Physical vs. Logical Record Deletion: When Should You Choose Which?

Understanding Physical vs. Logical Record Deletion in Databases

In database management, the decision arises: should records be physically or logically deleted? While physical deletion permanently erases the record, logical deletion marks it as deleted without removing it physically.

Advantages of Logical Deletion

Logical deletion offers several advantages:

• Preservation of history: Records remain accessible for auditing and historical reference.
• Avoidance of cascading deletions: Deleting a record physically can trigger cascading deletions in other tables that reference it, potentially leading to data loss. Logical deletion prevents this issue.

Security Considerations

Logical deletion is not as secure as physical deletion. Deleted records remain vulnerable to unauthorized access or recovery techniques. Sensitive data may not be adequately protected under logical deletion.

Prevalence and Suitability

Logical deletion is a common practice in databases where maintaining historical data and preventing cascading deletions is crucial. Its suitability depends on the specific business needs and security requirements. For sensitive data or scenarios where data integrity is paramount, physical deletion may be more appropriate.

Additional Considerations

• Indexed records: Deleted records with unique indexes occupy space, which can impact performance and require workaround coding.
• Deleted usernames: In case of unique username indexes, logical deletion can block the reuse of deleted usernames. Alternative solutions, such as appending GUIDs to deleted usernames, may be necessary.

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