Which statement best describes surrogate keys in Clarity?

Which statement best describes surrogate keys in Clarity?

• A. Surrogate keys are descriptive business identifiers.
• B. Surrogate keys are always human-readable.
• C. Surrogate keys are optional and not recommended.
• D. Surrogate keys are system-generated, immutable identifiers used as primary keys.

Answer: (D)

Surrogate keys are system-generated, immutable identifiers used as primary keys. They’re created by the system to uniquely identify each record and carry no business meaning. Because they don’t depend on descriptive attributes, they stay stable even when business data changes, keeping relationships intact and simplifying joins and maintenance. They aren’t designed to be human-readable or descriptive; you reserve that role for natural/business keys. Using a surrogate key as the primary key is the standard approach in Clarity because it provides stable, efficient identification even as the underlying business identifiers evolve.

Surrogate keys are system-generated, immutable identifiers used as primary keys. They’re created by the system to uniquely identify each record and carry no business meaning. Because they don’t depend on descriptive attributes, they stay stable even when business data changes, keeping relationships intact and simplifying joins and maintenance. They aren’t designed to be human-readable or descriptive; you reserve that role for natural/business keys. Using a surrogate key as the primary key is the standard approach in Clarity because it provides stable, efficient identification even as the underlying business identifiers evolve.