Choosing the Right Primary Key for the Database

ULID vs UUID vs Auto Increment??

Primary keys play a critical role in database management systems, serving as a unique identifier for each record in a table. They enable efficient retrieval, updating and deletion of data and help maintain data integrity by ensuring that no duplicate records are present. When designing a database schema, one of the most important decisions is selecting the right primary key type, which can significantly impact performance, scalability and ease of use.

This article will explore the pros and cons of three popular primary key types:- Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), Universally Unique Lexicographically Sortable Identifier (ULID) and auto-incrementing integers. We will discuss the properties and characteristics of each, along with examples to help you make an informed decision when choosing the right primary key for your database.

Universally Unique Identifier (UUID)

A UUID is a 128-bit number that is designed to be globally unique, meaning that the probability of generating the same UUID twice is astronomically low. They are represented as a string of 36 characters, including dashes and can be generated independently without the need for a central authority. There are various versions of UUIDs, but Version 4, which relies on random numbers, is the most commonly used. The format of a UUID is as follows:

XXXXXXXX-XXXX-MXXX-NXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX

Where x is a hexadecimal digit (0-9, a-f) and M and N represent specific bits with predefined meanings. For example, a UUID might look like:

123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456–426614174000

In a database, a UUID primary key might appear in a table like this:

Benefit of UUIDs

• Global uniqueness: UUIDs provide an extremely low risk of collision, making them suitable for distributed systems or databases where multiple clients may be generating IDs simultaneously.
• No central authority needed: UUIDs can be generated independently on each client without the need for coordination, making them suitable for decentralized systems.
• Easy to merge data: When combining data from different databases, UUIDs eliminate the need to worry about conflicting primary key values.

Drawback of UUIDs

• Size: UUIDs are larger than auto-incrementing integers, occupying 16 bytes of storage as opposed to 4 bytes for a typical integer. This can lead to increased storage and indexing costs, as well as decreased performance when querying or joining tables.
• Not human-readable: UUIDs are difficult to read, remember and communicate verbally, making them less user-friendly for developers and support teams.
• Unordered: UUIDs are not generated in a sequential manner, which can lead to fragmentation and decreased performance when inserting data into a table with a clustered index.

Universally Unique Lexicographically Sortable Identifier (ULID)

ULIDs are another type of unique identifier that combines the advantages of UUIDs with the added benefit of being sortable. They are 128-bit numbers, represented as a 26-character string composed of upper-case letters and digits. The first half of the ULID represents a timestamp, while the second half is a randomly generated value. The format of a ULID is as follows:

01ARZ3NDEKTSV4RRFFQ69G5FAV

In a database, a ULID primary key might appear in a table like this:

Benefit of ULIDs

• Global uniqueness: Like UUIDs, ULIDs provide a very low risk of collision, making them suitable for distributed systems.
• Lexicographically sortable: ULIDs are generated in a way that ensures they are sortable by their creation time, making them more efficient for querying and inserting into tables with clustered indexes.
• No central authority needed: ULIDs can be generated independently on each client without the need for coordination, making them suitable for decentralized systems.
• Human-readable: While not as easy to read as auto-incrementing integers, ULIDs are more human-readable than UUIDs due to their shorter length and character set.

Drawback of ULIDs

• Size: ULIDs occupy 16 bytes of storage, similar to UUIDs, which can lead to increased storage and indexing costs, as well as decreased performance when querying or joining tables.
• Not as human-readable as integers: Although more readable than UUIDs, ULIDs are still not as user-friendly as auto-incrementing integers, which can pose challenges for developers and support teams.

Auto-Incrementing Integers

Auto-incrementing integers are the most common type of primary key used in databases. As the name suggests, auto-incrementing integers are sequential numbers that automatically increase by a specified increment (usually 1) for each new record added to the table. An example of an auto-incrementing primary key sequence might be:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ...

In a database, an auto-incrementing integer primary key might appear in a table like this:

Benefit of Auto Increments:

• Easy to understand: Auto-incrementing integers are human-readable and easy to communicate verbally, making them user-friendly for developers and support teams.
• Smaller size: Auto-incrementing integers typically occupy 4 bytes of storage, which can lead to lower storage and indexing costs, as well as improved performance when querying or joining tables.
• Ordered: Auto-incrementing integers are generated sequentially, which can improve performance when inserting data into tables with clustered indexes.

Drawback of Auto Increments:

• Risk of collisions: In distributed systems or databases where multiple clients may be generating IDs simultaneously, there is a risk of conflicting primary key values.
• Central authority needed: Auto-incrementing integers require coordination between clients or a central authority to ensure unique ID generation, which can be a challenge in decentralized systems.
• Difficult to merge data: When combining data from different databases, auto-incrementing integers can lead to conflicting primary key values, making the merge process more complex.

Choosing the Right Primary Key

When deciding on the type of primary key to use for your database, it is essential to consider the specific requirements and constraints of your system. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the most suitable primary key based on your situation:

• Centralized Systems: If you have a centralized system where a single authority manages ID generation, auto-incrementing integers are an excellent choice due to their simplicity, smaller size and human-readable format. They also provide better performance when working with clustered indexes.
• Distributed Systems: For distributed systems, where multiple clients generate IDs simultaneously and there is no central authority, UUIDs or ULIDs are more appropriate. Both provide global uniqueness and can be generated independently by each client. ULIDs have the added advantage of being lexicographically sortable, which can improve query performance.
• Data Merging: If your system requires frequent merging of data from different databases, UUIDs or ULIDs are the better choice, as they eliminate the need to resolve conflicting primary key values.
• Performance: If performance is a top priority, consider using auto-incrementing integers or ULIDs. Auto-incrementing integers offer better storage and indexing efficiency, while ULIDs provide better performance when working with clustered indexes due to their sortable nature.

Handling Primary Keys in Data Analytics

When working with primary keys in data analytics, it is crucial to understand the characteristics of each primary key type and how they might impact your analyses. Here are some tips for handling different primary keys in data analytics:

• Auto-Incrementing Integers: When using auto-incrementing integers as primary keys, ensure that your analysis takes into account the ordered nature of these keys. For instance, when analyzing trends or patterns over time, ensure that the data is correctly sorted based on the auto-incrementing integer.
• UUIDs and ULIDs: In data analytics, UUIDs and ULIDs can be more challenging to work with due to their complexity and larger size. To facilitate analysis, consider creating additional indexes or using derived columns to sort or filter the data based on relevant attributes.
• Data Aggregation: When aggregating data from multiple sources with different primary key types, consider standardizing the primary keys by converting them to a common type, such as UUIDs or ULIDs. This can simplify the data merging process and ensure consistent analysis across all sources.
• Human Readability: When presenting data analytics results to stakeholders, consider using more human-readable identifiers, such as usernames or email addresses, instead of complex primary keys like UUIDs or ULIDs. This can make the results more accessible and understandable for non-technical audiences.

Conclusion

In conclusion, choosing the right primary key for your database is a critical decision that can have a lasting impact on the performance, scalability and overall success of your system. By carefully considering the specific requirements and constraints of your situation and engaging in thoughtful discussions with your team, you can make informed choices that will lay a strong foundation for your database design. Remember that the primary key type you choose will not only affect your system’s technical aspects but also the ease of use for developers, support teams and even the stakeholders who rely on the data for decision-making. So, take the time to understand the trade-offs and select the primary key that best meets the unique needs of your project.

Good database design is like a well-organized library, and primary keys are the Dewey Decimal System that keeps everything in order.

Article orginated from https://medium.com/geekculture/choosing-the-right-primary-key-for-the-database-326136eff4f4

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