primary keys

[prmitchell]

I would be most grateful to receive any feedback/thoughts on this concept - which was asked in an exam question I have seen - where the scenario is a store keeping track of sales to customers

outline how primary keys can ensure the privacy of its customers

 

[jdraw]

Here are some links that will help you

Principles of Relational Database (short and very good)
http://forums.aspfree.com/attachment...2&d=1201055452

Entity Relationship Diagramming http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/T...lationship.zip

Video tutorials:
These are quite good for learning by Watching/Listening
rather than reading.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiVq8M5DBkk Logical data modeling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGMwuOtRfqU Candidate key

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiB-BKCzS_I Normalization

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ47btpjAhA Normalization example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3Wg2fZENK0 1st Normal form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vji0pfliHZI 2nd Normal form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH-QR7t-kMo 3rd Normal form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1GaaGHHAqM E_R Diagramming

 

[prmitchell]

Thank you jdraw. Reasonably aware of database design and these kind of resources. I was really seeking a comment - does setting primary keys help to achieve privacy

just that, is primary keys about achieving privacy?

 

[gemma-the-husky]

personally, I cannot see that a PK of itself does anything of the sort, directly. It is really a tool for managing data integrity.

maybe they are aiming at something like restricting access to a PK record, will also restrict access to any data related to that record.

 

[prmitchell]

thank you for your reply
I don't consider there is any relationships
just after anyone's thoughts for confirmation (or otherwise).

 

[ButtonMoon]

I would be most grateful to receive any feedback/thoughts on this concept - which was asked in an exam question I have seen - where the scenario is a store keeping track of sales to customers

outline how primary keys can ensure the privacy of its customers

Possibly the question is about the content of identifiers intended to be used by customers (e.g. customer numbers or order numbers). In some cases you might want to randomize such identifiers (rather than allocate them in a simple numeric sequence for example) to make them harder to guess. If identifiers can be easily guessed by others then that might pose a greater risk of social engineering attacks or identity theft.

This has nothing to do with whether the attribute(s) in question might be primary key or not. Data doesn't become more or less secure just because you make it a key in the database. It's a question of how information is used and potentially exposed as part of the business.

 

[jdraw]

just that, is primary keys about achieving privacy?

I don't see how a PK achieves privacy. I agree with the others that it is for enforcing data integrity. However, a PK value is unique and identifies a specific record throughout the entire database.

From Merriam-Webster
Privacy:
a : the quality or state of being apart from company or observation : seclusion
b : freedom from unauthorized intrusion <one's right to privacy>

Perhaps there was more context surrounding the original question.

You say

I don't consider there is any relationships

OK. But a PK helps establish relationships with other tables in the database.