Database Settings

In the database settings, you can specify the database provider that should be used. Which database provider should be selected depends on your personal needs. If you plan to archive huge amounts of data, e.g. several million emails, you should always use Microsoft SQL Server whenever possible because it will work faster and more efficiently than the internal database. The internal database can easily be used for medium-sized data amounts, e.g. up to one million emails.

Database Provider

Specifies the database provider to be used with MailShelf.

Internal Database

Determines that the application-internal database, based on SQLite, should be used for storing the data.

Microsoft SQL Server

Determines that Microsoft SQL Server should be used for storing the data. To fully automatically install a new Microsoft SQL Server instance, simply click on the "Install" link, which then opens an installation wizard with which Microsoft SQL Server can be installed quickly and virtually completely without configuration.

After selecting to use this database provider, you have to enter or select the path of the database server as well as the instance name which looks like "SERVERNAME\MSSQLSERVER". If you know these information, simply enter it in the box below "Microsoft SQL Server". If you do not know these information, you can search your local computer as well as your local network for all available SQL servers and instances by clicking the blue refresh button that is next to the box.

After clicking this button, the application will discover your local computer/your local network for SQL servers/instances. Ideally, the application can discover both the server name as well as the instance name. However, under some system configurations, the application can just discover the server name so in this case, you have to enter the instance name manually. All servers that were found can be selected by clicking the arrow icon that is right to the box.

After selecting the database server as well as the database instance, you have to specify how to connect to the database server. You can choose between "Windows Authentication" as well as "SQL Server Authentication". When using SQL Server Authentication you have also to specify the user name and the password that should be used to establish the connection. What kind of authentication you use solely depends on your specific needs or on the database server settings. Please contact your SQL Server administrator if you do not know what to choose here.

To learn more about these two different kinds of authentication methods, please visit the following website: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms144284.aspx

Please note that in the multi-user environment, SQL Server Authentication should always be used, ensuring that all MailShelf clients can easily connect.

After selecting the database server, the database instance name as well as the authentication mode, you have to specify the database itself that should be used for storing the information. This can either be a database that already exists or a completely new database.

To select a database, please navigate to the field "Select or enter a database name" and either select an already existing database or enter a name for a new database that should be used for storing the information. You can discover all available databases on the selected server by clicking the blue refresh icon that is next to the selection box. If possible, we recommend to use a new database that is only used for storing the information of the application but as stated above, you can select an existing one.

After you have specified this database provider, you have to test the settings you have made by clicking the "Connection Test" button. Clicking this button verifies that everything has been configured correctly. Please note that you must click the Save button to save your changes. If you simply close this window without clicking the Save button, all your changes will be discarded.