SQL Server 2005 mailer feature uses Service Broker

I’ve heard this around quite a bit lately, but I attend some conferences and follow a lot of newsgroups. If you haven’t heard:


Database Mail (was also called SQLimail I beleive) the new SMTP mail service in SQL Server 2005 uses Service Broker as the underlying infrastructure. One of the reasons why is: scalibility – “Database mail provides background or asynchronous delivery”. Also listed are security, reliability, and supportability. Hmmm…


That brings the number of internal features implemented using Service Broker to three.
1. Event notifications
2. Query notifications
3. Database mail


One slide I saw (I forget where offhand) said “look for more in future”.

2 thoughts on “SQL Server 2005 mailer feature uses Service Broker

  1. Does this mean we can stick our own "formatters, transports, pipelines" within the Service Broker implementations of the 3 to override or extend this behavor has well?

    For example, replace Database mail outbound to SMTP with other transport and formatting, to a home-grown monitoring application?

  2. Hi Shawn,

    I think you’re thinking of SQL Server Notification Services, based on the word "formatters". If you’re not, I don’t know enough about the internal implementation to know if you can change it.

    You could use Event Notifications (1) as a start for a home-grown monitoring application, though. If there were a Service Broker event provider for SQL Server Notification Services, this would provide more of a start at a home grown monitoring app, of the type you’re suggesting.

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