What is a key practice when performing database migrations?

• A. Delete data to simplify
• B. Change schemas without review
• C. Apply versions in order with reversible steps
• D. Skip staging to save time

Answer: (C)

The key practice is applying migrations in a defined order with reversible steps. This means each change is a discrete, versioned update that can be applied sequentially from the current database state toward the target state, and it includes a way to undo the change if necessary. Doing migrations in order preserves the logical progression of the schema and data transformations, so later migrations have the correct foundations and dependencies. Reversibility is crucial because it enables safe rollbacks when a deployment introduces issues, data integrity problems, or performance regressions. In practice, this approach is accompanied by testing in a staging environment and maintaining a clear migration history so you can track what changed and when.

Destructive or unsafe alternatives—such as deleting data to simplify, changing schemas without review, or skipping staging—introduce real risk: data loss, unverified impact on applications, and untested deployments can lead to outages.