Deadlock Recovery
Deadlock recovery is a set of techniques used in computer systems, particularly in operating systems and database management, to resolve deadlocks after they have occurred. It involves detecting deadlocks and then taking corrective actions, such as terminating processes or rolling back transactions, to restore system functionality. This approach contrasts with deadlock prevention and avoidance, which aim to stop deadlocks from happening in the first place.
Developers should learn deadlock recovery when building or maintaining systems where deadlocks are possible, such as multi-threaded applications, distributed systems, or databases, as it provides a fallback mechanism to handle unavoidable deadlocks. It is crucial in scenarios where prevention or avoidance is impractical due to performance constraints or system complexity, ensuring system resilience and uptime. For example, in database systems like PostgreSQL or MySQL, recovery mechanisms help maintain data integrity during concurrent transactions.