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Isolation Levels

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11 views2 pages

Isolation Levels

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brajesh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Isolation Levels in PostgreSQL

In PostgreSQL, isolation levels define the degree to which concurrent transactions are isolated from
each other. This is crucial for ensuring data consistency and integrity in a multi-user environment.

Here are the four primary isolation levels supported by PostgreSQL:

1. Read Uncommitted

 Least restrictive level.

 Allows dirty reads: A transaction can read data that has not yet been committed by another
transaction. This can lead to inconsistent results.

 Not commonly used due to its low level of isolation.

2. Read Committed

 Default isolation level in PostgreSQL.

 Prevents dirty reads: A transaction reads only committed data.

 Allows non-repeatable reads and phantom reads:

o Non-repeatable reads: A transaction can read different values for the same data item in
multiple reads within the same transaction, if another transaction commits changes to
that data item between the reads.

o Phantom reads: A transaction can see new rows inserted by another concurrent
transaction, even if the first transaction has already read all existing rows.

3. Repeatable Read

 Prevents dirty reads and non-repeatable reads.

 Allows phantom reads: A transaction can still see new rows inserted by another concurrent
transaction.

 Uses snapshot isolation: PostgreSQL uses multi-version concurrency control (MVCC) to provide
this level of isolation.

4. Serializable

 Most restrictive level.

 Prevents dirty reads, non-repeatable reads, and phantom reads.

 Simulates serial execution: Transactions are executed one after the other, as if they were
executed serially.
 Can significantly impact performance.

Choosing the Right Isolation Level

The choice of isolation level depends on the specific needs of your application:

 Read Committed: Suitable for most applications that require a balance between performance
and consistency.

 Repeatable Read: Useful for applications that need stronger consistency guarantees, such as
financial systems.

 Serializable: Ideal for applications that require the highest level of consistency, but be aware of
the potential performance impact.

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