'Microsoft SQL Server' is a database management system of the relational type, created by Microsoft. As a software product, its main role is to store and retrieve data upon request from other software applications. These applications may be located on the same machine or on a different machine over a network, which includes the Internet.

Microsoft SQL Server offers a platform for creating databases accessible from various devices like workstations, the Internet, or even handheld devices such as PDAs. It predominantly uses T-SQL and ANSI SQL as its primary languages for querying.