What is server instance in SQL Server?

What is an instance of a server?

An instance is a single copy of the software running on a single physical or virtual server. If you run two copies of the software on the same physical or virtual server, that counts as two instances.

What is the difference between server and instance in SQL Server?

The main difference between instance and database in SQL server is that an instance is a copy of the sqlservr.exe executable that runs as an operating system service while a database is a systematic collection of data that stores data in tables. SQL Server is an RDBMS developed by Microsoft.

What is a SQL Server instance name?

Microsoft SQL Server (MS-SQL) has a feature called named instances. This feature allows you to run multiple databases on the same host (or clustered hosts) with separate settings. Each db (database) instance runs on its own port.

What is difference between instance and database?

Database Versus Instance The database is the data on disk, stored in operating system files (or possibly, under Unix, in raw files). The instance is composed of the System Global Area (SGA) memory and the background processes. The instance is STARTed using Oracle Server Manager or Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM).