What is a relational database?

A relational database is an organized system that holds vast amounts of information encompassing many categories. While there are several different database structures, the relational model is by far the most popular, at least at this point in time.

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Relational database defined

By definition, a relational database is a collection of logically connected tables (relations) that are organized in such a way it can provide efficiency and eliminate the need for segregated database systems. The concept of a relational database was originally established in the 1970s by E.F. Codd, but became more widely adopted as computers became more integrated into businesses and households. While database structures are evolving, in 2018 relational databases are still most popular.

Key benefits 

In earlier database models, users would have to wait to view updates or would not be able to access records simultaneously with other users. The relational database changes all this and in many ways makes for a better user experience, especially in the kinds of databases that are continuously updated and revised. There are several benefits to using the relational design when developing a database to store records and information:

  • Increased ability to share data
  • Expands security because authorization and permission-based user groups can be set
  • Eliminates redundancy for the most part
  • Simultaneous retrieval by multiple users
  • Immediate updates of data additions, deletions or changes
  • Increased levels of data integrity

Another tangible and significant benefit to using a relational model is users can input questions and receive rapid answers to their queries.

Identifying data to form relationships

Designing a relational database takes a lot of care. Before building the database, it is important to carefully examine user needs and identify the pieces of data that should be stored. The physical structure of the relational database is designed in such a way several tables are established and all have relationships with one another.

You might be wondering what tables are. Tables are essentially objects stored in the database. Examples of this could be "customer", "order" or "employees". Each entity is defined by a table and individual records are placed in each table. Every individual record (or row) is assigned a primary key which is a unique identifier for that distinctive record. For instance, a customer might have a customer number assigned or products may be given individual stock numbers.

Once the various tables are established, a relationship between the entities is defined. It is essential to accurately identify the relationships between the various tables during the system analysis and design stages; this is the key to a well-designed database. Developers and planners use the normalization process to eliminate repeating groups of information to optimize the database design.

Consistency and accuracy

Relational databases are beneficial because of their ability to control redundancy, save space, maintain consistency and generate better accuracy. The control mechanisms in place for the relational database allow less room for errors to be made when proper controls are designed during development.

When a relational database is constructed optimally any changes for records in various capacities will automatically update across the span of the database and the user does not have to manually sort through different areas of the database, making it a very efficient way to manage data.

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