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Manage the Database Engine services

Applies to: SQL Server

SQL Server runs on the operating systems as a service. A service is a type of application that runs in the system background. Services usually provides core operating system features, such as Web serving, event logging, or file serving. Services can run without showing a user interface on the computer desktop. The SQL Server Database Engine, SQL Server Agent, and several other SQL Server components run as services. These services typically are started when the operating system starts. This depends on what is specified during setup; some services aren't started by default. This section describes the management of the various SQL Server services. Before you log in to an instance of SQL Server, you need to know how to start, stop, pause, resume, and restart an instance of SQL Server. After you're logged in, you can perform tasks such as administering the server or querying a database.

Use the SQL Server service

When you start an instance of SQL Server Database Engine, you're starting the SQL Server service. After you start the SQL Server service, users can establish new connections to the server. The SQL Server service can be started and stopped as a service, either locally or remotely. The SQL Server service is referred to as SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER) if it's the default instance, or MSSQL$<instancename> if it's a named instance.

Use SQL Server Configuration Manager

SQL Server Configuration Manager allows you to stop, start, or pause various SQL Server services.

Note

SQL Server Configuration Manager can't manage SQL Server 2000 (8.x) services.

You can also use SQL Server Configuration Manager to view the properties of the selected service. SQL Server Configuration Manager is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. For more information about MMC and how a snap-in works, see Windows Help.

Because SQL Server Configuration Manager is a snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console program and not a stand-alone program, SQL Server Configuration Manager might not appear as an application in newer versions of Windows.

From the Windows Start menu, type SQLServerManager17.msc (for SQL Server 2025 (17.x)). For other versions of SQL Server, replace 17 with the appropriate number. Selecting SQLServerManager17.msc opens SQL Server Configuration Manager.

You can pin SQL Server Configuration Manager to the Start menu or taskbar when you right-click SQLServerManager17.msc, and then select Open file location. In File Explorer, right-click SQLServerManager17.msc, and then select Pin to Start or Pin to taskbar.

Manage services