Tag: job step type

Where did it go???

Have you have ever looked for something and expected it to be there…and it wasn’t? If so, you will understand my day today. I have a SQL Server Agent job that uses VBScript in one of it’s job steps and we tried to move it to a SQL Server 2016 server.  It unexpectedly failed because the ActiveX Script job step type is no longer an option.

Below you will find a screenshot from a pre-2016 server.  As you can see, the job step type is there.

Now here is a screenshot of the job step properties from a SQL Server 2016 server.  Notice, NO script job step type.  However, you will see a PowerShell job step type that we can use instead.

Here is the link to Microsoft that describes other features that were removed from SQL Server 2016.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/discontinued-database-engine-functionality-in-sql-server-2016?view=sql-server-2017

You can query the sysjobsteps table to find the jobs that have these types of job steps.

SELECT     j.name
, s.step_id
, s.step_name
, s.subsystem
FROM dbo.sysjobsteps s
         INNER JOIN sysjobs j
                 ON s.job_id = j.job_id

I have been telling my students for a number of years that as DBAs we will need to learn PowerShell someday. That day actually arrived a few years ago.  This is a great example of why we should know PowerShell.

I really try to keep up on the features that are removed from versions of SQL Server, however this one slipped through the cracks and I missed it.  I just really never expected it to be removed, although I do understand why MS did remove it.