---
title: Create and Run Jobs for SQL Server on Linux
description: Learn how to create a SQL Server Agent job on Linux using both Transact-SQL and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
author: rwestMSFT
ms.author: randolphwest
ms.date: 11/18/2024
ms.service: sql
ms.subservice: linux
ms.topic: how-to
ms.custom:
  - linux-related-content
---
# Create and run SQL Server Agent jobs on Linux

[!INCLUDE [SQL Server - Linux](../includes/applies-to-version/sql-linux.md)]

SQL Server jobs are used to regularly perform the same sequence of commands in your SQL Server database. This tutorial provides an example of how to create a SQL Server Agent job on Linux using both Transact-SQL and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

> [!div class="checklist"]
> - Install SQL Server Agent on Linux
> - Create a new job to perform daily database backups
> - Schedule and run the job
> - Perform the same steps in SSMS (optional)

For known issues with SQL Server Agent on Linux, see the [Release notes for SQL Server 2017 on Linux](sql-server-linux-release-notes-2017.md).

## Prerequisites

The following prerequisites are required to complete this tutorial:

- Linux machine with the following prerequisites:

  - [Quickstart: Install SQL Server and create a database on Red Hat](quickstart-install-connect-red-hat.md)
  - [Quickstart: Install SQL Server and create a database on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server](quickstart-install-connect-suse.md)
  - [Quickstart: Install SQL Server and create a database on Ubuntu](quickstart-install-connect-ubuntu.md) with command-line tools.

The following prerequisites are optional:

- Windows machine with SSMS:
  - [Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)](../ssms/download-sql-server-management-studio-ssms.md) for optional SSMS steps.

## Enable SQL Server Agent

To use SQL Server Agent on Linux, you must first enable SQL Server Agent on a machine that already has SQL Server installed.

1. To enable SQL Server Agent, follow the step below.

   ```bash
   sudo /opt/mssql/bin/mssql-conf set sqlagent.enabled true
   ```

1. Restart SQL Server with the following command:

   ```bash
   sudo systemctl restart mssql-server
   ```

> [!NOTE]  
> Starting with [!INCLUDE [sssql17-md](../includes/sssql17-md.md)] CU 4, SQL Server Agent is included with the `mssql-server` package and is disabled by default. For Agent set up prior to CU 4, see [Install SQL Server Agent on Linux](sql-server-linux-setup-sql-agent.md).

## Create a sample database

Use the following steps to create a sample database named `SampleDB`. This database is used for the daily backup job.

1. On your Linux machine, open a bash terminal session.

1. Use **sqlcmd** to run a Transact-SQL `CREATE DATABASE` command.

   ```bash
   /opt/mssql-tools/bin/sqlcmd -S localhost -U sa -Q 'CREATE DATABASE SampleDB'
   ```

1. Verify the database is created by listing the databases on your server.

   ```bash
   /opt/mssql-tools/bin/sqlcmd -S localhost -U sa -Q 'SELECT name FROM sys.databases'
   ```

## Create a job with Transact-SQL

The following steps create a SQL Server Agent job on Linux with Transact-SQL commands. The job runs a daily backup of the sample database, `SampleDB`.

> [!TIP]  
> You can use any T-SQL client to run these commands. For example, on Linux you can use [Install the SQL Server command-line tools sqlcmd and bcp on Linux](sql-server-linux-setup-tools.md) or [SQL Server extension for Visual Studio Code](../tools/visual-studio-code/sql-server-develop-use-vscode.md). From a remote Windows Server, you can also run queries in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or use the UI interface for job management, which is described in the next section.

1. Use [sp_add_job](../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-add-job-transact-sql.md) to create a job named `Daily SampleDB Backup`.

   ```sql
   -- Adds a new job executed by the SQLServerAgent service
   -- called 'Daily SampleDB Backup'
   USE msdb;
   GO

   EXECUTE dbo.sp_add_job @job_name = N'Daily SampleDB Backup';
   GO
   ```

1. Call [sp_add_jobstep](../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-add-jobstep-transact-sql.md) to create a job step that creates a backup of the `SampleDB` database.

