What are the advantages and disadvantages of the database denormalization process?

Database denormalization is a process of intentionally introducing data redundancy to improve read performance.

Advantages:

• Faster queries due to reduced number of JOIN operations.
• Simplified query structure, making development and maintenance easier.
• Possibility of caching and quick access to frequently used data.

Disadvantages:

• Increased storage size due to data duplication.
• More complex data update process — multiple copies need to be synchronized.
• Risk of data inconsistency in case of update errors.

Denormalization is justified in systems with high read load and relatively infrequent write operations, where speed of data access is critical.