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Configure SQL Server Agent

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This topic describes how to specify some configuration options for SQL Server Agent during installation of SQL Server. The full set of SQL Server Agent configuration options is only available within SQL Server Management Studio, SQL Server Management Objects (SMO), or the SQL Server Agent stored procedures.

In This Topic

Before You Begin

Limitations and Restrictions

  • Click SQL Server Agent in Object Explorer of SQL Server Management Studio to administer jobs, operators, alerts, and the SQL Server Agent service. However, Object Explorer only displays the SQL Server Agent node if you have permission to use it.

  • Auto-restart should not be enabled for the SQL Server service or the SQL Server Agent service on failover cluster instances.

Security

Permissions

To perform its functions, SQL Server Agent must be configured to use the credentials of an account that is a member of the sysadmin fixed server role in SQL Server. The account must have the following Windows permissions:

  • Log on as a service (SeServiceLogonRight)

  • Replace a process-level token (SeAssignPrimaryTokenPrivilege)

  • Bypass traverse checking (SeChangeNotifyPrivilege)

  • Adjust memory quotas for a process (SeIncreaseQuotaPrivilege)

For more information about the Windows permissions required for the SQL Server Agent service account, see Select an Account for the SQL Server Agent Service and Configure Windows Service Accounts and Permissions.

Using SQL Server Management Studio

To configure SQL Server Agent

  1. Click the Start button, and then, on the Start menu, click Control Panel.

  2. In Control Panel, click System and Security, click Administrative Tools, and then select Local Security Policy.

  3. In Local Security Policy, click the chevron to expand the Local Policies folder, and then click the User Rights Assignment folder.

  4. Right-click a permission that you want to configure for use with SQL Server and select Properties.

  5. In the permission's properties dialog box, verify that the account under which SQL Server Agent runs is listed. If not, click Add User or Group, enter the account under which SQL Server Agent runs in the Select Users, Computers, Service Accounts, or Groups dialog box, and then click OK.

  6. Repeat for each permission that you want to add to run with SQL Server Agent. When finished, click OK.