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I've got one installation of SQL Server Enterprise and a couple of satellite installations of SQL Server Express. I can't justify additional installations of SQL Server itself for these satellites.

The documentation for SQL Server Express clearly states that it's limited to the lesser of one CPU or four cores.

What I can't seem to ascertain is whether this restriction for SQL Server Express really is per instance or per server. Some documentation uses the word "instance". Other documentation does not.

Instances don't seem to be much of an overhead (these days much of the SQL Server application is a shared installation, contrary to this older information). If this is an effective get-by to run several small-ish databases on the same server then that would be very convenient.

Can someone help clarify whether the limitation is per instance or per server, please?

roaima
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  • How would you implement it per server, with all instances permanently coordinating? Asking because I know of no way to do that. – TomTom Nov 15 '18 at 13:45
  • @TomTom I'm sorry I don't understand what you're getting at – roaima Nov 15 '18 at 13:54
  • An instance of SQL server is a default instance or any "named" instance, which are each a separate and unique instance of the Database Engine. The instance limitations are per instance, not per server/OSE (Operating System Environment). – joeqwerty Nov 15 '18 at 16:33
  • @joeqwerty an instance limitation is obviously a limitation per instance. But I don't see how that answers my question. I'm trying to understand whether the restriction of 1 CPU or 4 cores is per server or per instance. – roaima Nov 15 '18 at 17:08
  • `Maximum Compute Capacity Used by a Single Instance (SQL Server Database Engine)` - How is that not clear? – joeqwerty Nov 15 '18 at 17:25
  • I mean... it clearly specifies instance. So... the limitation is per instance... and my comment explains what an instance is... so it's per instance, not per server/OSE, – joeqwerty Nov 15 '18 at 17:27
  • @joeqwerty that one states instance. Other (Microsoft) documentation excludes the word "Instance". – roaima Nov 15 '18 at 17:31
  • Personally, I would take the first link you posted as authoritative information from Microsoft. – joeqwerty Nov 15 '18 at 18:57
  • Other documentation from Microsoft omits the word Instance. Why should this be more authoritative than the other? @joeqwerty – roaima Nov 15 '18 at 20:27
  • You keep mentioning this "other" documentation from Microsoft, how about linking to it? – joeqwerty Nov 15 '18 at 20:40
  • And another thing, you haven't mentioned the specific version of SQL Server you're referring to. Your first link is for SQL Server 2014. Is that the version for which you're trying to get information? You're asking for explicit information so how about giving us specific details? – joeqwerty Nov 15 '18 at 20:51
  • It's per *instance* of SQL Server, not server wide. Instances of SQL Server *do not* talk to each other, which is why troubleshooting 11 instances on the same server is a nightmare. – Sean Gallardy Dec 07 '18 at 04:18
  • @SeanGallardy thank you. After all this it turns out I've been badly advised and what the "consultant" meant was one instance with multiple databases. So the whole question is moot. Sigh. – roaima Dec 07 '18 at 12:29

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