A data model organizes data elements and standardizes their relation to each other and the properties of real-world entities. E.F. Codd introduced the relational database model in 1970, which uses tables to make databases independent of other software applications. Database normalization is the process of structuring a relational database to reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity.

Some data models are more generalized than the relational model and are sometimes known as post-relational models. A star schema is one such model and is the most common data model used in data warehouses. Star schemas are unnormalized and consist of at least one fact table that references any number of dimension tables.

This paper discusses two of the most common database models, a normalized relational database and unnormalized star schema, each of which has its advantages.

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Topics: Data Governance, Data Modeling, Enterprise Architecture
Products: ER/Studio Enterprise Team Edition, ER/Studio Data Architect