The SMTP message system

The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used in Internet email products.

With the SMTP system, SQL Remote sends messages using Internet mail. The messages are encoded to a text format and sent in an email message to the target database. The messages are sent using an SMTP server, and retrieved from a POP server: this is the way that many email programs send and receive messages.

For a list of operating systems for which SMTP is supported, see [external link] SQL Anywhere Supported Platforms and Engineering Status.

SMTP addresses and user IDs

To use SQL Remote and an SMTP message system, each database participating in the setup requires a SMTP address, and a POP3 user ID and password. These are distinct identifiers: the SMTP address is the destination of each message, and the POP3 user ID and password are the name and password entered by a user when they connect to their mail box.

Separate email account recommended

It is recommended that a separate POP email account be used for SQL Remote messages.

Troubleshooting

If you cannot get the SMTP Link to work try connecting to the SMTP/POP3 server from the same machine on which the Message Agent is running using the same account and password. Use an Internet email program that supports SMTP/POP3 and make sure to disable the program once the SMTP message link is working.

SMTP message control parameters

Before the Message Agent connects to the message system to send or receive messages, the user must either have a set of control parameters already set on their machine, or must fill in a window with the needed information. This information is needed only on the first connection. It is saved and used as the default entries on subsequent connects.

The SMTP message system uses the following control parameters:

  • encode_dll   If you have implemented a custom encoding scheme, you must set this to the full path of the custom encoding DLL that you created.

    See Encoding and compressing messages.

  • local_host   This is the name of the local computer. It is useful on machines where SQL Remote is unable to determine the local host name. The local host name is needed to initiate a session with any SMTP server. In most network environments, the local host name can be determined automatically and this entry is not needed.

  • TOP_supported   SQL Remote uses a POP3 command called TOP when enumerating incoming messages. The TOP command may not be supported by all POP servers. Setting this entry to NO will use the RETR command, which is less efficient but will work with all POP servers. The default is YES.

  • smtp_authenticate   Determines whether the SMTP link authenticates the user. The default value is YES. Set to NO for no SMTP authentication to be carried out.

  • smtp_userid   The user ID for SMTP authentication. By default this parameter takes the same value as the pop3_userid parameter. The smtp_userid only needs to be set if the user ID is different to that on the POP server.

  • smtp_password   The password for SMTP authentication. By default this parameter takes the same value as the pop3_password parameter. The smtp_password only needs to be set if the user ID is different to that on the POP server.

  • smtp_host   This is the name of the computer on which the SMTP server is running. It corresponds to the SMTP host field in the SMTP/POP3 login window.

  • pop3_host   This is the name of the computer on which the POP host is running. It is commonly the same as the SMTP host. It corresponds to the POP3 host field in the SMTP/POP3 login window.

  • pop3_userid   This is used to retrieve mail. The POP user ID corresponds to the user ID field in the SMTP/POP3 login window. You must obtain a user ID from your POP host administrator.

  • pop3_password   This is used to retrieve mail. It corresponds to the password field in the SMTP/POP3 login window. If all of these five fields are set, the login window is not displayed.

  • Debug   When set to YES, displays all SMTP and POP3 commands and responses. This is useful for troubleshooting SMTP/POP support problems. Default is NO.

  • Suppress_dialogs   If set to true, the Connect window does not appear after failed attempts to connect to the mail server. Instead, an error is generated.

Sharing SMTP/POP addresses

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