Edit

Share via

sp_help_job (Transact-SQL)

  • Article

Applies to: SQL Server

Returns information about jobs that are used by SQL Server Agent to perform automated activities in SQL Server.

Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

sp_help_job
    [ [ @job_id = ] 'job_id' ]
    [ , [ @job_name = ] N'job_name' ]
    [ , [ @job_aspect = ] 'job_aspect' ]
    [ , [ @job_type = ] 'job_type' ]
    [ , [ @owner_login_name = ] N'owner_login_name' ]
    [ , [ @subsystem = ] N'subsystem' ]
    [ , [ @category_name = ] N'category_name' ]
    [ , [ @enabled = ] enabled ]
    [ , [ @execution_status = ] execution_status ]
    [ , [ @date_comparator = ] 'date_comparator' ]
    [ , [ @date_created = ] date_created ]
    [ , [ @date_last_modified = ] date_last_modified ]
    [ , [ @description = ] N'description' ]
[ ; ]

Arguments

[ @job_id = ] 'job_id'

The job identification number. @job_id is uniqueidentifier, with a default of NULL.

To view a specific job, either @job_id or @job_name must be specified. Omit both @job_id and @job_name to return information about all jobs.

[ @job_name = ] N'job_name'

The name of the job. @job_name is sysname, with a default of NULL.

To view a specific job, either @job_id or @job_name must be specified. Omit both @job_id and @job_name to return information about all jobs.

[ @job_aspect = ] 'job_aspect'

The job attribute to display. @job_aspect is varchar(9), and can be one of these values.

Value Description
ALL Job aspect information
JOB Job information
SCHEDULES Schedule information
STEPS Job step information
TARGETS Target information

[ @job_type = ] 'job_type'

The type of jobs to include in the report.@job_type is varchar(12), with a default of NULL. @job_type can be LOCAL or MULTI-SERVER.

[ @owner_login_name = ] N'owner_login_name'

The login name of the owner of the job. @owner_login_name is sysname, with a default of NULL.

[ @subsystem = ] N'subsystem'

The name of the subsystem. @subsystem is nvarchar(40), with a default of NULL.

[ @category_name = ] N'category_name'

The name of the category. @category_name is sysname, with a default of NULL.

[ @enabled = ] enabled

A number indicating whether information is shown for enabled jobs or disabled jobs. @enabled is tinyint, with a default of NULL.

  • 1 indicates enabled jobs.
  • 0 indicates disabled jobs.

[ @execution_status = ] execution_status

The execution status for the jobs. @execution_status is int, and can be one of these values.

Value Description
0 Returns only those jobs that aren't idle or suspended.
1 Executing.
2 Waiting for thread.
3 Between retries.
4 Idle.
5 Suspended.
7 Performing completion actions.

[ @date_comparator = ] 'date_comparator'

The comparison operator to use in comparisons of @date_created and @date_last_modified. @date_comparator is char(1), and can be =, <, or >.

[ @date_created = ] date_created

The date the job was created. @date_created is datetime, with a default of NULL.

[ @date_last_modified = ] date_last_modified

The date the job was last modified. @date_last_modified is datetime, with a default of NULL.

[ @description = ] N'description'

The description of the job. @description is nvarchar(512), with a default of NULL. @description can include the wildcard characters for pattern matching.

Return code values

0 (success) or 1 (failure).

Result set

If no arguments are specified, sp_help_job returns this result set.

Column name Data type Description
job_id uniqueidentifier Unique ID of the job.
originating_server nvarchar(30) Name of the server from which the job came.
name sysname Name of the job.
enabled tinyint Indicates whether the job is enabled, so that it can execute.
description nvarchar(512) Description for the job.
start_step_id int ID of the step in the job where execution should begin.
category sysname Job category.
owner sysname Job owner.
notify_level_eventlog int A bitmask indicating circumstances in which a notification event should be logged to the Microsoft Windows application log. Can be one of these values:

0 = Never
1 = When a job succeeds
2 = When the job fails
3 = Whenever the job completes (regardless of the job outcome)
notify_level_email int A bitmask indicating circumstances in which a notification e-mail should be sent when a job completes. Possible values are the same as for notify_level_eventlog.
notify_level_netsend int A bitmask indicating circumstances in which a network message should be sent when a job completes. Possible values are the same as for notify_level_eventlog.
notify_level_page int A bitmask indicating circumstances in which a page should be sent when a job completes. Possible values are the same as for notify_level_eventlog.
notify_email_operator sysname E-mail name of the operator to notify.
notify_netsend_operator sysname Name of the computer or user used when sending network messages.
notify_page_operator sysname Name of the computer or user used when sending a page.
delete_level int A bitmask indicating circumstances in which the job should be deleted when a job completes. Possible values are the same as for notify_level_eventlog.
date_created datetime Date the job was created.
date_modified datetime Date the job was last modified.
version_number int Version of the job (automatically updated each time the job is modified).
last_run_date int Date the job last started execution.
last_run_time int Time the job last started execution.
last_run_outcome int Outcome of the job the last time it ran:

0 = Failed
1 = Succeeded
3 = Canceled
5 = Unknown
next_run_date int Date the job is scheduled to run next.
next_run_time int Time the job is scheduled to run next.
next_run_schedule_id int Identification number of the next run schedule.
current_execution_status int Current execution status:

1 = Executing
2 = Waiting For Thread
3 = Between Retries
4 = Idle
5 = Suspended
6 = Obsolete
7 = PerformingCompletionActions
current_execution_step sysname Current execution step in the job.
current_retry_attempt int If the job is running and the step was retried, this is the current retry attempt.
has_step int Number of job steps the job has.
has_schedule int Number of job schedules the job has.
has_target int Number of target servers the job has.
type int Type of the job.

