# multitenancy > a single instance of a software that serves multiple tenants **Wikidata**: [Q1364211](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1364211) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multitenancy) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/multitenancy ## Summary Multitenancy is a software architecture where a single instance of a software application serves multiple customers, who are referred to as tenants. In this model, all tenants share the application and its underlying infrastructure, but each tenant's data is isolated and remains invisible to other tenants. This one-to-many structure is a foundational concept in modern software systems. ## Key Facts - **Classification:** Multitenancy is a type of software architecture. - **Core Principle:** A single running instance of a software application is designed to serve multiple tenants (user groups or customers) simultaneously. - **Aliases:** The concept is also known as multi-tenancy technology, multitenant, Mandantenfähig (German), and multitenencia (Spanish). - **Sitelink Count:** The topic has a Wikipedia article in 12 different languages, including English, German, Spanish, French, and Korean. - **Related Concept:** It is a specific implementation within the broader field of software architecture, which deals with the high-level structures of software systems. - **Digital Identifiers:** The topic is identified on Quora as "Multitenancy" and on Stack Exchange with the tag "multi-tenant". Its former Freebase ID was /m/08w2wm. ## FAQs ### Q: What is the basic principle of multitenancy? A: The basic principle is that one single instance of a software program runs on a server and serves multiple distinct user groups, known as tenants. Although the application is shared, each tenant's data and configuration are logically separated from those of other tenants. ### Q: What kind of concept is multitenancy? A: Multitenancy is a type of software architecture. This means it is a fundamental choice about the high-level structure and organization of a software system, dictating how its components interact to serve users. ### Q: Is "multitenant" the same as "multitenancy"? A: Yes, "multitenant" is a common alias for the concept of multitenancy. The term is often used to describe an application or system that has been built using a multitenancy architecture. ## Why It Matters Multitenancy is a significant architectural pattern because it enables economies of scale for software providers. By maintaining a single, shared application and infrastructure, providers can streamline maintenance, updates, and security monitoring. Instead of deploying and managing a separate software instance for every customer, a provider manages just one, and any updates or patches are instantly available to all tenants. This model is the technical foundation for most Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products, allowing them to serve thousands of customers efficiently and cost-effectively from a shared platform. For customers, it often translates to lower subscription costs and access to professionally managed, up-to-date software without the burden of self-hosting. The architecture's ability to serve many customers from a single instance fundamentally changed the business model for software delivery. ## Notable For - **One-to-Many Service Model:** Its defining characteristic is the one-to-many relationship where a single software instance serves multiple, logically isolated tenants. - **Architectural Efficiency:** The pattern is notable for the operational efficiency it provides, as maintenance and updates only need to be applied once to the central instance to benefit all tenants. - **Global Terminology:** The concept is recognized with specific terminology across different languages, such as "Mandantenfähig" or "mandantentauglich" in German and "architecture multi-tenant" in French, indicating its global relevance in software engineering. ## Body ### Core Concept and Definition Multitenancy is a software architecture defined by a single instance of a software application serving multiple tenants. A "tenant" is a group of users, such as a specific customer or organization, that uses the application. While the application instance and its underlying resources are shared among all tenants, the architecture ensures that each tenant's data, users, and configurations are logically isolated and not accessible by other tenants. ### Classification in Software Architecture As a specific type of software architecture, multitenancy is a high-level structural choice made during the design of a software system. It stands in contrast to a single-tenant or multi-instance architecture, where a separate instance of the software and its supporting infrastructure is deployed for each customer. ### Terminology and Aliases The concept is known by several names and in multiple languages, reflecting its widespread adoption in the software industry. - **English Aliases:** multi-tenancy technology, multitenant - **Spanish:** tenencia multiple, multitenencia - **French:** multi-entité, architecture multi-tenant - **German:** Mandantenfähig, mandantentauglich - **Chinese:** 多重租赁, 多租户 ### Digital Presence and Identifiers The topic of multitenancy is established on various technical and academic platforms: - **Quora Topic:** Multitenancy - **Stack Exchange Tag:** `https://stackoverflow.com/tags/multi-tenant` - **Freebase ID:** /m/08w2wm - **Microsoft Academic ID (Discontinued):** 69016650 ## References 1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 2. Quora 3. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)