RE: Normalization

  • From: "Goulet, Dick" <DGoulet@xxxxxxxx>
  • To: <oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 13:26:05 -0400

I find it very odd that the person who stated this did it.  I have a =
pile of respect for Don & find it rather impossible that he made this =
type of statement.  Guess we all have things to learn.  Anyway, I =
disagree with him, with the exception of a data warehouse.  =
Normalization is not to for the purpose of saving disk space, but so =
that when something gets updated you have one and only one place to =
update.  If you want speed and normalization use Mineralized views & =
query rewrite.  That's what they were made for.

        In a data warehouse the purpose is much different in that you want to =
preserve history.  Therefore renormalizing the data is not just a way =
around speed, but the way to preserve the history.  Totally different =
things altogether and speed or disk space has nothing to do with it.

Dick Goulet
Senior Oracle DBA
Oracle Certified 8i DBA

-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Robson [mailto:pgro@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2004 11:51 AM
To: Paul Baumgartel
Subject: Re: Normalization


Outrageous! And this person TAUGHT???

In line...




PB> Q:  What are the basic guidelines one should keep in mind while
PB> designing a database? Is denormalization always good?

PB> A:  I used to teach database design in graduate school, and your
PB> question is excellent! The main purpose of high normalization was =
the
PB> reduction of disk space, back when it mattered in the 1970s.

Absolute utter rubbish - doesn't understand what normalisation is.
Doesn't understand what a 'data model' is.

PB> Today, I always introduce redundancy into the model whenever it can
PB> eliminate an SQL join, but not always. I make my decision based on =
two
PB> criteria:

PB> 1 - The size of the redundant item

PB> 2 - The volatility of the item (e.g. how often do I need to =
duplicate
PB> updates)

Oh please - cannot cope with any more of this nonsense....


Hmmm, it might be interesting to know who it was - then perhaps
ignorance is bliss...



peter
edinburgh





PB> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
PB> Paul Baumgartel
PB> Transcentive, Inc.
PB> www.transcentive.com


               =20
PB> __________________________________
PB> Do you Yahoo!?
PB> Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we.
PB> http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail
PB> ----------------------------------------------------------------
PB> Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
PB> ----------------------------------------------------------------
PB> To unsubscribe send email to:  oracle-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
PB> put 'unsubscribe' in the subject line.
PB> --
PB> Archives are at //www.freelists.org/archives/oracle-l/
PB> FAQ is at //www.freelists.org/help/fom-serve/cache/1.html
PB> -----------------------------------------------------------------



--=20
    mailto:pgro@xxxxxxxxx



*********************************************************************
This  e-mail  message,  and  any  files  transmitted  with  it, are
confidential  and intended  solely for the  use of the  addressee. If
this message was not addressed to  you, you have received it in error
and any  copying,  distribution  or  other use  of any part  of it is
strictly prohibited. Any views or opinions presented are solely those
of the sender and do not necessarily represent  those of the British
Geological  Survey. The  security of e-mail  communication  cannot be
guaranteed and the BGS accepts no liability  for claims arising as a
result of the use of this medium to  transmit messages from or to the
BGS. .                            http://www.bgs.ac.uk
*********************************************************************

----------------------------------------------------------------
Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe send email to:  oracle-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
put 'unsubscribe' in the subject line.
--
Archives are at //www.freelists.org/archives/oracle-l/
FAQ is at //www.freelists.org/help/fom-serve/cache/1.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe send email to:  oracle-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
put 'unsubscribe' in the subject line.
--
Archives are at //www.freelists.org/archives/oracle-l/
FAQ is at //www.freelists.org/help/fom-serve/cache/1.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Other related posts: