What is Sequel Server?

It’s rare to see someone actually write down the word “Sequel Server”. But since you’re here, let’s have a look at it.

Did you mean SQL Server?

Sequel Server is the way that some people, actually a lot of people, pronounce the word SQL Server. There are two meanings to it.

Sequel Server can be defined broadly as a database server that uses the SQL language. But we don’t see this often. It’s not the case then.
Sequel Server actually refers to SQL Server (or MS SQL Server), a relational database management system, which is pronounced the same.

So basically it’s SQL Server, you might call it Sequel Server, but as I mentioned earlier, no one writes it Sequel Server.

But why we call it Sequel Server?

The reason comes down to the origin and pronunciation of SQL (Structured Query Language), the standard language used in every relational database system.

Initially, when SQL was created by IBM in the early 1970s, it was called Sequel. Later, due to some legal issues with the trademark, they have to rename it to SQL, often pronounced as S-Q-L. However, a lot of people are still pronouncing it sequel the old way. There’s no right and wrong in the way you call it as there’s no official pronunciation either, but it raises the extreme argument within the database community every now and then.

That’s why SQL Server is sometimes pronounced Sequel Server, it’s sort of ok too. But I don’t think it’s ok to write it down as Sequel Server as Microsoft doesn’t do that.

So the actual question is, what is SQL Server?

SQL Server is a relational database management system developed and owned by Microsoft. It’s also among the most popular database management systems, widely used by a lot of big and small companies around the world.

Microsoft started the first Microsoft SQL Server product – SQL Server 1.0, a 16-bit server for the OS/2 operating system in 1989 - and extends to the current day.

SQL Server uses T-SQL for querying and managing data from its database. TSQL is an extended form which was built on top of SQL and added some enhancement to overcome some limitations of SQL.

Microsoft makes SQL Server available in multiple editions, with different feature sets and targeting different users, including free and paid versions.

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