CS/183/12/SS05

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY©

BSc Undergraduate Programmes in Computing

Module CS183 Systems Analysis and Design

Time allowed - 2 Hours Spring Semester 2005

**ANSWERS **

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SECTION A - Answer ALL 30 questions in this section (one mark each)

**The correct answer is marked in bold**.

1. The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is the process of _____.

A. building an information system

B. delivering an information system to a client
C. designing an information system
D. understanding how an information system can support business needs
E. all of the above

2. In which phase of the SDLC is the system proposal developed?

A. analysis
B. design
C. implementation
D. planning
E. system delivery

3. In which phase of the SDLC is the system specification developed?

A. analysis
B. design
C. implementation
D. planning
E. system delivery

4. The primary advantage of the Waterfall Development methodology is that _____.

A. a version of the system is quickly delivered into the users' hands

B. requirements evolve through users' feedback about the system
C. features and functionality of the system are explored through simple models
D. requirements are completely specified and held relatively constant prior to
programming
E. there is a long time lapse prior to completion

5. _____ development is a structured design methodology that divides the project into a
series of distinct subprojects that can be designed and implemented together.

A. Parallel
B. Phased
C. Prototyping
D. Rapid Application
E. Throwaway Prototyping

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6. Which of the following systems development methodologies involves developing the

system in a series of sequential versions?

A. Parallel Development
B. Phased Development
C. Prototyping
D. Throw-Away Prototyping
E. Waterfall Development

7. Kim repeatedly performs the analysis, design, and implementation phases concurrently in
a cycle until the system is completed. She is following the _____ methodology.

A. parallel
B. phased
C. prototyping
D. rapid application throwaway prototyping
E. waterfall

8. The _____ development methodology is never recommended when system reliability is

very critical.

A. parallel
B. phased
C. prototyping
D. throwaway prototyping
E. waterfall

9. The most commonly used information-gathering technique is _____.

A. interviewing
B. joint application design (JAD) sessions
C. document analysis
D. observation
E. questionnaires

10. A systems analyst has prepared an interview agenda that begins with a number of
specific, detailed questions, and then asks the interviewee to make general statements
about the policies and procedure of the business process. The analyst is following a(n)
_____ interview structure.

A. bottom up
B. closed
C. open ended
D. probing
E. top down

11. A JAD facilitator is _____.

A. allowed to participate in the discussion to settle a disagreement

B. enters key information into the computer
C. is also a power user
D. the person who records the discussion
E. the person who sets the meeting agenda

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12. The information-gathering strategy most commonly used to gather information OUTSIDE
of the organization is _____.

A. document analysis
B. interviewing
C. joint application design (JAD) sessions
D. observation
E. use of questionnaires

13. The examination of existing paperwork in order to better understand the as-is system is an
example of what information-gathering strategy?

A. document analysis
B. interviewing
C. joint application design (JAD) sessions
D. observation
E. questionnaires

14. During document analysis Kim has learned that the users in the purchasing department
have created their own forms. This is a clear sign that the _____.

A. as-is system is meeting user needs

B. department was overlooked during the interview process
C. process does not need improvements
D. system needs to be changed
E. users in the department are innovative

15. Each use case describes how the system reacts to a(n) _____ that occurs to trigger the
system.

A. activity
B. event
C. model
D. session
E. tropical

16. When developing use cases, the project team first identifies the _____.

A. managers that supervise the use case department

B. place where the use case occurs
C. time the use case begins
D. triggering event that causes the use case to occur
E. users who perform the use case

17. A common omission by end users when identifying elements within Use Case steps is
_____.

A. analytical analysis of the identity elements

B. JAD session classification
C. requirements definition
D. role play analysis
E. seldom used activities or special cases

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18. Validating that the use case is correct and complete is the major activity performed during
which step of the Writing Use Case Reports process?

A. identify elements within steps

B. identify the major steps within each use case
C. identify the use cases
D. confirm the use case
E. write the use case report

19. Which of the following is a component of a data flow diagram that represents an activity
or a function that is performed for some specific business reason?

A. data flow
B. data store
C. entity
D. external entity
E. process

20. Which of the following is a component of a data flow diagram that represents a person,
organization, or system that is outside the system but interacts with it?

A. data flow
B. data store
C. external entity
D. process
E. relationship

21. The DFD that shows the overall business system as just one process and shows the data
flows to and from external entities is called a(n) _____.

A. process model
B. context diagram
C. level 0 diagram
D. level 1 diagram
E. level 2 diagram

22. When a process produces two different data flows under different circumstances, this is
called a(n) _____.

A. alternative data flow

B. approved data flow
C. join
D. mutual exclusive
E. split

23. Each step of a Use Case usually become a(n) _____ on the Level 1 Data Flow Diagram.

A. data flow
B. data store
C. external entity
D. join
E. process

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24. A data model is a formal way of representing _____.

