SQL Agent Proxy Account | SQL Server Performance Forums

SQL Server Performance Forum – Threads Archive

SQL Agent Proxy Account

On three different SQL Server 2000 Standard (SP3) systems we periodically have to reset the proxy account for SQL Agent (sometimes daily). After we use Reset Proxy Account everything is fine, but soon the problem comes back. The password on the Windows account is not being changed. Only the password that SQL Server remembers for the account is being changed. The involved application is browser based, so the only connection that runs the affected code is made from the web server. The affected code works most of the time, then suddenly quits working. To get it working again, we have to (re)enter the password for the proxy account at the server. Resetting the proxy account password for SQL Agent makes the symptom go away. The only error message I have noticed is on the client, where it occurs because the SQL Server setting gets trashed somehow. The message is: A severe error occurred on the current command. The results, if any, should be discarded.
xpsql.cpp: Error 1385 from LogonUserW on line 620 This problem affects all three servers almost simultaneously. That may indicate that something external to the servers could be causing the setting (the SQL Agent proxy account password) to change. The only thing that comes to mind along those lines is that there are several development computers with a version of SQL Server installed. Those servers do not have a SQL Agent proxy account set up. Does anybody have any idea how or why the setting could be getting trashed? Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Brian
What is the password policy for this account? Refer to this DBJournal article about SP3 and XP_CMDSHELL http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/1580041 which may be related to your issue.
_________
Satya SKJ
Moderator
SQL-Server-Performance.Com

Thanks for the reply! The account in question has two options selected, the user can not change the password and the password never expires. The article referenced is certainly relevant, but it does not resolve the issue. We have always used EM to Reset Proxy Account, so the check box discussed in the article has been deselected all along.

Then the option left for you is to contact MS support, as I can’t think any another alternative or solution to the issue. Also try upgrading to SP3a which has got few fixes to SP3 too. HTH _________
Satya SKJ
Moderator
SQL-Server-Performance.Com

For those who may be interested… With the help of Microsoft technical support, I think we have this problem resolved. I’m not an expert on Windows 2000 security so I may not describe things perfectly here. The problem was that the domain account we are using as a proxy did not have a necessary user right. The missing user right was "Log on as a batch job". The act of using Reset Proxy Account on each SQL Server apparently changed the local user right (allowing things to work temporarily), but the domain level user right eventually superseded the local setting (causing things to fail again). So, SQL Server was not actually forgetting the password, but an external factor (the domain controller) was changing a user right behind the scenes causing the SQL Agent proxy account logon to fail. Brian

Thanks for your headsup Brian. _________
Satya SKJ
Moderator
SQL-Server-Performance.Com

]]>