INF2603 Assignment 2 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) 2024 (286114) - DUE 27 September 2024

INF2603
ASSIGNMENT 2 2024
UNIQUE NO.286114
DUE DATE: 27 SEPTEMBER 2024

, INF2603

Assignment 2 2024

UNIQUE NO. 286114

DUE DATE: 27 September 2024

Databases I

QUESTION 1

a. What is redundancy? What problems are associated with redundancy? (4
marks)

Redundancy in databases refers to the unnecessary duplication of data. This happens
when the same piece of information is stored in multiple places.

For example, if you have a customer’s address stored in several different tables in a
database, that's redundancy.

The problems associated with redundancy

1. Increased Storage Costs: More storage space is needed to keep duplicate
data, which can be costly.
2. Data Inconsistency: If the same information is updated in one place but not in
others, it can lead to inconsistent data. For instance, if a customer changes their
address, but it’s not updated everywhere, it can cause confusion.
3. Maintenance Difficulty: Managing and updating multiple copies of the same
data can be cumbersome and error-prone.
4. Performance Issues: Redundant data can slow down database performance
because the system has to process more information.