What does the acronym "ACID" represent in database transactions?

The acronym "ACID" in the context of database transactions stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability. Each of these components plays a vital role in ensuring reliable processing of database transactions.

Atomicity guarantees that a transaction is treated as a single, indivisible unit. This means that either all of the operations in a transaction are completed successfully, or none of them are applied at all. This property prevents partial updates to the database, which could lead to data inconsistencies.

Consistency ensures that any transaction will bring the database from one valid state to another valid state. This means that all data integrity constraints, such as primary keys and foreign keys, are upheld before and after the transaction.

Isolation establishes that transactions are executed in isolation from one another. Even if multiple transactions are occurring simultaneously, each transaction should appear to be the only one executing at that moment. This prevents issues that can arise from concurrent modifications of data.

Durability guarantees that once a transaction has been committed, it will remain permanently in the database, even in the event of a system failure. This means that completed transactions are saved and will not be lost.

The other options do not accurately reflect the principles established in database theory regarding transaction management.