Assignment:
Optimizing Database Design" Please respond to the following:
• Many legacy systems require normalization. Identify at least two factors that should be considered in order to produce an optimal normalized set of tables when performing normalization. Include in your discussion a detailed example on how each factor would eliminate data redundancy.
• Optimal database design recognizes proper organization of table structures and relationships. Suggest at least two methods that can be used to improve the design of a database system.
classmates:
• Many legacy systems require normalization. Identify at least two factors that should be considered in order to produce an optimal normalized set of tables when performing normalization. Include in your discussion a detailed example on how each factor would eliminate data redundancy.
Normalization of a database is structuring the data store into "like buckets", for example in the old flat file database systems an employee might have numerous records in an employee table for all the orders that they were being held responsible. In the normalized database there would be only entry for each employee linked to a table with records for all their orders. Therefore the employee table contains the minimum number of records it needs to identify the employee and their attributes with relationships created between the employee and their orders. Normalizing of a database would limit the attributes associated with each employee, for example their home address should be stored in a separate table with referential integrity rules established to uniquely relate the address with each employee. The theory behind normalization is to create enough tables to store the most commonly retrieved information in the fewest tables necessary without the need to search every table for the most common searches every time.
• Optimal database design recognizes proper organization of table structures and relationships. Suggest at least two methods that can be used to improve the design of a database system.
The two greatest methods for organizing the table structures of a database are to interview the prospective users and stakeholders to the data store for what they believe they will need to see and know, preferably with examples of information that they currently have an access on a daily basis. The second method is to then design the database in a industry standard modeling format, such as Entity Relationship Model (ERM) to develop graphical the tables and their relationships with each other taking this design to the stakeholders for additional inputs and clarification. Only then can the building a working model start.