Скачать или смотреть Troubleshooting the SQL Server Agent Job for Shared Drive Issues

Learn how to resolve issues with SQL Server Agent Jobs when accessing shared drives, ensuring seamless execution of SSIS packages.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/78110070/ asked by the user 'Cibor28' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/23538762/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/78141876/ provided by the user 'Cibor28' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/23538762/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: SQL Server Agent Job doesn't work for shared drive

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Troubleshooting SQL Server Agent Job for Shared Drive Issues

When working with SQL Server Agent Jobs, you might encounter issues when trying to execute jobs that interact with files located on shared drives. A common scenario involves executing SSIS packages that reference Python scripts on a shared network location. This often leads to frustrating errors, even if everything works perfectly when run manually. Let’s dive deeper into the problem and explore a structured solution.

Understanding the Problem

In our case, we encountered the following situation:

Two servers, Server A and Server B, were involved.

Server A runs SQL Server and manages an SSIS package named Test.dtsx, which executes a Python script located on a mapped drive R pointing to Server B.

The SQL Agent Job, which is set to run the SSIS package, fails with an error indicating it cannot find the expected output file on the shared drive.

The error message that surfaced during execution was:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

After several attempts to manually execute the package both in Visual Studio and through the Integration Services Catalog, we noted that the job only encounters problems when executed through the SQL Server Agent.

Solution Breakdown

Here's how to systematically approach and resolve this issue:

1. Confirm Permissions

Ensure that the account used by SQL Server Agent Jobs has the necessary permissions to access the shared drive on Server B.

Check that the AD Service Account has Full Control and Read/Execute permissions on the R drive.

2. Verify Drive Mapping

While you may have the R drive mapped correctly on your local users, SQL Server Agent doesn’t always recognize those mappings. It’s often better to use a UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path.

Switch paths within your SSIS package from a mapped drive (R:) to a UNC path like \ServerB\R....

3. Update Script References

Another key error identified during troubleshooting was found in the Python script:

The Python script referenced OUTPUT.txt using the mapped drive path, which could lead to errors when run through the SQL Agent.

Solution Steps:

Update the Python script to use the UNC path for file references instead of the mapped drive letter.

For example, change R:...\OUTPUT.txt to \ServerB\R...\OUTPUT.txt.

4. Test the Job

Once you’ve made the necessary updates, rerun the SQL Server Agent Job:

If all configurations are correct, the job should execute successfully, and you will no longer encounter the prior error.

Additional Tests and Considerations

After switching the paths, if you still face issues, check SQL Server Agent logs and the Execution history for additional details.

Ensure that the SQL Server Credential and Proxy definitions are properly configured to allow the job to execute with the AD Service Account.

Conclusion

By following the outlined steps, you can effectively resolve issues related to SQL Server Agent Jobs failing to run scripts on shared drives. Remember, the key elements include confirming permissions, using UNC paths, and ensuring all references in scripts align with your configurations.

Using these strategies will not only help you troubleshoot current issues but also establish a more reliable framework for executing jobs involving network resources in the future.