How do clients connect to a database server?

Clients connect to a database server through a network connection over a specific protocol and port.

#The process looks like this

1. The client (an application or program), such as DBeaver, psql, MySQL Workbench, or a web service, sends a connection request.
2. It specifies the server address (IP or domain name), the port, the database name, the username, and the password. Example connection string:

3. The DBMS server accepts the request, verifies the credentials, and creates a session, a temporary connection between client and server.
4. After that, the client can send SQL queries, and the server returns results.

If the connection drops (e.g. the server restarts), the session closes, and the client has to reconnect.

So: the client -> establishes a connection -> goes through authorization -> gets access to the database.