Atomariteit

Atomariteit is a concept primarily used in computer science and database theory. It refers to the property of an operation or a transaction being indivisible and irreducible. This means that the operation either completes entirely, successfully, or it does not happen at all. There is no in-between state where only part of the operation is performed.

In the context of databases, atomicity is a core principle of ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) properties. When a transaction is atomic, it ensures that if any part of the transaction fails, the entire transaction is rolled back, leaving the database in its original state before the transaction began. Conversely, if all parts of the transaction succeed, it is committed, and its changes become permanent.

This indivisibility is crucial for maintaining data integrity, especially in complex systems involving multiple operations that depend on each other. For instance, transferring money between two bank accounts involves two distinct operations: debiting one account and crediting another. Atomicity guarantees that either both operations occur, or neither does, preventing a situation where money is debited but not credited, or vice-versa.

The implementation of atomicity typically involves mechanisms like logging, checkpoints, and rollback procedures. These ensure that even in the event of system failures, power outages, or software errors, the system can recover to a consistent state by either completing or undoing incomplete transactions.