BUG: Sqlmaint.exe Command Line Parameters (156288)

SYMPTOMS

The documentation for the Sqlmaint.exe utility has an incomplete description of the parameters and how to properly enter values when running the utility from the command line. If these values are not entered properly, the utility returns the help screen, as if you had typed:

sqlmaint /?

If the utility is called from a scheduled CmdExec task and the parameters and their values are not entered correctly, the task will fail. If you look at the history, you will see that the last error message for the task is a list of the valid parameters.

WORKAROUND

When entering parameters for the Sqlmaint.exe utility, type a space between the parameter and its supplied value.
When supplying a user name and password, place the name and password in double quotation marks.

For example, assume the sa's password is sa and a checkdb is run against pubs. Here is a valid command line entry:

sqlmaint -U "sa" -P "sa" -D pubs -Ckdb -Rpt c:\maint\pubs.txt

Also remember that, as stated in the documentation, the database and report file parameters are required.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft SQL Server version 6.5. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.