1 = Local job.
2 = Multiserver job.
0 = Job has no target servers.

If @job_id or @job_name is specified, sp_help_job returns these additional result sets for job steps, job schedules, and job target servers.

This is the result set for job steps.

Column name Data type Description
step_id int Unique (for this job) identifier for the step.
step_name sysname Name of the step.
subsystem nvarchar(40) Subsystem in which to execute the step command.
command nvarchar(3200) Command to execute.
flags nvarchar(4000) A bitmask of values that control step behavior.
cmdexec_success_code int For a CmdExec step, this is the process exit code of a successful command.
on_success_action nvarchar(4000) What to do if the step succeeds:

1 = Quit with success.
2 = Quit with failure.
3 = Go to next step.
4 = Go to step.
on_success_step_id int If on_success_action is 4, this indicates the next step to execute.
on_fail_action nvarchar(4000) Action to take if the step fails. Values are the same as for on_success_action.
on_fail_step_id int If on_fail_action is 4, this indicates the next step to execute.
server sysname Reserved.
database_name sysname For a Transact-SQL step, this is the database in which the command executes.
database_user_name sysname For a Transact-SQL step, this is the database user context in which the command executes.
retry_attempts int Maximum number of times the command should be retried (if it's unsuccessful) before the step is deemed to have failed.
retry_interval int Interval (in minutes) between any retry attempts.
os_run_priority varchar(4000) Reserved.
output_file_name varchar(200) File to which command output should be written (Transact-SQL and CmdExec steps only).
last_run_outcome int Outcome of the step the last time it ran:

0 = Failed
1 = Succeeded
3 = Canceled
5 = Unknown
last_run_duration int Duration (in seconds) of the step the last time it ran.
last_run_retries int Number of times the command was retried the last time the step ran.
last_run_date int Date the step last started execution.
last_run_time int Time the step last started execution.
proxy_id int Proxy for the job step.

This is the result set for job schedules.

Column name Data type Description
schedule_id int Identifier of the schedule (unique across all jobs).
schedule_name sysname Name of the schedule (unique for this job only).
enabled int Whether the schedule is active (1) or not (0).
freq_type int Value indicating when the job is to be executed:

1 = Once
4 = Daily
8 = Weekly
16 = Monthly
32 = Monthly, relative to the freq_interval
64 = Run when SQL Server Agent service starts.
freq_interval int Days when the job is executed. The value depends on the value of freq_type. For more information, see sp_add_schedule
freq_subday_type int Units for freq_subday_interval. For more information, see sp_add_schedule
freq_subday_interval int Number of freq_subday_type periods to occur between each execution of the job. For more information, see sp_add_schedule
freq_relative_interval int Scheduled job's occurrence of the freq_interval in each month. For more information, see sp_add_schedule
freq_recurrence_factor int Number of months between the scheduled execution of the job.
active_start_date int Date to begin execution of the job.
active_end_date int Date to end execution of the job.
active_start_time int Time to begin the execution of the job on active_start_date.
active_end_time int Time to end execution of the job on active_end_date.
date_created datetime Date the schedule is created.
schedule_description nvarchar(4000) An English description of the schedule (if requested).
next_run_date int Date the schedule next causes the job to run.
next_run_time int Time the schedule next causes the job to run.
schedule_uid uniqueidentifier Identifier for the schedule.
job_count int Returns the number of jobs that reference this schedule.

This is the result set for job target servers.

Column name Data type Description
server_id int Identifier of the target server.
server_name nvarchar(30) Computer name of the target server.
enlist_date datetime Date the target server enlisted into the master server.
last_poll_date datetime Date the target server last polled the master server.
last_run_date int Date the job last started execution on this target server.
last_run_time int Time the job last started execution on this target server.
last_run_duration int Duration of the job the last time it ran on this target server.
last_run_outcome tinyint Outcome of the job the last time it ran on this server:

0 = Failed
1 = Succeeded
3 = Canceled
5 = Unknown
last_outcome_message nvarchar(1024) Outcome message from the job the last time it ran on this target server.

Permissions

You can grant EXECUTE permissions on this procedure, but these permissions might be overridden during a SQL Server upgrade.

Other users must be granted one of the following SQL Server Agent fixed database roles in the msdb database:

  • SQLAgentUserRole
  • SQLAgentReaderRole
  • SQLAgentOperatorRole

For details about the permissions of these roles, see SQL Server Agent Fixed Database Roles.

Members of SQLAgentUserRole can only view jobs that they own. Members of sysadmin, SQLAgentReaderRole, and SQLAgentOperatorRole can view all local and multiserver jobs.

Examples

A. List information for all jobs

The following example executes the sp_help_job procedure with no parameters to return the information for all of the jobs currently defined in the msdb database.

USE msdb;
GO

EXEC dbo.sp_help_job;
GO

B. List information for jobs matching a specific criteria

The following example lists job information for the multiserver jobs owned by françoisa where the job is enabled and executing.

USE msdb;
GO

EXEC dbo.sp_help_job
   @job_type = N'MULTI-SERVER',
   @owner_login_name = N'françoisa',
   @enabled = 1,
   @execution_status = 1;
GO

C. List all aspects of information for a job

The following example lists all aspects of the information for the job NightlyBackups.

USE msdb;
GO

EXEC dbo.sp_help_job
    @job_name = N'NightlyBackups',
    @job_aspect = N'ALL';
GO

Related content