message text. If the job is run by an alert, the message text value automatically replaces this token in the job step. |
| (JOBNAME) | The name of the job. This token is only available on SQL Server 2016 and above. |
| (STEPNAME) | The name of the step. This token is only available on SQL Server 2016 and above. |
| (DATE) | Current date (in YYYYMMDD format). |
| (INST) | Instance name. For a default instance, this token will have the default instance name: MSSQLSERVER. |
| (JOBID) | Job ID. |
| (MACH) | Computer name. |
| (MSSA) | Master SQLServerAgent service name. |
| (OSCMD) | Prefix for the program used to run CmdExec job steps. |
| (SQLDIR) | The directory in which SQL Server is installed. By default, this value is C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL. |
| (SQLLOGDIR) | Replacement token for the SQL Server error log folder path - for example, $(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLLOGDIR)). This token is only available on SQL Server 2014 and above. |
| (STEPCT) | A count of the number of times this step has executed (excluding retries). Can be used by the step command to force termination of a multistep loop. |
| (STEPID) | Step ID. |
| (SRVR) | Name of the computer running SQL Server. If the SQL Server instance is a named instance, this includes the instance name. |
| (TIME) | Current time (in HHMMSS format). |
| (STRTTM) | The time (in HHMMSS format) that the job began executing. |
| (STRTDT) | The date (in YYYYMMDD format) that the job began executing. |
| (WMI(property)) | For jobs that run in response to WMI alerts, the value of the property specified by property. For example, $(WMI(DatabaseName)) provides the value of the DatabaseName property for the WMI event that caused the alert to run. |
SQL Server Agent Escape Macros
| Escape Macros | Description |
|---|---|
| $(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(token_name)) | Escapes single quotation marks (') in the token replacement string. Replaces one single quotation mark with two single quotation marks. |
| $(ESCAPE_DQUOTE(token_name)) | Escapes double quotation marks (") in the token replacement string. Replaces one double quotation mark with two double quotation marks. |
| $(ESCAPE_RBRACKET(token_name)) | Escapes right brackets (]) in the token replacement string. Replaces one right bracket with two right brackets. |
| $(ESCAPE_NONE(token_name)) | Replaces token without escaping any characters in the string. This macro is provided to support backward compatibility in environments where token replacement strings are only expected from trusted users. For more information, see "Updating Job Steps to Use Macros," later in this topic. |
Updating Job Steps to Use Macros
The following table describes how token replacement is handled by SQL Server Agent. To turn alert token replacement on or off, right-click SQL Server Agent in Object Explorer, select Properties, and on the Alert System page, select or clear the Replace tokens for all job responses to alerts check box.
| Token syntax | Alert token replacement on | Alert token replacement off |
|---|---|---|
| ESCAPE macro used | All tokens in jobs are successfully replaced. | Tokens activated by alerts are not replaced. These tokens are A-DBN, A-SVR, A-ERR, A-SEV, A-MSG, and WMI(property). Other static tokens are replaced successfully. |
| No ESCAPE macro used | Any jobs containing tokens fail. | Any jobs containing tokens fail. |
Token Syntax Update Examples
A. Using tokens in non-nested strings
The following example shows how to update a simple non-nested script with the appropriate escape macro. Before running the update script, the following job step script uses a job step token to print the appropriate database name:
PRINT N'Current database name is $(A-DBN)' ;
After running the update script, an ESCAPE_NONE macro is inserted before the A-DBN token. Because single quotation marks are used to delimit the print string, you must update the job step by inserting the ESCAPE_SQUOTE macro as follows:
PRINT N'Current database name is $(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(A-DBN))' ;
B. Using tokens in nested strings
In job step scripts where tokens are used in nested strings or statements, the nested statements should be rewritten as multiple statements before inserting the appropriate escape macros.
