May 2002
Beginner to intermediate
560 pages
11h 36m
English
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1.2. Database and API Fundamentals
A database is an application that provides scalable multiuser access and updates of data. Through a combination of locking, logging, and transactions, it enables point-in-time recovery and ensures the atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability (commonly known as the ACID properties) of multiple related, shared, updatable data items. Data is stored in an efficient but proprietary manner, and access to related data items is very fast. Most enterprise-quality systems that require data persistence use databases.
Because the data storage layout is proprietary, to ensure data consistency databases allow access to their data only through specific APIs. The API may include a high-level command language, such ...