Software Architect's Handbook

Normalizing a database

Normalization is the process of designing tables (relations) and columns (attributes) so that they not only meet data requirements, but minimize data redundancy and increase data integrity.

In order to meet these goals, a database should contain the minimal number of attributes necessary to meet the requirements. Attributes with a close logical relationship should be placed together in the same relation. Redundancy of attributes should be kept to a minimum, which makes it easier to maintain data consistency and will minimize the size of the database.