CAP Theorem Explained: Consistency vs Availability in Distributed Systems
The CAP theorem is one of the most important ideas in distributed systems because it explains why “just make it always correct and always online” is not a realistic requirement once multiple nodes and unreliable networks enter the picture. In simple terms, CAP says that when a network partition happens, a distributed system can prioritize either: Consistency Availability But not both at the same time. Partition tolerance is not a feature you casually add or remove. If your system runs across multiple machines, partitions are a fact of life, so the real design choice is usually CP vs AP. ...