Why are database isolation levels important?

What are database isolation levels and why are they important?

Database isolation levels define how transaction integrity is visible to other transactions. They are crucial for maintaining data consistency and preventing issues like dirty reads, non-repeatable reads, and phantom reads.

Can you explain the different types of isolation levels?

Sure! The main isolation levels are Read Uncommitted, Read Committed, Repeatable Read, and Serializable. Each level offers a trade-off between performance and data consistency.

What happens if I choose a lower isolation level?

Choosing a lower isolation level can improve performance but may lead to data anomalies, such as dirty reads, where a transaction reads data that has not yet been committed.

How do I decide which isolation level to use?

It depends on your application's requirements. If data accuracy is critical, opt for higher isolation levels. For high-performance needs, lower levels may suffice.