--- title: "sp_update_alert (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs" ms.custom: "" ms.date: "03/14/2017" ms.prod: sql ms.prod_service: "database-engine" ms.reviewer: "" ms.technology: system-objects ms.topic: "language-reference" f1_keywords: - "sp_update_alert_TSQL" - "sp_update_alert" dev_langs: - "TSQL" helpviewer_keywords: - "sp_update_alert" ms.assetid: 4bbaeaab-8aca-4c9e-abc1-82ce73090bd3 author: "stevestein" ms.author: "sstein" --- # sp_update_alert (Transact-SQL) [!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md.md)] Updates the settings of an existing alert. ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md) ## Syntax ``` sp_update_alert [ @name =] 'name' [ , [ @new_name =] 'new_name'] [ , [ @enabled =] enabled] [ , [ @message_id =] message_id] [ , [ @severity =] severity] [ , [ @delay_between_responses =] delay_between_responses] [ , [ @notification_message =] 'notification_message'] [ , [ @include_event_description_in =] include_event_description_in] [ , [ @database_name =] 'database'] [ , [ @event_description_keyword =] 'event_description_keyword'] [ , [ @job_id =] job_id | [@job_name =] 'job_name'] [ , [ @occurrence_count = ] occurrence_count] [ , [ @count_reset_date =] count_reset_date] [ , [ @count_reset_time =] count_reset_time] [ , [ @last_occurrence_date =] last_occurrence_date] [ , [ @last_occurrence_time =] last_occurrence_time] [ , [ @last_response_date =] last_response_date] [ , [ @last_response_time =] last_response _time] [ , [ @raise_snmp_trap =] raise_snmp_trap] [ , [ @performance_condition =] 'performance_condition' ] [ , [ @category_name =] 'category'] [ , [ @wmi_namespace = ] 'wmi_namespace' ] [ , [ @wmi_query = ] 'wmi_query' ] ``` ## Arguments `[ @name = ] 'name'` The name of the alert that is to be updated. *name* is **sysname**, with no default. `[ @new_name = ] 'new_name'` A new name for the alert. The name must be unique. *new_name* is **sysname**, with a default of NULL. `[ @enabled = ] enabled` Specifies whether the alert is enabled (**1**) or not enabled (**0**). *enabled* is **tinyint**, with a default of NULL. An alert must be enabled to fire. `[ @message_id = ] message_id` A new message or error number for the alert definition. Typically, *message_id* corresponds to an error number in the **sysmessages** table. *message_id* is **int**, with a default of NULL. A message ID can be used only if the severity level setting for the alert is **0**. `[ @severity = ] severity` A new severity level (from **1** through **25**) for the alert definition. Any [!INCLUDE[msCoName](../../includes/msconame-md.md)] [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] message sent to the Windows application log with the specified severity will activate the alert. *severity* is **int**, with a default of NULL. A severity level can be used only if the message ID setting for the alert is **0**. `[ @delay_between_responses = ] delay_between_responses` The new waiting period, in seconds, between responses to the alert. *delay_between_responses* is **int**, with a default of NULL. `[ @notification_message = ] 'notification_message'` The revised text of an additional message sent to the operator as part of the e-mail, **net send**, or pager notification. *notification_message* is **nvarchar(512)**, with a default of NULL. `[ @include_event_description_in = ] include_event_description_in` Specifies whether the description of the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] error from the Windows application log should be included in the notification message. *include_event_description_in* is **tinyint**, with a default of NULL, and can be one or more of these values. |Value|Description| |-----------|-----------------| |**0**|None| |**1**|E-mail| |**2**|Pager| |**4**|**net send**| |**7**|All| `[ @database_name = ] 'database'` The name of the database in which the error must occur for the alert to fire. *database* is **sysname.** Names that are enclosed in brackets ([ ]) are not allowed. The default value is NULL. `[ @event_description_keyword = ] 'event_description_keyword'` A sequence of characters that must be found in the description of the error in the error message log. [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)] LIKE expression pattern-matching characters can be used. *event_description_keyword* is **nvarchar(100)**, with a default of NULL. This parameter is useful for filtering object names (for example, **%customer_table%**). `[ @job_id = ] job_id` The job identification number. *job_id* is **uniqueidentifier**, with a default of NULL. If *job_id* is specified, *job_name* must be omitted. `[ @job_name = ] 'job_name'` The name of the job that executes in response to this alert. *job_name* is **sysname**, with a default of NULL. If *job_name* is specified, *job_id* must be omitted. `[ @occurrence_count = ] occurrence_count` Resets the number of times the alert has occurred. *occurrence_count* is **int**, with a default of NULL, and can be set only to **0**. `[ @count_reset_date = ] count_reset_date` Resets the date the occurrence count was last reset. *count_reset_date* is **int**, with a default of NULL. `[ @count_reset_time = ] count_reset_time` Resets the time the occurrence count was last reset. *count_reset_time* is **int**, with a default of NULL. `[ @last_occurrence_date = ] last_occurrence_date` Resets the date the alert last occurred. *last_occurrence_date* is **int**, with a default of NULL, and can be set only to **0**. `[ @last_occurrence_time = ] last_occurrence_time` Resets the time the alert last occurred. *last_occurrence_time* is **int**, with a default of NULL, and can be set only to **0**. `[ @last_response_date = ] last_response_date` Resets the date the alert was last responded to by the SQLServerAgent service. *last_response_date* is **int**, with a default of NULL, and can be set only to **0**. `[ @last_response_time = ] last_response_time` Resets the time the alert was last responded to by the SQLServerAgent service. *last_response_time* is **int**, with a default of NULL, and can be set only to **0**. `[ @raise_snmp_trap = ] raise_snmp_trap` Reserved. `[ @performance_condition = ] 'performance_condition'` A value expressed in the format **'**_itemcomparatorvalue_**'**. *performance_condition* is **nvarchar(512)**, with a default of NULL, and consists of these elements. |Format element|Description| |--------------------|-----------------| |*Item*|A performance object, performance counter, or named instance of the counter| |*Comparator*|One of these operators: **>**, **<**, **=**| |*Value*|Numeric value of the counter| `[ @category_name = ] 'category'` The name of the alert category. *category* is **sysname** with a default of NULL. `[ @wmi_namespace = ] 'wmi_namespace'` The WMI namespace to query for events. *wmi_namespace* is **sysname**, with a default of NULL. `[ @wmi_query = ] 'wmi_query'` The query that specifies the WMI event for the alert. *wmi_query* is **nvarchar(512)**, with a default of NULL. ## Return Code Values **0** (success) or **1** (failure) ## Remarks Only **sysmessages** written to the [!INCLUDE[msCoName](../../includes/msconame-md.md)] Windows application log can fire an alert. **sp_update_alert** changes only those alert settings for which parameter values are supplied. If a parameter is omitted, the current setting is retained. ## Permissions To run this stored procedure, users must be a member of the **sysadmin** fixed server role. ## Examples The following example changes the enabled setting of `Test Alert` to `0`. ``` USE msdb ; GO EXEC dbo.sp_update_alert @name = N'Test Alert', @enabled = 0 ; GO ``` ## See Also [sp_add_alert (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-add-alert-transact-sql.md) [sp_help_alert (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-help-alert-transact-sql.md) [System Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/system-stored-procedures-transact-sql.md)