Redundancy

What is data redundancy ?

The term “data redundancy” refers to the occurrence of the same information being stored in multiple locations, either within the same database or across different databases. While it may seem harmless, data redundancy can lead to several issues, including increased storage costs, data inconsistency, and higher maintenance expenses.

Data redundancy can be reduced through various techniques, ranging from normalization to data integration. By standardizing information and using references, connection between elements is made possible.

In a hospital, there are two separate databases: one for patient diagnoses and another for treatment informations. When the same patient details are stored in both databases, any updates to the patient’s condition must be reflected in both locations. If one database is updated while the other remains unchanged, it can lead to inconsistent data.

summarizing the major causes, effects, and solutions for data redundancy