Process Modeling

Data Flow Diagram

Part 1
 Process Modeling
Process Modeling
Data flow diagram enable analyst to model how data flow through an
information system, the relationships among the data flows and how data come
to be stored at specific location. Data flow diagrams also show the processes
that change or transform data. Data flow diagram concentrate on the movement
of data between processes, these diagrams are called process model.

Data flow diagram (DFD) : A picture of the movement of data between external
entities and the processes and data stores within a system.

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Process Modeling

The analysis phase contains two sub phases:

FIGURE 7-1 requirements determination and requirements structuring.
Systems development life During requirements structuring analyst must organize
cycle with the analysis information into a meaningful representation of the
phase highlighted information system that currently exists and of the
requirements desired in a replacement system
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Deliverables and Outcomes
In structured analysis the primary deliverables from the process
modelling are set of coherent, interrelated DFDs. List of
deliverables includes:
1) Context data flow diagram (DFD)
 Scope of system indicating which element inside and which are outside
the system.
2) Adequate detail (adequately decomposed)
 DFDs of the system which specify which processes move and transform
data, accepting inputs and producing outputs. This diagrams developed
sufficient detail to understand the current system into replacements
3) Thorough description of each DFD component.
 Entries of all the objects included in all of the diagrams are included in
the project dictionary.

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Data Flow Diagramming Mechanics

• DFDs is a versatile diagraming tool. It can be used to
represent both physical and logical information
systems
• Only four symbols are used
• Useful for depicting purely logical information flows
• DFDs that detail physical systems differ from system
flowcharts which depict details of physical computing
equipment.

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Definitions and Symbols

FIGURE 7-2
Comparison of DeMarco
and Yourdon
and Gane and Sarson
DFD symbol sets

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Definitions and Symbols (Cont.)
• Process: work or actions performed on data (inside the system) so
they are transformed, store or distributed. When modelling data
processing of a system it does not matter whether a process is
performed manually or by computer.
• Data store: data at rest (inside the system). May represent one of
many different location for data; for example a file folder, one or
computer based file or a notebook.
• Source/sink: is the origin and/or destination of data which also
known as external entity because they are outside the system. Once
processed data or information leave the system and go some other
place. Because sources and sinks are outside the system we are
studying, many of the characteristics of sources and sinks are no
interest to us.
• Data flow: best understood as data in motion, moving from one place
in a system to another indicated by an arrows depicting. A data flow is
a data move together, so it can be composed of many individual
pieces of data that are generated at the same time and that flow
together to common destinations.
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Developing DFDs
Context diagram is an overview of an organizational
system that shows:
 the system boundaries.
 external entities that interact with the system.
 major information flows between the entities and the
system.

• Note: only one process symbol, and no data stores

shown

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Context Diagram

FIGURE 7-4: Context diagram of Hoosier Burger’s food-ordering system

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Developing DFDs (Cont.)

Level-0 diagram is a data flow diagram that represents
a system’s major processes, data flows, and data stores
at a high level of detail.
 Processes are labeled 1.0, 2.0, etc. These will be decomposed
into more primitive (lower-level) DFDs.

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Level-0 Diagram

FIGURE 7-5
Level-0 DFD of Hoosier Burger’s
food-ordering system

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Data Flow Diagramming Rules

There are two DFD guidelines that apply:

 The inputs to a process are different from the outputs of
that process.
Processes purpose is to transform inputs into outputs.
 Objects on a DFD have unique names.
Every process has a unique name.

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Data Flow Diagramming Rules (Cont.)

TABLE 7-2 Rules Governing Data Flow Diagramming

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Data Flow Diagramming Rules (Cont.)

TABLE 7-2 Rules Governing Data Flow Diagramming (cont.)

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