A parameter is an argument to a stored or system procedure. If a parameter value for a system procedure contains reserved words, punctuation, or embedded blanks, it must be enclosed in single or double quotes. If the parameter is an object name, and the object name is qualified by a database name or owner name, the entire name must be enclosed in single or double quotes.
System procedures can be invoked by sessions using either chained or unchained transaction mode. However, the system procedures that modify data in system tables in the master database cannot be executed from within a transaction, since this could compromise recovery. The system procedures that create temporary work tables cannot be run from transactions.
If no transaction is active when you execute a system procedure, Adaptive Server turns off chained mode and sets transaction isolation level 1 for the duration of the procedure. Before returning, the session’s chained mode and isolation level are reset to their original settings. For more information about transaction modes and isolation levels, see the Reference Manual.
All system procedures report a return status. For example, the following means that the procedure executed successfully:
return status = 0
