Choose the right database for your needs: BASE vs ACID model
Tags: webdev, database, systemdesign, distributedsystems
Published: 2024-05-15 12:20:11

Hi there, it's been a while

Today, I am excited to simplify the ACID and BASE models for anybody to understand how to make the right database decision. Continue reading and tell me if you enjoyed your reading.

In databases, transactions ensure data integrity by grouping multiple operations into one unit. How database transactions are handled is greatly dependent on the choice of database model that is being used.

ACID and BASE are transaction models that determine how a database manipulates and organizes transactional data.

The difference between a BASE and ACID database model lies in their unique approaches to handling data availability, consistency, and scalability.

In this article, we'll delve into the fundamental differences between these two models, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and suitable use cases.


![let's get to it, shall we?](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/c4c6in6z1f65xdbkj4hg.gif)


Let's get to it, shall we?

#### Understanding ACID model: The high consistency model

ACID stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability. These properties guarantee that your data remains reliable and predictable across transactions. Let's break them down:

1. **Atomicity**: Transactions in ACID databases are atomic, meaning they either succeed entirely or fail entirely. There's no partial execution. This ensures data integrity even in the presence of failures.

2. **Consistency**: ACID databases maintain a consistent state, adhering to predefined constraints, rules, and relationships. This consistency is immediate and enforced at all times, across all distributed nodes, preventing anomalies or contradictions in data.

3. **Isolation**: Isolation ensures that concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other, maintaining data integrity and preventing issues like dirty reads or lost updates. All transactions are independent of other transactions.

4. **Durability**: Durability guarantees that committed transactions persist even in case of system failures. Once a transaction is complete, its effects are permanent and recoverable.

Examples of ACID databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle Database, Microsoft SQL Server, etc.

#### Understanding BASE model: The high availability model

BASE is an acronym that represents a set of principles often associated with NoSQL databases. Unlike ACID, which prioritizes strict consistency, BASE offers a more relaxed approach, emphasizing availability and partition tolerance over immediate consistency.

BASE stands for Basically Available, Soft State, and Eventually Consistent. Here's what that means:

1. **Basically Available**: The focus is on keeping the database operational even during partial failures. Imagine a social media platform. BASE allows continued user activity even if updates take a moment to fully propagate across all servers. BASE systems are always available.

2. **Soft State**: Data can be temporarily inconsistent during updates. This might not be ideal for financial transactions, but for social media feeds that update constantly, a slight delay can be acceptable.

3. **Eventual Consistency**: Over time, all replicas/nodes of the database will eventually reflect the same data. This ensures that while temporary inconsistencies might occur, they are resolved eventually.

Examples of BASE databases: MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB, Redis, etc.

#### Conclusion

In summary, BASE database systems offer availability and partition tolerance, while ACID-based system offers reliability and partition tolerances. 

The choice of database depends on the specific requirements of your application. Once the requirement has been laid out and understood, the choice of database can then be made accordingly.

Hope this article, helped you to understand and weigh the metrics used to determine the right choice of database for your application.

Be sure to ask your questions in the comments. I will reply to all.

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