Stored procedure

A stored procedure is a subroutine stored and executed within a database management system, typically written in an extension of SQL. It centralizes business logic at the data layer, allowing operations to be performed close to the data they modify rather than in remote application servers.

Stored procedures are controversial in modern software architecture. Proponents argue that they reduce network round-trips, enforce data integrity, and centralize access control. Critics argue that they fragment business logic across application and database tiers, create vendor lock-in, and resist version control and testing practices standard in application code. Both sides are correct, and the disagreement is not about stored procedures but about where authority should reside: in the database, which guarantees consistency but creates coupling, or in the application, which enables agility but risks drift.

See also: SQL, Database transaction, Trigger, ACID"