Meaning
The accuracy and consistency of stored data must be preserved across its entire lifecycle within a digital repository. Maintaining database integrity involves the application of constraints and rules that prevent invalid data from being written. This operational state ensures that the information retrieved from the database matches the information that was entered.
The scope of this concept excludes physical storage media failures, which are governed by hardware redundancy.
Maintenance Method
Structured rules within the schema enforce business logic automatically at the database level. To preserve database integrity, the system applies unique keys and foreign key constraints to every transaction. These constraints reject any operation that violates pre-defined relationships.
Cryptographic checks further secure the records against manual database manipulation.
Integrity Evaluation
Periodic checks compare the current state of database records against known valid baselines. This evaluation confirms database integrity by analyzing checksums and running consistency check utilities. Discrepancies found during these runs indicate either software corruption or unauthorized access.
Automated alerts notify administrators the moment an anomaly is found.
Breach Consequence
Unresolved corruption in database records leads to system failures and incorrect financial reports. When database integrity is compromised, the business cannot rely on its own historical records.