Configuring agent with service account

The Microsoft SQL Server agent supports multiple service account types for running the agent. This procedure is specifically for MS SQL Server agent on Windows OS.

Before you begin

MS SQL Server agent is certified with following service account types as a service startup account:

  • Local Windows User
  • Domain User
  • Virtual Service Account
  • Managed Service Account
  • Group Managed Service Account

About this task

For more information about these account types please refer official Microsoft documentation:https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-protection/access-control/service-accounts
Note: For Virtual Service Account, MSA and gMSA accounts the agent is certified in the 8.1.4.0.16 release.

Procedure

  1. To set agent service account do these steps:
    1. Open IBM Performance Management (IPM) window.
    2. Right click the instance of SQL Server agent to change the service account.
    3. Go to Change Startup and click This Account.
    4. Enter user name and password.
      Note: For Virtual Service Account, MSA and gMSA accounts the password should be blank.
    5. Restart the SQL agent instance.
      Note: IPM window will not be able to change service account to Virtual Service Account.
  2. To set agent service account as virtual service account, follow these steps:
    1. Using windows run start services.msc.
    2. Locate the agent and collector services using service display names.
    3. To locate the agent, right click the agent service entry and navigate to Properties -> Log on and click This account.
    4. Enter account name as NT Service\%SERVICE_NAME%.
    5. Do not enter the password and keep at blank, and click OK.
    6. Repeat the steps for Collector account.
    Agent Service naming conventions

    If SQL Server agent has instance name as MSSSQLSERVER then:

    • Agent Service Display name is: Monitoring Agent for Microsoft SQL Server - MSSQLSERVER#INSTANCE1
    • Agent service name is: KOQAGENT_MSSQLSERVER#INSTANCE1
    • Collector service display name is: Monitoring Agent for Microsoft SQL Server – Collector MSSQLSERVER#INSTANCE1
    • Collector service name is: KOQCOLL_MSSQLSERVER#INSTANCE1
    Note: The last digit of INSTANCE1 mentioned over this example might be different for user.

What to do next

For user account to be able to collect data, make sure user has required permissions in the operating system as mentioned in Running as a non-administrator user

If you want to use Windows authentication in SQL Agent, then make sure that user has the required permissions in SQL Server as mentioned in Creating a user and granting permissions.