Because someone needs to process transactions in real-time.
Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) refers to a class of software applications that facilitate and manage transaction-oriented applications, typically for data entry and retrieval. OLTP systems are designed to handle a large number of short online transactions, which are characterized by their need for immediate processing and high availability. These systems are crucial in environments where real-time data processing is essential, such as banking, retail, and e-commerce. OLTP databases are optimized for speed and efficiency, allowing for quick read and write operations, which is vital for maintaining the integrity and performance of transactional data.
OLTP is often contrasted with Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), which is designed for complex queries and data analysis rather than transaction processing. While OLTP systems focus on maintaining data accuracy and integrity during transaction processing, OLAP systems are geared towards providing insights and analytics from large volumes of historical data. Data engineers and analysts often work with OLTP systems to ensure that transactional data is captured accurately and made available for reporting and analysis, thereby supporting business intelligence initiatives.
When the cashier swipes your card at the grocery store, they're relying on OLTP to ensure your transaction is processed faster than you can say "unexpected item in the bagging area."
The concept of OLTP dates back to the 1960s, when early database systems were developed to support transaction processing for banking and airline reservation systems, proving that the need for speed in transactions is not a new phenomenon!
