Configuring Database Mail in SQL Server

Introduction

This is an enterprise solution for sending mails from the SQL Server database engine to SMTP servers.  SQL Server database applications can communicate with users through an email system. It provides features like scalability, security, and reliability. 

It uses an SMTP server to send mail. SQL Server 2000 supports SQL Mail, which supports MAPI profiles to send email instead of an SMTP server. SQL Mail requires a MAPI-compliant mail server (Microsoft Exchange Server) and a MAPI client (Microsoft Outlook).

We can send a text message, query result, file as attachment. The database mail can be used to notify users or administrators regarding events raised in SQL Server. For example, if an automation process like replication, database mirroring fails or there are latency related problems then SQL Server can use this feature to notify the administrators or operators.

Points to Remember

• Like SQL Mail, database mail doesn’t require a MAPI – a compliant mail server like Outlook Express or extended programming interface.
• Better performance. Impact of sending mails to SMTP servers by SQL Server is reduced as this task is implemented by an external process initiated by the DatabaseMail.exe file.
• Works fine in a cluster based environment.
• 64-bit support.
• Database mail configuration information is maintained in an MSDB database.
• Only members of SysAdmin and DatabaseMailUserRole database role of MSDB can send mails by default.
• Allows sending messages in different formats like text and HTML.
• Supports logging and auditing features through different system tables of MSDB.

The main components of database mail are: 

• Sp_send_dbmail

This is a system defined stored procedure which is used by SQL Server to send email using the database mail feature. This stored procedure is present in the MSDB database.

• MSDB Database 

Consists of all stored procedures, system tables, and database roles related to database mail.

• Service Broker

To establish communication between the SQL Server engine and the database mail engine we need a service broker. It submits the messages to the mail engine.

• DatabaseMail.exe

This file is present in the Binn folder of the respective instance. It is the database mail engine.

FAQ: How to enable a Service Broker in MSDB? 

USE [master]
GO
ALTER DATABASE [MSDB] SET  ENABLE_BROKER WITH NO_WAIT
GO  

MSDB tables related to Database Mail

1. sysmail_profile:  Consists of all the profiles information.
2. sysmail_account: Consists of SMTP server accounts information.
3. Sysmail_server:  Consists of SMTP server details. 
4. Sysmail_allitems:  Mail sent status. If the sent_status is 1 then success, otherwise failed.
5. Sysmail_log:  To check the errors raised by Database Mail feature.
6. Sysmail_configuration:  Consists of system parameter details.

Steps to configure

1. Enable the db mail feature at server level
.

sp_configure 'Database Mail XPs',1
reconfigure

2. Enable service broker in the MSDB database.

USE [master]
GO
ALTER DATABASE [MSDB] SET  ENABLE_BROKER WITH NO_WAIT
GO

3. Configure mail profile (profile is a collection of accounts).
4. Add SMTP account(s).
5. Make the profile private or public.

Private profile can be used by:

• sysadmin members and
• databasemailuserrole members of MSDB
6. Set parameters.
7. Send the mail.

Example: Configuring Database Mail

1. Go to Object Explorer
2. Management
3. Right click on Database Mail and select “Configure Database Mail” as follows



4. Next
5. Select “Setup Database Mail by performing the following tasks” as follows



6. Next
7. Enter profile name = “SQL Profile” and description as follows



8. Click on “Add” button and enter the following details. Always use your own email ID. Generally we have to use here the company email id. We have to raise a ticket to the mail server admin team to get the following details.
• Separate email id for SQL Server (This is From Email ID)
• SMTP server name
• Port number
• SSL feature should be enable or disable.

Here I am using my personal email id. In Basic Authentication option enter the same email ID along with the valid password of the email ID.



9. OK
10. Next
11. Under Manage Profile Security option make the profile as public by selecting checkbox and default as follows



12. Next
13. Accept the default settings for System Parameters as follows



14. Next
15. Finish



16. Close.

Observations

Use msdb
Go
--Step1: Varifying the new profile
     select * from sysmail_profile
--Step2: Verifying accounts
     select * from sysmail_account
--Step3: To check the accounts of a profile
     select * from sysmail_profileaccount
     where profile_id=3
--Step4: To display mail server details
select * from sysmail_server

17. We have configured database mail feature successfully. Let's test the mail feature as follows.
18. Go to Object Explorer -> Management -> right click on Database Mail -> Send Test Email



19.  Enter the following details. You can use required values.
• Select Profile name:  SQLProfile
• To:  ask.sqlserver@gmail.com  (Any Email ID- generally it should be administrators group email ID) 
• Subject: Hi, Backup Alert 
• Body: Backup of master database was generated successfully.



20. Send Test Email -> OK 
21. Verifying whether the mail was send successfully or not. Take new query and run the following command and check sent_status column value for your mail as follows



22. Check your mail box you can find new Email from SQL Server.

Sending Mail using SP_SEND_DBMAIL 

We can send the mail programmatically from any stored procedure, job or batch file using sp_send_dbmail system procedure. Before sending the mail we can check the required parameters by viewing the definition of stored procedure.

We have to pass the following parameters to the above stored procedure.

• Profile_name (We can mention the above profile name which we have created)
• Recipients (We can mention multiple recipients by separating with " src="http://www.codeproject.com/script/Forums/Images/smiley_wink.gif" />
• Subject 
• Body 

Example 1:  Sending mail using the sp_send_dbmail stored procedure

Step 1:

Step2: Verifying using sysmail_allitems. Here check the sent_status column of last Email.

use msdb
go
select * from sysmail_allitems

Example 2:  Sending mail using sp_send_dbmail stored procedure which has query result as  message.

Step 1: Sending mail (I am using emp table present in Test database)

EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail
@profile_name = 'SQLProfile',
@recipients = 'skm.mcp@gmail.com',
@query = 'SELECT COUNT(*) as No_Empls FROM 
            Test.dbo.emp',
@subject = 'No of Employees Working';

Step 2: Verifying using sysmail_allitems. Here check the sent_status column of last Email.

use msdb
go
select * from sysmail_allitems   

Configuring Database Mail Using T-SQL Script

--Enabling Database Mail
sp_configure 'show advanced options',1
reconfigure										  go											  sp_configure 'Database Mail XPs',1							  reconfigure 

--Creating a Profile
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_profile_sp
@profile_name = 'SQLProfile',
@description = 'Mail Service for SQL Server' ;

-- Create a Mail account for gmail. We have to use our company mail account.
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_account_sp
@account_name = 'SQL_Email_Account',
@email_address = 'youremail@gmail.com',
@mailserver_name = 'smtp.gmail.com',
@port=587,
@enable_ssl=1,
@username='youremail',
@password='Emailid password'

-- Adding the account to the profile
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_profileaccount_sp
@profile_name = 'SQLProfile',
@account_name = 'SQL_Email_Account',
@sequence_number =1 ;

-- Granting access to the profile to the DatabaseMailUserRole of MSDB
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_principalprofile_sp
@profile_name = 'SQLProfile',
@principal_id = 0,
@is_default = 1 ;

--Sending Test Mail
EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail
@profile_name = 'SQLProfile',
@recipients = 'youremailid@xxxx.com',
@body = 'Database Mail Testing...',
@subject = 'Databas Mail from SQL Server';

--Verifying, check status column
select * from sysmail_allitems 

Database Mail feature was introduced in SQL Server 2005 version, which can be used to notify the administrators/operators. It provides better performance as well as cluster aware feature.