Comprehensive Guide to SQL Server and Its Key Components — Detailed Overview

We live in an age where vast amounts of data are generated daily. That’s why We Need An SQL Server Database to Organize Information So Users Can Easily Access the Data. 

However, we must first manage the databases to access data quickly and correctly. To do this, we need a database management system. One of the most popular options in this area is Microsoft SQL Server.

In this article, we will cover the details of SQL Server architecture, what SQL Server is and why it exists, how to use SQL Server, how to interact with Windows SQL Server, and common problems related to SQL Server. First, let’s start with the basics and definitions.

What is an SQL Server?

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Microsoft. This tool is specifically designed to compete with MySQL and Oracle databases. SQL Server supports ANSI SQL, the standard SQL (Structured Search Language) language. However, inspired by SQL, SQL Server introduced a Microsoft language called T-SQL (Transact-SQL) to the database world.

SQL Server provides high-performance data storage and manages large datasets on any computer connected to the network.

The main difference between SQL Server and Windows SQL Server is their usage. SQL Server stores raw data, while Windows Server stores formatted data such as spreadsheets, projects, images, and Word documents.

A key concept is the relational database management system (RDBMS), a set of capabilities and applications that help users create, manage, monitor, and interact with relational databases. Relational database management systems store data in tabular form, and most use SQL to manage them.

SQL Server Architecture

The three main components of a SQL Server architecture are the protocol layer, the relational engine, and the storage engine.

• Protocol layer: This layer supports three types of client-server architectures, plus a stream, and offers the following capabilities:
• Shared memory: The SQL client, run on one device, can communicate through a shared memory protocol.
• TCP / IP: This protocol allows the SQL client and server to communicate with each other if they are installed on separate machines and located remotely apart.
• Named Pipes. This protocol allows the SQL client and server to communicate over a local area network (LAN).
• TDS: All three protocols use Tabular Data Stream packages, which allow data to be transferred from the client machine to the server machine.

Relationship engine

The relational engine, also called the query processor, contains SQL Server components that specify precisely what a query should do and how to execute it. The relational engine runs user queries by requesting data from the backup storage and processing engine. The machine has the following three main components:

• CMD parser: The primary purpose of a CMD parser is to check queries for semantic and syntactic errors and then create a Query Tree. The parser is the first component of the relational engine that receives the dialog data.
• Optimizer: The Optimizer works on comprehensive internal heuristics algorithms to minimize query execution time and create an executable program. Note that Optimizer finds the cheapest, not the best design.
• Query Executor: This role supervises the process of building data retrieval logic. The processing result is published in the protocol layer when the executor receives the data from the storage engine. After publishing the results, the end-user provides the resulting data.

Storage engine

The Storage Engine stores data in a storage system such as a SAN or a disk and retrieves it when needed.

• File Types: The storage engine consists of three types of files: primary, secondary, and report files.
• Access Method: This component is the interface between the query, the buffer manager, and the log report.
• Buffer Manager: This component manages the main functions of the following three modules:
• Plan Cache: The buffer manager looks for the existing executable program stored in Plan Cache.
• Data Parsing: The buffer manager allows you to access the required data through the data parser and the buffer module.
• Dirty Pages: These pages hold logical transaction processing data.
• Transaction Manager: The transaction manager module is activated when there are non-optional transactions, which must be managed with Log and Lock Managers.

SQL Server Version History and Versions

SQL Server has been around for more than three decades since this version was released.

• 1989. Microsoft and Sybase have released version 1.0.
• 1993. Microsoft and Sybase terminated their partnership, but Microsoft retained the rights to SQL Server.
• 1998. Microsoft released SQL Server 7.0, which was a significant rewrite.
• 2000 . Microsoft released SQL Server 2000.
• 2005. Microsoft released SQL Server 2005.
• 2008. Microsoft released SQL Server 2008.
•  2010. Microsoft released SQL Server 2008 R2, adding new services and a core data management system.
• 2012. Microsoft released SQL Server 2012.
• 2014. Microsoft released SQL Server 2014.
• 2016. Microsoft released SQL Server 2016.
• 2017. Microsoft released SQL Server 2017 with Linux support.
• 2019. Microsoft introduced SQL Server 2019, which supports significant data clusters.

