What is the goal of data replication?

The primary goal of data replication is to ensure consistency between multiple data sources. This involves creating copies of data across different locations or systems to maintain uniformity and reliability. When data is replicated, it helps to ensure that all users or applications accessing that data have the most up-to-date and accurate information. This is particularly crucial in environments where multiple users or systems interact with data, as it prevents discrepancies that might arise if different versions of data exist in different places.

Data replication also plays a significant role in fault tolerance and disaster recovery strategies, allowing organizations to maintain high availability and data integrity. While creating backups of data is a related concept, it focuses more on data recovery rather than consistency across multiple systems. Reducing data transfer times and analyzing data for insights represent goals that are associated with broader data management practices but do not encapsulate the primary intent of replication itself.