How to run a Microsoft SQL Server Agent Job from VBScript - sql-server

Question

I have an ERP system that allows me to attach VBScript to a button on a customized window. I would like to be able to run this script so that it fires off a SQL Server Agent Job on the server (SQL Server 2008). I've been looking in to this for a couple hours now and the closest thing I could see was a short script which seems to use a depreciated command (SQL.DMO). Here's the code I swiped from the web:
On Error Goto 0: Main()
Sub Main()
Set objSQL = CreateObject("SQLDMO.SQLServer")
' Leave as trusted connection
objSQL.LoginSecure = True
' Change to match the name of your SQL server
objSQL.Connect "Server Name"
Set objJob = objSQL.JobServer
For each job in objJob.Jobs
if instr(1,job.Name,"Job Name") > 0 then
msgbox job.Name
job.Start
msgbox "Job Started"
end if
Next
End Sub
The resulting error is:
Line: 3
Char: 3
Error: ActiveX component can't create object: 'SQLDMO.SQLServer'
Code: 800A01AD
Source: Microsoft VBScript runtime error

Answer 1

Use sqlcmd and execute sp_start_job command:
Set oShell = CreateObject ("WScript.Shell")
oShell.run "sqlcmd -S localhost -E -Q ""EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_start_job N'My Job Name'""
sqlcmd should exist on the SQL Server.
Note:
This is a potential a security risk. As per documentation, by default, only members of sysadmin role can execute sp_start_job. You will need your VBScript to run under security context of a user that has sysadmin privileges in the SQL Server (which is not good).
Use Task Scheduler and a trigger file
Rather than starting the SQL Agent Job directly, create a Scheduled Task on the SQL Server that would:
be scheduled to run every 10 minutes
execute a cmd script, which would:
check for existence of a trigger file in a specified location
if file is found, would start the SQL Agent Job using sqlcmd, and delete the trigger file thereafter
The VBScript triggered by the ERP system should simply place an empty correctly named trigger file in the specified location.
Use a stored procedure to control what is being started
To further reduce attack vectors, you can create your own wrapper stored procedure in SQL Server that would start the required SQL Agent Job.
Create a server Login:
USE [master]
GO
CREATE LOGIN [erp_trigger_user] WITH PASSWORD=N'pwd', DEFAULT_DATABASE=[msdb], CHECK_EXPIRATION=OFF, CHECK_POLICY=OFF
GO
Create a database user:
USE [msdb]
GO
CREATE USER [erp_trigger_user] FOR LOGIN [erp_trigger_user] WITH DEFAULT_SCHEMA=[dbo]
GO
Create a stored procedure that will start your required SQL Server Agent Job:
Note: the stored procedure will execute as dbo user, which has permission to execute msdb.dbo.sp_start_job.
CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.sp_StartERPJob
WITH EXECUTE AS 'dbo'
AS
BEGIN
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_start_job N'My Job Name'
END
Grant the user permissions to execute the stored procedure:
GO
GRANT EXECUTE ON [dbo].[sp_StartERPJob] TO [erp_trigger_user]
GO
Update your Scheduled Task to execute a Windows batch file that looks something like this:
if exist trigger_file.txt (
sqlcmd -S localhost -E -Q -U erp_trigger_user -P pwd "EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_StartERPJob"
del trigger_file.txt
) else (
rem file doesn't exist
)