What is a unique characteristic of an Upsert operation?

The Upsert operation is distinctly characterized by its ability to allow for both the insertion of new records and the updating of existing records within a database. This means that when an Upsert command is executed, the system will check for the presence of a record. If the record exists, it will update the existing data; if it does not exist, it will create a new record. This functionality is particularly useful in scenarios where data integrity is crucial, as it ensures that entries in the dataset are current without having to perform separate insert and update operations.

In contrast, replacing all existing data with new data does not align with the Upsert's purpose, as it focuses on updating or adding specific records rather than overwriting all data. Additionally, Upsert operations are not limited to SQL commands; they can be implemented in various database systems with different syntaxes. Lastly, an Upsert operation is conditional—it relies on the existence of specific records, unlike operations that modify data without any conditions.