For example, consider the following job step, which uses the A-MSG token and has not been updated with an escape macro:
PRINT N'Print ''$(A-MSG)''' ;
After running the update script, an ESCAPE_NONE macro is inserted with the token. However, in this case, you would have to rewrite the script without using nesting as follows and insert the ESCAPE_SQUOTE macro to properly escape delimiters that may be passed in the token replacement string:
DECLARE @msgString nvarchar(max);SET @msgString = '$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(A-MSG))';SET @msgString = QUOTENAME(@msgString,'''');PRINT N'Print ' + @msgString;Note also in this example that the QUOTENAME function sets the quote character.
C. Using tokens with the ESCAPE_NONE macro
The following example is part of a script that retrieves the job_id from the sysjobs table and uses the JOBID token to populate the @JobID variable, which was declared earlier in the script as a binary data type. Note that because no delimiters are required for binary data types, the ESCAPE_NONE macro is used with the JOBID token. You would not need to update this job step after running the update script.
SELECT * FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs WHERE @JobID = CONVERT(uniqueidentifier, $(ESCAPE_NONE(JOBID)));See Also
Implement Jobs
Manage Job Steps
FAQs
How do I add steps to SQL Agent job? ›
Right-click the job to which you want to add steps and select Properties. In the Job Properties -job_name dialog box, under Select a page, select Steps. For more information on the available options on this page, see Job Properties - New Job (Steps Page). When finished, click OK.
How to use token in SQL Server? ›Using tokens when you write your job steps gives you the same flexibility that variables provide when you write software programs. After you insert a token in a job step script, SQL Server Agent replaces the token at run time, before the job step is executed by the Transact-SQL subsystem.
Which SQL Server component runs a job on a schedule in reply to a specific event or on demand? ›SQL Server Agent can run a job on a schedule, in response to a specific event, or on demand.
Why did my SQL Agent job fail? ›Similar to Windows services, SQL Agent Jobs run under a user or service account configured in the job. Job failures can occur when there are permission or authentication issues with the user or service account. Common issues include: Account expired.
How to check job steps in SQL Server? ›- In Object Explorer, connect to an instance of the SQL Server Database Engine, and then expand that instance.
- Expand SQL Server Agent.
- Right-click Job Activity Monitor and click View Job Activity.
- In the Job Activity Monitor, you can view details about each job that is defined for this server.
SQL Server Agent is the job scheduling tool for SQL Server. To execute a job on demand using the GUI, open the SQL Server Agent tree, expand Jobs, select the job you want to run, right click on that job and click 'Start Job' and the job will execute.
How do I authenticate using token? ›- Request: The person asks for access to a server or protected resource. ...
- Verification: The server determines that the person should have access. ...
- Tokens: The server communicates with the authentication device, like a ring, key, phone, or similar device.
- Obtain OAuth 2.0 credentials from the Google API Console. ...
- Obtain an access token from the Google Authorization Server. ...
- Examine scopes of access granted by the user. ...
- Send the access token to an API. ...
- Refresh the access token, if necessary.
- Step 1: Get the access token. Go to this link: https://github.com/settings/tokens. And generate the token there. Or from you Github account, Go to: ...
- Step 2: Use the token. git push Username: <your username> Password: <the access token> Follow this answer to receive notifications.
Microsoft SQL Server Agent must be running as a service in order to automate administrative tasks. For more information, see Configure SQL Server Agent. Object Explorer only displays the SQL Server Agent node if you have permission to use it.
How to schedule SQL Server jobs with SQL Agent? ›
Expand SQL Server Agent, expand Jobs, right-click the job that you want to schedule, and click Properties. Select the Schedules page, and then click Pick. Select the schedule that you want to attach, and then click OK. In the Job Properties dialog box, double-click the attached schedule.
Is SQL Server Agent manual or automatic? ›The SQL Agent Service is responsible for running scheduled tasks and jobs. By default, SQL Agent Service is set to start manually. However, since it is often relied upon by scheduled maintenance, backup, and monitoring tasks, it is recommended that this service is set to start automatically.
