Concept of Server, Database, Table, Column, Rows – Data Basics Explained for Beginners

Introduction

If you’re stepping into the world of data analytics or tools like Power BI or SQL Server, you must first understand how data is structured. Think of it like building a house—before the walls and windows, you need a foundation.In this post, we’ll cover five essential concepts:
Server, Database, Table, Column, and Row.These are the building blocks of all data storage and analytics systems.

1. What is a Server?

A server is a powerful computer or system that stores and manages data, applications, and services. In data analytics, servers store databases and allow users or tools like Power BI to access data either locally or online.

Example:

• SQL Server is a relational database server created by Microsoft.
• It hosts databases that can be accessed via SQL queries or connected to Power BI.

2. What is a Database?

A database is a collection of related data stored in an organized way. It lives inside the server and can contain one or more tables.Think of a database as a folder inside a cabinet (server), where each folder holds several files (tables).Want to learn with real SQL databases? Join Our Data Analytics Course

3. What is a Table?

A table is a structured format where actual data is stored. It looks like an Excel sheet with rows and columns.

• Each row is a new data entry
• Each column represents a field or attribute

In Power BI or SSMS, this table can be imported and visualized.

4. What is a Column?

A column defines the type of data that can be stored in each row. For example:

Columns help structure the data and keep it consistent.

Columns are also used for filtering and sorting data in Power BI visualizations.

5. What is a Row?

A row is a single record in the table — it’s a complete data entry. If a column is the question, a row is the answer.

Example Row:

• ID: 3
• Name: Zoya
• Age: 16
• Class: 10B

Each new student added to the system would be a new row in the table.

Real-World Example

Let’s say you’re building a student dashboard in Power BI:

• Your SQL Server hosts the data
• Inside it, you have a StudentDB database
• Within that database, there’s a Students table
• Each column contains fields like Name, Age, Grade
• Each row stores a student’s information

Related: How Power BI connects to SQL Server

Summary

These 5 concepts form the core of data handling in SQL, Power BI, and every analytics or database-driven platform.

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