What is "data redundancy"?

Data redundancy refers to the unnecessary duplication of data within a database or data storage system. It occurs when the same piece of data is stored in multiple places, leading to potential inconsistencies, increased storage costs, and challenges in managing and maintaining the data. The primary concern with data redundancy is that if changes are made to one instance of the data, those changes may not be reflected in the other instances, resulting in data integrity issues.

By identifying and addressing data redundancy, organizations can streamline their data management processes, ensure accuracy, and optimize storage efficiency. It is essential to design databases that minimize redundancy through normalization techniques, which organize data to reduce duplication while maintaining data relationships.

This concept is fundamental in data management practices, as eliminating unnecessary data can improve both performance and accuracy within database systems.