Once the system splits into independent data owners, an operation touching several parts no longer fits into a single database transaction. The chapter starts with data ownership and consistency models, then shows three solutions: the saga, the outbox–inbox pair and the two-phase commit. The aim is not to describe the patterns as recipes, but to understand what each guarantees and what it does not.
Data and Consistency in a Distributed System
Once the system splits into independent data owners, an operation touching several parts no longer fits into a single database transaction. The chapter starts with data ownership and consistency models, then shows three solutions: the saga, the outbox–inbox pair and the two-phase commit. The aim is not to describe the patterns as recipes, but to understand what each guarantees and what it does not.