What is Star/Snowflake?

Star and Snowflake schemas are database design approaches primarily used in data warehousing and business intelligence. A Star schema features a central fact table surrounded by dimension tables, resembling a star. The fact table contains quantitative data (metrics) and foreign keys referencing the dimension tables. Dimension tables hold descriptive attributes that provide context to the facts. A Snowflake schema is an extension of the Star schema where dimension tables are further normalized into multiple related tables, creating a snowflake-like shape. This normalization reduces data redundancy but can increase query complexity. Star schemas offer simplicity and faster query performance, while Snowflake schemas prioritize data integrity and reduced storage space.