Glossary

Strong Consistency

Every read returns the most recent committed write, as if there were a single copy of the data.

1 min read·4 sections
Open the interactive version → diagrams, practice & more

Definition

Every read returns the most recent committed write, as if there were a single copy of the data.

How it works

Also called linearizability. Requires coordination (consensus or a leader + quorum) on every write, which adds latency and limits availability during partitions. The right default for money, inventory and uniqueness; overkill — and slow — for feeds and analytics.

Common questions

What is Strong Consistency?

Every read returns the most recent committed write, as if there were a single copy of the data.

How does Strong Consistency work?

Also called linearizability. Requires coordination (consensus or a leader + quorum) on every write, which adds latency and limits availability during partitions. The right default for money, inventory and uniqueness; overkill — and slow — for feeds and analytics.

What is Strong Consistency used for in system design?

Also called linearizability. Requires coordination (consensus or a leader + quorum) on every write, which adds latency and limits availability during partitions. The right default for money, inventory and uniqueness; overkill — and slow — for feeds and analytics.

Part of Glossary on SystemLore — system design explained with 148 deep topics, interactive diagrams, and a build-it-yourself game. Browse the glossary and "X vs Y" comparisons, or build this one →