Handling Real-Time Systems

Imagine you and your friend both try to withdraw money from the same bank account at the exact same time. If the system isn’t careful, it might let both withdrawals go through, even if there isn’t enough money. This is exactly the kind of problem databases face when multiple users access data simultaneously.

If you’ve already studied ACID properties, you know the theory behind reliable transactions. But how do real-world systems actually manage multiple users interacting with the database simultaneously?

Think about it: how do platforms like BookMyShow, Indigo, or IRCTC handle massive traffic, especially during peak times—like booking that coveted Tatkaal ticket—without crashing or mixing up data?

In this guide, we’ll break down concurrency, isolation, and consistency issues in both centralized and distributed database systems. Step by step, you’ll see how real-time systems juggle multiple operations in parallel while keeping data accurate and consistent.

Let’s dive in and paint a clear picture of what really happens behind the scenes when millions of users interact with a database at the same time.

Here's a reference for entire series of these topics.