Message

Executed as user: CUSTSVCDB01\SYSTEM. Microsoft (R) SQL Server Execute Package Utility  Version 9.00.3042.00 for 32-bit  Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp 1984-2005. All rights reserved.    Started:  4:00:00 PM  Progress: 2007-08-14 16:00:11.66     Source: {4E701E84-81ED-4B7D-A3B4-ACBF7D0CAC3F}      Executing query "DECLARE @Guid UNIQUEIDENTIFIER      EXECUTE msdb..sp".: 100% complete  End Progress  DTExec: The package execution returned DTSER_FAILURE (1).  Started:  4:00:00 PM  Finished: 4:00:12 PM  Elapsed:  11.344 seconds.  The package execution failed.  The step failed.

That's what you get back if one of your maintenance plans fails.  Let's consider, for a moment, how totally utterly and completely full of fail this error message is.

First, no carriage returns.  I guess we just have to scroll right.  And scroll right….with the mouse.

Second, every single piece of useful information in the message is truncated.  There's no error message, that was too long, so it's truncated.  The actual SQL run?  Truncated.  But, you know, we did have plenty of space to fit in A FULL COPYRIGHT MESSAGE.  Because otherwise we might for get that MICROSOFT(R) SQL SERVER(TM) is ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by MICROSOFT(R).  And I know, down to the MILLISECOND when the package step execution started.  Yup, great, don't truncate off the MILLISECONDS, but do truncate the ERROR MESSAGE.  Good thing you fit that entire meaningless GUID in there too.  Otherwise you might have had space for, I dunno, an ERROR MESSAGE.

Third: 100% Complete. There was an error but we finished?  No. 

Fail.  This thing is so full of fail, it's like a bucket full of fail, overflowing and smelling of wet dog.

"oh, but there's a whole file that contains the error output…"

FINE THEN GIVE ME A LINK TO THE DAMN FILE NOT A COPYRIGHT MESSAGE.  FAIL.