UUID versions explained: why v4 hurts database performance and v7 is better
UUIDs are 128-bit identifiers with eight distinct versions, each generated by a different algorithm with different tradeoffs for performance and use cases. The widely used version 4 (v4) relies on 122 bits of randomness and is the default in most libraries, but its unpredictable ordering makes it a poor choice for database primary keys at scale. Collisions in v4 UUIDs are not truly impossible but are astronomically unlikely, requiring roughly 2.71 quintillion generated IDs before a 50% collision probability is reached. In practice, duplicate ID bugs almost always stem from broken random number generators or reused test fixtures rather than genuine UUID collisions. RFC 9562, published in 2024, formalized newer versions including v7, which offers time-ordered sortability and is generally recommended over v4 for database indexing.
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