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What is Serializable Snapshot Isolation (SSI)?

Senior PostgreSQL
Quick Answer SSI (Serializable Snapshot Isolation) provides true serializable transactions without traditional locking. PostgreSQL tracks read and write dependencies between transactions and aborts transactions that would create a non-serializable history. Uses SIReadLocks to track what each transaction reads. Overhead: more memory for tracking, higher abort rate under contention. Use SERIALIZABLE isolation level for strict correctness requirements.

Answer

SSI tracks read-write dependencies to detect anomaly risks. PostgreSQL aborts conflicting transactions to guarantee serializability.
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