Synonyms
Memory consistency; Replica consistency
Definition
When a distributed database system keeps several copies or replicas for a data item, at different sites, then the system may ensure that the copies are always consistent (that is, they have the same value), or the system may allow temporary discrepancy between the copies. Even if the copies are not the same, the algorithms that manage the data may be able to hide the discrepancies from clients. A consistency model defines the extent to which discrepancies can exist or be observed, between the copies. If the system offers a strong consistency model, then clients will not be aware of the fact that the system has replicated data, while a weak consistency model requires more careful programming of the clients, so they can cope with the discrepancies they observe.
Historical Background
Most replication research in the 1970s aimed to provide the illusion of an unreplicated database offering serializability. In the early 1980s,...
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Fekete, A. (2018). Consistency Models for Replicated Data. In: Liu, L., Özsu, M.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Database Systems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8265-9_78
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