What is the main purpose of migrations in a database?

The main goal of database migrations is to manage changes to the database structure (schema) and data in a controlled and repeatable manner. Migrations allow:

• Adding, modifying, or deleting tables, columns, indexes.
• Ensuring schema consistency across different environments (development, testing, production).
• Automating the database update process when releasing new application versions.

For example, when adding new functionality, it may be necessary to create a new table or add a column — migration records these changes and allows them to be applied on all servers.