Configuring a Mail Profile for SQL Server

[Sunite]

Configuring a Mail Profile for SQL Server


Q

What do I need to know about configuring a mail profile for SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 7.0?



A


You can configure a SQL Server mail profile so you can send and receive e-mail by running Transact-SQL code (for example, by using the xp_sendmail extended stored procedure to send e-mail). You can also configure a mail profile for SQL Server Agent so that e-mail will be sent to operators automatically when, for example, a certain job fails or an alert is invoked. The mail profile identifies the mail service and connection details such as POP3 and SMTP server, SQL Server login name, and password. Most of the steps for configuring a mail profile for SQL Server and for SQL Server Agent services are essentially the same as configuring a mail profile for your own mail box, so you'll be able to send and receive e-mail from your mail client. But you need to know about the following considerations, which refer to SQL Server and not to both SQL Server and SQL Server Agent:

 

To use any mail service, the SQL Server account must start under a proper Microsoft Windows NT® account and not a local system account. The account needs access to the network because the SQL Server and SQL Server Agent services must be able to access the mail server. The local system account cannot does not have this access.

 

You create the mail profile by logging on to the computer that is running SQL Server by using the Windows NT domain and account that the SQL Server service is running under. Note that the mail profile is logon account-specific in the same way that the My Documents folder is logon account-specific. For example, if you create the mail profile under your account (such as DOMAIN\SmithJ) but SQL Server is running under its own account (such as DOMAIN\SQLServer), then SQL Server cannot detect or be able to use the mail profile.

 

Before trying to create your mail profile, make sure that the SQL Server can connect to the mail server. Simple ping tests will probably suffice at this stage