Database Servers: databases are stored on database servers which are dedicated physical or virtual servers that host the database files and provide high-level performance for users who are accessing the data.

Database servers contain the DBMS used to manage the data and administer the SQL Server envrionment.

A database server can have one default instance and several instances of SQL Server. A SQL Server instance is a copy of the sqlservr.exe program that runs as a Windows operating system service.

Often multiple database servers are deployed to provide high availability and improve performance.

In order for us to install or use this content, we have to have what is called a database server. This is a server that's dedicated to hosting our content. Now this could be a physical server or it could be a virtual server, but it's used to manage that content...from creating the databases to managing the content that is stored in those databases. This database server can have multiple instances. What does that mean? I can install SQL Server several times and manage them separately. We have the same tools that we use for managing all those instances, but I can install SQL Server several times (one may be hosting my SharePoint content and another instance may be hosting my line of business applications) and I can install that multiple times on a single server and that's what the idea of an "Instance" is. It's just multiple installations that reside on a single server.

Every time I do that installation, there's a new copy of a new version of the SQL Server (sqlservr.exe) that's used for managing that content.

So often what we'll do is create multiple database servers and the idea of this is to provide high availability and improve performance. If we have multiple servers, we are able to do that.

	Created by chrisburford over 9 years ago

SQL server training via the Microsoft Virtual Academy website available at http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/

Microsoft Virtual Academy - SQL Server Basics