sp_update_jobstep (Transact-SQL)
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Changes the setting for a step in a job that is used to perform automated activities in the SQL Server Agent service.
Transact-SQL syntax conventions
Syntax
sp_update_jobstep
[ [ @job_id = ] 'job_id' ]
[ , [ @job_name = ] N'job_name' ]
, [ @step_id = ] step_id
[ , [ @step_name = ] N'step_name' ]
[ , [ @subsystem = ] N'subsystem' ]
[ , [ @command = ] N'command' ]
[ , [ @additional_parameters = ] N'additional_parameters' ]
[ , [ @cmdexec_success_code = ] cmdexec_success_code ]
[ , [ @on_success_action = ] on_success_action ]
[ , [ @on_success_step_id = ] on_success_step_id ]
[ , [ @on_fail_action = ] on_fail_action ]
[ , [ @on_fail_step_id = ] on_fail_step_id ]
[ , [ @server = ] N'server' ]
[ , [ @database_name = ] N'database_name' ]
[ , [ @database_user_name = ] N'database_user_name' ]
[ , [ @retry_attempts = ] retry_attempts ]
[ , [ @retry_interval = ] retry_interval ]
[ , [ @os_run_priority = ] os_run_priority ]
[ , [ @output_file_name = ] N'output_file_name' ]
[ , [ @flags = ] flags ]
[ , [ @proxy_id = ] proxy_id ]
[ , [ @proxy_name = ] N'proxy_name' ]
[ ; ]
Arguments
[ @job_id = ] 'job_id'
The identification number of the job to which the step belongs. @job_id is uniqueidentifier, with a default of NULL.
Either @job_id or @job_name must be specified, but both can't be specified.
[ @job_name = ] N'job_name'
The name of the job to which the step belongs. @job_name is sysname, with a default of NULL.
Either @job_id or @job_name must be specified, but both can't be specified.
[ @step_id = ] step_id
The identification number for the job step to be modified. @step_id is int, with no default. This number can't be changed.
[ @step_name = ] N'step_name'
A new name for the step. @step_name is sysname, with a default of NULL.
[ @subsystem = ] N'subsystem'
The subsystem used by SQL Server Agent to execute @command. @subsystem is nvarchar(40), with a default of NULL.
[ @command = ] N'command'
The command(s) to be executed through @subsystem. @command is nvarchar(max), with a default of NULL.
[ @additional_parameters = ] N'additional_parameters'
Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
[ @cmdexec_success_code = ] cmdexec_success_code
The value returned by a CmdExec subsystem command to indicate that command executed successfully. @cmdexec_success_code is int, with a default of NULL.
[ @on_success_action = ] on_success_action
The action to perform if the step succeeds. @on_success_action is tinyint, with a default of NULL, and can be one of these values.
| Value | Description (action) |
|---|---|
1 |
Quit with success |
2 |
Quit with failure |
3 |
Go to next step |
4 |
Go to step @on_success_step_id |
[ @on_success_step_id = ] on_success_step_id
The identification number of the step in this job to execute if step succeeds and @on_success_action is 4. @on_success_step_id is int, with a default of NULL.
[ @on_fail_action = ] on_fail_action
The action to perform if the step fails. @on_fail_action is tinyint, and can have one of these values.
| Value | Description (action) |
|---|---|
1 |
Quit with success |
2 |
Quit with failure |
3 |
Go to next step |
4 |
Go to step @on_fail_step_id |
[ @on_fail_step_id = ] on_fail_step_id
The identification number of the step in this job to execute if the step fails and @on_fail_action is 4. @on_fail_step_id is int, with a default of NULL.
[ @server = ] N'server'
Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
[ @database_name = ] N'database_name'
The name of the database in which to execute a Transact-SQL step. @database_name is sysname, with a default of NULL. Names that are enclosed in brackets ([]) aren't allowed.
[ @database_user_name = ] N'database_user_name'
The name of the database user to use when executing a Transact-SQL step. @database_user_name is sysname, with a default of NULL.
[ @retry_attempts = ] retry_attempts
The number of retry attempts to use if this step fails. @retry_attempts is int, with a default of NULL.
[ @retry_interval = ] retry_interval
The amount of time in minutes between retry attempts. @retry_interval is int, with a default of NULL.
[ @os_run_priority = ] os_run_priority
Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
[ @output_file_name = ] N'output_file_name'
The name of the file in which the output of this step is saved. @output_file_name is nvarchar(200), with a default of NULL. This parameter is only valid with commands running in Transact-SQL or CmdExec subsystems.
To set @output_file_name back to NULL, you must set @output_file_name to an empty string, or to a string of blank characters, but you can't use the CHAR(32) function.
For example, set this argument to an empty string as follows:
@output_file_name = ' '
[ @flags = ] flags
An option that controls behavior. @flags is int, with a default of NULL.
| 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 int, with a default of NULL. If no @proxy_id is specified, no @proxy_name is specified, and no @database_user_name is specified, the job step runs as the service account for SQL Server Agent.
[ @proxy_name = ] N'proxy_name'
The name of the proxy that the job step runs as. @proxy_name is sysname, with a default of NULL. If no @proxy_id is specified, no @proxy_name is specified, and no @database_user_name is specified, the job step runs as the service account for SQL Server Agent.
Return code values
0 (success) or 1 (failure).
Remarks
sp_update_jobstep must be run from the msdb database.
Updating a job step increments the job version number.
This stored procedure shares the name of sp_update_jobstep with a similar object for the Azure Elastic Jobs service for Azure SQL Database. For information about the elastic jobs version, see jobs.sp_update_jobstep (Azure Elastic Jobs).
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.
Only members of sysadmin can update a job step of a job owned by another user.
If the job step requires access to a proxy, the creator of the job step must have access to the proxy for the job step. All subsystems, except Transact-SQL, require a proxy account. Members of sysadmin have access to all proxies, and can use the SQL Server Agent service account for the proxy.
Examples
The following example changes the number of retry attempts for the first step of the Weekly Sales Data Backup job. After you run this example, the number of retry attempts is 10.
USE msdb;
GO
EXEC dbo.sp_update_jobstep
@job_name = N'Weekly Sales Data Backup',
@step_id = 1,
@retry_attempts = 10;
GO