CAP Theorem for System Design - Explained

The CAP theorem stands for Consistency, Availability, and Partitions and expresses that a distributed system generally produces two of three properties simultaneously and characterizes the compromise between consistency and availability when a partition exists.

This theorem suggests that a distributed system should ideally share a single state while performing simultaneously. The shared system should also manage its data across multiple nodes using virtual machines or physical systems.

CAP theorem plays a vital role in the data management of large and small businesses alike. These systems when planned out properly can alleviate issues such as human error to keep data relevant and reduce redundancy.

The choice of database structures and management systems allow users to carefully choose the right one based on their requirements. It also understands the data that you are working on and the scalability required.

There are three possible properties that CAP allows you to work with. They are Consistency and Availability (CA), Consistency and Partitional tolerance (CP), and Availability and Partitional tolerance (AP)