Transaction server
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A transaction server is a software component that is used in implementing transactions.
A transaction involves multiple steps which must be completed atomically. For example, when paying someone from your bank, the system must guarantee that the money is taken from your account and paid into the other persons account. It would simply be unacceptable for just one or the other action to take place; both must occur in order for the transaction to have taken place.
This will mean ensuring that transactions are guaranteed, or that if a transaction fails the system can tell this has happened.
In the case of a transaction failing it can then be "backed out" (or "rolled back"), which will mean that the system reverses all the actions that happened during the partial completion of the transaction.
This is sometimes referred to as the ACID property.
A transaction server will consist of a system providing the safety described above, and an environment where programs can be written to make use of these features. It will also have various connection protocols to allow it to connect to the databases involved, and to the front end software (for example the computer of a telesales person or the web interface of an online bank).
