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RE: Primary Keys

From: Tony Johnson <tjohnson_at_griddata.com>
Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 12:34:29 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.002A7F39.20010201122746@fatcity.com>

How are you going to retrieve the data in these tables for your application. A surrogate key as you are describing is valid in many instances if for no other reason that to make the model much cleaner. There are many occasions where the 'live-and-die' relational rules have to be bent to meet real world problems.



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Tony Johnson                                    Email  : tjohnson_at_griddata.com
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Murphy's Data Constant:Data will be damaged in direct proportion to its value

-----Original Message-----

Wisniewski
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2001 12:08 PM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

I know this violates the most basic data modeling techniques but tell me what you think.

I'm working on creating a new database which will be fairly small in number of tables ~8 but large in storage size ~4 terabytes with millions of records eventually.

The 3 large tables will hold small images along with supporting data and the only reason I can see to have a primary key is to have a primary key. There is not a natural key for the tables so it would be a sequence which would never be selected against. Given the number of records all I can see it doing is taking up space, increase the time of the imports, generate more redo logs, etc and I can't see the benefits.

There won't be any tables hanging off of these, I won't be using snapshots, replication or anything else I can think of that would require a PK but the voice 'YOU MUST HAVE A PRIMARY KEY' is resounding loudly in my head so I must ask why?

Tell me what you think.

Thanks


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Author: Brian Wisniewski
  INET: brian_wisniewski_at_yahoo.com
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Author: Tony Johnson
  INET: tjohnson_at_griddata.com

Fat City Network Services    -- (858) 538-5051  FAX: (858) 538-5051
San Diego, California        -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists

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