Troubleshooting SQLMail Configuration

When you're setting up SQLMail, messing up is easy. To help you avoid trouble, here are somecommon problems to watch out for when you configure SQLMail functionality.

MSSQLSERVER Domain Account
Start the SQL Server service with a valid domain account that has local administrativeprivileges. You can configure this setting in Control Panel, Services. Click Startup, and choose theappropriate name and password.

Be sure to stop and start the MSSQLSERVER service to test the account. In larger domains, newlycreated accounts might not replicate immediately, causing a logon error when you start the service.Use the Server Manager application to synchronize the server with the domain controller, or wait afew minutes to give the account a chance to propagate.

Basic Connectivity
Make sure that the Exchange client or MSMAIL client on the NT SQL Server have basic send andreceive mail capability outside SQL Server. If you can't exchange messages with the basic clienttools, SQLMail won't work. When you start the SQLMail service in Enterprise Manager, SQL Error17903, "MAPI Login Failure," can indicate connectivity problems. Run the SQL Server setupprogram, select Server options, and make sure that the mail user account and password (or Exchangeprofile names, depending on your configuration) are correct.

Exchange Profile Settings
If you're using an Exchange Server, configure the profile setup on the NT SQL Server for theExchange client with the Exchange Server service and personal address book. Don't install personalfolders because doing so will affect the mail delivery location. Use the Mail icon from ControlPanel, Networks to modify the Exchange client properties.

Postoffice Issues
The most common problem when you use Windows NT postoffices is insufficient privileges to thepostoffice shared directory. Use xp_cmdshell to ensure that the SQL Server has full permission tothe postoffice share. Log on to the SQL Server using the System Administrator account and issue thecommand

xp_cmdshell "dir\mailserverposhare"

If the directory listing is returned successfully, permissions are OK. For more informationabout troubleshooting SQLMail postoffices, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q118501 athttp://www.microsoft.com/kb.