Difference between database and Instances

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Hi,
While installing the new SqlServer, it ask me to create an Instance. I have basic knowledge about an instance but I couldn't figure out what is the difference between a database and instance.

While searching in the net, what it describes is
Instance- Software (memory) that holds the database.
Database- Has data and metadata

and more over many instance can be mapped to single database but single instance can have only one database.

Can anybody tell, how instance and database differ in depth? What are the major use of both.

Thanks 4 your Reply

Posted 30-May-13 16:00pm

Prasaad SJ

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Sudhakar Shinde · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-30T19:46:00

Database: A collection of physical operating system files or disk. When using Oracle 10g Automatic Storage Management (ASM) or RAW
partitions,the database may not appear as individual separate files in the operating system, but the definition remains the same.

Instance: A set of Oracle background processes/threads and a shared memory area, which is memory that is shared across those threads/processes running on a single computer. This the place to maintain volatile, nonpersistent stuff (some of which gets flushed to disk).A database instance can exist without any disk storage whatsoever. It might not be the most useful thing in the world, but thinking about it that way will definitely help draw the line between the instance and the database.

Check this LINK for more information.