I was starting to normalize my tables and think about the relationships among them. I have a Node table and a DesignStatus (DS) table that I know is a one to many from the DS table to the Node table but am wondering, just out of curiosity, if it is a one to one from the Node table to the DS table.

Someone told me I m defining the relationship incorrectly b/c I ask myself if  a  node has only one or one to many DS records versus asking myself if  each  node has only one or one to many DS records. I don t understand the difference, but I see that it is important b/c his way means that each node (many) can only have one DS (one), which changes the relationship from Node table to DS table to a many to one relationship. 1) Which is the right relationship, one to one or one to many from the Node tbl to the DS tbl, and 2) which is the right question to ask yourself when trying to define a relationship?

P.S. A node is used to deliver internet service to a neighborhood and I want to record a node s status at any one time only, so each node can be of one status only. It will start out  Not Complete  and then change to  Complete  as the project moves forward, which I will change using a combo box, but I will not be creating multiple DS records for that node.