Minion Agent runs and orchestrates SQL Server jobs across as many servers as you register, from one console -- unlike native SQL Server Agent, which only ever runs a job on the box it's installed on. This page is the first-15-minutes version: what to set up, in what order, before you touch anything else.
First steps, in order
- Register your Target Servers (Admin -> Target Servers). Nothing can run against a server until it's listed here first -- that's deliberate, not a formality (see that article for why).
- Add a Credential for each server (main nav -> Credentials). A step connects using one of these, not your own login -- add a credential before you try to build a step that needs one.
- Get your first jobs in. Either build one from scratch (Jobs -> New Job), or if you're moving off SQL Server Agent, use Import from SQL Agent (Admin -> Import from SQL Agent) to bring existing jobs across -- it copies the definition in, it doesn't touch or disable the original SQL Agent job, so you decide when (or whether) to retire that.
- If more than one person will use this, set up Roles, Permissions, and Identity (Admin -> Security). A single-admin install works fine on the defaults -- skip this until you actually add a second person.
- Set up alerting if you want to know about failures without watching the screen: an Alert Channel (Admin -> Alert Channels) is where notifications go, then attach an Alert Rule to a job or step to actually fire one.
Beyond manual Run
Three different ways a job can start or be controlled on its own -- see the Glossary if any of these names are new:
- Schedules -- a recurring day/time pattern.
- Job Triggers -- start Job B when Job A finishes with a chosen status.
- Gates -- pause or stop a run already in progress on a condition (CPU, a file, another job's status); a File Exists gate can also start a job the moment a watched file shows up.
Important things to know
- A Target Server has to be registered before anything can target it -- a real security boundary, not busywork. See Target Servers.
- Worker is the only process that actually runs anything. Api handles configuration and reporting; if the Worker service is stopped, nothing new runs (schedules, triggers, and gates all just wait) until it's back.
- Deactivating isn't deleting. Target Servers, and several other things, use a reversible Active/Inactive toggle rather than a destructive delete -- look for that before assuming something's gone for good.
- Everything in this app is scoped to the install you're connected to. Reports and job data cover every Target Server registered here, but not other Minion Agent installations elsewhere in a fleet -- that's a separate, optional concept (see Fleet Job Sync).
- Press F1 anywhere, or click the "?" icon next to a screen's title, for help on exactly what you're looking at.
FAQ
Do I have to migrate everything from SQL Server Agent at once?
No. Import brings jobs across one at a time (or in a batch), and the originals are untouched until you decide to retire them yourself.
Can more than one person work in this at the same time?
Yes -- set up Roles under Admin -> Security. Settings -> My Permissions shows exactly what your own account can and can't do, and why.
What if I need help with something not covered here?
Every screen in the app has a "?" icon (or press F1) linking straight to the relevant topic. If you're still stuck, Support Bundle (status bar) packages logs and config for MinionWare support -- see the Support Bundle topic from the status bar's own "?" icon.
Does this replace SQL Server Agent entirely, or run alongside it?
Either. Nothing about Minion Agent requires SQL Server Agent to be off, and nothing about importing a job disables the original -- how far you migrate is entirely your call. Though we think you'll find yourself wanting to migrate everything.