Sql Server Maintenance Plan Tasks & Completion

Question

I have a maintenance plan that looks like this...

Client 1 Import Data (Success) -> Process Data (Success) -> Post Process (Completion) -> Next Client
Client 2 Import Data (Success) -> Process Data (Success) -> Post Process (Completion) -> Next Client
Client N ...

Import Data and Process Data are calling jobs and Post Process is an Execute Sql task. If Import Data or Process Data Fail, it goes to the next client Import Data...

Both Import Data and Process Data are jobs that contain SSIS packages that are using the built-in SQL logging provider.

My expectation with the configuration as it stands is:

1. Client 1 Import Data Runs: Failure -> Client 2 Import Data | Success Process Data
2. Process Data Runs: Failure -> Client 2 Import Data | Success Post Process
3. Post Process Runs: Completion -> Success or Failure -> Next Client Import Data

This isn't what I'm seeing in my logs though... I see several Client Import Data SSIS log entries, then several Post Process log entries, then back to Client Import Data! Arg!!

What am I doing wrong? I didn't think the "success" piece of Client 1 Import Data would kick off until it... well... succeeded aka finished! The logs seem to indicate otherwise though...

I really need these tasks to be consecutive not concurrent. Is this possible?

Thanks!

Answer 1

For me the workaround ended up being NOT using the built-in "Execute SQL Server Agent Job Task" and instead using "Execute T-SQL Statement Task" and calling a stored procedure that blocked until completion...

Sweet success :-)

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[SQLJob_RunBlocking]
(
    @JobName SYSNAME
)
AS
BEGIN
    -- running a job returns before the job is complete
    -- this procedure will run the job and loop until its status is complete
    SET NOCOUNT ON;

    DECLARE @JobStatus INT;

    -- start job
    EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_start_job @job_name = @JobName;

    -- loop until status is complete
    WHILE ISNULL(@JobStatus, 0) != 4 BEGIN
        WAITFOR DELAY '00:00:01';

        EXECUTE dbo.SQLJob_GetStatus @job_name = @JobName, @select_data = 0, @execution_status = @JobStatus OUTPUT;
    END
END

And...

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[SQLJob_GetStatus]
(
    @job_name SYSNAME
    ,@select_data INT = 0
    ,@execution_status INT = NULL OUTPUT
)
AS
BEGIN
    SET NOCOUNT ON;

    -- http://www.siccolo.com/Articles/SQLScripts/how-to-create-sql-to-sql-job-execution-status.html
    /*
        Is the execution status for the jobs. 
        Value Description 
        0 Returns only those jobs that are not idle or suspended.  
        1 Executing. 
        2 Waiting for thread. 
        3 Between retries. 
        4 Idle. 
        5 Suspended. 
        7 Performing completion actions 
    */

    DECLARE @job_id UNIQUEIDENTIFIER 
        ,@is_sysadmin INT
        ,@job_owner SYSNAME;

    SELECT @job_id = job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs_view where name = @job_name;
    SELECT @is_sysadmin = ISNULL(IS_SRVROLEMEMBER(N'sysadmin'), 0);
    SELECT @job_owner = SUSER_SNAME();

    CREATE TABLE #xp_results (
        job_id                UNIQUEIDENTIFIER NOT NULL,
        last_run_date         INT              NOT NULL,
        last_run_time         INT              NOT NULL,
        next_run_date         INT              NOT NULL,
        next_run_time         INT              NOT NULL,
        next_run_schedule_id  INT              NOT NULL,
        requested_to_run      INT              NOT NULL, -- BOOL
        request_source        INT              NOT NULL,
        request_source_id     sysname          COLLATE database_default NULL,
        running               INT              NOT NULL, -- BOOL
        current_step          INT              NOT NULL,
        current_retry_attempt INT              NOT NULL,
        job_state             INT              NOT NULL
    );


    IF ((@@microsoftversion / 0x01000000) >= 8) -- SQL Server 8.0 or greater
        INSERT INTO #xp_results
        EXECUTE master.dbo.xp_sqlagent_enum_jobs @is_sysadmin, @job_owner, @job_id;
    ELSE
        INSERT INTO #xp_results
        EXECUTE master.dbo.xp_sqlagent_enum_jobs @is_sysadmin, @job_owner;

    --declare @execution_status int
    SET @execution_status = (SELECT job_state FROM #xp_results);

    DROP TABLE #xp_results;

    IF @select_data = 1 
        SELECT @job_name AS 'job_name', @execution_status AS 'execution_status';
END