single-user environment requires a different approach from that used in the design of a distributed, multiuser database.
This book emphasizes the design of transactional, centralized, single-user, and multiuser databases. Chapters 12 and
13 also examine critical issues confronting the designer of distributed and data warehouse databases.
Designing appropriate data repositories of integrated information using the two-dimensional table structures found in
most databases is a process of decomposition. The integrated data must be decomposed properly into its constituent
parts, with each part stored in its own table. Further, the relationships between these tables must be carefully
considered and implemented so that the integrated view of the data can be re-created later as information for the end
user. A well-designed database facilitates data management and generates accurate and valuable information. A poorly
designed database is likely to become a breeding ground for difficult-to-trace errors that may lead to bad decision
making—and bad decision making can lead to the failure of an organization. Database design is simply too important
to be left to luck. That’s why college students study database design, why organizations of all types and sizes send
personnel to database design seminars, and why database design consultants often make an excellent living.