DBM/380
January 23, 2012
ERD Explanation
There are several levels of normalization such as 1NF, 2NF, and 3NF. The Huffman Driver database was brought to the normalization level of 3NF by following a series of guidelines from the lowest form of normalization, 1NF. The first normalization form level (1NF) consists of the basic rules for an organized database. These are: • Eliminate duplicative columns from the same table. • Create separate tables for each group of related data and identify each row with a unique column or set of columns (the primary key).
The second normalization form (2NF) level takes the organizational process one step further by addressing the concept of removing duplicative data: • Meet all the requirements of the first normal form. • Remove subsets of data that apply to multiple rows of a table and place them in separate tables. • Create relationships between these new tables and their predecessors through the use of foreign keys.
The third and final normalization form (3NF) level that was used takes the process even further: • Meet all requirements of the second normal form. • Remove columns that are not dependent upon the primary key (Chapple, 2012). Creating and utilizing an entity-relationship diagram (ERD) will aid in normalization. By normalizing the database, the amount of space that the database consumes will be reduced as well as ensure that the data is logically stored. Normalizing will have a drastic effect on the performance of the database.
References
Chapple, M. (2012). Database Normalization Basics. Retrieved from
References: Chapple, M. (2012). Database Normalization Basics. Retrieved from http://databases.about.com/od/specificproducts/a/normalization.htm