BUG: Daily Tasks May Be Disabled If Activestartdate = 0

• Microsoft SQL Server versions 6.0, 6.5

SYMPTOMS

If you use sp_addtask to create a Transact-SQL daily task with activestartdate = 0, and the task is run successfully at least once, the task will be disabled upon SQL Executive startup if SQL Executive is stopped and not restarted for a sufficient amount of time. The time period varies from 1-5 days, depending on the frequency of the task. This behavior only occurs with Transact-SQL daily tasks, but will occur whether the daily frequency is once, every x minutes, or every x hours.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, create the task through the SQL Enterprise Manager.

Insert a valid non-zero value for activestartdate if you are using sp_addtask. The current date in the format YYYYMMDD is best.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft SQL Server versions 6.0 and 6.5. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

The sp_addtask SQL Executive Stored Procedure section of the SQL Server Books Online states:

activestartdate Specifies the date when this task will first be scheduled. Formatted as YYYYMMDD. The default is 0.

However, when you create a task through SQL Enterprise Manager, the current date is inserted for activestartdate. Therefore, this problem only occurs if you use the sp_addtask stored procedure to create the task.

Keywords          : kbusage SSrvTran_SQL kbbug6.50 kbbug6.00 
Version           : 6.0 6.5
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbbug 

Last Reviewed: April 20, 1999