Question 201 - DA0-001 discussion

The correct answer is B. Snowflake.

A snowflake schema is a type of database schema that features normalized dimension tables. A database schema is a way of organizing and structuring the data in a database. A dimension table is a table that contains descriptive attributes or characteristics of the data, such as product name, category, color, etc. A normalized table is a table that follows the rules of normalization, which is a process of reducing data redundancy and improving data integrity by organizing the data into smaller and simpler tables12

A snowflake schema is a variation of the star schema, which is another type of database schema that features denormalized dimension tables. A denormalized table is a table that does not follow the rules of normalization, and may contain redundant or duplicated dat a. A star schema consists of a central fact table that contains quantitative measures or facts, such as sales amount, order quantity, etc., and several dimension tables that are directly connected to the fact table. A snowflake schema differs from a star schema in that the dimension tables are further split into sub-dimension tables, creating a snowflake-like shape13 A snowflake schema has some advantages and disadvantages over a star schema. Some advantages are:

It reduces the storage space required for the dimension tables, as it eliminates the redundant data.

It improves the data quality and consistency, as it avoids the update anomalies that may occur in denormalized tables.

It allows more detailed analysis and queries, as it provides more levels of dimensions.

Some disadvantages are:

It increases the complexity and number of joins required to retrieve the data from multiple tables, which may affect the query performance and speed.

It reduces the readability and simplicity of the schema, as it has more tables and relationships to understand.

It may require more maintenance and administration, as it has more tables to manage and update13