Introduction
It needs to be said that data normalization is an interesting topic for discussion. It is a process that is focused on the organization of the contents of a particular database to address any issues with consistency (Fong, 2015). One of the most significant aspects that should not be disregarded is that it is not an easy task to avoid any abnormalities that may occur after an update of a database that is not normalized. Another factor that needs to be considered is the elimination of data that is redundant and not necessary. The fact that business rules have a significant influence on the process also should not be disregarded in most cases. For example, every organization needs to make sure that a consensus on the meaning of key terms is present (Langer, 2012). A methodology may also be chosen, and standardization also should be taken into account. Another aspect that needs to be considered is that the level of performance may be affected, and it is paramount to determine if the trade-off is reasonable in a particular situation (Stephens & Plew, 2000). One of the main reasons why normalization is considered by educational facilities is that the amount of redundant data that is present is truly astounding in most cases.
First Normal Form
It is paramount to note that the primary purpose of the first form is to make sure that the available data is divided into particular logical units. Insertion anomalies are rather frequent, and this factor should not be overlooked. For example, such columns as an identification number of the student, number of the faculty, grade, and course description may be used. The concatenation of the first two ones determines the other two. On the other hand, the last one is dependent only on the first one. The issue occurs when one of the students attends several classes at once, and several tables may be created to ensure that groups are repeated, but the main one always should be copied. It needs to be said that this approach makes the tables much more manageable in most instances. The fact that the same data will be shown many times is quite problematic and inconsistency in updates also may be viewed as a significant issue.
Second Normal Form
It needs to be said that the first form is frequently associated with numerous problems, and the second one can be used to address this (Pratt & Last, 2014). It is imperative to take the necessary measures to guarantee that all the attributes that are not critical are entirely dependent on the core key. For example, one of the educational facilities had a database with two tables in the first form called students and teachers. It is essential to make sure that data that is only partially dependent can be stored elsewhere. The teacher’s table has been broken down into two pieces. The first one focused on values that are related to employees, and the second one focused on the payments. The key field such as an identification number of a teacher is present in both tables. The fact that data can be viewed comprehensively is essential. Also, it should be said that it is paramount to make sure that partial dependencies are avoided.
Third Normal Form
It needs to be noted that several operations to make sure that the database is converted to the third normal form are necessary. The most significant aspect that should not be disregarded is that it is paramount to focus on the elimination of the data that is not affected by the primary key. Every dependency needs to be considered during the process. Additional tables are created in most cases, and they are used to store the data that is much more precise. For example, the teacher table may be split into the ones that are focused on postal codes, positions, and the department may be introduced, and it becomes easier to manage the data. It is imperative to say that this approach is much more advanced, and most problems that are related to relational design may be avoided with the use of a third normal form (Harrington, 2009).
Denormalization
Denormalization is another process that needs to be discussed. It needs to be said that it is mostly performed when issues that affect the operations occur. One of the most significant aspects is the rate and overall performance levels. Poor system response is one of the primary reasons why denormalization is considered. It can be viewed as a reasonable decision, but it should be used as a last resort in most cases, and companies should review other aspects that may address the situation. For example, a first normal form database that consisted of two tables named customer and customer phone may be denormalized into a single one that contains all the data (Bock & Schrage, 2002).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it needs to be said that the design of the database is of utmost importance. It is hard to argue the importance of normalization, but some situations when denormalization or partial denormalization should be considered occur pretty frequently because of numerous factors. Overall, performance levels should be paid attention to and not disregarded.
References
Bock, D., & Schrage, J. (2002). Denormalization guidelines for base and transaction tables. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 34(4), 129-133.
Fong, J. (2015). Information systems reengineering, integration, and normalization (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
Harrington, J. L. (2009). Relational database design and implementation: clearly explained. Burlington, MA: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.
Langer, A. M. (2012). Guide to software development: designing and managing the life cycle. New York, NY: Springer.
Pratt, P., & Last, M. (2014). Concepts of database management (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Stephens, R., & Plew, R. (2014). Database design. Carmel, IN: Sams Publishing.