Correct Answer:
B. Processes blocking each other
A deadlock in a Database Management System (DBMS) is a critical situation where two or more transactions are perpetually waiting for each other to release resources, leading to a standstill. Each transaction holds a resource that the other needs, and neither can proceed. This perfectly aligns with Processes blocking each other, as transactions are essentially processes competing for shared resources like locks on data items. This scenario prevents any of the involved transactions from completing their operations, causing system inefficiency and potential timeouts.
- Data corruption is incorrect because a deadlock primarily prevents progress; it doesn't inherently corrupt data, although unhandled deadlocks can lead to data inconsistency if transactions are forcibly terminated.
- Server crash is also incorrect. While deadlocks can degrade performance and lead to application unresponsiveness, they typically do not cause the entire database server to crash.
- Network lag refers to delays in data transmission over a network and is unrelated to resource contention within the DBMS itself.