Use sp_getapplock to serialize a job, compare transaction and session ownership, handle return codes, and inspect a two-session test.
Error 21089: Log Shipping Jobs Need Sysadmin on the Monitor Server
Error 21089 failed the Copy and Restore jobs of a log shipping setup. A Profiler trace showed the jobs raising the error on the monitor server. The SQL Server Agent startup account was not a sysadmin there.
Idle CPU Condition in SQL Server Agent: How It Works
The idle CPU condition tells SQL Server Agent when the CPUs are quiet enough to start a job. This post shows where to set it, how the two numbers work and how to create the schedule. It also reads the CPU history of your server in T-SQL, so you can choose values that the server can actually meet.
SQL Agent Job Backslash Puzzle: Why Both Rows Were Deleted
A SQL Agent job backslash at the end of a comment line can turn a one row delete into a delete of the whole table. This puzzle sets up the job, explains the cause and tests the effect in T-SQL. It ends with a safe way to write the step.
Performance Condition Alerts: Warnings Before a Log File Fills
Build performance condition alerts for log usage, tempdb free space, and blocking, with sensible delays and an operator response.
SQL SERVER – SQL Service Not Getting Started Automatically After Server Reboot While Using gMSA Account
My first gMSA test: SQL Service was not started automatically after server reboot, even with automatic startup set. Here is what the event log showed.
SQL SERVER – T-SQL Script to Check SQL Server Job History
SQL Server Agent Job History can be queried from msdb. A New Zealand customer requested this report during our weekly health check.