Table of Contents
Database Design Fundamentals
Good database design is crucial for application performance, data integrity, and maintainability.
Normalization
First Normal Form (1NF)
- Eliminate repeating groups
- Each column should contain atomic values
- Each record should be unique
Second Normal Form (2NF)
- Must be in 1NF
- Remove partial dependencies
- Non-key attributes should depend on the entire primary key
Third Normal Form (3NF)
- Must be in 2NF
- Remove transitive dependencies
- Non-key attributes should not depend on other non-key attributes
Indexing Strategies
Types of Indexes
- Primary Index: Automatically created for primary keys
- Secondary Index: Created on non-key columns for faster queries
- Composite Index: Index on multiple columns
- Unique Index: Ensures uniqueness and improves performance
Best Practices
- Index frequently queried columns
- Avoid over-indexing (impacts write performance)
- Consider query patterns when designing indexes
- Monitor and analyze index usage regularly
Performance Optimization
- Use appropriate data types
- Implement proper caching strategies
- Optimize query execution plans
- Regular database maintenance and statistics updates