sharepoint 2013 - databases behind the scenes

We all know - how the SQL server databases are related to SharePoint products and technologies. On releasing the SharePoint 2013 preview – let me try to create a ready reckoner for SharePoint databases

DB Category	DB Name	DB Name Syntax	Description
System DBs (Core DB)	Configuration	SharePoint_Config	Stores details about other SharePoint DBs, IIS web sites, web apps, trusted solutions, site templates and web app/farm settings. Only one DB supported per farm
	Central Admin Content	SharePoint_AdminContent_<GUID>	Centtral admin site's content database. Only one DB supported per farm.
	Content	WSS_Content_<GUID>	Stores all site content (list data, docs, web part properties, audit logs, user names, rights etc.) Can contain more than one site collection data. MS recomends the size to limit 200GB to ensure perfoemance. But can support upto 1TB if it’s a low IO system like Record Center. Scale out to multiple DBs for a web app.
User Profile DBs	Profile	<UPSA>_ProfileDB_<GUID>	Stores and manages users and their social information
	Synchronization	<UPSA>_SyncDB_<GUID>	Stores user profile configuration and staging data for use when profile data is syncd with directory services.
	Social Tagging	<UPSA>_SocialDB_<GUID>	Stores social tags and notes created by users along with their URLs.
Search Service DBs	Search Admin	<SSA>_DB_<GUID>	Stores search application configuration and ACL for crawl component.
	Analytics Reporting	<SSA>_Analytics ReportingStoreDB_<GUID>	Stores the results for usage analysis reports and extracts info from link DB.
	Crawl	<SSA>_CrawlStoreDB_<GUID>	Stores the state of crawled data and crawl history MS suggests add additional crawl DB per 10 mil items
	Link	<SSA>_LinkStoreDB_<GUID>	Stores the info ie extracted by content processing component and click through info. Growth: 1GB per 1mil docs ; 1GB per 1mil queries
Other Service App DBs	App License Management	AppMng_Service_DB_<GUID>	Stores the ap licenses and permissions that are downloaded from the Global Marketplace
	Secure Store Service	Secure_Store_Service_DB_<GUID>	Stores and maps credentials such as accounts and password
	Usage	WSS_Logging	Stores health monitoring and usage data temporaitly. It also used for reporting and diagnostics. One usage DB per farm
	Word Conversion	WordConversion_<GUID>	Stores information about pending and completed document conversion
	Subscription Settings Service	SubscriptionSettings_<GUID>	Stores features and settings information for hosted customers.
sp 2013 (STD/ENT) Service App DBs	Word Automation Services	WordAutomationServices_<GUID>	Stores information about pending and completed document conversion
	Business data Connectivity	BDC_Service_DB_<GUID>	Stores external content types and relate objects
	Managed Metadata Service	<MMS>_<GUID>	Stores managed metadata and syndicated content types
	Machine Translation Services	TranslationService_<GUID>	Stores info about pending and completed batch document translations
sp 2013 ENT Service App DBs	Project Server	<Project web App Content DB>	Store project and portfolio management data, time related data etc
	PowerPivot Service App	<PPSA>_<GUID>	Stores data refresh schedules and PowerPivot usage. This requires SQLServer 2012 analytical services (BI / ENT edition)
	Taxonomy	<MMS>_<GUID>	Taxonomy related info
	Performance Point Services	<PerfPointSA>_<GUID>	Stores temporary objects and persisted user comments and settings
	State Service	<SS>_<GUID>	Stores temporary state info for inforpath forms services

Hope this helps J