A. a physical process model

B. how a business system processes
C. the current system’s procedures (i.e., the as-is system)
D. the data that are used and created by a business system
E. the new procedures for the to-be system

25. The _____ is the basic building block for a data model.

A. attribute
B. data flow
C. entity
D. process
E. relationship

26. The maximum number of times that an instance of Entity A can be related to an instance
or instances of Entity B is its _____.

A. associative relationship
B. balance
C. cardinality
D. dependent relationship
E. modality

27. An entity that is created to store information about the relationship between two other
entities is called a(n) _____ entity.

A. dependent
B. incomplete
C. independent
D. intersection
E. non-identifying

28. When the analyst is evaluating a data model to ensure that all fields in a record depend
fully on the entire primary key, which step of normalization is being performed?

A. base normal form

B. first normal form
C. second normal form
D. third normal form
E. cannot tell from the above information

29. The first step in the Design Phase is to _____.

A. convert logical process and data models to physical

B. create the deliverable
C. design the architecture
D. design the inputs and outputs
E. present design alternatives

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30. The following are all strengths of a custom development design strategy EXCEPT _____.

A. builds technical skills

B. creates functional knowledge in-house
C. greater creativity
D. greater flexibility
E. lower risk

31. An advantage of purchasing packaged software is that the organization can _____.

A. accept functionality that is not a perfect fit

B. build technical skills and functional knowledge
C. have developers climb the knowledge ladder
D. make strategic changes during implementation
E. save money on the purchase

32. Manipulating certain parameters to refine the way features work in a software package is
called _____.

A. a workaround
B. adjustment
C. customization
D. feature adjustability
E. parameterizing

33. A disadvantage of outsourcing the application development process is that the

organization may _____.

A. build technical skills and functional knowledge in-house

B. lose control over confidential information
C. accept functionality that is far from a perfect fit
D. remove all risk from the project
E. make strategic changes during implementation

34. When moving from the logical data flow diagram to the physical, the first step is to
_____.

A. add implementation references

B. add system related data store
C. draw human-machine boundaries
D. update the data elements
E. update the metadata

35. The plan for the creation of the hardware and software infrastructure is commonly called
_____.

A. architecture design
B. hardware specifications
C. software specifications
D. network model
E. presentation logic

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36. Which of the following is NOT one of the four basic functions of a computer application?

A. application logic
B. data access logic
C. data storage
D. networking logic
E. presentation logic

37. The application function that is documented in the data flow diagrams is called _____.

A. application logic
B. data access logic
C. data storage
D. presentation logic
E. network logic

38. A server in the client-based architecture performs which of the following application
functions?

A. application logic
B. data access logic and presentation logic
C. data storage
D. data storage and presentation logic
E. presentation logic and application logic

39. Assume that your network has a server and three clients, the network is an example of
a(n) _____.

A. n-tiered architecture
B. single-tiered architecture
C. three-tiered architecture
D. tireless architecture
E. two-tiered architecture

40. When all files are regularly tested for worms, bugs, and illicit programs; this is an
example of _____ requirements.

A. access control
B. encryption and authentication
C. portability
D. technical environment
E. virus control

41. A(n) _____ file stores past transactions that may no longer be needed, is usually stored
off-line, and can be accessed on an as-needed basis.

A. audit
B. history
C. look-up
D. master
E. transaction

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42. The most efficient tables in a relational database in terms of storage space have _____.

A. no redundant data and few null values

B. no redundant data and plenty of null values
C. redundant data and few null values
D. redundant data and plenty of null values
E. repeat customer information

43. The process of adding redundancy back into a physical data model is known as _____.

A. balancing
B. clustering
C. denormalization
D. indexing
E. normalization

44. In a structure chart, the element that communicates that a message or a system flag is
being passed from one module to another is known as a _____.

A. conditional line
B. connector
C. control couple
D. data couple
E. loop

45. The purpose of a(n) _____ is to communicate that a module is repeated in a structure
chart.

A. conditional line
B. control couple
C. iteration
D. loop
E. module

46. _____ is essentially a function or procedure call from one object to another, and is the
information sent to objects to trigger methods.

A. encapsulation
B. information hiding
C. inheritance
D. a message
E. polymorphism

47. _____ is the general template used to define and create specific instances or objects.

A. a class
B. inheritance
C. a message
D. polymorphism
E. a method

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48. A highly cohesive unit that contains both data and processes is known as a(n) _____.

