What are the best practices for optimistic concurrency control?

What are the best practices for optimistic concurrency control?

Optimistic concurrency control (OCC) is a strategy used in database management to handle concurrent transactions. Best practices include using versioning, implementing conflict detection, and ensuring proper transaction isolation levels.

Can you explain how versioning works in OCC?

Versioning in OCC involves maintaining a version number for each record. When a transaction reads a record, it also reads its version number. Before committing, the transaction checks if the version number has changed. If it has, a conflict is detected, and the transaction can be retried.

What are some common pitfalls to avoid with OCC?

Common pitfalls include not handling conflicts properly, assuming low contention, and neglecting to optimize transaction duration. It's crucial to design your system to anticipate and manage these issues.

How does OCC compare to pessimistic concurrency control?

OCC allows transactions to proceed without locking resources, assuming conflicts are rare, while pessimistic concurrency control locks resources to prevent conflicts. OCC is generally more efficient in low-contention scenarios.