text: Q:
  
  SQL Server Job doesn't run
  
  Am new to SQL Server, and trying to learn how to do SQL Server Jobs. I executed this simple example from msdn in a SQL Server Express instance I have installed.
  USE msdb ;
  GO
  EXEC dbo.sp_add_job
      @job_name = N'Weekly Backup' ;
  GO
  EXEC sp_add_jobstep
      @job_name = N'Weekly Backup',
      @step_name = N'Set database to read only',
      @subsystem = N'TSQL',
      @command = N'ALTER DATABASE SALES SET READ_ONLY', 
      @retry_attempts = 5,
      @retry_interval = 5 ;
  GO
  EXEC dbo.sp_add_schedule
      @schedule_name = N'ROce',
      @freq_type = 1,
      @active_start_time = 212600 ;
  USE msdb ;
  GO
  EXEC sp_attach_schedule
     @job_name = N'Weekly Backup',
     @schedule_name = N'ROce';
  GO
  EXEC dbo.sp_add_jobserver
      @job_name = N'Weekly Backup';
  GO
  -- Start the job
  USE msdb;
  GO
  EXEC dbo.sp_start_job N'Weekly Backup';
  GO
  
  I have set the
  @active_start_time = 212600
  When I executed this script, the system time was 21hrs23minutes. So, the job should have executed in 3 minutes from then.
  I waited till 21.30hrs and then checked the jobs executed history, but don't see it :
  I used this script to see jobs'-executed history:
  SELECT  sj.name, 
  sja.run_requested_date, 
  CONVERT(VARCHAR(12), sja.stop_execution_date-    sja.start_execution_date, 114) Duration
   FROM   msdb.dbo.sysjobactivity sja
   INNER  JOIN msdb.dbo.sysjobs sj
  ON   sja.job_id = sj.job_id
  WHERE   sja.run_requested_date IS NOT NULL
  ORDER   BY sja.run_requested_date desc
  
  I also tried another script I got from the web:
  select 
   j.name as 'JobName',
   msdb.dbo.agent_datetime(run_date, run_time) as 'RunDateTime',
   ((run_duration/10000*3600 + (run_duration/100)%100*60 + run_duration%100 + 31 ) / 60) 
       as 'RunDurationMinutes'
  From msdb.dbo.sysjobs j 
  INNER JOIN msdb.dbo.sysjobhistory h 
   ON j.job_id = h.job_id 
  where j.enabled = 1   --Only Enabled Jobs
  --and j.name = 'TestJob' --Uncomment to search for a single job
  order by JobName, RunDateTime desc
  
  But none of the jobs are listed. Is it that the job is not even executing? I tried renaming the job and restarting it, but no...doesn't work. I don't have SQL Server Agent, as it doesn't come with the Express edition. Please help.
  
  A:
  
  @Pondlife and @criticalfix (in comments, above) are right.  SQL Agent is the scheduler for SQL Server.  Your scheduled job won't run without SQL Agent.  
  One alternative to consider is to use the AT scheduler for Windows.  Here is a SO article that talks about a nice command line call to do your backup:  What is a simple command line program or script to backup SQL server databases?
  
  