What is referential integrity and how is it enforced in a Clarity relational model?

What is referential integrity and how is it enforced in a Clarity relational model?

• A. Referential integrity ensures foreign keys reference existing primary keys; enforced via foreign key constraints and ETL logic checks.
• B. Referential integrity means all values are unique.
• C. Referential integrity is about data formatting standards.
• D. Referential integrity is enforced by application-level only, not database constraints.

Answer: (A)

Referential integrity means that the relationships between tables stay valid: a value in a foreign key must point to an existing row in the related table’s primary key. In a Clarity relational model, this is normally enforced with database-level foreign key constraints that check each insert or update to ensure the referenced key exists. If you try to insert or update a row with a foreign key value that doesn’t match a primary key, the operation is rejected. ETL processes also play a role by validating relationships during data loading, catching any violations before the data enters the system. This combination—foreign key constraints plus ETL checks—keeps the data relationships consistent. It’s not about uniqueness or formatting, and it isn’t correct to rely on application logic alone for enforcement.

Referential integrity means that the relationships between tables stay valid: a value in a foreign key must point to an existing row in the related table’s primary key. In a Clarity relational model, this is normally enforced with database-level foreign key constraints that check each insert or update to ensure the referenced key exists. If you try to insert or update a row with a foreign key value that doesn’t match a primary key, the operation is rejected. ETL processes also play a role by validating relationships during data loading, catching any violations before the data enters the system. This combination—foreign key constraints plus ETL checks—keeps the data relationships consistent. It’s not about uniqueness or formatting, and it isn’t correct to rely on application logic alone for enforcement.