SQL Server Definition

The SQL Server definition is pretty simple: It’s a database server powered by Microsoft. It is an RDBMS (Relational Database Management System) which provides database services such as data storing, retrieving, analyzing, reporting, profiling to other software applications, and stands on the server-side of a client-server model.

SQL Server presents you with a set of tools to create and manipulate databases, tables and other related items such as stored procedures and views. It also supports query evaluation, optimization, concurrency control, and transaction recovery. Relational databases store data in a structured format, using tables with rows and columns. Being an RDBMS, SQL server manages this data while client applications query the data and request for other services.

How does SQL Server work?

When you use a software application, you work with a lot of data that might need to be stored in a database for later manipulation. Most applications use lightweight databases to store small amounts of data on the client-side of the applications. With time, the amount of data proliferates and it is difficult to keep all the data on the client-side. Hence, a requirement arises to store this large volume of data somewhere else and retrieve it when it is needed. SQL Server is used to serve this purpose. As a database management system, it can create, manipulate and manage databases.

SQL Server application may or may not reside on the client machine. In the case of enterprise applications, SQL Server resides on a dedicated database server to which multiple users have access. Since databases (DBs) are managed and controlled by numerous users, the SQL server can handle multiple users, manage their roles and access structure.

To create, read, update and delete data (CRUD operations) in SQL server DBs, client applications must use statements written in Structured Query Language (SQL). You know now the SQL server definition.