Can I pick two out of three in CAP theorem?
No. Partition tolerance is not optional on real networks — it will happen. What you actually choose per operation is: refuse writes during partition to keep data consistent (CP), or accept writes and reconcile the divergence later (AP). PACELC shows the additional tradeoff between latency and consistency when there is no partition.
Answered in
The CAP Theorem Is Not a MenuNetwork partitions force a hard choice: refuse writes (CP) or accept and diverge (AP). Why the two-of-three myth is wrong, and what PACELC really tells us.
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