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run-windows-powershell-steps-in-sql-server-agent.md

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title Run Windows PowerShell Steps in SQL Server Agent
description Learn how to run Windows PowerShell steps in a SQL Server Agent job.
ms.custom seo-lt-2019
ms.date 03/16/2017
ms.prod sql
ms.reviewer
ms.technology scripting
ms.topic conceptual
ms.assetid f25f7549-c9b3-4618-85f2-c9a08adbe0e3
author markingmyname
ms.author maghan

Run Windows PowerShell Steps in SQL Server Agent

[!INCLUDEappliesto-ss-xxxx-asdw-pdw-md]

Use SQL Server Agent to run SQL Server PowerShell scripts at schedule times.

To run PowerShell from SQL Server Agent, using: PowerShell Job Step, Command Prompt Job Step

Important

There are two SQL Server PowerShell modules; SqlServer and SQLPS. The SQLPS module is included with the SQL Server installation (for backwards compatibility), but is no longer being updated. The most up-to-date PowerShell module is the SqlServer module. The SqlServer module contains updated versions of the cmdlets in SQLPS, and also includes new cmdlets to support the latest SQL features.
Previous versions of the SqlServer module were included with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), but only with the 16.x versions of SSMS. To use PowerShell with SSMS 17.0 and later, the SqlServer module must be installed from the PowerShell Gallery. To install the SqlServer module, see Install SQL Server PowerShell.

There are several types of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Agent job steps. Each type is associated with a subsystem that implements a specific environment, such as a replication agent or command prompt environment. You can code Windows PowerShell scripts, and then use [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Agent to include the scripts in jobs that run at scheduled times or in response to [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] events. Windows PowerShell scripts can be run using either a command prompt job step or a PowerShell job step.

  • Use a PowerShell job step to have the [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Agent subsystem run the sqlps utility, which launches PowerShell and imports the sqlps module.

  • Use a command prompt job step to run PowerShell.exe, and specify a script that imports the sqlps module.

Caution about memory consumption

Each [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Agent job step that runs PowerShell with the sqlps module launches a process, which consumes approximately 20 MB of memory. Running large numbers of concurrent Windows PowerShell job steps can adversely impact performance.

[!INCLUDEFreshness]

Create a PowerShell Job Step

To create a PowerShell job step

  1. Expand SQL Server Agent, create a new job or right-click an existing job, and then click Properties. For more information about creating a job, see Creating Jobs.

  2. In the Job Properties dialog, click the Steps page, and then click New.

  3. In the New Job Step dialog, type a job Step name.

  4. In the Type list, click PowerShell.

  5. In the Run as list, select the proxy account with the credentials that the job will use.

  6. In the Command box, enter the PowerShell script syntax that will be executed for the job step. Alternately, click Open and select a file containing the script syntax.

  7. Click the Advanced page to set the following job step options: what action to take if the job step succeeds or fails, how many times [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Agent should try to execute the job step, and how often retry attempts should be made.

Create a Command Prompt Job Step

To create a CmdExec job step

  1. Expand SQL Server Agent, create a new job or right-click an existing job, and then click Properties. For more information about creating a job, see Creating Jobs.

  2. In the Job Properties dialog, click the Steps page, and then click New.

  3. In the New Job Step dialog, type a job Step name.

  4. In the Type list, choose Operating system (CmdExec).

  5. In Run as list, select the proxy account with the credentials that the job will use. By default, CmdExec job steps run under the context of the SQL Server Agent service account.

  6. In the Process exit code of a successful command box, enter a value from 0 to 999999.

  7. In the Command box, enter powershell.exe with parameters specifying the PowerShell script to be run.

  8. Click the Advanced page to set job step options, such as: what action to take if the job step succeeds or fails, how many times [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Agent should try to execute the job step, and the file where [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Agent can write the job step output. Only members of the sysadmin fixed server role can write job step output to an operating system file.

See Also

SQL Server PowerShell