On this page: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms378428.aspx
Microsoft claims:
"SQL Server allows for the installation of multiple database instances per server. Each instance is identified by a specific name. To connect to a named instance of SQL Server, you can either specify the port number of the named instance (preferred), or you can specify the instance name as a JDBC URL property or a datasource property."
Why are ports the "preferred" method for connecting to sqlserver named instance with jdbc? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using ports over instance names?