FIX: sp_processmail Gets Ambiguous Recipient Error

• Microsoft SQL Server version 6.0

SYMPTOMS

The system stored procedure sp_processmail can fail to reply to a message sent to the server if the sender uses an ambiguous e-mail address.

WORKAROUND

Make sure that there are no ambiguous e-mail addresses.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft SQL Server version 6.0. This problem has been corrected in SQL Server 6.0 Service Pack 3. For more information, contact your primary support provider.

MORE INFORMATION

Here is an example of this problem:

Suppose there are the following two email addresses, "SQL" and "SQLSERVER."

If e-mail user "SQL" sends a message to a SQL Server that has sp_processmail running, SQL Server will receive the message, but SQL Server fails in sending a reply because the intended recipient's address is ambiguous. The address is ambiguous because e-mail address resolution says that both "SQL" and "SQLSERVER" are possibilities for the address "SQL."

Here is the updated documentation of xp_readmail from the SQL Server 6.5 documentation:

   Syntax
   xp_readmail ([@msg_id = msg_id] [, @type = type [OUTPUT]] [, @peek =
   {'true' | 'false'}]
   [, @suppress_attach = {'true' | 'false'}]
   [, @originator = @sender OUTPUT]
   [, @subject = @subject_line OUTPUT]
   [, @message = @body_of_message OUTPUT]
   [, @recipients = @recipient_list OUTPUT]
   [, @cc_list = @cc_list OUTPUT]
   [, @bcc_list = @bcc_list OUTPUT]
   [, @date_received = @date OUTPUT]
   [, @unread = {'true' | 'false'} OUTPUT]
   [, @attachments = @temp_file_paths OUTPUT])
   [, @skip_bytes = @bytes_to_skip OUTPUT]
   [, @msg_length = @length_in_bytes OUTPUT]
   [, @originator_address = @originator_address OUTPUT])
   where
   @originator_address
   Specifies the resolved mail address of the originator of the mail
   message. The @originator_address variable must be varchar(255).

For additional syntax information for xp_readmail see the Microsoft SQL Server Transact-SQL Reference.