sp_add_jobstep (Transact-SQL)

Adds a step (operation) to a job.

Syntax

sp_add_jobstep [ @job_id = ] job_id | [ @job_name = ] 'job_name' 
     [ , [ @step_id = ] step_id ] 
     { , [ @step_name = ] 'step_name' } 
     [ , [ @subsystem = ] 'subsystem' ] 
     [ , [ @command = ] 'command' ] 
     [ , [ @additional_parameters = ] 'parameters' ] 
          [ , [ @cmdexec_success_code = ] code ] 
     [ , [ @on_success_action = ] success_action ] 
          [ , [ @on_success_step_id = ] success_step_id ] 
          [ , [ @on_fail_action = ] fail_action ] 
          [ , [ @on_fail_step_id = ] fail_step_id ] 
     [ , [ @server = ] 'server' ] 
     [ , [ @database_name = ] 'database' ] 
     [ , [ @database_user_name = ] 'user' ] 
     [ , [ @retry_attempts = ] retry_attempts ] 
     [ , [ @retry_interval = ] retry_interval ] 
     [ , [ @os_run_priority = ] run_priority ] 
     [ , [ @output_file_name = ] 'file_name' ] 
     [ , [ @flags = ] flags ] 
     [ , { [ @proxy_id = ] proxy_id 
         | [ @proxy_name = ] 'proxy_name' } ]

Arguments

• [ @job_id = ] job_id
  The identification number of the job to which to add the step. job_id is uniqueidentifier, with a default of NULL.

• [ @job_name = ] 'job_name'
  The name of the job to which to add the step. job_name is sysname, with a default of NULL.

  Note

  Either job_id or job_name must be specified, but both cannot be specified.

• [ @step_id = ] step_id
  The sequence identification number for the job step. Step identification numbers start at 1 and increment without gaps. If a step is inserted in the existing sequence, the sequence numbers are adjusted automatically. A value is provided if step_id is not specified. step_idis int, with a default of NULL.

• [ @step_name = ] 'step_name'
  The name of the step. step_nameis sysname, with no default.

• [ @subsystem = ] 'subsystem'
  The subsystem used by Microsoft SQL Server Agent service to execute command. subsystemis nvarchar(40), and can be one of these values.

  Value	Description
  'ACTIVESCRIPTING'	Active Script
  'CMDEXEC'	Operating-system command or executable program
  'DISTRIBUTION'	Replication Distribution Agent job
  'SNAPSHOT'	Replication Snapshot Agent job
  'LOGREADER'	Replication Log Reader Agent job
  'MERGE'	Replication Merge Agent job
  'QueueReader'	Replication Queue Reader Agent job
  'ANALYSISQUERY'	Analysis Services query (MDX, DMX).
  'ANALYSISCOMMAND'	Analysis Services command (XMLA).
  'Dts'	Integration Services package execution
  'TSQL' (default)	Transact-SQL statement

• [ @command= ] 'command'
  The commands to be executed by SQLServerAgent service through subsystem. command is nvarchar(max), with a default of NULL. SQL Server Agent provides token substitution that gives you the same flexibility that variables provide when you write software programs.

  Important

  In SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1, the SQL Server Agent job step token syntax has changed. As a result, an escape macro must now accompany all tokens used in job steps, or else those job steps will fail. In addition, the SQL Server 2000 syntax, which used square brackets to call out SQL Server Agent job step tokens (for example, "[DATE]") has also changed. You must now enclose token names in parentheses and place a dollar sign ($) at the beginning of the token syntax. For example: $(ESCAPE_macro name(DATE))

  For more information about these tokens and updating your job steps to use the new token syntax, see Using Tokens in Job Steps.

  Security Note:

  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). 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.

• [ @additional_parameters= ] 'parameters'
  Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. parameters is ntext, with a default of NULL.

• [ @cmdexec_success_code = ] code
  The value returned by a CmdExec subsystem command to indicate that command executed successfully. codeis int, with a default of 0.

• [ @on_success_action= ] success_action
  The action to perform if the step succeeds. success_actionis tinyint, and can be one of these values.

  Value	Description (action)
  1 (default)	Quit with success
  2	Quit with failure
  3	Go to next step
  4	Go to step on_success_step_id

• [ @on_success_step_id = ] success_step_id
  The ID of the step in this job to execute if the step succeeds and success_actionis 4. success_step_idis int, with a default of 0.

