What is database denormalization and what are its advantages and disadvantages?

Database denormalization is the process of intentionally duplicating data or merging tables to improve query performance.

Advantages:

• Accelerates data reading by reducing the number of JOIN operations.
• Simplifies queries and selection logic.

Disadvantages:

• Increases stored data volume due to duplication.
• Complicates data integrity maintenance, as updates need to be made in multiple places.
• Higher risk of errors during data synchronization.

Denormalization is often used in high-read-load systems where fast data access is crucial, and data volume is less critical.