Relational Database Management Systems

• A relational database management system (or RDBMS) is a program that serves databases on the Web or to other computers, and manages them based on a relational model, meaning the tables that make up the databases are interrelated.
  
  

Microsoft SQL Server

• SQL Server is one popular RDBMS, owned by Microsoft. It can interact closely with other Microsoft tools, such as its ASP.NET Web programming framework.
  
  

Origin of "Sequel" and SQL

• "Sequel" is a colloquial term for SQL, which stands for Structured Query Language and is the language used to manage databases in an RDBMS. SQL was actually originally called SEQUEL when it was first developed, by IBM, as "Structured English QUEry Language."
  
  

Structured Query Language

• All relational database management systems use some form of SQL. Microsoft SQL Server in particular uses an enhanced form of SQL called T-SQL.
  
  

Competitors

• Other popular database management systems include MySQL and Oracle.