SQL Mail allows Microsoft® SQL Server™ to send and receive e-mail by establishing a client connection with a mail server. Unlike SQL Server version 6.5, which used a single service to handle mail, SQL Server 7.0 uses two services to handle mail. MSSQLServer processes mail for all of the mail stored procedures. SQLServerAgent (formally SQLExecutive) does not use SQL Mail to send e-mail. Instead, SQLServerAgent uses its own mail capabilities that are configured and operated separately from SQL Mail.
The SQL Server Agent mail features will be referred to as SQLAgentMail to distinguish it from the SQL Mail features provided by MSSQLServer. SQL Mail establishes a simple MAPI connection with a mail host while SQLAgentMail establishes either a simple or extended MAPI connection. Both SQL Mail and SQLAgentMail can connect with Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Windows NT® Mail, or a Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) server.
Using SQL Mail extended stored procedures, messages can be sent from either a trigger or a stored procedure. SQL Mail stored procedures can manipulate data, process queries received by e-mail and return the result set by creating a reply e-mail. SQLAgentMail can be configured to send an e-mail when an alert is triggered or when a scheduled task either succeeds or fails.