The following versions of SQL Server software are popular today:

• SQL Server Enterprise: Designed for high-level, large-scale business operations, it offers advanced analytics, high-level security, and machine learning capabilities.
• SQL Server Standard: The most suitable option for intermediate-level applications and data, including initial reporting and analysis.
• SQL Server WEB: Designed for web hosting and an affordable option, it is scalable and has management capabilities to manage small to large websites.
• SQL Server Developer is similar to the enterprise version but is designed for non-production environments and used primarily for builds, tests, and demos.
• SQL Server Express: An open-source, mid-range option designed for small-scale applications.

My SQL Server is based on client-server architecture.

A client is a program that sends requests to an MS SQL Server that must be executed on a specific machine. The server can process the input data based on the received request. Finally, the server provides the processed data to the user as output.

With this description, we must say that the client is the requesting party, and the server is the party that starts the process and finally responds to that request.

SQL Server architecture components

• MS SQL Server consists of a series of services and components as follows:
• Database Engine: This component is responsible for storing, securing data, and fast processing transactions.
• SQL Server: This service starts, stops, suspends, and continues Microsoft SQL Server instances. Its executable name is sqlservr.exe.
• SQL Server Agent: This factor is responsible for scheduling tasks triggered by events or on demand. Its executable name is sqlagent.exe.
• SQL Server Browser: This listener listens to incoming requests and connects them to the required SQL Server instance. Its executable name is sqlbrowser.exe.
• SQL Server Full-Text Search: This search component allows users to perform full-text queries on the character data in SQL tables. Its executable name is fdlauncher.exe.
• SQL Server VSS Writer: This component backs up and restores data files when the SQL Server is not running. Its executable name is sqlwriter.exe.
• SQL Server Analysis Services: This service provides data analysis, mining, and machine learning functions. R and Python programmers can use this module’s capabilities to interact with data hosted on SQL Server. Its executable name is msmdsrv.exe.
• SQL Server Reporting Services: This service provides reporting features and decision-making capabilities, including Hadoop integration. Its executable name is ReportingServicesService.exe.
• SQL Server Integration Services: This service allows you to extract, convert, and load different data types between sources. In short, it converts raw information into useful information. Its executable name is MsDtsSrvr.exe.

Separation of SQL Server instances and their importance

• SQL Server allows users to run multiple services simultaneously, each with its own database, ports, logins, and applications. There are two types of samples: Primary and named.
• Primary service is the default, while the remaining services are registered. Users can access the leading service via IP address or server name, while registered services need to add a backlash and a sample name.

The advantages of SQL Server instances are as follows:

You can install and run different versions on one machine

• You can run different versions of SQL Server on one device so that each installation works independently.

You can reduce costs.

• Examples help reduce SQL Server performance costs, especially when purchasing a SQL Server license. Users receive different services from different samples, so you do not need to buy a permit for all services.

You can have development, production, and testing environments separately

• You can assign different instances to development, production, and testing tasks if you have many SQL Server instances on one machine.

You can reduce temporary database problems.

• If you run all your services on one instance of SQL Server, you may have problems, but you will have fewer problems when your services run on different models.

You can separate permissions and permissions.

• You can pursue security more seriously and run discreet services in some instances.

You can have a standby server.

• If one instance of SQL Server fails, the service can terminate, but if you have a standby server, the latter will go into the circuit if the current server fails. Using SQL Server instances, you can easily access all of these services.

Uses of SQL Server

The modern world generates astonishing amounts of new data, so we need databases to store information and database management systems to better use the data.

As a database management system, SQL Server offers several services, the most important of which are:

• Create databases
• Maintenance of databases
• Data Analysis via Server Analysis Services (SSAS)
• Create reports with SSRS SQL Server Reporting Services
• Perform ETL operations, including (Extract, Transform, and Load) with an SSIS service called SQL Server Integration Services

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