aid: write-ahead-log
name: Write Ahead Log
description: A Write-Ahead Log (WAL) is a standard technique in database systems where changes are first recorded to a sequential log file before being applied to the actual data files. It ensures durability and crash recovery by guaranteeing that committed transactions can be reconstructed from the log even if the system fails during a write operation.
type: Index
url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Write-ahead_logging
tags:
  - Data Engineering
  - Databases
  - Write Ahead Log
created: '2025'
modified: '2026-03-16'
specificationVersion: '0.19'
apis: []
common: []
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com