SQL Server is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. It includes several editions - Enterprise, Standard, Web, Developer and Express - that differ in features and scale limits. The core components of SQL Server are the Database Engine for data storage and processing, and Analysis Services, Reporting Services, Integration Services, and Master Data Services for analytics, reporting, ETL and master data management respectively. An SQL Server instance is a service that handles application requests to work with databases. It can run on a single computer or across a network. High availability features like log shipping, database mirroring and AlwaysOn are available in higher editions to minimize downtime.