The distinction between 3NF in the silver layer and the Star Schema in the gold layer illustrates why different data model approaches are suitable for different stages of the data pipeline. While 3NF is efficient for organizing and integrating data, a Star Schema is optimized for user queries and reporting.

3NF, or Third Normal Form, is a method of reducing data-redundancy through normalization. It is a common standard for databases that are considered fully normalized. It typically has more tables than a star schema due to data normalization. On the flip-side, queries tend to be more complex due to the increased number of joins between large tables.

We discuss comparisons between 3nf and star schema modeling for enterprise data warehousing, along with issues that existing BI and EDW solutions utilize (but result in failure).

Third normal form modeling is a classical relational-database modeling technique that minimizes data redundancy through normalization. When compared to a star schema, a 3NF schema typically has a larger number of tables due to this normalization process.