Get-DbaAgentJob

Synopsis

Retrieves SQL Server Agent job details and execution status from one or more instances.

Description

Retrieves detailed information about SQL Server Agent jobs including their configuration, status, schedules, and execution history. This function connects to SQL instances and queries the msdb database to return job properties like owner, category, last run outcome, and current execution status. Use this to monitor job health across your environment, audit job configurations before deployments, or identify jobs associated with specific databases for maintenance planning.

Syntax

Get-DbaAgentJob
    [-SqlInstance] <DbaInstanceParameter[]>
    [[-SqlCredential] <PSCredential>]
    [[-Job] <String[]>]
    [[-ExcludeJob] <String[]>]
    [[-Database] <String[]>]
    [[-Category] <String[]>]
    [[-ExcludeCategory] <String[]>]
    [-ExcludeDisabledJobs]
    [-IncludeExecution]
    [[-Type] <String[]>]
    [-EnableException]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Examples

Example: 1

PS C:\> Get-DbaAgentJob -SqlInstance localhost

Returns all SQL Agent Jobs on the local default SQL Server instance

Example: 2

PS C:\> Get-DbaAgentJob -SqlInstance localhost, sql2016

Returns all SQl Agent Jobs for the local and sql2016 SQL Server instances

Example: 3

PS C:\> Get-DbaAgentJob -SqlInstance localhost -Job BackupData, BackupDiff

Returns all SQL Agent Jobs named BackupData and BackupDiff from the local SQL Server instance.

Example: 4

PS C:\> Get-DbaAgentJob -SqlInstance localhost -ExcludeJob BackupDiff

Returns all SQl Agent Jobs for the local SQL Server instances, except the BackupDiff Job.

Example: 5

PS C:\> Get-DbaAgentJob -SqlInstance localhost -ExcludeDisabledJobs

Returns all SQl Agent Jobs for the local SQL Server instances, excluding the disabled jobs.

Example: 6

PS C:\> $servers | Get-DbaAgentJob | Out-GridView -PassThru | Start-DbaAgentJob -WhatIf

Find all of your Jobs from SQL Server instances in the $servers collection, select the jobs you want to start then see jobs would start if you ran Start-DbaAgentJob

Example: 7

PS C:\> Get-DbaAgentJob -SqlInstance sqlserver2014a | Where-Object Category -eq "Report Server" | Export-DbaScript -Path "C:\temp\sqlserver2014a_SSRSJobs.sql"

Exports all SSRS jobs from SQL instance sqlserver2014a to a file.

Example: 8

PS C:\> Get-DbaAgentJob -SqlInstance sqlserver2014a -Database msdb

Finds all jobs on sqlserver2014a that T-SQL job steps associated with msdb database

Required Parameters

-SqlInstance

The target SQL Server instance or instances. This can be a collection and receive pipeline input to allow the function to be executed against multiple SQL Server instances.

Optional Parameters

-SqlCredential

Login to the target instance using alternative credentials. Accepts PowerShell credentials (Get-Credential).
Windows Authentication, SQL Server Authentication, Active Directory - Password, and Active Directory - Integrated are all supported.
For MFA support, please use Connect-DbaInstance.

-Job

Specifies specific SQL Agent job names to retrieve. Accepts an array of job names for targeting multiple jobs.
Use this when you need to check status or configuration of specific jobs instead of retrieving all jobs on the instance.

-ExcludeJob

Excludes specific SQL Agent job names from the results. Accepts an array of job names to skip.
Useful when you want most jobs except for specific ones like test jobs or jobs you’re not responsible for managing.

-Database

Filters jobs to only those containing T-SQL job steps that target specific databases.
Essential for database-specific maintenance planning or identifying which jobs will be affected by database operations like restores or migrations.

-Category

Filters jobs by their assigned category such as ‘Database Maintenance’, ‘Report Server’, or custom categories.
Helpful for organizing job management tasks by functional area or finding jobs related to specific SQL Server features.

-ExcludeCategory

Excludes jobs from specific categories from the results. Accepts an array of category names.
Use this to filter out jobs you don’t manage, such as third-party application jobs or SSRS jobs when focusing on database maintenance.

-ExcludeDisabledJobs

Excludes disabled SQL Agent jobs from the results, showing only enabled jobs.
Use this when focusing on active job monitoring or troubleshooting since disabled jobs won’t execute.

-IncludeExecution

Adds execution start date information for currently running jobs to the output.
Essential for troubleshooting long-running jobs or monitoring active job execution in real-time.

-Type

Specifies whether to return Local jobs, MultiServer jobs, or both. Local jobs run only on the current instance while MultiServer jobs are managed centrally.
Use ‘Local’ when managing single-instance environments or ‘MultiServer’ when working with SQL Server multi-server administration setups.

-EnableException

By default, when something goes wrong we try to catch it, interpret it and give you a friendly warning message.
This avoids overwhelming you with “sea of red” exceptions, but is inconvenient because it basically disables advanced scripting.
Using this switch turns this “nice by default” feature off and enables you to catch exceptions with your own try/catch.