IS226 Tutorial 6 Problems for Week 7

Modeling Systems Requirements – DFDs

Review Questions
1. What DFD characteristics does an analyst examine when evaluating DFD quality?

2. What is a black hole? What is a miracle? How can each be detected?

3. What are the disadvantages of using both traditional and IE process models to
describe the same system?

Thinking Critically

1. Assume that the transaction summary report for the RMO order-entry subsystem (see
process 5 in Figure 1) contains a listing of every order that was created during a date
range entered by the user. The report title page contains the report name, the date
range, and the date and time the report was prepared. For each order, the report lists
the order number, order date, order total, and form of payment. Within each order, the
report lists all order items and returns, including item number, quantity ordered (or
returned), and price. Report totals include the sum of all order totals, average order
total, average item price, and average return price. Write a data flow definition entry
for the report and write a process specification for the process that produces the report.

Figure 1: DFD Fragments for RMO Order-Entry Subsystem

2. Create an activity-data (CRUD) matrix for the course registration system in
Figure 2.

Activities Data Entities

Course Enrollment Offered Course Student
Schedule Course
Enroll Student
Produce Class List

Figure 2: Layers of DFD Abstraction for Course Registration System

Case Study
Read The Real Estate Multiple Listing Service System from week 6 tutorial and
answer the questions that follow. Use the event list and list of entities for that
system (provided below) as a starting point for the following exercises:

1. Draw a context DFD

2. Draw an event-partitioned DFD.

Event Trigger Source Use Case Response Destination

1. Real estate New listing RE Office Add new listing
office submits
new listing
2. Agent requests Listing query Agent Provide listing Listing Agent
listing info information information
3. Time to “15th and 30th Produce multiple Multiple Agent
produce multiple of the month” listing book listing book
listing book
4. Real estate Listing change RE Office Record listing change
office submits request
listing change
request

Entities
1. Real Estate Office

Office Number
Name
Office Manager Name
Address
Phone
FAX

2. Real Estate Agent

Agent Number (license number?)

Name
Office Phone
Home Phone
Email Address
Cell Phone

3. Real Estate Listing

Listing Number
Address
Year Built
Square Feet
Number Bedrooms
Number Baths
Owner Name
Owner Phone
Asking Price
Date Listed
Date Last Updated
Status Code

Dinesh Kumar