How do OLTP systems differ from OLAP systems?

OLTP systems, or Online Transaction Processing systems, are specifically designed to handle a large volume of transactions efficiently and effectively. These systems are optimized for a high number of short online transactions, such as inserting, deleting, and updating data in real-time. They support day-to-day operations for businesses, ensuring that transactions are processed quickly and accurately. This characteristic makes them fundamental for environments where operational data is constantly changing and where immediate access to current data is crucial for tasks like order entry, financial transactions, and customer relationship management.

In contrast, OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) systems are geared towards data analysis and reporting. They are optimized for read-heavy operations and complex queries rather than transaction processing. Their purpose is to enable users to perform multidimensional analysis of business data and provide insights through data mining, reporting, and forecasting.

This distinction is vital in understanding that while OLTP systems focus on the efficient processing of transactions, OLAP systems prioritize analytical operations over transaction speed, usually involving larger amounts of historical data. Thus, option B accurately highlights the primary function of OLTP systems within a business intelligence framework.