Using Database Mail on Amazon RDS for SQL Server - Amazon Relational Database Service
LimitationsStored procedures and functionsFile attachmentsMulti-AZ deploymentsSMTP restrictions
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Using Database Mail on Amazon RDS for SQL Server

You can use Database Mail to send email messages to users from your Amazon RDS on SQL Server database instance. The messages can contain files and query results. Database Mail includes the following components:

  • Configuration and security objects – These objects create profiles and accounts, and are stored in the msdb database.

  • Messaging objects – These objects include the sp_send_dbmail stored procedure used to send messages, and data structures that hold information about messages. They're stored in the msdb database.

  • Logging and auditing objects – Database Mail writes logging information to the msdb database and the Microsoft Windows application event log.

  • Database Mail executable – DatabaseMail.exe reads from a queue in the msdb database and sends email messages.

RDS supports Database Mail for all SQL Server versions on the Web, Standard, and Enterprise Editions.

Limitations

The following limitations apply to using Database Mail on your SQL Server DB instance:

  • Database Mail isn't supported for SQL Server Express Edition.

  • Modifying Database Mail configuration parameters isn't supported. To see the preset (default) values, use the sysmail_help_configure_sp stored procedure.

  • File attachments aren't fully supported. For more information, see Working with file attachments.

  • The maximum file attachment size is 1 MB.

  • Database Mail requires additional configuration on Multi-AZ DB instances. For more information, see Considerations for Multi-AZ deployments.

  • Configuring SQL Server Agent to send email messages to predefined operators isn't supported.

Amazon RDS stored procedures and functions for Database Mail

Microsoft provides stored procedures for using Database Mail, such as creating, listing, updating, and deleting accounts and profiles. In addition, RDS provides the stored procedures and functions for Database Mail shown in the following table.

Procedure/Function Description
rds_fn_sysmail_allitems Shows sent messages, including those submitted by other users.
rds_fn_sysmail_event_log Shows events, including those for messages submitted by other users.
rds_fn_sysmail_mailattachments Shows attachments, including those to messages submitted by other users.
rds_sysmail_control Starts and stops the mail queue (DatabaseMail.exe process).
rds_sysmail_delete_mailitems_sp Deletes email messages sent by all users from the Database Mail internal tables.

Working with file attachments

The following file attachment extensions aren't supported in Database Mail messages from RDS on SQL Server: .ade, .adp, .apk, .appx, .appxbundle, .bat, .bak, .cab, .chm, .cmd, .com, .cpl, .dll, .dmg, .exe, .hta, .inf1, .ins, .isp, .iso, .jar, .job, .js, .jse, .ldf, .lib, .lnk, .mde, .mdf, .msc, .msi, .msix, .msixbundle, .msp, .mst, .nsh, .pif, .ps, .ps1, .psc1, .reg, .rgs, .scr, .sct, .shb, .shs, .svg, .sys, .u3p, .vb, .vbe, .vbs, .vbscript, .vxd, .ws, .wsc, .wsf, and .wsh.

Database Mail uses the Microsoft Windows security context of the current user to control access to files. Users who log in with SQL Server Authentication can't attach files using the @file_attachments parameter with the sp_send_dbmail stored procedure. Windows doesn't allow SQL Server to provide credentials from a remote computer to another remote computer. Therefore, Database Mail can't attach files from a network share when the command is run from a computer other than the computer running SQL Server.

However, you can use SQL Server Agent jobs to attach files. For more information on SQL Server Agent, see Using SQL Server Agent for Amazon RDS and SQL Server Agent in the Microsoft documentation.

Considerations for Multi-AZ deployments

When you configure Database Mail on a Multi-AZ DB instance, the configuration isn't automatically propagated to the secondary. We recommend converting the Multi-AZ instance to a Single-AZ instance, configuring Database Mail, and then converting the DB instance back to Multi-AZ. Then both the primary and secondary nodes have the Database Mail configuration.

If you create a read replica from your Multi-AZ instance that has Database Mail configured, the replica inherits the configuration, but without the password to the SMTP server. Update the Database Mail account with the password.

Removing the SMTP (port 25) restriction

By default, Amazon blocks outbound traffic on SMTP (port 25) for RDS for SQL Server DB instances. This is done to prevent spam based on the elastic network interface owner's policies. You can remove this restriction if needed. For more information, see How do I remove the restriction on port 25 from my Amazon EC2 instance or Lambda function?.