Job output document Maintenance

Make sure each maintenance job has an output file in a standard
Directory.
In the Advanced tab under the job steps create an output file. This will
Allow you to see the full description of the job execution. There is
Nothing more annoying than not being able to see why a job failed.

How to set the job output document:

1. In object explorer, connect to an instance of the Microsoft SQL Server database engine, and then expand that instance.

2. Expand SQL Server Agent, expand jobs, right-click the job that contains the job step to be viewed, and click Properties.

3. In the job Properties dialog, click the steps page.

4. Click the job step to be viewed, and click Edit.

5. On the general page of the job step Properties dialog, you can view the type of job step and what it does.

6. Click the Advanced page to view the actions SQL Server Agent takes if the job step succeeds or fails, how many times the job step shocould be attempted, where the job step output is written, and the user the job step runs.

View output document

To view job step output

1. In the job step Properties dialog, click the Advanced page.

2. Depending on the version of SQL Server you are connected to, you can view either the job step output file or table as follows:

   • When you are connected to Microsoft SQL Server 2000, you can click View to view the output file in Notepad. Job steps cannot be logged to a table in SQL Server 2000.

   • When you are connected to Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or later, you can click View only when log to table is checked. In this case, the job step output is written toSysjobstepslogsTable inMSDBDatabase.

     In SQL Server 2005 or later, the view button is disabled when job step output is written to a file. To view a job step output file, use notepad.