Strong Consistency
Strong consistency is a data consistency model in distributed systems where all operations appear to occur in a single, linear order, ensuring that any read operation returns the most recent write for a given data item. It guarantees that after an update completes, all subsequent accesses will reflect that updated value, providing a predictable and intuitive behavior similar to a single-node system. This model is crucial for applications where data accuracy and real-time synchronization are critical, such as financial transactions or inventory management.
Developers should use strong consistency when building systems that require strict data accuracy and cannot tolerate stale or conflicting reads, such as banking applications, e-commerce checkout processes, or healthcare records. It is essential in scenarios where concurrent operations must be serialized to prevent race conditions, ensuring data integrity and user trust. However, it may introduce higher latency and reduced availability compared to weaker consistency models, so it should be chosen based on specific application requirements.