How do I resolve SQL job failure? ›- Set the SQL Server Agent service account in SQL Server Configuration Manager to the LocalSystem account.
- Stop and then start the SQL Server Agent service.
- Reset the SQL Server Agent service account in SQL Server Configuration Manager back to the original account.
- Insufficient Permission provided to the job owner.
- Script error / Incorrect syntax /Object missing/ Source file missing.
- Primary foreign key relation error.
- Deadlock/Blocking.
- Insufficient space on drive.
- Restricted growth of database (data, Log file)
- Linked server permission isssue.
[ExecutionStatus] = [FailedJobs]. [ExecutionStatus]; And that should tell you all jobs that have not succeeded since the last time they were run for jobs that have been run in the past 24 hours...
How do I find my job steps? ›- Step 1: Research job opportunities. Research jobs that fit your skills and your job hunting will be more focused. ...
- Step 2: Write or update your CV. ...
- Step 3: Write online profiles. ...
- Step 4: Check your social media. ...
- Step 5: Apply for jobs. ...
- Step 6: Prepare for interviews. ...
- Step 7: Prepare for tests. ...
- Step 8: Attend interviews.
Expand SQL Server Agent, create a new job or right-click an existing job, and then click Properties. In the Job Properties dialog, click the Steps page, and then click New. In the New Job Step dialog, type a job Step name. In the Type list, click Transact-SQL Script (TSQL).
How to script out all SQL Agent jobs? ›To script all jobs, just open the 'Object Explorer Details' from the View menu in SSMS, or press the F7 key. Click on any job in the Object Explorer window and a list of all the agent jobs appears in the 'Object Explorer Details' window.
How do I monitor SQL Agent jobs? ›To open the Job Activity Monitor, expand SQL Server Agent in Management Studio Object Explorer, right-click Job Activity Monitor, and click View Job Activity. You can also view job activity for the current session by using the stored procedure sp_help_jobactivity.
How do I start SQL Server Agent automatically? ›- In Object Explorer, click the plus sign to expand the server where you want to configure SQL Server Agent to automatically restart.
- Right-click SQL Server Agent, and then click Properties.
- On the General page, check Auto restart SQL Server Agent if it stops unexpectedly.
How do I force stop a SQL Agent job? ›
Expand SQL Server Agent, expand Jobs, right-click the job you want to stop, and then click Stop Job. If you want to stop multiple jobs, right-click Job Activity Monitor, and then click View Job Activity. In the Job Activity Monitor, select the jobs you want to stop, right-click your selection, and then click Stop Jobs.
How do you validate a token on a server? ›- Make a call to the /publickeys endpoint to retrieve your public keys. ...
- Store the keys in your app cache for future use. ...
- Import the public key parameters. ...
- Verify the token's signature. ...
- Validate the claims that are stored in the tokens.
An authentication token (security token) is a “trusted device” used to access an electronically restricted resource (usually an application or a corporate network). It can be seen as an electronic key that enables a user to authenticate and prove his identity by storing some sort of personal information.
How do I get my token verified? ›- Create an account and service here.
- Select KYC Connect then send a link for your directors/shareholders to get verified.
- Once you have completed the verification please fill in the form here.
- After the form is complete, we'll let you know that the token issuer has been verified.
Access tokens are used in token-based authentication to allow an application to access an API. The application receives an access token after a user successfully authenticates and authorizes access, then passes the access token as a credential when it calls the target API.
What is difference between access token and bearer token? ›An access token is a bearer token used to access protected resources (see Figure 1). However, a client obtains an access token by providing valid credentials. For security reasons, an access token is short-lived. We used 15 minutes lifespan for an access token.
Is access token an authorization? ›An Access Token is a piece of data that represents the authorization to access resources on behalf of the end-user. OAuth 2.0 doesn't define a specific format for Access Tokens. However, in some contexts, the JSON Web Token (JWT) format is often used. This enables token issuers to include data in the token itself.
