Distributed transactions are a critical concept in modern distributed systems. They ensure that a set of operations across multiple databases or services are executed atomically, either all successfully or all as if they had never occurred. This is crucial for maintaining data consistency and integrity.
Key Points
- Atomicity: All or nothing execution.
- Consistency: All participants are in a consistent state.
- Isolation: Each transaction is isolated from others.
- Durability: Once committed, the transaction is permanent.
Challenges
Distributed transactions can be complex due to network delays, failures, and inconsistencies. Some common challenges include:
- Deadlocks: When two or more transactions are waiting indefinitely for each other to release resources.
- Network Partitions: When the network splits into two or more disjoint sets of nodes.
- Timeouts: When a transaction takes too long to complete.
Solutions
To overcome these challenges, various techniques and patterns are used:
- Two-Phase Commit (2PC): A protocol used to ensure atomicity in distributed transactions.
- TCC (Try, Confirm, Cancel): A pattern that allows for partial commit and rollback in case of failure.
- SAGA Pattern: A pattern that breaks a long-running transaction into a series of local transactions.
Learn More
For a deeper understanding of distributed transactions, you can read more about 2PC and SAGA Pattern.
Distributed System Architecture