Overview of the Benefits and Costs of Integrating Heterogeneous Applications by Using Relaxed ACID Properties

Abstract

In central databases the consistency of data is normally implemented by using the ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation and Durability) properties of a DBMS (Data Base Management System). In practice, it is not possible to implement the ACID properties if heterogeneous or distributed databases are involved and the availability of data also has to be optimized. The objective of relaxed ACID properties across different database systems is that the users can trust the data they use even if the databases involved are temporarily inconsistent. Therefore, we will in this paper use relaxed ACID properties across different database systems or ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) modules in order to make it possible to select the best set of modules even though the combination of modules may be heterogeneous. That is, it should be possible to select the best of breed software for the different business functions of the company. The objective of this paper is to give an overview of both the benefits and costs of using application/database integration with relaxed ACID properties.