BIS

Information Systems

Data Flow Diagrams

Logical Model
2

A logical model shows what a system

must do, regardless of how it will be
implemented.

Data Flow Diagrams

3

A Data Flow Diagram (DFD) shows

how data moves through an
information system but does not
show program logic or processing
steps.
A set of DFDs provides a logical
model that shows what the system
does, not how it does it.

Data Flow Diagrams (cont.)

4

DFDs show:
data inputs of a system
the movement of data through the
processes within a system
where data is stored within a system
data outputs of a system

DFD Components
5

Processes
Data Stores
Sources/Sinks
Data Flows

Processes
6

A process is an activity or a
function that transforms
incoming data flow(s) into
outgoing data flow(s).
Ultimately, each process
should perform only one
activity.
Process names should start
with a verb and end with a
noun.

Data Stores and

Sources/Sinks

A data store is data that the

system saves so it can be
used by a process at a later
point.
Data at rest.
A source/sink is an external
entity that is the origin or
destination of data.

Data Flows
8

A data flow is a path for data

to move from one part of a
system to another.
Data flows should be labeled
with descriptive nouns.

Developing DFDs
9

A context diagram is an overview of

a system that shows:

the system boundaries

external entities that interact with the
system
major information flows between the
entities and the system

Context diagrams contain only one

process, and no data stores.

Context Diagram
10

Transcript

Course Selections

Student

Course Schedule

Registration Report

Registration
System

Course Catalog
Semester
Schedule

Registrars
Office

Level-0 Diagram
11

A level-0 diagram is a data flow

diagram that represents a systems
major processes, data flows, and
data stores at a high level of detail.

Processes are labeled 1.0, 2.0, etc.

Processes in the Level-0 diagram will be
decomposed into more primitive (lowerlevel) DFDs.

Level-0 Diagram
12

3.0

4.0

Student

Course
Schedule

Registration
Details

Registered
Courses

Course
Selections

1.0

Courses
Meeting Prereqs

2.0
Check for
Schedule
Conflicts

Check
Prerequisites

Transcript

Print
Registration
Report

Print Course
Schedule

Course
Catalog

Courses
Without
Conflicts

Registration
Report

Registration

Semester
Schedule

Registrars
Office

Data Flow Diagramming Rules

13

A process must have at least one

data inflow and at least one data
outflow.

A process with only outputs is called a

miracle process.
A process with only inputs is called a black
hole.
A process whose inputs are obviously
insufficient to create its outputs is called a
gray hole.

A data store must have at least one

Data Flow Diagramming Rules

(Cont.)
14

A data flow cannot directly connect a

source/sink to another source/sink.
A data flow cannot directly connect a
source/sink to a data store.
A data flow cannot directly connect a
data store to another data store.

Decomposition of DFDs
15

Functional decomposition is an
iterative process of breaking a
system description down into finer
and finer detail.
This creates a set of diagrams in
which one process on a given
diagram is explained in greater
detail on another diagram.
The process continues until the
subprocess cannot be broken down

16

Decomposition of DFDs
(Cont.)

Level-1 diagram - results from

decomposition of Level-0 diagram
Level-n diagram - a DFD diagram
that is the result of n nested
decompositions of a level-0 diagram

Balancing DFDs
17

Balancing is the conservation of

inputs and outputs to a data flow
diagram process when that process
is decomposed to a lower level.

Rules for Stopping

Decomposition
18

Decomposition can stop when:

each process has been reduced to a single

decision, calculation, or database operation
each data store represents data about a
single entity

the system user does not care to see

any more detail