Database consistency and beyond

Database consistency is a critical component of database management that ensures that every transaction brings the database from one valid state to another while adhering to all predefined rules and constraints, such as integrity constraints, triggers, and cascades. It’s part of the Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability (ACID) properties, which are fundamental to transaction processing in databases. Consistency ensures that transactions are executed fully or not at all, maintaining the database’s correctness at all times. Beyond the database’s constraints, application-level rules also contribute to maintaining consistency, ensuring that business logic is accurately reflected in the data.

However, managing a database goes beyond just maintaining consistency. It involves balancing consistency with performance and scalability, especially as databases grow in size and complexity. This balance is crucial in distributed...