1. What is the difference between an information system and a computer application?
- Computer application (app): a computer software program that executes on a
computing device to carry out a specific set of functions
- Information system: a set of interrelated components that collects, processes,
stores, and provides as output the information needed to complete business tasks
2. What is the purpose of systems analysis? Why is it important?
- To enable the system developer to understand the users requirements. Without a
good analysis of the users needs and requirements the new system will be
inadequate in its solution or erroneous in its implementation. Problem
identification, requirement collecting, solution design, cost-effectiveness, better
decision-making, and change management are all critical
3. What is the difference between systems analysis and systems design?
Factors Systems analysis Systens design
Purpose System Analysis is the System Design is the
process of gathering and process of specifying
analyzing information to elements of a system such
assess the suitability of a as modules, architecture,
current system and to components, and their
determine the requirements interfaces.
of a new system.
Approach System Analysis is a top- System Design is a bottom-
down approach where the up approach where the
analyst looks at the big analyst starts with the
picture first and then delves details and moves up to the
into the details. big picture.
Goal The goal of System The goal of System Design
Analysis is to identify and is to create a design that
understand the user meets the user requirements
requirements and the and supports the business
business processes that the processes.
system must support
Risk System Analysis involves System Design involves
minimal risk. significant risk, as the
design may not meet the
user requirements or
support the business
processes.
4. What is a project?
- A planned undertaking that has a beginning and end that produces some definite
result
5. What is the purpose of the system development life cycle (SDLC)?
- To provide a framework that identifies all the activities required to research, build,
deploy, and maintain an information system.
6. What are the six core processes of the SDLC?
- Identify the problem or nedd and obtain approval
- Plan and monitor the project
- Discover and understand the details of the problem or need
- Design the system components that solve the problem
- Build, test, and integrate systems components
- Complete system tests and then deloy the solution
7. What is meant by Agile development and iterative development?
- Agile development: an information system development process that emphasizes
flexibility to anticipate new requirements during development (fast on feet,
responsive to change)
- Iterative development: an approach to system development in which the system is
“grown” piece by piece through multiple iterations. Complete small part of system
(mini-project), then repeat processes to refine and add more, then repeat to refine
and add more, until done
8. What is the purpose of a System Vision Document?
- The goal of a System Vision Document is to provide a high-level overview of the
system being developed. It defines the system's goals, objectives, scope, and key
features. It helps stakeholders, developers, and other project participants gain a
shared understanding of the system's purpose and direction.
9. What is the difference between a system and a subsystem?
- A system is a collection of interconnected pieces that work together to achieve
specified goals. It consists of technology, software, data, people, and procedures
that collaborate to generate information. A system must have order,
interdependence, integration, and core goals.
- A subsystem is a component of a larger system that serves a specific purpose. It is
a system inside a system with its own goals and functions but is dependent on the
bigger system to function.
10. What is the purpose of a work breakdown structure (WBS)?
- A work breakdown structure (WBS) is used to create a clear and succinct picture
of the project's scope and deliverables. It aids in ensuring that all components of
the project are considered and nothing is ignored. The work breakdown structure
also aids in the identification of possible risks and obstacles that may develop
during the project and gives techniques for managing such risks.
11. What are the components of a work breakdown structure (WBS)? What does it
show?
- It usually contains a list of all the tasks that must be done, along with an estimate
of how much work each task will require. It provides a comprehensive list of the
work to be done. It is the basis for building a project schedule.
12. What information is provided by use cases and a use case diagram?
- Use cases provide detailed descriptions of interactions between actors and the
system, including goals, steps, and outcomes.
- Use case diagrams provide a visual overview of actors, use cases, and their
relationships within the system.
13. What information is provided by a domain class diagram?
- A domain class diagram depicts the structure and interconnections of the relevant
classes or objects in a system's domain or topic area. It facilitates in viewing the
system's static structure, which includes attributes, relationships, and class
inheritance.
14. How do a use case diagram and a domain class diagram drive the system
development process?
- Use case diagrams and domain class diagrams help to drive the system
development process by providing a foundation for requirements analysis and
system design. Use cases help define and record the system's functional
requirements, whereas domain class diagrams help design the system's structure
and object interactions.
15. What is an activity diagram? What does it show?
- An activity diagram is also a "workflow" diagram. It shows the flow of steps that a
user, working with a system, follows to complete a business process or use case.
16. How does an activity diagram help in user interface design?
- Assisting in the identification of the many processes involved in a user's
engagement with the system, as well as the criteria and limitations that govern
those interactions. Activity diagrams may also be used to detect possible
difficulties and bottlenecks in the user interface design, hence improving the
system's overall usability.
17. What is the purpose of software component design?
- Architectural design is used to design the overall structure of the new system. It
defines the major components of the new system and how they relate to each other.
18. What new information is provided in a design class diagram (more than a domain
class diagram)?
- A design class diagram is an extension of a class diagram and it shows how the
attributes become data fields with type information. It also identifies the methods
of a class. It also shows which classes have visibility to other classes to access
their methods.
19. What are the steps of system testing?
- Create the test data
- Conduct the tests
- Identify and document the errors
- Fix the errors
- This process repeats until the number of errors is minimal or acceptable.
20. What is the purpose of user acceptance testing?
- User acceptance testing is to allow the users to verify that the system performs in a
manner that does in fact solve the business problem. The system should not only
provide correct answers, but it should provide answers for all the issues identified
during analysis.
21. Why is it a good practice to divide a project into separate iterations?
- Separate iterations allow the project to be partitioned into smaller chunks of work
that can be managed and controlled better. It also provides intermediate
deliverables so that both the project team and the users can ascertain if the new
system is going to solve the business problems.
22. What should be the primary objective of each iteration?
- The objective of an iteration should be to produce a portion of the solution system.
Usually this means that some working piece of the system is design, coded, and
tested. Sometimes it also allows portions of the final solution to be deployed early.