SQL Server 2012 syspolicy_purge_history job causes cross-instance login failures w. EraseSystemHealthPhantomRecords

Question

I have unique service accounts set up for multiple instances on the same SQL Server 2012.
When step 3 of the inbuilt syspolicy_purge_history job(Erase Phantom System Health Records) runs, it appears to attempt to run against every instance on the server despite being passed the instance path!
The SQLServer's powershell script call:
if ('$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(INST))' -eq 'MSSQLSERVER') {$a = '\DEFAULT'} ELSE {$a = ''};
(Get-Item SQLSERVER:\SQLPolicy\$(ESCAPE_NONE(SRVR))$a).EraseSystemHealthPhantomRecords()
so with instances SERVER\X this runs as...
(Get-Item SQLSERVER:\SQLPolicy\SERVER\X).EraseSystemHealthPhantomRecords()
SERVER\X's job will run and I will see login failures in the error logs of SERVER\Y and SERVER\Z for the service account set up for instance X.
It seems Microsoft's only 'accepted solution' to this problem is for me to compromise my security by escalating the access of these service accounts?
Has anyone else run into and corrected this failure?

Answer 1

Hi Atombath,
When you install multiple instances on one Server, and  the SQL Server’s powershell scripts are the same in inbuilt syspolicy_purge_history job steps. However, when you start PowerShell by right clicking
 syspolicy_purge_history job, you will find it will point to their own instance. I do a test in my SQL Server 2012,
 it will not across instance to collect the error logs. So I recommend you use its original powershell scripts for the syspolicy_purge_history job.
Sometimes, if you run the syspolicy_purge_history job on a clustered instance, the syspolicy_purge_history SQL Server Agent job may fail due to using the computer node name instead of the virtual server name. For more information, see:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955726/en-us
In addition, you can use different service account for your multiple SQL Server instances on the same Server. And make sure the accounts that you created get added to the sysadmin fixed server role, the accounts are also set in the three Agent roles (SqlAgentUserRole,
SqlAgentReaderRole, and SqlAgentOperatorRole).
Regards,
Sofiya Li
Sofiya Li
TechNet Community Support