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Distributed Transactions: Sagas, Two-Phase Commit, Outbox Pattern, and Idempotency

Once you split a monolith into microservices, database transactions that used to be a simple BEGIN/COMMIT suddenly span multiple services and databases. Distributed transactions are the hardest problem in microservices — and getting them wrong corrupts data. This guide covers the production patterns: sagas, two-phase commit, the outbox pattern, and idempotency.

Distributed Transaction Patterns Compared

Pattern How It Works Consistency Complexity Best For

Saga (Choreographed) Each service listens for events and performs its step; emits next event on success Eventually consistent Medium Simple workflows, 2-5 steps, independent services

Saga (Orchestrated) Central orchestrator coordinates each step, handles compensations on failure Eventually consistent Medium-High Complex…