SQL Server Database Engine

The Database Engine is the core service for storing, processing, and securing data. The Database Engine provides controlled access and rapid transaction processing to meet the requirements of the most demanding data consuming applications within your enterprise.

Use the Database Engine to create relational databases for online transaction processing or online analytical processing data. This includes creating tables for storing data, and database objects such as indexes, views, and stored procedures for viewing, managing, and securing data. You can use SQL Server Management Studio to manage the database objects, and SQL Server Profiler to capture server events.

Browse Content by Area What's New (Database Engine)

SQL Server Database Engine Backward Compatibility

SQL Server Management Tools Backward Compatibility

Database Features and Tasks

Technical Reference

Transact-SQL Reference

XQuery Reference

See Also

SQL Server Resource Center