Data Replication is the process of copying and maintaining data in multiple locations to ensure consistency and availability. This technique is commonly used in databases and cloud storage systems to protect against data loss and improve access speed. By having copies of data in different places, organizations can ensure that users can retrieve information even if one source fails.
There are various methods of data replication, including synchronous and asynchronous replication. In synchronous replication, data is copied in real-time, ensuring that all locations have the same information at any given moment. In contrast, asynchronous replication allows for a slight delay, which can be beneficial for performance but may result in temporary discrepancies between data copies.