ACID is a fundamental concept behind all database design and administration. Without it, there would be a lot more bad data in this world than we already have. Can you imagine going to the ATM to withdraw money, the ATM spits out a receipt showing you took $200.00 out of your account, but you never got the money?
Situations like this are the reason ACID evolved. We need ACID to ensure the safety of our transactions, that all steps happen or none of them happen. Dropping ACID out of the equation creates financial nightmares. But ACID does more than protect our finances. It protects all transactions – all systems – whether it’s airplane tickets or dinner reservations, parts inventory or address updating. ACID is a way of life for the DBA.
My original ACID blog post (intended for last Saturday) ended up as a formal article on SQLServerCentral.com. I invite you to read it and comment here in the discussion. Once the exclusive rights term on it expires, I’ll repost it here as another SQL Saturday post. I look forward to hearing comments on it.
