sp_update_alert (Transact-SQL)

2025-06-23

Applies to: SQL Server

Updates the settings of an existing alert.

Syntax

sp_update_alert
    [ @name = ] N'name'
    [ , [ @new_name = ] N'new_name' ]
    [ , [ @enabled = ] enabled ]
    [ , [ @message_id = ] message_id ]
    [ , [ @severity = ] severity ]
    [ , [ @delay_between_responses = ] delay_between_responses ]
    [ , [ @notification_message = ] N'notification_message' ]
    [ , [ @include_event_description_in = ] include_event_description_in ]
    [ , [ @database_name = ] N'database_name' ]
    [ , [ @event_description_keyword = ] N'event_description_keyword' ]
    [ , [ @job_id = ] 'job_id' ]
    [ , [ @job_name = ] N'job_name' ]
    [ , [ @occurrence_count = ] occurrence_count ]
    [ , [ @count_reset_date = ] count_reset_date ]
    [ , [ @count_reset_time = ] count_reset_time ]
    [ , [ @last_occurrence_date = ] last_occurrence_date ]
    [ , [ @last_occurrence_time = ] last_occurrence_time ]
    [ , [ @last_response_date = ] last_response_date ]
    [ , [ @last_response_time = ] last_response_time ]
    [ , [ @raise_snmp_trap = ] raise_snmp_trap ]
    [ , [ @performance_condition = ] N'performance_condition' ]
    [ , [ @category_name = ] N'category_name' ]
    [ , [ @wmi_namespace = ] N'wmi_namespace' ]
    [ , [ @wmi_query = ] N'wmi_query' ]
[ ; ]

Arguments

[ @name = ] N'name'

The name of the alert that is to be updated. @name is sysname, with no default.

[ @new_name = ] N'new_name'

A new name for the alert. The name must be unique. @new_name is sysname, with a default of NULL.

[ @enabled = ] enabled

Specifies whether the alert is enabled (1) or not enabled (0). @enabled is tinyint, with a default of NULL. An alert must be enabled to fire.

[ @message_id = ] message_id

A new message or error number for the alert definition. Typically, message_id corresponds to an error number in the sysmessages table. @message_id is int, with a default of NULL. A message ID can be used only if the severity level setting for the alert is 0.

[ @severity = ] severity

A new severity level (from 1 through 25) for the alert definition. Any SQL Server message sent to the Windows application log with the specified severity activates the alert. @severity is int, with a default of NULL. A severity level can be used only if the message ID setting for the alert is 0.

[ @delay_between_responses = ] delay_between_responses

The new waiting period, in seconds, between responses to the alert. @delay_between_responses is int, with a default of NULL.

[ @notification_message = ] N'notification_message'

The revised text of an additional message sent to the operator as part of the e-mail, net send, or pager notification. @notification_message is nvarchar(512), with a default of NULL.

[ @include_event_description_in = ] include_event_description_in

Specifies whether the description of the SQL Server error from the Windows application log should be included in the notification message. @include_event_description_in is tinyint, and can be one or more of these values.

Value	Description
`0`	None
`1`	E-mail
`2`	Pager
`4`	`net send`
`7`	All

[ @database_name = ] N'database_name'

The name of the database in which the error must occur for the alert to fire. @database_name is sysname, with a default of NULL. Names that are enclosed in brackets ([]) aren't allowed.

[ @event_description_keyword = ] N'event_description_keyword'

A sequence of characters that must be found in the description of the SQL Server error in the error message log. @event_description_keyword is nvarchar(100), with a default of NULL. This parameter is useful for filtering object names (for example, customer_table).

Note

Transact-SQL LIKE expression pattern-matching characters can't be used.

[ @job_id = ] 'job_id'

@job_id is uniqueidentifier, with a default of NULL.

[ @job_name = ] N'job_name'

The job identification number. @job_name is sysname, with a default of NULL. If job_id is specified, job_name must be omitted.

[ @occurrence_count = ] occurrence_count

Resets the number of times the alert has occurred. @occurrence_count is int, with a default of NULL, and can only be set to 0.

[ @count_reset_date = ] count_reset_date

Resets the date the occurrence count was last reset. @count_reset_date is int, with a default of NULL.

[ @count_reset_time = ] count_reset_time

Resets the time the occurrence count was last reset. @count_reset_time is int, with a default of NULL.

[ @last_occurrence_date = ] last_occurrence_date

Resets the date the alert last occurred. @last_occurrence_date is int, with a default of NULL, and can be set only to 0.

[ @last_occurrence_time = ] last_occurrence_time

Resets the time the alert last occurred. @last_occurrence_time is int, with a default of NULL, and can be set only to 0.

[ @last_response_date = ] last_response_date

Resets the date the alert was last responded to by the SQLServerAgent service. @last_response_date is int, with a default of NULL, and can be set only to 0.

[ @last_response_time = ] last_response_time

Resets the time the alert was last responded to by the SQLServerAgent service. @last_response_time is int, with a default of NULL, and can be set only to 0.

[ @raise_snmp_trap = ] raise_snmp_trap

Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.

[ @performance_condition = ] N'performance_condition'

A value expressed in the format <itemcomparatorvalue>. @performance_condition is nvarchar(512), and consists of the following elements.

Format element	Description
Item	A performance object, performance counter, or named instance of the counter
Comparator	One of these operators: `>`, `<`, `=`
Value	Numeric value of the counter

[ @category_name = ] N'category_name'

The name of the alert category. @category_name is sysname, with a default of NULL.

[ @wmi_namespace = ] N'wmi_namespace'

The WMI namespace to query for events. @wmi_namespace is sysname, with a default of NULL.

[ @wmi_query = ] N'wmi_query'

The query that specifies the WMI event for the alert. @wmi_query is nvarchar(512), with a default of NULL.

Return code values

0 (success) or 1 (failure).

Remarks

Only sysmessages written to the Windows application log can fire an alert.

sp_update_alert changes only those alert settings for which parameter values are supplied. If a parameter is omitted, the current setting is retained.

Permissions

To run this stored procedure, users must be a member of the sysadmin fixed server role.

Examples

The following example changes the enabled setting of Test Alert to 0.

USE msdb;
GO

EXECUTE dbo.sp_update_alert
    @name = N'Test Alert',
    @enabled = 0;
GO

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