Database Normalization

Previous chapters have explored the method of capturing the real-world business workings of an organization and modeling them using visual semantics. The resulting model and accompanying diagrams make it easy for the domain and data teams to reach a consensus about the business’s fundamental entities and the interactions between them. However, as the modeling process approaches the physical stage, we should understand that many ways exist to structure the data at the database level. The process of dividing the data into smaller, modularized segments is known as normalization. In this chapter, we will understand how it works and the advantages and disadvantages that go along with it.

Normalization is not a binary classification but a spectrum of ever-increasing rules a design must satisfy to achieve a stated level. While normalization contains the root word normal, along with the obvious positive connotations, more normalization does not necessarily...