• [ @on_fail_action= ] fail_action
  The action to perform if the step fails. fail_actionis tinyint, and can be one of these values.

  Value	Description (action)
  1	Quit with success
  2 (default)	Quit with failure
  3	Go to next step
  4	Go to step on_fail_step_id

• [ @on_fail_step_id= ] fail_step_id
  The ID of the step in this job to execute if the step fails and fail_actionis 4. fail_step_idis int, with a default of 0.

• [ @server =] 'server'
  Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. serveris nvarchar(30), with a default of NULL.

• [ @database_name= ] 'database'
  The name of the database in which to execute a Transact-SQL step. databaseis sysname, with a default of NULL, in which case the master database is used. For an ActiveX job step, the database is the name of the scripting language that the step uses.

• [ @database_user_name= ] 'user'
  The name of the user account to use when executing a Transact-SQL step. user is sysname, with a default of NULL. When user is NULL, the step runs in the job owner's user context on database.

• [ @retry_attempts= ] retry_attempts
  The number of retry attempts to use if this step fails. retry_attemptsis int, with a default of 0, which indicates no retry attempts.

• [ @retry_interval= ] retry_interval
  The amount of time in minutes between retry attempts. retry_intervalis int, with a default of 0, which indicates a 0-minute interval.

• [ @os_run_priority = ] run_priority
  Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.

• [ @output_file_name= ] 'file_name'
  The name of the file in which the output of this step is saved. file_nameis nvarchar(200), with a default of NULL. file_namecan include one or more of the tokens listed under command. This parameter is valid only with commands running on the Transact-SQL or CmdExec subsystems.

• [ @flags= ] flags
  Is an option that controls behavior. flags is int, and can be one of these values.

  Value	Description
  0 (default)	Overwrite output file
  2	Append to output file
  4	Write Transact-SQL job step output to step history
  8	Write log to table (overwrite existing history)
  16	Write log to table (append to existing history)

• [ @proxy_id = ] proxy_id
  The id number of the proxy that the job step runs as. proxy_id is type int, with a default of NULL. If no proxy_id is specified, no proxy_name is specified, and no user_name is specified, the job step runs as the service account for SQL Server Agent.

• [ @proxy_name = ] 'proxy_name'
  The name of the proxy that the job step runs as. proxy_name is type sysname, with a default of NULL. If no proxy_id is specified, no proxy_name is specified, and no user_name is specified, the job step runs as the service account for SQL Server Agent.

Return Code Values

0 (success) or 1 (failure)

Result Sets

None

Remarks

sp_add_jobstep must be run from the msdb database.

SQL Server Management Studio provides an easy, graphical way to manage jobs, and is the recommended way to create and manage the job infrastructure.

A job step must specify a proxy unless the creator of the job step is a member of the sysadmin fixed security role.

A proxy may be identified by proxy_name or proxy_id.

Permissions

By default, members of the sysadmin fixed server role can execute this stored procedure. 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.

The creator of the job step must have access to the proxy for the job step. Members of the sysadmin fixed server role have access to all proxies. Other users must be explicitly granted access to a proxy.

Examples

The following example creates a job step that changes database access to read-only for the AdventureWorks database. In addition, this example specifies 5 retry attempts, with each retry to occur after a 5 minute wait.

Note

This example assumes that the Weekly Sales Data Backup job already exists.

USE msdb ;
GO

EXEC sp_add_jobstep
    @job_name = N'Weekly Sales Data Backup',
    @step_name = N'Set database to read only',
    @subsystem = N'TSQL',
    @command = N'exec sp_dboption ''sales'', ''read only'', ''true''', 
    @retry_attempts = 5,
    @retry_interval = 5 ;
GO

See Also

Reference

sp_add_job (Transact-SQL)
sp_add_schedule (Transact-SQL)
sp_delete_jobstep (Transact-SQL)
sp_help_job (Transact-SQL)
sp_help_jobstep (Transact-SQL)
sp_update_jobstep (Transact-SQL)
System Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)

Other Resources

Viewing and Modifying Jobs

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2005 Assistance

Change History

Release	History
14 April 2006	New content: Inserted Important note about SQL Server Agent token syntax change in SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1. Changed content: Removed descriptions of old SQL Server Agent token syntax.