Modern Systems Analysis and Design

Learning Objectives
 Understand logical process modeling via data
flow diagrams (DFDs).  Draw DFDs of well structured process models.  Decompose DFDs into lower-level diagrams.  Balance high-level and low-level DFDs.  Explain differences between current physical, current logical, new physical, and new logical DFDs.  Use DFDs for analyzing information systems.  Explain use cases and use case diagrams.

Process Modeling
Graphically represent the processes that capture, manipulate, store, and distribute data between a system and its environment and among system components Utilize information gathered during requirements determination Processes and data structures are modeled

Process Modeling (cont.) Deliverables and Outcomes

Context data flow diagram (DFD)


Scope of system Enables analysts to understand current system Technology independent Show data flows, structure, and functional requirements of new system

DFDs of current physical and logical system



DFDs of new logical system

 

Thorough description of each DFD component

Data Flow Diagram (DFD)

A picture of the movement of data between external entities and the processes and data stores within a system Difference from system flowcharts:


DFDs depict logical data flow independent of technology Flowcharts depict details of physical systems

DFD Symbols

DFD Symbols (cont.)

Process: work or actions performed on data (inside the system) Data store: data at rest (inside the system) Source/sink: external entity that is origin or destination of data (outside the system) Data flow: arrows depicting movement of data

DFD Diagramming Rules Process

No process can have only outputs or only inputsprocesses must have both outputs and inputs.

Process labels should be verb phrases.

DFD Diagramming Rules Data Store

All flows to or from a data store must move through a process.

Data store labels should be noun phrases.

DFD Diagramming Rules Source/Sink

No data moves directly between external entities without going through a process. Interactions between external entities without intervening processes are outside the system and therefore not represented in the DFD. Source and sink labels should be noun phrases.

DFD Diagramming Rules Data Flow

Bidirectional flow between process and data store is represented by two separate arrows. Forked data flow must refer to exact same data item (not different data items) from a common location to multiple destinations.

DFD Diagramming Rules Data Flow (cont.)

Joined data flow must refer to exact same data item (not different data items) from multiple sources to a common location. Data flow cannot go directly from a process to itself, must go through intervening processes.

DFD Diagramming Rules Data Flow (cont.)

Data flow from a process to a data store means update (insert, delete or change). Data flow from a data store to a process means retrieve or use. Data flow labels should be noun phrases.

Functional Decomposition
An iterative process of breaking a system description down into finer and finer detail High-level processes described in terms of lower-level sub-processes DFD charts created for each level of detail

DFD Levels
Context DFD


Overview of the organizational system Representation of systems major processes at high level of abstraction Results from decomposition of Level 0 diagram Results from decomposition of Level n-1 diagram

Level-0 DFD


Level-1 DFD


Level-n DFD


Context Diagram
Context diagram shows the system boundaries, external entities that interact with the system, and major information flows between entities and the system.

NOTE: only one process symbol, and no data stores shown.

Level-0 DFD

Level-0 DFD shows the systems major processes, data flows, and data stores at a high level of abstraction.

Processes are labeled 1.0, 2.0, etc. These will be decomposed into more primitive (lower-level) DFDs.

Level-1 DFD
Level-1 DFD shows the sub-processes of one of the processes in the Level-0 DFD. This is a Level-1 DFD for Process 4.0.

Processes are labeled 4.1, 4.2, etc. These can be further decomposed in more primitive (lower-level) DFDs if necessary.

Level-n DFD
Level-n DFD shows the sub-processes of one of the processes in the Level n-1 DFD. This is a Level-2 DFD for Process 4.3.

Processes are labeled 4.3.1, 4.3.2, etc. If this is the lowest level of the hierarchy, it is called a primitive DFD.

DFD Balancing
The conservation of inputs and outputs to a data flow process when that process is decomposed to a lower level Balanced means:


Number of inputs to lower level DFD equals number of inputs to associated process of higherlevel DFD Number of outputs to lower level DFD equals number of outputs to associated process of higher-level DFD

Unbalanced DFD

1 input 1 output

2 inputs 1 output

This is unbalanced because the process of the context diagram has only one input but the Level-0 diagram has two inputs.

Balanced DFD
1 input 3 outputs

These are balanced because the numbers of inputs and outputs of context diagram process equal the number of inputs and outputs of Level-0 diagram.

Balanced DFD (cont.)

These are balanced because the numbers of inputs and outputs to Process 1.0 of the Level-0 diagram equals the number of inputs and outputs to the Level-1 diagram.

1 input 4 outputs

Data Flow Splitting

A composite data flow at a higher level may be split if different parts go to different processes in the lower level DFD.

This remains balanced because the same data is involved, but split into two parts.

More DFD Rules

Four Different Types of DFD

Current Physical
 

Process labels identify technology (people or systems) used to process the data. Data flows and data stores identify actual name of the physical media. Physical aspects of system are removed as much as possible. Current system is reduced to data and processes that transform them.

Current Logical


Four Different Types of DFD (cont.)

New Logical
  

Includes additional functions Obsolete functions are removed Inefficient data flows are reorganized Represents the physical implementation of the new system

New Physical


Guidelines for Drawing DFDs

Completeness


DFD must include all components necessary for system. Each component must be fully described in the project dictionary or CASE repository. The extent to which information contained on one level of a set of nested DFDs is also included on other levels.

Consistency


Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (cont.)

Timing
 

Time is not represented well on DFDs. Best to draw DFDs as if the system has never started and will never stop. Analyst should expect to redraw diagram several times before reaching the closest approximation to the system being modeled.

Iterative Development


Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (cont.)

Primitive DFDs
 

Lowest logical level of decomposition Decision has to be made when to stop decomposition

Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (cont.)

Rules for stopping decomposition


When each process has been reduced to a single decision, calculation or database operation When each data store represents data about a single entity When the system user does not care to see any more detail

Guidelines for Drawing DFDs (cont.)

Rules for stopping decomposition (continued)


When every data flow does not need to be split further to show that data are handled in various ways When you believe that you have shown each business form or transaction, online display and report as a single data flow When you believe that there is a separate process for each choice on all lowest-level menu options

Using DFDs as Analysis Tools

Gap Analysis


The process of discovering discrepancies between two or more sets of data flow diagrams or discrepancies within a single DFD

Inefficiencies in a system can often be identified through DFDs.

Using DFDs in Business Process Reengineering

Before: Credit approval process required six days

After: process 100 times as many transactions in the same time

Use Cases
Depiction of a systems behavior or functionality under various conditions as the system responds to requests from users Full functioning for a specific business purpose

UML Use Case Diagram Symbols

Use Case Actor Boundary Connection
<<include>>

Include relationship Extend relationship

<<extend>>

What is an Actor?
Actor is an external entity that interacts with the system. Most actors represent user roles, but actors can also be external systems. An actor is a role, not a specific user; one user may play many roles, and an actor may represent many users.

What is a Boundary?
A boundary is the dividing line between the system and its environment. Use cases are within the boundary. Actors are outside of the boundary.

What is a Connection?
A connection is an association between an actor and a use case. Depicts a usage relationship Connection does not indicate data flow

What is an <<extend>> Relationship?

A connection between two use cases Extends a use case by adding new behavior or actions Specialized use case extends the general use case

What is an <<include>> Relationship?

A connection between two use cases Indicates a use case that is used (invoked) by another use case Links to general purpose functions, used by many other use cases

Written Use Cases

Document containing detailed specifications for a use case Contents can be written as simple text or in a specified format