MENTAL MODEL · M0060

SSOT - Single Source of Truth

DecideHigh supportDecision Science

Included

Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Single source of truth (SSOT) is a data and state-management principle: assign a data type an authoritative owner that controls modifications, and let other components consume the information it exposes through data or interfaces. It establishes who determines the current value; it does not require all data to occupy one physical location or prohibit controlled copies.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Specify which source resolves conflicts over a fact, who may change it, and how other screens or reports receive updates. Centralizing changes improves traceability but does not automatically make the underlying data correct.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Route valid changes to a data type through one logical owner, then propagate state to consumers, reducing ambiguity from independent edits. Caches, replicas, and offline data may still exist but need update, conflict-resolution, and version rules; SSOT alone does not guarantee immediate consistency across copies.

MINIMUM ACTION

In progress 0/1

Practice this model in one real situation:

Choose a data item currently maintained in two places and designate its authoritative record, owner, and update interface. Change the other location to read that record or a controlled read-only synchronized view, including version and update time. Change a test value, check that consumers eventually use the same version, and inspect behavior when synchronization fails.

Check to track your progress (stored locally)

Learning progress0%

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Source support: Explicit

link
zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%96%AE%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%8B%E5%AF%A6%E4%BE%86%E6%BA%90ZH · Explicit
verified
link
developer.android.comhttps://developer.android.com/topic/architectureEN
verified

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