Scaling Writes medium
Why are Database Triggers (logic that runs automatically on INSERT) generally discouraged in high-scale write systems?
- A They are invisible hidden logic that executes synchronously, locking the row longer and silently killing write performance.
- B Triggers are not supported by SQL.
- C They consume too much disk space.
- D They cannot update other tables.
Answer: A. They are invisible hidden logic that executes synchronously, locking the row longer and silently killing write performance.
Triggers extend the transaction duration. If a simple INSERT also triggers complex logic (updates, logs), the lock is held longer, reducing the system's concurrency capability.
One system design question a day, with spaced repetition so the ones you miss come back.
Get the appRelated questions
- What does the 'Atomicity' property in a database transaction guarantee regarding writes?
- Your database is struggling with write traffic. You decide to 'Scale Up' (Vertical Scaling) by buying a bigger server. What is the eventual hard limit of this strategy?
- A developer sets up a 'Fire-and-Forget' write pattern (sending data without waiting for a database confirmation) to speed up the app. What is the major risk?
- Why is inserting 1,000 rows in a single 'Batch' query faster than executing 1,000 separate `INSERT` queries?
- In the Raft consensus algorithm, what mechanism prevents a 'Split Vote' (where no leader gets a majority) from stalling the cluster indefinitely?
- Your 'Logs' table has 10 billion rows and writes are getting slow. You barely access logs older than 1 year. What is the simplest strategy to improve performance?