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The Evils of Sequential IDs

3 reasons not to use Sequential IDs as Primary Keys

Jefferey Cave
16 min readJan 18, 2024
  • Sequential IDs have several re-occurring risks that are known
  • We will discuss 3 risks associated with Sequential IDs as Primary Keys
  • Some valid cases for maintaining Sequential numbers are discussed
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2001 was a very interesting time for me.

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I had just made a major career change, realising Nursing was not really my thing, I had changed fields and graduated with a CompSci degree formalising all the things I had tried to learn myself. The Y2K panic had happened, and the DOTCOM bubble had just burst, flooding the field with people who had a lot more experience than I did and making finding a job all the more challenging. 9/11 brought security into crystal focus for professionals everywhere, information security being part of that. In this context, I found my start with a small consulting company that helped small businesses transition from in-house software solutions to robust managed solutions, and further into online solutions available from anywhere.

During one of these conversions, the owner of my company brought up an article he had recently read, and a debate ensued. According to…

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Jefferey Cave
Jefferey Cave

Written by Jefferey Cave

I’m interested in the beauty of data and complex systems. I use story telling to help others see that beauty. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jeffereycave

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