Partition Tolerance — CAP
Definition: Partition tolerance means a distributed system continues operating despite a network failure that separates nodes into groups that cannot communicate.
In CAP, when a network partition occurs, a distributed system must choose between stronger consistency and availability.
Examples:
- Database node A cannot communicate with node B.
- Two data centers temporarily lose their connection.
- A network failure separates two Kubernetes regions.
P isn’t something you normally “choose to have”; network partitions are a reality in distributed systems. The practical choice is often what the system does during a partition.