What is the difference between eventual consistency and strong consistency in NoSQL databases?

Nosql Questions



21 Short 23 Medium 73 Long Answer Questions Question Index

What is the difference between eventual consistency and strong consistency in NoSQL databases?

Eventual consistency and strong consistency are two different consistency models in NoSQL databases.

Eventual consistency means that after a certain period of time, all updates made to a data item will be propagated and reflected across all replicas or nodes in the database. In other words, eventually, all replicas will be consistent with each other. However, during this period, there might be a temporary inconsistency where different replicas may have different values for the same data item.

On the other hand, strong consistency ensures that all replicas or nodes in the database have the same consistent value for a data item at any given point in time. Any read operation after a write operation will always return the most recent value. Strong consistency sacrifices availability in order to maintain immediate consistency.

In summary, eventual consistency allows temporary inconsistencies but provides high availability, while strong consistency guarantees immediate consistency but may sacrifice availability. The choice between these consistency models depends on the specific requirements and trade-offs of the application.