Check if SQL Agent job is being executed manually I have a stored procedure that performs database backups.  Because I'm looking at Availability Groups within SQL Server 2012 I want to utilise the *sys.fn_hadr_backup_is_preferred_replica* function within that script to test whether the script should produce the backup.

If the script is run manually instead of as part of a scheduled SQL Agent job, or if the SQL Agent job is executed manually rather than via a schedule, then I want the job to fail with an error message to allow the user to see that the backup has not succeeded due to not being on the preferred replica.  If the job is run on a schedule then I obviously don't want it to fail as it would be producing errors and sending out alerts all day long on the server that is not the preferred replica.

The only bit that I don't know how to do is to check whether the job is being executed by a schedule or manually.  Is this possible?

Failing that, is there any other way that I can alert a user that the script hasn't produced a backup, whilst not causing the scheduled task to fail and produce an alert?
Using Kenneth's code, and a few other bits and pieces that I pulled together, I came up with the following code which I think should do the job.  If anybody sees any potential problem with this I'd be interested in knowing!

-- Check if this server is the preferred replica for backups.
    If sys.fn_hadr_backup_is_preferred_replica( @DatabaseName ) &lt;&gt; 1
    BEGIN

        -- Check whether the script is running from SQL Agent.  If it is not then raise an error so that the user knows that the backup hasn't completed.
        -- (If the job is run from the agent then there should be an equivalent job running on the preferred replica, so no need to alert).
        declare @AgentAccount varchar(100)
        set @AgentAccount = (select cast(value_data as varchar(100)) as [AccountName]
                                FROM sys.dm_server_registry
                                WHERE registry_key LIKE '%SQLSERVERAGENT%' --For named instance change to SQLAgent$&lt;instanceName&gt;
                                AND value_name = 'ObjectName'
                            )


        if @AgentAccount = SYSTEM_USER
        begin

            declare @jobSource tinyint
            SELECT  @jobSource = ja.run_requested_source
                    --WHEN 1 THEN 'SOURCE_SCHEDULER'
                    --WHEN 2 THEN 'SOURCE_ALERTER'
                    --WHEN 3 THEN 'SOURCE_BOOT'
                    --WHEN 4 THEN 'SOURCE_USER'  -- This one is manual
                    --WHEN 6 THEN 'SOURCE_ON_IDLE_SCHEDULE'
                    --ELSE 'UNKNOWN' END
            FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobactivity ja
            WHERE ja.session_id = @@SPID
            AND start_execution_date is not null
            AND stop_execution_date is null;

            if @jobSource = 4   -- Job was run manually.
            begin
                RAISERROR ('No backup produced as this server is not the preferred replica for backups.  Please run the script again from the preferred replica.', 16, 1)
                return 1
            end
            else
            begin
                print 'No backup produced as this server is not the preferred replica for backups.'
                return 0
            end
        end
        else
        begin
            RAISERROR ('No backup produced as this server is not the preferred replica for backups.  Please run the script again from the preferred replica.', 16, 1)
            return 1
        end
    END