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Methods for analyzing and reducing a relational database to its most streamlined form.
Three basic normalization methods include:
The table shown above is NOT in 1NF because the DepartmentID column
contains data that are not atomic. John Kane belongs to two different departments,
which is fine and realistic in a real business setting.
However, the data model for the DepartmentID should not show “MKT, FIN”. In
order to “normalize” this table into 1NF, “MKT, FIN” needs to be broken down into two
different records.
Second Normal Form (2NF): “No non-key attribute may be functionally (or partially)
dependent on just part of the key.”
Again, consider the table above, the BonusRate column “depends” on the
SkillType column; the SkillType column, in this example, is not part of a key. This is
called transitive dependency. In order to normalize a table into BCNF, this transitive
dependency has to be eliminated.
One solution to the problems with the table above can be implemented by
breaking down the table into several simpler, related tables.
EmployeeID DepartmentID
JK01 MKT
JK01 FIN
LP01 OPT
MR03 ACT
MR03 ISM
LP01 RAD
Of course, this is just one simple solution to show how the normalization process
works. Additional modifications can be made in many different ways to accomplish
higher efficiency.