ACID principles in database

ACID principles in database

Maintaining data consistency and integrity across database transactions is critical in software engineering.

The ACID model serves as a fundamental basis for handling database transactions, encompassing the core concepts required to ensure data reliability.

ACID stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability.

These are the foundations of transaction systems, 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀.

Let’s examine each property:

🔹 𝗔𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆

Atomicity is a concept that 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 “𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴”.

This approach is 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 because it 𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 scenarios in which just a piece of the transaction is implemented, which might result in 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 and logical errors in the database.

🔹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆

Consistency 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 by ensuring that 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 while complying with all defined rules, such as unique keys and constraints.

This ensures that data is correct and accessible following the stated business logic and database structure.

🔹 𝗜𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

In a database system where numerous transactions are completed concurrently, isolation guarantees that 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

Isolation contributes to data correctness and integrity by making sure that 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

🔹 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

Database modifications are protected against system failures by durability, which 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆.

ACID principles form the backbone of database integrity, enabling precise and reliable transaction management. Their application is essential for ensuring data consistency across applications.

Thank you!