Logging to file

Question

I am using the ola-hallengren maintenance scripts. I am logging to table and file. I want to change the location of the file logs. Can I do this? Many thanks

Answer 1

Changing it per jobstep while keeping Ola's log naming convention

You can change the location in the job step properties, opened with either double clicking or pressing Edit.

Select Advanced

And go to Output File

You will notice a string like:

$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLLOGDIR))\DatabaseIntegrityCheck_$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(JOBID))_$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(STEPID))_$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(STRTDT))_$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(STRTTM)).txt

Where you can change the $(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLLOGDIR)) to your preferred location If say, you would like to get the logs in C:\temp, then change it to:

C:\temp\DatabaseIntegrityCheck_$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(JOBID))_$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(STEPID))_$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(STRTDT))_$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(STRTTM)).txt

The string can vary depending on the purpose of the job step and your SQL Server version.

(SQL Server 2012 and above should get the same result)

As a result, Ola's naming convention remains the same and log files will not be reused.

You have to remember to adapt the OutputFileCleanup Job

From:

cmd /q /c "For /F "tokens=1 delims=" %v In ('ForFiles /P "$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLLOGDIR))" /m *_*_*_*.txt /d -30 2^>^&1') do if EXIST "$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLLOGDIR))"\%v echo del "$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLLOGDIR))"\%v& del "$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLLOGDIR))"\%v

To:

cmd /q /c "For /F "tokens=1 delims=" %v In ('ForFiles /P "C:\temp" /m *_*_*_*.txt /d -30 2^>^&1') do if EXIST "C:\temp"\%v echo del "C:\temp"\%v& del "C:\temp"\%v"

Or in short, change the $(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLLOGDIR)) parts to your specified folder.

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Changing it for all the jobs created by the MaintenanceSolution

You can do this for the entire maintenance solution by adding the folder name to the @OutputFileDirectory parameter in the MaintenanceSolution.SQL script.

SET @OutputFileDirectory = NULL         -- Specify the output file directory. If no directory is specified, then the SQL Server error log directory is used.

E.G

SET @OutputFileDirectory = 'C:\temp'

Validate the changed folder:

If the jobs already exist, then you would have to recreate them, described below.

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If the MaintenanceSolution jobs already exist

If you need to change the log location for all the existing jobs, then you would have to update each of the steps, or drop the jobs and recreate them with Ola's script.

(Remember that scheduling, job state, ... WILL be removed from the job when dropping and creating them).

Example query to drop the jobs:

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs_view WHERE name = N'DatabaseBackup - SYSTEM_DATABASES - FULL')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'DatabaseBackup - SYSTEM_DATABASES - FULL'

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs WHERE name = N'DatabaseBackup - USER_DATABASES - DIFF')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'DatabaseBackup - USER_DATABASES - DIFF'

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs WHERE name = N'DatabaseBackup - USER_DATABASES - FULL')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'DatabaseBackup - USER_DATABASES - FULL'

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs WHERE name = N'DatabaseBackup - USER_DATABASES - LOG')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'DatabaseBackup - USER_DATABASES - LOG'

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs WHERE name = N'DatabaseIntegrityCheck - SYSTEM_DATABASES')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'DatabaseIntegrityCheck - SYSTEM_DATABASES'

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs WHERE name = N'DatabaseIntegrityCheck - USER_DATABASES')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'DatabaseIntegrityCheck - USER_DATABASES'

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs WHERE name = N'IndexOptimize - USER_DATABASES')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'IndexOptimize - USER_DATABASES'

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs_view WHERE name = N'sp_purge_jobhistory')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'sp_purge_jobhistory'

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs_view WHERE name = N'sp_delete_backuphistory')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'sp_delete_backuphistory'

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs_view WHERE name = N'CommandLog Cleanup')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'CommandLog Cleanup'

IF EXISTS (SELECT job_id FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs_view WHERE name = N'Output File Cleanup')
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_delete_job @job_name=N'Output File Cleanup'

Validate and rerun the Maintenance solution with

SET @CreateJobs = 'Y'

Answer 2

Yes, you can do this. This is the way I've done it in the past:

1. Select SQL Agent Job you want to change location of file logs
2. Steps > Edit > Advanced
3. Change the file path in the "Output file" section to where you want it to save to. You probably need to create the new folder structure ahead of time in the new location before setting the new path.

There might be a better way to change them all at once but I haven't done this before.