A. class
B. concrete class
C. entity
D. event
E. object

49. The class diagram in Unified Modelling Language (UML) is similar to what diagram in
traditional systems analysis and design?

A. context diagram
B. data model
C. network diagram
D. process model
E. structure diagram

50. The UML diagramming technique that shows the different state that a single class passes
through in reponse to events is the _____ diagram.

A. class
B. sequence
C. statechart
D. use case
E. component

[50 marks total for Section A]

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR SECTION B

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SECTION B - Answer TWO questions from this section

1. This question is about Structure Charts

a)

ANS: A structure chart is an important technique that helps the analyst design the program for a
new system. It shows all the components of code that must be included in a program at a high
level, arranged in a hierarchical format that implies sequence (in what order components are
invoked) (2 marks), selection (under what condition a module is invoked) (2 marks), and iteration
(how often a component is repeated) (2 marks).
The four steps are: Identify Modules and Levels (1 mark); Identify Special Connections (1 mark);
Add Couples (1 mark); and Revise Structure Chart (1 mark).
(10 marks)

b)
ANS: SEE LAST PAGE for example structure chart
The curved arrowed line represents a loop to be performed 3 times (total lives). Each life a game
is played, the end of life signalled to the main game process. The score for the life is calculated
and passed to the main process. The score for that life then passed down from the main process
and is then displayed [end of loop]. The total score is then calculated for all lives and passed to
the main process. If (signified by the diamond) the total score is less than or equal to the high
score, then display ‘You have not beaten the high score!’. Otherwise display “Well Done” and
display the new high score (passed down from the main process). The filled in circles with arrows
are called control couples, and are just system flags; the open circles with arrows are data couples,
that actually pass data from one process to another.
(15 marks)

2. This question is about Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs).

a) Explain the meaning of the following terms as used in process modelling: context diagram,
decomposition, level 0 DFD, and level 1 DFD.

ANS:
data store : A collection of data that is stored in some way (to be determined later when creating
the physical model). Data stores form the starting point for the data model and are the principal
link between the process model and the data model. (3 marks)
decomposition : This is the act of showing increasing levels of finer detail, expanding a
complex process into its component subprocesses in a DFD one level further down. (3 marks)
level 0 DFD : This is the first DFD after the context diagram. It shows all major processes
in the system, numbered by single integers (no decimal places shown). The number 0 (zero) is
not used. (3 marks)
level 1 DFD : This is the next level down after a level 0 DFD. It will show an expansion of
one process only, expanded into its component subprocesses. Processes will be numbered
accordingly, eg. subprocesses of process 2 will be 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, etc. (3 marks)
(total 12 marks)

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b)
Ans: The processes are produce report and create weekly summary report. The data flows are
management report, daily items-sold amounts, daily inventory depletions, and weekly summary
report. The data stores are items-sold file and inventory file. The external entities are restaurant
management and corporate headquarters.

D1 Items Sold Corporate HQ

weekly
daily summary report
items sold
2.
Create
Weekly
D2 Inventory Report
1. man. report
daily Produce
inventory Report
depletions Restaurant
Management

(13 marks)

3. This question is about Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs)

a) Consider the Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) above. This is part of a diagram showing
the data and relationships in a CD Sales and Marketing System.

Explain the terms cardinality, modality, entity, attribute and identifier, using the above
diagram as an example.
cardinality : line (one) or 'crows foot' symbol (many), nearest to entity; the maximum
number of times an instance of one entity can be related to an instance of another entity. eg.
there can be lots of marketing material for each one CD.
modality : line (one) or oval (zero), farthest from entity; the minimum number of times
an instance of one entity can be related to another entity. eg. a CD doesn't have to have
marketing material, but marketing material does need a CD to be promoting.
entity : the rectangles; the basic building block for a data model; a person, place or
thing about which we want to capture information.
attribute : the descriptive words inside the entity boxes; some type of information that
is captured about an entity. e.g. cd_title, cd_artist.
identifier : attribute whose value is unique for each instance of that entity, denoted by
an asterisk. e.g. *cd_id. (This identifier will later become the primary key of a database table.)

(10 marks)

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b)

(adapted from Dennis & Wixom, 2000)

Note: with respect to the CUSTOMER entity, a better way of providing an identifier could be to
use a *customer_id, as lastname and firstname, even when considered together might not be
unique.
(10 marks)

[total 50 marks for Section B]

INTERNAL EXAMINER: Jonathan Y. Clark

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Structure Chart for CS183 Q1(b) Spring 2005 Examination

Alien
Invaders
Game
Display
“You have not beaten
life
the high-score”
score
end of
life
life life
score score Display
total “Well-Done”
score
Play Game for Calculate Display
one life Score for this life Score for this life

Calculate total
score (all lives)

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