Online Transaction Processing (OLTP)
OLTP systems are used for everyday tasks like recording sales, updating customer details, or processing orders. They focus on fast, real-time data processing.
Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)
OLAP systems are used for analyzing large amounts of data to make business decisions. They focus on summarizing and analyzing historical data for insights.
10 Differences Between OLTP and OLAP
| Feature | OLTP | OLAP |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Handles daily operations (e.g., sales, orders). | Analyzes data for decision-making. |
| Data Type | Current, real-time data. | Historical, summarized data. |
| Database Size | Smaller, focused on recent transactions. | Larger, stores years of data for analysis. |
| Query Type | Simple, short queries (e.g., update, insert). | Complex, long-running queries. |
| Speed | Fast, for quick transactions. | Slower, for deep analysis. |
| Users | Clerks, cashiers, everyday users. | Managers, analysts, decision-makers. |
| Focus | Data processing and recording. | Data analysis and reporting. |
| Example | ATM transactions, online shopping. | Sales trends, business performance reports. |
| Backup | Frequent backups needed. | Less frequent backups. |
| Design | Normalized databases for efficiency. | Denormalized databases for easy analysis. |