Database normalization is necessary to reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity. It involves organizing the fields and tables of a relational database to ensure each table represents a single entity or relationship and each field contains only atomic values. By minimizing redundancy, normalization helps maintain data accuracy and consistency, which is crucial for large databases.
For example, consider a database with a table that stores customer information and their order details in the same table. This can lead to redundant data, as the same customer information might be repeated for each order they place. Normalizing this database would involve splitting it into separate tables for customers and orders, with a relationship established between them. This way, customer information is stored only once, reducing redundancy and potential inconsistencies.
In the context of cloud computing, services like Tencent Cloud's Cloud Database MySQL offer robust features to support database normalization. These services provide automated tools for database design, optimization, and management, making it easier to implement and maintain normalized database structures.