Invalid SQL Agent Job Owners

Having SQL Server Agent jobs with non-valid owners, such as NULL owners or accounts no longer in SQL Server or Active Directory, can lead to operational failures. When a job owner's account is deleted or disabled, the associated job may fail to execute, potentially causing important tasks to be missed.

Why Non-Valid Owners Are a Problem

  • Job Failures: If the owner of an SQL Server Agent job is deleted or disabled in Active Directory or SQL Server, the job may stop functioning. This can lead to tasks not running as expected, such as backups or scheduled maintenance tasks.

  • Security Risks: Orphaned job ownership can create security vulnerabilities, as jobs may be running under accounts that no longer exist, making auditing difficult.

  • Operational Overheads: Identifying and managing jobs with invalid owners manually can become a significant operational burden, particularly in environments with many jobs.

How to Check for SQL Server Agent Jobs With Non-Valid Owners

To check for jobs with non-valid owners, you can use the following query:

SELECT j.name As job_name
FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs j
    LEFT JOIN master.sys.syslogins l
        ON l.sid = j.owner_sid
WHERE l.name IS NULL;

This query will return a list of jobs that have an invalid or missing owner, helping you identify where the issue lies.

Suggested Action

Once you've identified the SQL Server Agent jobs with non-valid owners, assign a valid owner to each job.

To update the job owner, use the following SQL command:

USE msdb;
GO
EXEC dbo.sp_update_job @job_name = N'JobName', @owner_login_name = N'ValidLoginName';
GO

*Replace JobName with the name of the job and ValidLoginName with the name of the new valid login.

Why It's Important to Assign Valid Owners

Ensuring all SQL Server Agent jobs have valid owners is crucial to maintaining job reliability. Without a valid owner, jobs may stop running, which could result in missed backups, data integrity checks, or other critical operations.

How Aireforge Detects Invalid Job Owners

Aireforge Advisor automatically scans your SQL Server environment for jobs with invalid owners. It checks for SQL Server Agent jobs assigned to accounts that no longer exist in SQL Server or Active Directory. If such jobs are detected, Aireforge flags them and provides a detailed report, helping you quickly identify and resolve ownership issues. This ensures that critical jobs continue to run without interruption, reducing both operational and security risks.