Using SQLMail with a NetWare Post Office

You can set the SQL Server service (MSSQLServer) to run under a Windows NT user account. With appropriate permissions, SQL Server will be able to run SQLMail and access a NetWare Post Office.

However, the server's LocalSystem account has no user account information that can be used when accessing remote resources. If the SQL Server service (MSSQLServer) is configured to run under the server's LocalSystem account, it cannot directly access certain server software, including Novell NetWare.

When SQL Server is running under LocalSystem, it is still possible to set up SQLMail to work when the post office is on a Novell NetWare file server by going through the Gateway Services for NetWare, which are provided with Windows NT version 3.5 or later.

The following steps describe how to set up SQLMail running under LocalSystem to work with a NetWare post office:

1. Set up a gateway share on the Windows NT Server to point to the post office share on the NetWare machine. Supply a valid NetWare user account and password for an account that has RWCD access to the post office share. For information on how to set this up, see the Windows NT documentation on the Gateway Services for NetWare.
2. Set up the Windows NT Mail client application (MSMAIL32.EXE) to connect to the NetWare post office by using the drive letter specified for the gateway connection.
3. Verify that the user that is setting up SQLMail can successfully start a mail session and send mail using the Windows NT Mail client.
4. Using SQL Setup, go to Set Server Options - Mail Login, and check the option to "Copy SQLMail Configuration from Current User Account."

   This copies the post office location and mail options of the user you set up the Windows NT Mail client for previously. The settings are copied to the Default User.

   Even if you don't use the Mail Login dialog box to save a Mail username and password, you must select this option when setting up SQLMail for the first time. Thereafter, the check box does not need to be selected unless you have changed your Mail client configuration information.

Once the above steps have been completed successfully, you can use xp_startmail with a valid mail username and password to start a SQLMail session.