Data Normalization
Data normalization is a process used to organize data within a database to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity. The goal is to structure the data in a way that minimizes dependency and potential anomalies. In relational databases, normalization involves breaking down a larger table into smaller, more manageable tables and defining relationships between them using foreign keys. This approach ensures that the data is stored efficiently and can be maintained with less redundancy. Normalization is essential for ensuring that updates, inserts, and deletions occur without inconsistencies or anomalies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_normalization
One of the key reasons for using data normalization is to improve the performance and scalability of the database. When a database is normalized, queries can be executed more efficiently by reducing the size of the dataset and ensuring that indexes are used effectively. This leads to faster search results, as the data is structured logically. Additionally, data normalization helps maintain the integrity of the data, ensuring that updates and deletions are consistent across related tables. For example, if customer data is split into separate tables for contact information, orders, and transactions, any update to a customer's information will automatically be reflected in all relevant places without errors.
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/database-normalization/
Data normalization also ensures that the database is easier to maintain and scale over time. By adhering to normalization principles, it becomes easier to add new data elements, implement changes to existing structures, or even migrate data to a different system. Further, normalization helps prevent data anomalies such as update anomalies, where an update to a record could result in inconsistent data across different records. Normalized data makes it easier to handle operations like backups and restores, as the structure of the data is more predictable and less prone to errors.
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/dbms/database_normalization.htm