How do you automate auth token? ›- Open a request.
- Open the Auth panel.
- Select the OAuth 2.0 profile and click Get Access Token.
- Click Automation:
- Make a POST request to get the access token.
- Use a Property Transfer test step to assign the token value to a project property (e.g. myProperty).
- Use the project property in your requests as: ${#Project#myProperty}
Using a Refresh Token
To refresh the access token, select the Refresh access token API call within the Authorization folder of the Postman collection. Next, click the Send button to request a new access_token .
What user do SQL Agent jobs run as? ›
By default, the SQL Agent runs with the SQLSERVERAGENT account.
Why does SQL Server Agent stop automatically? ›This error may be caused by an unhandled Win32 or C++ exception, or by an access violation encountered during exception handling. Check the SQL error log for any related stack dumps or messages. This exception forces SQL Server to shutdown.
What permissions are needed to run a SQL Agent job? ›In addition, there are only two ways that someone can have permission to execute a SQL Agent job. You must either own the job, or be a member of the role SQLAgentOperatorRole (MSDB).
How to find job start time and end time in SQL Server? ›- Open SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio).
- Connect to your database using your credentials.
- Open the Tab called "SQL Server Agent".
- Open the Jobs Tab.
- Right Click on specific job and Click Properties.
- Go To Schedules.
- Click on specific schedule and click EDIT.
Please find the below query: select count(*) from v$session; This has to be run on the database every 5 minutes.
Which database is used by SQL Server Agent for scheduling alerts and jobs? ›The msdb database is used by SQL Server Agent for scheduling alerts and jobs and by other features such as SQL Server Management Studio, Service Broker and Database Mail.
What is the difference between DMV and DMF in SQL Server? ›DMV's are views, DMF's are functions. Dynamic Management Views and Functions were introduced in SQL 2005 and allow you to look at information that is stored in the Query Cache, query plans, CLR Data, Extended Events, Resource Governor info, etc.
Why would you use SQL Agent? ›SQL Server Agent is a Microsoft Windows service that runs scheduled administrative tasks that are called jobs. You can use SQL Server Agent to run T-SQL jobs to rebuild indexes, run corruption checks, and aggregate data in a SQL Server DB instance.
How do I create a SQL Server database script automatically? ›- In Object Explorer, expand the node for the instance containing the database to be scripted.
- Point to Tasks, and then select Generate Scripts.
- Complete the wizard dialogs: Introduction Page. Choose Objects Page. Set Scripting Options Page. Advanced Scripting Options Page.
- Recognize When There is Little Chance of Success. ...
- Take Control and Own Up to Mistakes You Made. ...
- Learn From Those Who Endured. ...
- Step Outside Your Comfort Zone and Try New Things. ...
- Think About Pursuing Further Education. ...
- Consider Becoming an Entrepreneur. ...
- Invest in Social Media.
How do you recover from job failure? ›
- It's not the end of the world. As much as it feels like everything is crashing down around you in the moment, it'll get better soon. ...
- Schedule a debrief with yourself. ...
- Share your failure with others. ...
- Regain your mojo. ...
- Make your next career move.
- Step 1 – Attempt Repair with SQL Server Management Studio (Optional) ...
- Step 2 – Choose a Good Database Repair Tool (Recommended) ...
- Step 3 – Download Your SQL Repair Tool. ...
- Step 4 – Run Your SQL Database Repair Tool. ...
- Step 5 – Scan the Corrupted SQL Database.
Regarding poor performing queries you should always start by analyzing the DMV sys. dm_exec_query_stats, where SQL Server stores runtime statistics about your execution plans. Like or share to get the source code.
What happens if a trigger fails in SQL Server? ›If the trigger fails, the original operation also fails. INSTEAD OF triggers replace the calling write operation. In these scenarios, the INSERT , UPDATE , or DELETE operation never occurs, and the contents of the trigger are executed instead.
