Single-tenant vs multitenant deployment in Business Central
Business Central can be deployed in two ways: single-tenant (the default for on-premises) or multitenant. The difference comes down to two questions: where is the application stored and who shares the server.
Single-tenant
- The application and the business data are stored in the same database.
- Each customer solution has its own Business Central Server instance and its own database.
- This is what you get when you run the standard on-premises installation.
Multitenant
- The database is split in two: one application database (objects, metadata, the shared app) and one tenant database per customer (only business data).
- Many tenants share the same Business Central Server instance and the same application.
- Updating the application once updates it for every tenant mounted on that server.
- Business Central online is a multitenant service, which is why your SaaS environment is called a tenant.
Side by side
| Single-tenant | Multitenant | |
|---|---|---|
| Application and data | Same database | Separate application database + tenant databases |
| Server instance | One per customer solution | Shared by many tenants |
| Typical use | Default on-premises install | Hosting partners, Business Central online |
Exam traps
If an answer says application and data are in separate databases or customers share a server, it describes multitenant, not single-tenant.
Learn more: Planning a deployment of Business Central and Multitenant deployment architecture.
Practice questions
Pick an answer to check it. Questions are original and written for practice.
1. A partner hosts Business Central on-premises for one customer. The application and the company data are kept in one SQL Server database. Which deployment architecture is this?
Show answer
Answer: B.In a single-tenant deployment the application tables and business data live in the same database. That is the default when you install Business Central on-premises.
2. You plan a multitenant deployment for several customers. Where is the application (objects and metadata) stored?
Show answer
Answer: B.Multitenancy splits the database in two. One application database holds the shared application, and each customer has a tenant database with only its business data.
3. Which statement about the Business Central Server in a default single-tenant deployment is true?
Show answer
Answer: A.Single-tenant means one solution per server instance and database. Sharing a server between customers is what multitenancy is for.