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ATM Transaction Example

publish date2026/06/10 22:54:1.269481 UTC

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Consider a customer withdrawing cash from a bank ATM. Which statement correctly explains why this constitutes a database transaction?

Correct Answer

Because it involves getting customer account details, checking the balance, modifying the balance by the amount withdrawn, and commanding the ATM to deliver cash - all of which must be completed as a unit before the database is changed

Explanation

A cash withdrawal involves: getting customer account details, checking the balance, modifying the balance by the withdrawal amount, and sending commands to deliver cash. Until all of these steps are completed, the transaction is incomplete and the customer accounts database is not changed. This is the definition of an atomic transaction - all steps succeed or none do.

Reference

Software Engineering, Ian Sommerville, 10th edition


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