How do I know if SQL job run is successful? ›- In Object Explorer, connect to an instance of the SQL Server Database Engine, and then expand that instance.
- Expand SQL Server Agent.
- Right-click Job Activity Monitor and click View Job Activity.
- In the Job Activity Monitor, you can view details about each job that is defined for this server.
open Task Manager. Find the SQL Server process. Press the Delete button. Check Event Viewer.
How do I increase SQL Agent employment history? ›Right-click SQL Server Agent, and then select Properties. Select the History page, and then confirm that Limit size of job history log is checked. In the Maximum job history log size box, enter the maximum number of rows the job history log should allow.
How do I edit SQL Server Agent job? ›To modify a job
Expand SQL Server Agent, expand Jobs, right-click the job you want to modify, and then click Properties. In the Job Properties dialog box, update the job's properties, steps, schedule, alerts, and notifications using the corresponding pages.
- Open MS SQL Studio.
- Connect to SQL Server Analysis Service.
- Right click the cube and select “Process”.
- Right click the cube in the list and select “Add Related Dimensions”.
On Azure SQL Managed Instance, most, but not all SQL Server Agent features are currently supported. See Azure SQL Managed Instance T-SQL differences from SQL Server for details. A job step is an action that the job takes on a database or a server.
How do I let someone execute a SQL Agent job they don't own? ›
There are only two ways that someone can have permission to execute a SQL Agent job. You must either own the job, or be a member of the role SQLAgentOperatorRole (found in msdb). Unfortunately SQLAgentOperatorRole grants permissions to run any job (among other things).
How do I script a SQL Server Agent job? ›Click on any job in the Object Explorer window and a list of all the agent jobs appears in the 'Object Explorer Details' window. Select all the jobs you want to script (press the Ctrl button while clicking to select individual jobs) and then right click and select the scripting option you want.
How do I cancel a SQL Agent job? ›Expand SQL Server Agent, expand Jobs, right-click the job you want to stop, and then click Stop Job. If you want to stop multiple jobs, right-click Job Activity Monitor, and then click View Job Activity. In the Job Activity Monitor, select the jobs you want to stop, right-click your selection, and then click Stop Jobs.
How do I list all SQL Agent jobs? ›...
The Options
- Option 1: Execute the sp_help_job stored procedure.
- Option 2: Query the sysjobs_view view.
- Option 3: Query the sysjobs table directly.
...
To process a specific cube, follow these steps.
- In SQL Server Management Studio, connect to your Analysis Services instance.
- In the tree view, right-click the cube, and then click Process. The Process Cube – [Cube Name] window is displayed.
- Click OK to process the cube.
Processing a cube creates machine-readable files that store relevant fact data. If there are aggregations created, they are stored in aggregation data files. The cube is then available for browsing from the Object Explorer in Management Studio or Solution Explorer in SQL Server Data Tools.
How do you process data cube? ›Click the Calculation tab and select Enable Manual calculation in Excel when Office Plus starts. Select More > Process Data. Select Cube from the Process from list. Select the cube from which to process the data.
What are job steps? ›A job step is defined as a segment of the operation necessary to advance the work.
Can knowing SQL alone get you a job? ›SQL is most useful in data-focused careers, but it's also valuable for Web Developers and Software Engineers. While learning SQL alone won't get you a job, it's a great place to start. In combination with other programming languages like Python, SQL can help you launch your career as a developer or data specialist.
Can SQL alone land me a job? ›Structured query language (SQL) is one of the most popular programming languages today, especially in data. You should probably be familiar with it if you want to pursue a data career, but you don't necessarily need to be an expert. You can get surprisingly far with just basic SQL skills.
Should SQL Agent jobs be owned by SA? ›
Item: SQL Agent jobs owned by non SA account. Users leave the organization. When login is disabled, deleted or Active Directory is not available – the job may stop working. The best practices recommend you set all job owners to SA account.