Nosql Questions Medium
The CAP theorem, also known as Brewer's theorem, is a fundamental concept in distributed systems that states that it is impossible for a distributed data store to simultaneously provide all three of the following guarantees: consistency, availability, and partition tolerance.
Consistency refers to the requirement that all nodes in a distributed system have the same data at the same time. Availability means that every request to the system receives a response, even in the presence of failures. Partition tolerance refers to the system's ability to continue operating even if there are network failures or partitions.
NoSQL databases, which are designed to handle large-scale distributed data, often prioritize availability and partition tolerance over consistency. This means that in the event of a network partition or failure, NoSQL databases may sacrifice consistency to ensure that the system remains available and operational. This trade-off allows NoSQL databases to scale horizontally and handle massive amounts of data, making them suitable for use cases such as real-time analytics, content management systems, and social media platforms.
In summary, the CAP theorem highlights the inherent trade-offs in distributed systems, and NoSQL databases embrace the availability and partition tolerance aspects while relaxing the consistency guarantee to provide scalability and fault tolerance.