In SQL, the referential action ON UPDATE CASCADE ensures which property of relational databases?

Introduction / Context:
Referential actions define how updates/deletes to parent rows propagate to child rows. Understanding ON UPDATE CASCADE is important for preserving relationships automatically.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• A foreign key constraint exists between parent and child tables.
• Parent key value may be updated.
• ON UPDATE CASCADE is enabled.

Concept / Approach:
ON UPDATE CASCADE ensures that when a parent key is changed, all corresponding child rows are updated automatically to the new value. This maintains referential integrity.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
SQL standard documents and DBMS manuals all define CASCADE actions as preserving referential integrity.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Normalization: A design process, unrelated to runtime cascades.
Materialized views: A query storage technique, unrelated.
All of the above: Incorrect since only data integrity applies.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing CASCADE with triggers or assuming it normalizes data.

Final Answer:
Data Integrity