Database Reference
In-Depth Information
normal forms and the process required to arrive at each one are covered in the sections that
follow.
5.4.1 Benefits of normalization
Save disk storage space —
The primary reason of the use of normalization is to reduce re-
dundancy in a database. Duplicate records occupy more space on a computer. Disk space is
expensive, and minimizing redundancy reduces disk storage requirements, which save an
expensive hardware resource. Because normalization removes duplicate records, disk stor-
age space can be saved.
Easy to maintain —
Updating redundant data can become a cumbersome task. For ex-
ample if a person changes his mobile number, updation of the number becomes an easy
task, if it resides in only one place. When data exists in multiple locations, it can become
inconsistent if all fields are not updated simultaneously.
Lessen input/output
(
I/O) activity —
Redundant data may require the manipulation of
large data blocks. Writing on disk and reading from disk (input/output) operations are the
