Suggest an editImprove this articleRefine the answer for “What does the term "instance" mean for a database?”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.Approval requiredContentWhat you’re changing🇺🇸EN🇺🇦UAPreviewTitle (EN)Short answer (EN)A database **instance** is **a running copy of the DBMS server software** that manages the database files and performs operations on them; in simpler terms, it's the **active process** or **service** that keeps a database running. **Key point:** a database is the data itself (files, tables, indexes, logs), while an instance is the "engine" that manages those files: it accepts requests, reads and writes data, and allocates memory and resources; when an instance stops, the databases stay on disk, but you can't work with them until the instance starts again.Shown above the full answer for quick recall.Answer (EN)ImageA database **instance** is **a running copy of the DBMS server software** that manages the database files and performs operations on them. In simpler terms, it's the **active process** or **service** that keeps a database running. ### The difference from a database A **database** is the data itself: files, tables, indexes, logs. An **instance** is the "engine" that manages those files: it accepts requests, reads and writes data, and allocates memory and resources. Example: - A server has a **PostgreSQL instance** running. - Inside it there can be several databases (`db1`, `db2`, `db3`). - When the instance stops, the databases stay on disk, but you can't work with them until the instance starts again. So an **instance is a process, and a database is data**.For the reviewerNote to the moderator (optional)Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.