Understanding relational database integrity
Relational databases were introduced in the 1960s, formed by the entities and relationships between them and influenced by relational algebra. The transaction support covered security, consistency, and integrity, ensuring atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability.
In the field of databases, the concept of integrity is understood in terms of accuracy and correctness by ensuring data consistency. Moreover, it is often associated with data confidentiality. The integrity problem is, therefore, associated with ensuring any changes made to the database are correct. Errors and consequent data inconsistencies can be caused by data entry, operator errors, program errors, or even intentional database corruption attempts.
Integrity can be divided into the following categories:
