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Home -> Community -> Mailing Lists -> Oracle-L -> RE: Database Normalization-Outdated?
I Admin'ed a vendor app that was built similar to this (and the UI was in Designer - made me not think kindly of Oracle duh-velopment environments). Except that they had more tables to contain all the CODES. I always referred to this nightmare application's db as being SUPER-ASSOCIATIVE. This app went as far as in the CODE tables, having the ID , CODE and table that this code belonged to.
WHAT a nightmare. It was a very complicated app (had to due with auditing for governmental reporting purposes in the Pharma industry). They tried to throw COGNOS on top of it to do business analysis and the whole project became the LEAD AIRPLANE. Because the way that tables were designed, it was practically impossible to create an effective CUBE for business analysis. In this app, not only did you need to do a select distinct, but further join it. I once had to write a query linking 17 tables .... what a mess. Should have been 2-3 tables at max.
They (the vendor) was trying to be flexible to allow each client full customization....... unfortunately supporting it was a nightmare (my Trial by fire app:>).
But I would be WARY of changing DB philosophy based on one consultant's view. I would try to find some case studies. Also, ask for references from his former clients and CALL THEM. Ask them how this how impacted their development, business analysis etc.
Also wonder about any business analysis tools that one would want to implement (Ie. Cognos, Business Objects).... will this NEW fangled design play nice nice with the tools that are currently out there.
I would want to see a small demo using business data (ie. prototype) and run some *run of the mill* queries on it and compare performance to an equal but normalized desing.
IE. Create a small Customer design using both, popluate, then benchmark.
Hannah
PS. I'm always up for new and interesting ways to implement technology. But it would take more than just the glitter to actually convince me to implement it.
-----Original Message-----
From: root@fatcity.com@SUNGARD On Behalf Of Stephane Faroult <sfaroult@oriole.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 4:28 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
Subject: Re: Database Normalization-Outdated?
"Lisa R. Clary" wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> I sort of come from an old school where you should normalize data where you
> can (typically 3rd or 2nd) so that you get the efficiency of normalization
> but not the difficulty of data extraction. Additionally, I always thought
> that putting RI on tables was fairly important (prevention of orphans,
> reliable data, etc.) Recently, a consultant who has published a book about
> SQL
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