What is optimistic concurrency control in databases?

What is optimistic concurrency control in databases?

Optimistic concurrency control is a database management technique that assumes multiple transactions can complete without affecting each other. It checks for conflicts only at the time of committing the transaction.

Can you give me an example of how it works?

Sure! Imagine two users trying to update the same record. With optimistic concurrency control, both users can make changes independently. When they try to save, the system checks if the record was modified by another transaction. If not, both updates succeed; if yes, one transaction is rolled back.

What are the advantages of using this method?

The main advantages are improved performance in low-contention scenarios and reduced locking overhead, allowing for greater throughput.

Are there any drawbacks to this approach?

Yes, the main drawback is that it can lead to increased rollbacks and retries in high-contention situations, which can affect performance.