Database Mail and email alerts with SQL Server Agent on Linux

Applies to: SQL Server - Linux

This article shows how to set up Database Mail and use it with SQL Server Agent (mssql-server-agent) on Linux.

1. Enable Database Mail

USE master;
GO

EXECUTE sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;
GO

RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE;
GO

EXECUTE sp_configure 'Database Mail XPs', 1;
GO

RECONFIGURE;
GO

2. Create a new account

EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_account_sp
    @account_name = 'SQLAlerts',
    @description = 'Account for Automated DBA Notifications',
    @email_address = 'sqlagenttest@example.com',
    @replyto_address = 'sqlagenttest@example.com',
    @display_name = 'SQL Agent',
    @mailserver_name = 'smtp.example.com',
    @port = 587,
    @enable_ssl = 1,
    @username = 'sqlagenttest@example.com',
    @password = '<password>';
GO

Caution

Your password should follow the SQL Server default password policy. By default, the password must be at least eight characters long and contain characters from three of the following four sets: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, base-10 digits, and symbols. Passwords can be up to 128 characters long. Use passwords that are as long and complex as possible.

3. Create a default profile

EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_profile_sp
    @profile_name = 'default',
    @description = 'Profile for sending Automated DBA Notifications';
GO

4. Add the Database Mail account to a Database Mail profile

EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_principalprofile_sp
    @profile_name = 'default',
    @principal_name = 'public',
    @is_default = 1;
GO

5. Add account to profile

EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sysmail_add_profileaccount_sp
    @profile_name = 'default',
    @account_name = 'SQLAlerts',
    @sequence_number = 1;
GO

6. Send test email

You might have to go to your email client and enable the allow less secure clients to send mail option. Not all clients recognize Database Mail as an email daemon.

EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail
    @profile_name = 'default',
    @recipients = 'recipient-email@example.com',
    @subject = 'Testing DBMail',
    @body = 'This message is a test for DBMail';
GO

7. Set Database Mail profile using mssql-conf or environment variable

You can use the mssql-conf utility, or environment variables, to register your Database Mail profile. In this case, let's call our profile default.

  • Set via mssql-conf:

    sudo /opt/mssql/bin/mssql-conf set sqlagent.databasemailprofile default
    
  • Set via environment variable:

    MSSQL_AGENT_EMAIL_PROFILE=default
    

8. Set up an operator for SQL Server Agent job notifications

EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_add_operator
    @name = N'JobAdmins',
    @enabled = 1,
    @email_address = N'recipient-email@example.com',
    @category_name = N'[Uncategorized]';
GO

9. Send email when 'Agent Test Job' succeeds

EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_update_job
    @job_name = 'Agent Test Job',
    @notify_level_email = 1,
    @notify_email_operator_name = N'JobAdmins';
GO