ACID vs BASE Consistency

When building distributed systems, one of the key decisions is choosing between ACID and BASE consistency models. This choice can significantly impact how your system handles data and responds to failures.

ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) is the traditional approach used by most relational databases. It ensures that data remains accurate and consistent at all times. If a transaction fails, all changes are rolled back, leaving the database in its original state. Think of a bank transfer - either both accounts are updated, or neither is.

BASE (Basically Available, Soft state, Eventually consistent) takes a different approach. Instead of guaranteeing immediate consistency, it prioritizes availability. Changes might take some time to propagate through the system, but eventually, all parts will have the same data. Think of social media likes - you might not see the exact count immediately, but it will become accurate over time.

ACID is better when accuracy is crucial, like in financial systems or inventory management. Bu it can be slower and less available during network issues because it needs all parts of the system to communicate to maintain consistency.

BASE works well for systems that can tolerate temporary inconsistencies, like social media or content delivery networks. It offers better performance and availability because operations can continue even when parts of the system are disconnected.

Here's a comparison of ACID and BASE: