TSHAMANO MOROTOBA

202386291

IFS 215 E

PRACTICAL 4
UNIVERSITY COURSE REGISTRATION SYSTEM SDLC

1. PLANNING
The problem that has been identified with the registration system is that there
are issues of clashing and overbooking of classes. The current registration
has inefficiencies so it should therefore be changed.
 Business objective: Giving students a simple and effective way to
manage their course registration and schedules would increase
accessibility, boost student satisfaction, improve data integrity and
dependability, lower operating costs, and improve the university's
reputation overall.
 Project degree: Conflicts and overbooked classes are issues with the
current registration; therefore, the system will only be changed to limit
production costs. By guaranteeing the availability of precise clash
schedules, registration capacity, and class capacity to guarantee that
students can register without any issues, the current systems will be
adjusted to address the current issues.
It is necessary to update the learning management system and the
student information system to make sure that students and staff who
are no longer affiliated with the school are excluded from the data for
the current academic year. The project's success will be evaluated by
how satisfied users are, and steps must be taken to prevent
duplication.
The registration system will only include course prospectus and class
schedules. Security and privacy measures, students and other users
will need to use an OTP each time they login and passwords will need
to be renewed every month .
The budget for the whole project is R40000 and the system should be
implemented within 2months,starting from December of the current
academic year until January of the following academic year.
 Stakeholders: Students, Faculty ,Administrators, IT staff, Governing
body, and Potential stakeholders such as alumni.
 Assuring consistent stakeholder participation from the start of the
project to its completion through surveys and workshops, using
databases and visual tools like the WBS to identify any bottlenecks or
efficiencies, and implementing technological evaluation through proof-
of-concept implementations, such as building a prototype with the new
functionalities, are all practical steps that should be taken to ensure
that the project doesn't deviate from the set timeline.

2. ANALYSIS
The newly modified system will need to be functional and efficient, by not
providing any enrolment spaces once the full capacity has been reached for
all the available modules that are taught .
 Functional requirements: The system must enable both prospective
and existing students to search for courses, rank courses as their top
or second choice before enrolling, pay registration fees, accept or
reject study offers, and receive class schedules. The system must
allow administrators to create, modify, and remove courses in addition
to making sure students fulfil course requirements prior to enrolling.
Additionally, the system must inform users when registration and
payment deadlines are approaching.
 Non-functional requirements: The system must provide error-free data
retrieval and precise data storage in order to be dependable. In order
to guarantee seamless operation and a positive user experience, the
system must have an intuitive and user-friendly interface for both staff
and students, offer quick response times, particularly during periods of
high registration demand, be able to accommodate growing student
enrolment over time, offer security that protects sensitive student data
through authentication and encryption, and be available around-the-
clock with little downtime. In addition to adhering to data protection
laws and university regulations, the system should be simple to update
and adapt when policies change.
 Users view collection :The system inefficiencies need to be observed
from the user view this will be done by getting both student and staff
feedback on their specific registration experience such as challenges
 they encountered such as receiving quota full errors, frustrations and
also any suggestions they think would be suitable to improve the
system. The data from the users is to be collected by online surveys
such as Google Forms, this is an effective way as it will provide
structured and quantifiable data ,focus groups whereby a small group
of students and staff from different demographics and experiences this
shall be led by a facilitator . In order to detect technical and usability
difficulties within the system, as well as bottlenecks, drop-off points,
and regions that are challenging for students to navigate, system logs
and user behaviour tracking will be employed.
 System performance: The reaction time from login in, looking for
courses, submitting registration, and load testing will be measured and
assessed.Finding service quality gaps will be accomplished by utilising
surveys to find out what the students expect from the systems,
analysing historical data to find patterns and reoccurring issues, and
identifying communication problems between the school and students
about registration.
 Potential solutions: A centralised system will be used to optimise
course scheduling, and real-time monitoring will be put in place to
make it easy to identify any disruptions and to update course offerings
that are being filled and deregistered quickly. Online courses will be
offered, and cloud-based software will be used for automation and
optimisation. Enrolment will be made easier with end-to-end planning,
scheduling, and registration, where students receive real-time plan
alerts to help mitigate identified barriers.
 Tools to be used to understand system requirements: In order to
illustrate the interaction between the students and the system, case
study, prototyping, surveys, and interviews with the impacted parties—
including the students—are used. It is necessary to employ
communication technologies like email.

3. DESIGN
 Database design and data storage structure: A relational database and
the use of normalised tables to represent all the entities—student
details, course, enrolment data, academic year, and lecturer details—
will be part of the design for the university registration process in order
to maximise efficiency and minimise data redundancy. A welcome page
in the database will include all the registration information, including
which courses are still open for enrolment, costs, start and end dates,
and any materials the student will need to finish the registration
process, including all necessary paperwork. Clearly defined relational
schema with all necessary foreign and primary keys.
 Programming language: Backend logic and database interaction will be
done using a language like Python. To ensure that all of the data
entered into the system is correctly interpreted, a data dictionary will be
produced. This will aid in communication, error correction, and
maintenance. DBMS called MySQL will be utilised.
 User interface consideration: The registration process will be
straightforward; this will be accomplished by providing clear
instructions and a limited number of required fields. Tablets, laptops,
desktop computers, and mobile devices will all be able to use the
system. Through the use of screen readers, the system will be adjusted
to accommodate users of all backgrounds.
 All South African languages will be able to access the system. For
security and safe communication, HTTP will be utilised, along with
authentication techniques like OTP and two-step verification. he
progresses of their registration applications, acceptance or rejection,
schedules, and classroom locations will all be visible to students.
 System architecture(basic structure): The system architecture will
comprise a welcome page that has all of the registration information,
along with a prompt button that the user must click in order to build a
profile and obtain their student ID. Following the creation of the profile,
the user will be able to choose the course they wish to enrol in by
inputting their personal information first, then the course details.
 Scalability, security, and UI: For the system to be scalable, cloud-native
solutions like Google Cloud SQL and Azure Functions will be employed
 to manage data storage, future growth, and variable student loads.
Firewalls, string authentication authorisation, and FERPA compliance
will all be used to implement security. The implementation of single
sign-on will guarantee user-friendliness by enabling students to access
the system using a single set of credentials, allowing them to reset their
password whenever they choose, and providing them with alerts and
notifications about registration deadlines, registration confirmations,
and when the system detects unusual activity related to their account.

