Inconsistency in repeatable read

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.2/static/transaction-iso.html


The Repeatable Read mode provides a rigorous guarantee that each transaction sees a completely stable view of the database. However, this view will not necessarily always be consistent with some serial (one at a time) execution of concurrent transactions of the same level. For example, even a read only transaction at this level may see a control record updated to show that a batch has been completed but not see one of the detail records which is logically part of the batch because it read an earlier revision of the control record. Attempts to enforce business rules by transactions running at this isolation level are not likely to work correctly without careful use of explicit locks to block conflicting transactions.

Isn't that a phantom read, which is not possible in repeatable read mode?

The documentation says that a query in a repeatble read transaction sees a snapshot as of the start of the transaction, then how could it be possible for a query to read inconsistent data?

Here is my reading of that section. I will admit it is confusing.

Suppose I have two tables:

CREATE TABLE batch (
   id serial not null unique,
   control_code text primary key,
   date_posted date not null default now()
);

CREATE TABLE details (
   batch_id int not null references batch(id),
   description text,
   primary key(batch_id, description)
);

Now, suppose we insert batch and details records in different transactions. Session 1 inserts a batch and starts to insert details but before it finishes, session 2 starts up. Session 2 gets to see the batch heading info, but does not wait on the commit on details to inform the user that no records are found. Now if your batch and details are entirely in the same transaction then this never is a problem.

this would differ from serializable where you would expect to wait for the previous insert to complete and commit or rollback before determining whether to notify the user that no rows were found.

StackExchange Database Administrators Q#43949, answer score: 7