ACID properties encompass a set of crucial characteristics that ensure the reliability and consistency of transactions within a database system. They are the four fundamental rules for a successful transaction in any database, forming the basis for testers when devising their test plan. ACID stands for:
Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability
What Is A Transaction?
A transaction represents a logical unit of work comprising one or more operations executed on a database to access and modify its content. For instance, in a retail inventory system, when a product is sold, the database must update both the available quantity of the product and the sales record. These updates occur within a transaction.
A Brief Understanding of ACID
Atomicity
Atomicity ensures that every transaction within the system is treated as an indivisible unit, either entirely successful or not at all.
Under this principle, a transaction leads to either of the two outcomes:
Commit
All operations within the transaction execute successfully, resulting in permanent changes to the database. These modifications are visible to other transactions, signifying the database’s successful transition to a consistent and valid state after the transaction’s operations.
Abort/Rollback
If one or more operations within the transaction fail, the database reverts to its state before the transaction’s initiation. No alterations are made to the database, ensuring prevention of partial updates that could introduce inconsistencies across the entire system.
Consider a scenario where a banking application processes a funds transfer transaction from Account A to Account B. The Atomicity principle ensures that if the debit from Account A occurs successfully, the corresponding credit into Account B should also be successful. If any part of this transaction fails, the entire process is rolled back, preserving the integrity of the accounts.
Consistency
The consistency property mandates that the correctness and integrity of the data and the database’s state must be maintained both before and after a transaction. This includes preserving relationships between data fields, such as primary key uniqueness, foreign key references, and domain constraints.
Let’s envision a scenario involving an e-commerce platform that sells unique products. The Consistency principle ensures that after a successful purchase transaction, the product’s stock is accurately updated and the customer’s order history is correctly recorded. It guards against scenarios where a purchase is made, but the stock is not updated, which could lead to a discrepancy in the records.
Isolation
Isolation ensures that each transaction is executed in isolation from other concurrently executing transactions. Even though multiple transactions may be occurring simultaneously, they should not interfere with each other, preventing issues like:
Dirty Read
A “dirty read” occurs when a transaction reads data that another transaction has modified but not yet committed. The data is considered “dirty” because it has been altered, but the modifying transaction has not completed, potentially leading to retrieval of misleading information.
Non-Repeatable Read
In a “non-repeatable read,” a transaction reads the same data twice within its scope, but another transaction modifies the data between the two reads. Consequently, the second read yields a different value compared to the first read, causing confusion and inconsistencies.
Phantom Read
A “phantom read” takes place when a transaction reads a set of records based on a specific condition, and another transaction inserts or deletes records matching that condition before the first transaction completes. If the initial transaction attempts to read those records again, the identity or value has changed due to the alterations made by the intervening transaction.
Suppose multiple users simultaneously attempt to withdraw funds from an ATM. The Isolation principle ensures that each transaction is independent and not influenced by others, preventing one user’s transaction from interfering with another’s, thereby avoiding potential conflicts.
Durability
Durability guarantees that once a transaction is committed, its changes are permanent and will endure system failures, crashes, or power outages. The committed changes are stored in a durable medium and will be reinstated to maintain consistency in the database even after system restarts or failures.
Consider a scenario where an online retail platform processes orders. After a customer places an order, the Durability principle ensures that even if the system encounters a crash or failure, the order data remains intact and is not lost. When the system is restored, it still reflects the order, upholding the customer’s purchase history and ensuring a seamless experience.
Conclusion
These ACID properties, with their illustrative examples, stand as the backbone of database transactions, providing a robust framework for reliability, integrity, and consistency. The meticulous adherence to these principles underscores the essence of reliable software systems, reassuring users that their data is secure, consistent, and persistently available. In the realm of software engineering, embracing and implementing these ACID properties is akin to constructing a sturdy bridge, ensuring that the journey of data through the database landscape is smooth, reliable, and steadfast.
