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Database Mail

Database Mail is an enterprise solution for sending e-mail messages from the SQL Server Database Engine. Using Database Mail, your database applications can send e-mail messages to users. The messages can contain query results, and can also include files from any resource on your network. Database Mail is designed for reliability, scalability, security, and supportability.

Security noteSecurity Note

Database Mail is not active by default. To use Database Mail, you must explicitly enable Database Mail by using either the Database Mail Configuration Wizard, the sp_configure stored procedure, or by using the Surface Area Configuration facet of Policy-Based Management.

Reliability

  • No Microsoft Outlook or Extended Messaging Application Programming Interface (Extended MAPI) requirement. Database Mail uses the standard Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to send mail. You can use Database Mail without installing an Extended MAPI client on the computer that runs SQL Server.

  • Process isolation. To minimize the impact on SQL Server, the component that delivers e-mail runs outside of SQL Server, in a separate process. SQL Server will continue to queue e-mail messages even if the external process stops or fails. The queued messages will be sent once the outside process or SMTP server comes online.

  • Failover accounts. A Database Mail profile allows you to specify more than one SMTP server. Should an SMTP server be unavailable, mail can still be delivered to another SMTP server.

  • Cluster support. Database Mail is cluster-aware and is fully supported on a cluster.

Scalability

  • Background delivery. Database Mail provides background, or asynchronous, delivery. When you call sp_send_dbmail to send a message, Database Mail adds a request to a Service Broker queue. The stored procedure returns immediately. The external e-mail component receives the request and delivers the e-mail.

  • Multiple profiles. Database Mail allows you to create multiple profiles within a SQL Server instance. Optionally, you can choose the profile that Database Mail uses when you send a message.

  • Multiple accounts. Each profile can contain multiple failover accounts. You can configure different profiles with different accounts to distribute e-mail across multiple e-mail servers.

  • 64-bit compatibility. Database Mail is fully supported on 64-bit installations of SQL Server.

Security

  • Off by default. To reduce the surface area of SQL Server, Database Mail stored procedures are disabled by default.

  • To send Database Mail, you must be a member of the DatabaseMailUserRole database role in the msdb database.

  • Profile security. Database Mail enforces security for mail profiles. You choose the msdb database users or groups that have access to a Database Mail profile. You can grant access to either specific users, or all users in msdb. A private profile restricts access to a specified list of users. A public profile is available to all users in a database.

  • Attachment size governor. Database Mail enforces a configurable limit on the attachment file size. You can change this limit by using the sysmail_configure_sp stored procedure.

  • Prohibited file extensions. Database Mail maintains a list of prohibited file extensions. Users cannot attach files with an extension that appears in the list. You can change this list by using sysmail_configure_sp.

Supportability

  • Integrated configuration. Database Mail maintains the information for e-mail accounts within SQL Server Database Engine. There is no need to manage a mail profile in an external client application. Database Mail Configuration Wizard provides a convenient interface for configuring Database Mail. You can also create and maintain Database Mail configurations using Transact-SQL.

  • Logging. Database Mail logs e-mail activity to SQL Server, the Microsoft Windows application event log, and to tables in the msdb database.

  • Auditing. Database Mail keeps copies of messages and attachments sent in the msdb database. You can easily audit Database Mail usage and review the retained messages.

  • Support for HTML. Database Mail allows you to send e-mail formatted as HTML.

Database Mail provides a robust, high-performance replacement for the most commonly requested features of SQL Mail. Database Mail is designed to operate with SMTP servers, and is tested with Microsoft SMTP servers. For information about converting a stored procedure from SQL Mail to Database Mail, see How to: Convert Stored Procedures from SQL Mail to Database Mail (Transact-SQL).

Note

Database Mail is not available in SQL Server Express.