4. IMPLEMENTATION
 Programming language or platforms use: The programming language
that will be used redesigning the system will be Python and Java will
be used to turn the project design scope into code that can be
understood by the system to carry out all the required functions.
JavaFX is the platform that will be used in developing the system as
it uses graphical user interface which is a benefit in the registration
system.
 Development approach: The Agile Development Approach is the
development methodology that should be applied since it permits
flexibility and adaptability to evolving requirements. In order to
guarantee that all users' needs are satisfied, this strategy promotes
user involvement in the design process, which is necessary for the
system's success. This method offers rapid delivery, feedback, and
deployment of functions, and the system must be operational in two
months.
 Technology to meet project objectives: Front-end technologies that
encourage system responsiveness, like the JavaScript library for the
user interface and Bootstrap, will be employed. Building scalable and
fast server-side apps requires back-end technologies like Node.js, a
JavaScript runtime environment. A DBMS called MySQL will be
employed. Payment gateways like Ozow, PayPal, and EFT will be put
into place so that users can make safe and effective purchases
through the system portal.
  Team roles: The entire project will be managed by a project manager
who will be in charge of team coordination, budget management,
timely completion, and project oversight. The job of the business
analyst is to collect and record the requirements for university system
registration, find solutions, and make sure the system satisfies user
needs.
 The technical lead is responsible for overseeing the technical team,
designing the system architecture, and making sure it is technically
feasible. Designing, creating, testing, and deploying the system will
all fall under the purview of developers, including IT personnel. A
quality assurance (QA) engineer is in charge of testing the system,
finding errors, and making sure it satisfies quality requirements.

5.OPERATION

 Training methods for users: The university’s IT depart as well as the

system developers will host a training session in person, in the 2
weeks before the registration period starts. Online training will be
offered as an alternative for those unable to attend the in-person
training sessions , learner guides, videos, and interactive activities will
all be included in the training package.
 Support and helpdesk setup: The university’s ICT department will take
on the role of support ,the university would have established a
designated a place for IT staff to form a help desk environment . There
official school email can be used for email support that students can
utilize when they encounter problems as well as a Live Chatbot that
can be used to attend to queries fast. There will be FAQs and tutorials
that students and staff can refer to when they are experiencing
technical issues or any other issues related to registration.
 Smooth operational use: Monitoring and maintenance systems, such
as weekly continuous monitoring of system performance, problems,
and errors, will be in place to ensure the university registration system
keeps functioning properly. To guarantee data availability and integrity,
the system will undergo frequent updates and have a strong backup
 and recovery procedure. There will be easily accessible student
support as well as staff training to guarantee that employees continue
to be effective and productive. There will be communication tools in
place, like suggestion boxes where users can leave comments and
issues with the system.
 Contingency plan for potential errors: If a student misses the
registration deadline, this can be fixed by putting in place a system that
allows them to register after the first registration deadline has passed
by grace for five days. When inaccurate student data is entered into the
system, a procedure will be in place to enable both students and staff
to amend their data and make sure it is current and accurate. There will
be a system backup and recovery procedures in place to make sure
that data entered into the system before to the problems is retrieved
and not lost forever in the event of system outages or technical
difficulties that prevent students from using the system.

5. MAINTENANCE
Maintaining the system throughout time will guarantee that it is always
effective, pertinent, and operational.
 Applying updates and patches on a regular basis is essential for
resolving security flaws, repairing bugs, and enhancing system
performance. Frequent updates guarantee regulatory compliance and
compatibility with contemporary technologies. While updates provide
long-term resistance against dangers, patches deal with current
threats.
 Feedback Collection: By collecting and evaluating user feedback,
choices about future improvements and problem-solving are informed
by an understanding of user needs and preferences. Feedback can be
gathered in a number of ways, such as surveys, seminars, social
media polls, and anonymous channels.
 Adaptability to shifting business requirements: Patching and updating
systems is essential for resolving bugs, eliminating security flaws, and
enhancing system performance. Frequent updates guarantee
 regulatory compliance and compatibility with contemporary
technologies. While updates provide long-term resistance against
dangers, patches deal with current threats.
 System functionality and relevance over time: Frequent maintenance
and inspections prolong equipment life and help avoid malfunctions.
System performance should be continuously monitored in order to spot
such problems early on and fix them before they affect functioning.
To assess progress and plan future tasks, it is crucial to keep detailed
records of maintenance operations, expenses, and results. Maintaining
equipment reliability and preventing accidents can be achieved by
making sure staff members receive training on how to operate and
maintain equipment.
Regularly identifying and fixing security flaws shields the system from
danger. Safety and operational effectiveness depend on maintenance
methods adhering to industry norms and regulations.