Monitor, Start and Stop SQL Server services using xp_servicecontrol

By:   |   Updated: 2010-06-11   |   Comments (10)   |   Related: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | > Monitoring


Problem

As you know SQL Server runs using a bunch of different services in order for it to operate.  These can be monitored, started and stopped using SQL Server Configuration Manager or Windows Services, but this is not always the most convenient way of checking the services.  Is there any way this can be done within SQL Server Management Studio?  In this tip we take a look at a undocumented stored procedure that will allow you to do this.

Solution

To check the SQL Server services or any other service status using SSMS you can execute the extended stored procedure xp_servicecontrol.  This is un documented extended stored procedure.

Syntax

EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'Querystat|Start|Stop',N'Service Name'
QueryState Use this command to check the Services status whether service is running or stopped
Start Use this command to start the service
Stop use this command to stop the service

Examples

--See below example to check the status of SQL Services
EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'querystate',N'MSSQLServer'
EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'querystate',N'SQLServerAGENT'
EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'querystate',N'msdtc'
EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'querystate',N'sqlbrowser'
EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'querystate',N'MSSQLServerOLAPService'
EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'querystate',N'ReportServer'

--See below example to start/stop service using SSMS
EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'stop',N'SQLServerAGENT'
EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'start',N'SQLServerAGENT'

--See below example to check non-SQL Service
EXEC xp_servicecontrol querystate, DHCPServer

To run this on multiple servers you can use SQLCMD as shown below or you can use Central Management Servers.

Step 1 Create "MyScript.sql" file using the below T-SQL.

set nocount on

CREATE TABLE #ServicesStatus
( 
   myid int identity(1,1),
   serverName nvarchar(100) default @@serverName,
   serviceName varchar(100),
   Status varchar(50),
   checkdatetime datetime default (getdate())
)

INSERT #ServicesStatus (Status)
  EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'QUERYSTATE',N'MSSQLServer'

update #ServicesStatus set serviceName = 'MSSQLServer' where myid = @@identity

INSERT #ServicesStatus (Status)
  EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'QUERYSTATE',N'SQLServerAGENT'

update #ServicesStatus set serviceName = 'SQLServerAGENT' where myid = @@identity

INSERT #ServicesStatus (Status)
  EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'QUERYSTATE',N'msdtc';

update #ServicesStatus set serviceName = 'msdtc' where myid = @@identity;

INSERT #ServicesStatus (Status)
  EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'QUERYSTATE',N'sqlbrowser'

update #ServicesStatus set serviceName = 'sqlbrowser' where myid = @@identity

select * from #ServicesStatus 
select char(13)
select char(13)

drop table #ServicesStatus

Step 2 Create a Windows batch file and save it with .bat extension. Add the list of server names you want to check as shown below.

sqlcmd -SServerName1 -E -dtempdb -iMyScript.sql -W >>sqlServicesStatus.txt
sqlcmd -SServerName2 -E -dtempdb -iMyScript.sql -W >>sqlServicesStatus.txt
sqlcmd -SServerName3 -E -dtempdb -iMyScript.sql -W >>sqlServicesStatus.txt
sqlcmd -SServerName4 -E -dtempdb -iMyScript.sql -W >>sqlServicesStatus.txt
sqlcmd -SServerName5 -E -dtempdb -iMyScript.sql -W >>sqlServicesStatus.txt

Step 3 Execute the batch file and then open "sqlServicesStatus.txt" to see the status for all services that were checked.

Notes

If the service that you are checking does not exist you will get an error message like the following: 

Msg 22003, Level 16, State 1, Line 0
OpenSOpenService() returned error 1060, 'The specified service does not exist as an installed service.'

Also, xp_servicecontrol is an undocument system stored procedure, so you will not get a support for it and moreover there is a chance of code changes or parameter changes, so be aware of this if you decide to use this.

Next Steps
  • Use the above or different commands with xp_servicecontrol extended stored procedure
  • Create a batch file by adding a number of servers and servicess with xp_servicecontrol to list out service status
  • Using this you can extend this to setup a monitoring process to check whether services are running as needed


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About the author
MSSQLTips author Jugal Shah Jugal Shah has 8+ years of extensive SQL Server experience and has worked on SQL Server 2000, 2005, 2008 and 2008 R2.

This author pledges the content of this article is based on professional experience and not AI generated.

View all my tips


Article Last Updated: 2010-06-11

Comments For This Article




Thursday, October 9, 2014 - 7:23:05 AM - Claudiu Back To Top (34901)

Hello,

 

It's not clear to me how can I use this to show me the services from another server. The serverName variable doesn't seem to be used.

 

Thx,

Claudiu

Sunday, August 17, 2014 - 6:57:47 AM - Vishal Kumar Back To Top (34172)

In my production server I have implemented this to monitor the service but after changed the default port from 1433 to 1435 this script stopped working. cauld you please let me know fi there is any specific solution to fix this issue.

Monday, June 23, 2014 - 11:11:20 AM - samuel Back To Top (32353)

does this "xp_servicecontrol" SP support any SQL version (example 2012 or 2014 ) any and what recommendation to use it in production ?

Thursday, August 22, 2013 - 6:56:02 PM - mac Back To Top (26445)

Hi,

I am looking to find service status in 2000 server.i tried the scrpit which you pasted in your blog, but it is not working. 

i want to find service status from 2000 to 2008r2 servers.

can you please help me. 

 

Thanks

Mac

Friday, May 25, 2012 - 2:51:32 AM - Phanisankar Back To Top (17656)

 

EXEC

xp_servicecontrolN'querystate',N'MSSQLServerOLAPService'

even if i stopped SSAS from services still it's showing as service running. am i miss anything here?

 

Thursday, April 5, 2012 - 2:15:35 AM - sagar Back To Top (16779)

Thanks for the tip, is there any option inerting all records in table....

Many thanks in advance

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - 9:58:44 AM - Dr DBA Back To Top (5979)

Here are some more info for analysis and full text search

EXEC master.dbo.xp_servicecontrol N'QUERYSTATE',N'MSSQLServerOLAPService'  - Analysis Service

EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'QUERYSTATE',N'MSFTESQL '  -- Full Text Search Service

 

Does anyone now how to check to see if these, or others, services are not present? If a service say Reporting Services is not installed you get an error. I would be good to first check to see if the service is there then check its status


Thursday, August 12, 2010 - 3:23:17 PM - Dr DBA Back To Top (5960)

 Love this tip! I would like to know how to check the Analysis and FulltextSearch service, any idea?

Thanks


Friday, June 11, 2010 - 10:05:28 AM - admin Back To Top (5689)

You could try something like this:

DECLARE @result nvarchar(255)
DECLARE @status table (result nvarchar(255))
INSERT @status EXEC xp_servicecontrol N'querystate',N'MSSQLServer'
SELECT @result = result FROM @status
IF @result = 'Running.'
   PRINT 'Success'
ELSE
   PRINT 'Failure'

 

Friday, June 11, 2010 - 9:23:45 AM - tskelley Back To Top (5688)

Thanks for the tip.  I have been looking into some type of health monitoring capability for our application that includes a mix of database and windows services.  As the author mentioned, this is an undocumented and therefore not supported by Microsoft.  See link below:

Usage of xp_servicecontrol is unsupported

Now for my question.  How would I select the results from this procedure into a variable, so I could report back to the user that the process failed?  Something like (but does not work):

DECLARE @result nvarchar(255)

EXEC @result = xp_servicecontrol N'querystate',N'sqlbrowser'

IF CHARINDEX('Running', @result) > 0

     PRINT 'Success'

ELSE

     PRINT 'Failure'














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