Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. As a database server, it is a software product with the primary function of storing and retrieving data as requested by other software applications—which may run either on the same computer or on another computer across a network (including the Internet).

Microsoft markets at least a dozen different editions of Microsoft SQL Server, aimed at different audiences and for workloads ranging from small single-machine applications to large Internet-facing applications with many concurrent users

SQL (Structured Query Language) was first time released in year 1989 with release name 'SQL Server 1.0 (16-bit)' and version '1.0 (OS/2)'. The current version is Microsoft SQL Server 2016, released June 1, 2016. The RTM version is 13.0.1601.5. SQL Server 2016 is supported on x64 processors only.