Friday, January 20, 2012

What is SQL Server Database Mail & Why We Use It?

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Microsoft SQL server database offers a facility to send e-mail messages from SQL server engine that is known as Database Mail. Database Mail is developed and designed for the security, supportability, reliability and scalability. It is available in SQL server 2005 & upper versions. You can send e-mail message from SQL server database engine to users. Your email can contains query results as well as attached files from other resources on your network. For accessing this feature, you will have to configure Database Mail from Database Mail Configuration Wizard or by stored procedure sp_configure.

Note: Database Mail service is not active by default. If you want to send e-mail message through it, you must have to install it.

How to Configure database Mail? Perform below steps to configure:
  • Open Object Explorer & connect to an instance of SQL Server.
  • Expand Management, right-click Database Mail, and select Configure Database Mail.
  • Choose & Click Set up Database Mail option to set up Database Mail.
How to send emails from SQL server 7.0 & 2000?
Through SQL Mail you can send emails from previous version of SQL server 2005 i.e. SQL 2000, 7.0 and other.

Difference b/w Database Mail and SQL Mail: There are so many differences between these two mail providers, which are as follow:

Database Mail
SQL Mail
It has designed for SQL Server 2005 & upper versions
It has designed for SQL server 2000 & lower versions
It is based on Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
It is based on Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI)
It is more secure
It is less secure
It does not require outlook to install
It requires outlook to install

Points to Ponder: If you are using SQL Mail to send e-mail message then this is the right time to upgrade it. I will suggest to you to upgrade SQL Mail with Database Mail because it is very secure and provides greater supportability.

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