What is server-side persistence and why is it needed?

Server-side persistence means storing data on non-volatile server storage so it survives across separate HTTP requests and server restarts.

Web applications need persistence for:

• User data (addresses, profiles)
• Application data (orders, inventory)
• Tracking data (analytics, logs)

Without persistence, all data would be lost when the server restarts or between requests. The server receives requests, stores/retrieves data from storage, and returns responses.