CAP Theorem: Balancing Consistency, Availability, and Partition Tolerance
In the world of distributed systems, the CAP theorem plays a crucial role. Much like the familiar choice between "cheap, fast, and good," the CAP theorem states that a distributed system can only provide two out of three properties simultaneously: consistency, availability, and partition tolerance. Exploring the Three Properties Consistency Consistency ensures that all nodes in a system reflect the same data at any given time. If you perform a read operation, it should return the result of the most recent write operation. For example, consider a banking system where account balances must be updated consistently across all nodes. Inconsistent data could lead to incorrect balance displays or unauthorized transactions. Example: In a consistent system, if you transfer money from your savings to your checking account, both accounts will immediately reflect the changes, regardless of which node you access. Availability Availability guarantees that every request to the system rece...