Job Alerts help keep administrators informed about the status of various jobs within SQL Server Agent. These alerts can be based on a specific event, a performance condition or a particular type of SQL Server exception.
Here’s a simple procedure to create a SQL Server job alert:
- Step 1: Connect to the SQL Server using SQL Server Management Studio.
- Step 2: In the Object Explorer, navigate to SQL Server Agent and then Alerts.
- Step 3: Right-click on Alerts and select New Alert.
- Step 4: In the New Alert dialog box, provide a Name for the alert and select the Type of alert (SQL Server event alert, SQL Server performance condition alert, or WMI event alert).
- Step 5: Configure the alert settings based on your needs.
- Step 6: Choose a Response – your options are to execute a job or send a notification.
- Step 7: Configure the options on the Options page such as including alert error text in the email, delaying responses, and settings for additional notifications.
- Step 8: Click OK.
2. Configuring Notifications
Notifications in the SQL Server context are responses set up to inform you when an alert is triggered. The responses can be sent via email or pager to the operators in the SQL Server environment, or a specific task (job) can be executed.
To configure notifications on Microsoft Azure SQL, follow these steps:
- Step 1: In SQL Server Management Studio, connect to the instance of the SQL Server and navigate to SQL Server Agent.
- Step 2: Expand Jobs, and then right-click the job that you want to create a notification for.
- Step 3: Click Properties, and then select the Notifications page.
- Step 4: You can set up notifications to send an email when the job completes, when it succeeds, or when it fails. You can also delete the mail profile from here.
- Step 5: You can also choose to write job outcome events to the Windows application event log, or automatically delete job history.
- Step 6: Click OK.
3. Examples
Here’s a practical example of creating a job alert:
Example 1: Creating a SQL Server Event Alert.
USE msdb ;
GO
EXEC dbo.sp_add_alert
@name = N'Test Alert',
@message_id = 55001,
@severity = 0,
@enabled = 1,
@delay_between_responses = 0,
@include_event_description_in= 1 ;
GO
In this example, a new alert named ‘Test Alert’ is created for message id 55001. It is initially enabled, and it includes the event description in the mail.
Example 2: Configure Notification
USE msdb ;
GO
EXEC dbo.sp_add_notification
@alert_name = N'Test Alert',
@operator_name = N'DBA',
@notification_method = 1;
GO
In this example, a notification is created for the ‘Test Alert’ alert. Any time this alert is raised, the DBA operator is notified by email (notification method 1).
Remember, setting up job alerts and notifications is crucial in managing your Microsoft Azure SQL solutions. They allow you to take immediate action when necessary and maintain the health of your SQL environment.
Maintaining preemptive checks is also crucial and job alerts and notifications are steps in that direction. Microsoft Azure SQL allows you to set up jobs to run at specified intervals, alerting you to any disruptions or failures so that you can resolve issues before they affect your database performance.
Practice Test
True or False: Alerts in Azure SQL can be configured for only a limited number of metrics.
- True
- False
Correct Answer: False
Explanation: Azure SQL alerts can be configured for numerous metrics, providing a comprehensive monitoring solution.
What kind of events can trigger a job alert in Azure SQL?
- a) Job Failure
- b) Job Success
- c) Job target missed
- d) All of the above
Correct Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: Job alerts can be configured to trigger on multiple events such as job failure, success or missed target.
Notifications about alerts in Azure SQL can be sent via which of the following?
- a) SMS
- b) Email
- c) API
- d) Azure portal
Correct Answer: a) SMS b) Email
Explanation: Alerts can be sent via SMS and Email. Sending notifications through an API or the Azure portal directly is not an option.
True or False: The process of configuring job alerts in Azure SQL is immediate and has no prerequisites.
- True
- False
Correct Answer: False
Explanation: Before configuring job alerts, a job with an executable target must exist, and there must be a server level operator.
Which of the following need to be created in Azure SQL before setting up job alerts?
- a) SQL agent job
- b) Database mail
- c) Notifications
- d) All of the above
Correct Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: Before setting up job alerts, SQL agent jobs, database mail, and notifications all need to be created.
In Azure SQL, a database mail account is required to send which type of notification?
- a) Email
- b) SMS
- c) API
- d) No notifications require a database mail account
Correct Answer: a) Email
Explanation: A database mail account is required to send email notifications in Azure SQL.
True or False: If an alert rule is disabled in Azure SQL, no notifications will be sent even if the condition for the alert is met.
- True
- False
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: If a rule is disabled, the conditions for the alert rule are not evaluated, and no alert notifications are sent.
Which Azure tool can be used to monitor job run details and send notifications about job statuses?
- a) Azure Monitor
- b) Azure Logic Apps
- c) Azure Functions
- d) Azure DevOps
Correct Answer: a) Azure Monitor
Explanation: Azure Monitor collects, analyzes, and acts on telemetry data from your Azure and on-premises environments, making it useful for monitoring job run details and sending notifications.
Who can manage and configure job alerts and notifications in Azure SQL?
- a) Users
- b) Administrators
- c) Subscribers
- d) Both users and administrators
Correct Answer: b) Administrators
Explanation: Only administrators have the necessary permissions to manage and configure job alerts and notifications in Azure SQL.
What kind of alerts does Azure SQL provide?
- a) Metric Alerts
- b) Log Alerts
- c) Activity Log Alerts
- d) All of the above
Correct Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: Azure SQL supports Metric Alerts, Log Alerts, and Activity Log Alerts, providing comprehensive alerting options.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of configuring job alerts and notifications in Azure SQL?
Configuring job alerts and notifications in Azure SQL allows an administrator to automatically receive notifications about job status changes or failures. This feature improves error detection and allows for more timely resolution of issues.
How can you set up email notifications for an Azure SQL job?
You can set up email notifications by extending Azure SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to include Database Mail. This requires you to create a Database Mail account and a Database Mail profile and then configure your SQL Agent to use Database Mail.
How can Azure Monitor be used in relation to Azure SQL job alerts and notifications?
Azure Monitor can be used to create alert rules for Azure SQL metrics or events. These rules will trigger an action group which can include email notifications, an Azure Function, a webhook, a runbook, or a Logic App.
How can you create a new alert rule in Azure Monitor for an Azure SQL job?
To create a new alert rule, go to the Azure Monitor pane and select “New alert rule”. From there, choose the resources you want to monitor, condition, and the action group you want to trigger when the condition is met.
How do you configure a webhook for Azure SQL job notifications?
To configure a webhook, create an HTTP endpoint that Azure can POST to when the alert is triggered. This can be set up in the “webhook” section when setting up a new action or modifying an existing one in an Azure Monitor Alert rule.
What is a Severity Level in Azure SQL Alerts and Notifications?
Severity Level in Azure SQL Alerts and Notifications is a system-defined value that characterizes the type or nature of the alert. It ranges from 0-25, with 25 being the highest severity.
How can you test the configuration of job alerts and notifications in Azure SQL?
You can test the configuration by running a job that you know will fail or by manually failing a job. In either scenario, you should receive a notification if the configuration has been set up correctly.
Can you configure job alerts and notifications to notify more than one recipient?
Yes, you can configure Azure SQL to notify multiple recipients by adding their email addresses to the notification configuration.
How do you configure a Service Principal to send Azure SQL job alerts and notifications?
To have a Service Principal send job notifications, you need to assign it the appropriate role assignments. Then configure it as the identity for your Logic App, which you’ll configure to send job notifications.
Is it possible to configure job alerts and notifications based on individual SQL query performance?
Yes, using Azure SQL Intelligent Insights, you can set-up notifications based on significant events or changes in the behavior of the queries executed on your SQL Database.
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