When a database structure changes for an API, what specific process helps manage these changes over time in a controlled and repeatable way?

When a database structure changes for an API, the specific process that helps manage these changes over time in a controlled and repeatable way is called Database Migration, also known as Schema Migration. This process involves defining and applying incremental, version-controlled changes to a database's schema, which is its fundamental structure including tables, columns, relationships, and constraints. The core of database migration relies on a series of migration scripts (often written in SQL or generated by Object-Relational Mappers). Each script represents a single, atomic change to the database schema, such as adding a new table, alteri....