Chapter 5 -- Implementing Data Integrity

3 4

Chapter 5

Implementing Data Integrity

About This Chapter

Data integrity refers to the state in which all of the data values stored in the database are correct. If incorrect data values have been stored in a database, the database is said to have lost data integrity. This chapter provides an overview of the various methods that you can use to maintain data integrity and gives you a description of the types of data integrity that you will find in a SQL Server database. The chapter then provides detailed information about the various types of integrity constraints that you can use to enforce data integrity and describes how to implement them in a database.

Before You Begin

To complete the lessons in this chapter, you must have:

• SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition installed on a Windows 2000 Server computer.
• The ability to log on to the Windows 2000 Server computer and to SQL Server as the Windows 2000 Administrator.
• Paper and a pen or a pencil to complete part of the exercises.
• Completed the exercises in Chapter 3, "Designing a SQL Server Database," and Chapter 4, "Implementing SQL Server Databases and Tables."