## Benefits of SQLite-Based Implementation

### Atomicity & Safety
- **Race-Condition Free:** SQLite transactions guarantee only one agent claims each task
- **No Lost Updates:** ACID compliance means state changes are durable
- **Orphan Prevention:** Expired claims are automatically released without manual intervention

### Performance
- **Fast Queries:** Indexed lookups on task status and agent ID
- **Concurrent Access:** Multiple agents read/write without blocking
- **Minimal Lock Time:** Transactions are microseconds, not seconds

### Reliability
- **Crash Recovery:** Database survives agent failures
- **Automatic Cleanup:** Stale claims don't block progress
- **Lease-Based:** Time-based expiration prevents indefinite hangs

### Developer Experience
- **Simple API:** Just `claimTask()`, `completeTask()`, `heartbeat()`
- **Full Visibility:** Query any task or agent status at any time
- **Easy Debugging:** SQL queries show exact state without decoding JSON

### Scalability
- **10s to 1000s of Tasks:** SQLite handles easily
- **Full Task Retention:** Complete history in database for analysis
- **Extensible Schema:** Add custom columns for task metadata