Introduction to Schedule

and Serializability in
DBMS
In the world of database management systems (DBMS), ensuring the integrity
and consistency of data is of utmost importance. Two crucial concepts that play a
vital role in maintaining data consistency are schedules and serializability. This
introduction will provide an overview of these fundamental principles, laying the
groundwork for a comprehensive understanding of concurrency control in
DBMS.

by Thakur Priyanshu kumar Singh

Concurrency Control in DBMS
Transactions
Concurrency control in DBMS revolves
around the management of multiple,
simultaneous transactions. A transaction is a
logical unit of work that must be executed
atomically, ensuring that all operations within
the transaction are either entirely completed
or entirely rolled back.
1
2 Interleaved Execution
In a DBMS, multiple transactions can be
executed concurrently, with their operations
interleaved. This interleaved execution can
lead to issues such as data inconsistency, lost
updates, and other anomalies, if not properly
managed.

Concurrency Control Mechanisms 3

To address these challenges, DBMS employ
various concurrency control mechanisms,
such as locking, timestamping, and optimistic
concurrency control. These mechanisms
ensure that concurrent transactions do not
interfere with each other, preserving the
integrity of the database.
Schedules and their Properties
Schedules
A schedule is a sequence of
operations from multiple
transactions that are interleaved
and executed by the DBMS.
Schedules represent the actual
order in which the transactions are
executed and can have different
properties that determine their
validity and correctness.
Schedule Properties Schedule Correctness
The key properties of schedules Understanding the properties of
include: schedules is crucial for ensuring
the correctness and integrity of the
• Serializability: The ability
database. Schedules that possess
to produce the same final the desired properties, such as
state as a serial execution serializability, are considered
of the same transactions. correct and can be safely executed
• Recoverability: The ability by the DBMS.
to recover the database to
a consistent state in case
of failures or aborts.
• Avoiding Anomalies:
Ensuring that the schedule
does not lead to data
inconsistencies, such as
lost updates or dirty reads.
Serializable Schedules
1 Serializability
Serializability is a
fundamental property of
schedules that ensures the
final state of the database is
equivalent to a serial
execution of the same set of
transactions. In other words,
the concurrent execution of
transactions must produce
the same result as if the
transactions were executed
one after the other, without
any interleaving.
2 Reasons for
Serializability
Serializability is essential
because it guarantees the
consistency and integrity of
the database. By ensuring
that the final state of the
database is the same as a
serial execution,
serializability prevents data
anomalies, such as lost
updates, dirty reads, and
other inconsistencies that
can occur due to concurrent
transaction execution.
3 Achieving
Serializability
Achieving serializability in a
DBMS is a critical task that
involves the implementation
of various concurrency
control mechanisms, such as
locking, timestamping, and
optimistic concurrency
control. These mechanisms
ensure that concurrent
transactions do not interfere
with each other and that the
final state of the database is
consistent and correct.
Conflict Serializability
Conflict Serializability
Conflict serializability is a specific type of
serializability that focuses on the conflicts between
operations within a schedule. A schedule is conflict
serializable if it can be transformed into a serial
schedule by swapping non-conflicting operations.
Conflict Graph
The conflict serializability of a schedule can be
determined by constructing a conflict graph, which
represents the dependencies between the transactions
based on their conflicting operations. If the conflict
graph is acyclic, the schedule is conflict serializable.
Conflict Operations
Conflicting operations are those that access the same
data item and at least one of them is a write
operation. These conflicting operations must be
executed in a specific order to maintain the
consistency of the database.
Importance of Conflict Serializability
Conflict serializability is an important concept in
DBMS because it provides a practical and efficient
way to ensure the serializability of schedules. By
focusing on the conflicts between operations, conflict
serializability can be checked more easily than other
forms of serializability, making it a widely used
approach in DBMS implementation.
Precedence Graph and its Use
Precedence Graph
The precedence graph is a powerful tool used to analyze the serializability of schedules in DBMS. It
represents the dependencies between transactions based on the order in which they access shared data
items.

Building the Graph

To build the precedence graph, each transaction is represented as a node, and an edge is drawn from one
node to another if there is a conflict between the corresponding transactions. The direction of the edge
indicates the order in which the conflicting operations must be executed.

Checking Serializability
If the precedence graph is acyclic, the schedule is serializable. The topological ordering of the nodes in
the graph represents the correct serial order of the transactions. However, if the graph contains a cycle, the
schedule is not serializable, and concurrency control mechanisms must be used to resolve the conflict.
Deadlocks and their Detection
1 Deadlocks
Deadlocks are a common issue that can arise in DBMS when multiple transactions are waiting for
resources held by other transactions, creating a circular dependency. This situation can lead to a
complete halt in the system, as none of the involved transactions can proceed.

2 Deadlock Detection
To detect deadlocks, DBMS employ various algorithms, such as the wait-for graph, which represents
the dependencies between transactions. By analyzing the wait-for graph, the DBMS can identify the
presence of cycles, indicating the existence of a deadlock.

3 Deadlock Resolution
Once a deadlock is detected, the DBMS must take action to resolve the issue. This typically involves
rolling back one or more transactions to break the circular dependency and allow the remaining
transactions to proceed. Deadlock resolution strategies, such as victim selection and deadlock
prevention, are crucial for maintaining the overall system's efficiency and availability.
Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Schedules Serializability Deadlocks Concurrency

Schedules represent the
interleaved execution of
multiple transactions in a
DBMS. Understanding
the properties of
schedules, such as
serializability and
recoverability, is
essential for ensuring the
integrity and consistency
of the database.
Serializability is a
fundamental concept in
DBMS, ensuring that the
final state of the database
is equivalent to a serial
execution of the same set
of transactions.
Achieving serializability
is crucial for preventing
data anomalies and
maintaining data
consistency.
Deadlocks are a potential
issue in DBMS that can
arise due to circular
dependencies between
transactions. Effective
deadlock detection and
resolution mechanisms
are necessary to maintain
the overall system's
efficiency and
availability.
Control
Concurrency control
mechanisms, such as
locking, timestamping,
and optimistic
concurrency control, are
essential for managing
the interleaved execution
of transactions and
ensuring the correctness
and integrity of the
database.

In conclusion, the concepts of schedules, serializability, and concurrency control are fundamental to the design and
implementation of robust and efficient database management systems. Understanding these principles and the techniques
used to address challenges like deadlocks is crucial for effectively managing the complex interactions between concurrent
transactions and maintaining the integrity of the database.