Surrogate Keys (EN)

Surrogate Keys in Data Flow

Surrogate Keys are artificially generated keys in dimension tables that ensure the stability of relationships, even when natural keys change. They improve performance and simplify the management of historical data. The use of Surrogate Keys is a best practice in data modeling for Data Warehouse systems.

Data Flow with Surrogate Keys

flowchart LR   A[Source System] --> B[ETL Process]   B --> C[Fact Table]   B --> D[Dimension Table]   D --> E[Surrogate Key Generation]   E --> C   C --> F[Data Mart]   D --> F 

In Context

• Typically used together with natural keys (Natural Keys)
• Related to: Data Warehouse, Dimension Tables, ETL Processes
• Example use case: Maintain historical customer orders despite address changes