   ```sql
   EXECUTE sp_add_jobstep
       @job_name = N'Daily SampleDB Backup',
       @step_name = N'Backup database',
       @subsystem = N'TSQL',
       @command = N'BACKUP DATABASE SampleDB TO DISK = \
                        N''/var/opt/mssql/data/SampleDB.bak'' WITH NOFORMAT, NOINIT, \
                        NAME = ''SampleDB-full'', SKIP, NOREWIND, NOUNLOAD, STATS = 10', @retry_attempts = 5, @retry_interval = 5;
   GO
   ```

1. Then create a daily schedule for your job with [sp_add_schedule](../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-add-jobschedule-transact-sql.md).

   ```sql
   -- Creates a schedule called 'Daily'
   EXECUTE dbo.sp_add_schedule
       @schedule_name = N'Daily SampleDB',
       @freq_type = 4,
       @freq_interval = 1,
       @active_start_time = 233000;

   USE msdb;
   GO
   ```

1. Attach the job schedule to the job with [sp_attach_schedule](../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-attach-schedule-transact-sql.md).

   ```sql
   -- Sets the 'Daily' schedule to the 'Daily SampleDB Backup' Job
   EXECUTE sp_attach_schedule
       @job_name = N'Daily SampleDB Backup',
       @schedule_name = N'Daily SampleDB';
   GO
   ```

1. Use [sp_add_jobserver](../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-add-jobserver-transact-sql.md) to assign the job to a target server. In this example, the target is the local server.

   ```sql
   EXECUTE dbo.sp_add_jobserver
       @job_name = N'Daily SampleDB Backup',
       @server_name = N'(local)';
   GO
   ```

1. Start the job with [sp_start_job](../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-start-job-transact-sql.md).

   ```sql
   EXECUTE dbo.sp_start_job N' Daily SampleDB Backup';
   GO
   ```

## Create a job with SSMS

You can also create and manage jobs remotely using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) on Windows.

1. Start SSMS on Windows and connect to your Linux SQL Server instance. For more information, see [Use SQL Server Management Studio on Windows to manage SQL Server on Linux](sql-server-linux-manage-ssms.md).

1. Verify that you have created a sample database named `SampleDB`.

   <img src="./media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-0.png" alt="Create a SampleDB database"/>

1. Verify that SQL Agent was [Install SQL Server Agent on Linux](sql-server-linux-setup-sql-agent.md) and configured correctly. Look for the plus sign next to SQL Server Agent in the Object Explorer. If SQL Server Agent isn't enabled, try restarting the **mssql-server** service on Linux.

   :::image type="content" source="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-1.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing how to verify SQL Server Agent was installed.":::

1. Create a new job.

   :::image type="content" source="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-2.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing how to create a new job.":::

1. Give your job a name and create your job step.

   :::image type="content" source="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-3.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing how to create a job step.":::

1. Specify what subsystem you want to use and what the job step should do.

   :::image type="content" source="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-4.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing job subsystem." lightbox="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-4.png":::

   :::image type="content" source="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-5.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing job step action." lightbox="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-5.png":::

1. Create a new job schedule.

   :::image type="content" source="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-6.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the New Job dialog box with the Schedules option highlighted and the New option called out." lightbox="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-6.png":::

   :::image type="content" source="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-8.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the New Job dialog box with the OK option called out." lightbox="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-8.png":::

1. Start your job.

   :::image type="content" source="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-9.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing how to Start the SQL Server Agent job." lightbox="media/sql-server-linux-run-sql-server-agent-job/ssms-agent-9.png":::

## Next step

In this tutorial, you learned how to:

> [!div class="checklist"]
> - Install SQL Server Agent on Linux
> - Use Transact-SQL and system stored procedures to create jobs
> - Create a job that performs daily database backups
> - Use SSMS UI to create and manage jobs

Next, explore other capabilities for creating and managing jobs:

> [!div class="nextstepaction"]
> [SQL Server Agent documentation](../ssms/agent/sql-server-agent.md)