PL/SQL DBMS_JOB.RUN

DBMS_JOB.RUN is a procedure within the Oracle Database’s DBMS_JOB package, which is part of Oracle’s job scheduling system. The DBMS_JOB package itself is used for scheduling and managing jobs in Oracle databases. It allows for the execution of specified tasks at defined times or intervals, providing a way to automate database maintenance tasks, data refreshes, and other repetitive jobs.

The RUN procedure specifically is used to immediately run a job that has been scheduled in the DBMS_JOB system. This means that instead of waiting for the scheduled time to arrive, you can force the job to execute at any moment. This can be particularly useful for testing or when an immediate execution of the task is required for any reason.

Syntax

The basic syntax for DBMS_JOB.RUN is as follows:

DBMS_JOB.RUN (
   job IN BINARY_INTEGER);

job: This is the identifier of the job you want to run immediately. This job number is assigned by the database when the job is submitted using DBMS_JOB.SUBMIT.

Example Usage

Here’s a simple example of how you might use DBMS_JOB.RUN:

Submitting a Job: First, you need to submit a job to the job queue. This is done using the DBMS_JOB.SUBMIT procedure.

DECLARE
  job_number NUMBER;
BEGIN
  DBMS_JOB.SUBMIT(
    job => job_number,
    what => 'BEGIN my_procedure; END;',
    next_date => SYSDATE, -- Start immediately
    interval => 'SYSDATE + 1' -- Run every 24 hours
  );
  COMMIT;
END;

Running the Job Immediately: If you decide you need to run the job right away, rather than waiting for its scheduled time, you can use DBMS_JOB.RUN.

BEGIN
  DBMS_JOB.RUN(job_number);
END;

Considerations

Permissions: Make sure the user executing DBMS_JOB.RUN has the necessary privileges to manage and run jobs.

Job Existence: The job must exist and be enabled for DBMS_JOB.RUN to work.

Oracle Version: In newer versions of Oracle (starting with 19c), the DBMS_JOB package is considered legacy and Oracle recommends using the DBMS_SCHEDULER package instead. DBMS_SCHEDULER offers more features and flexibility compared to DBMS_JOB.

The DBMS_JOB package, including the RUN procedure, provides a straightforward method for managing background tasks within an Oracle database environment, though it’s important to be aware of its limitations and the recommendations for moving to DBMS_SCHEDULER in newer Oracle versions.