What Is an Instance?

A database server consists of a database and a database instance:

• A database instance consists of background processes and memory buffers.

• A database is a collection of data that is treated as a unit. Some RDBMS types support more than one database within a database instance, but others support only one database within the instance.

• A database schema is a logical grouping of objects within the database.

Depending on your needs and available machine resources, you can create more than one instance. For example, If you are using multiple instances, you might typically set up a separate instance for production and a separate instance for test or training. This allows for maximum flexibility in managing each database.

The reason for setting up multiple product lines or data areas within a single instance is that they all share a single complete set of Lawson database processes running. For example, Lawson requires the Landmark Technology data (GEN product line and data area) and the Landmark application product line and data area to be within the same database instance.

For more information on using instances and schemas, see your Oracle documentation.