Analysis within the Systems Development Life-Cycle

Analysis within the Systems Development Life-Cycle: Book 4, Activity Analysis-The Methods describes the techniques and concepts for carrying out activity analysis within the systems development life-cycle. Reference is made to the deliverables of data analysis and more than one method of analysis, each a viable alternative to the other, are discussed. The ""bottom-up"" and ""top-down"" methods are highlighted.
Comprised of seven chapters, this book illustrates how dependent data and activities are on each other. This point is especially brought home when the task of inventing new business activities is discussed, and the data model is changed with completely new entity types-the invention of the user and analyst being added-and ""old"" entity types being removed when the activities of the business are changed. The relevance of PROLOG, LISP, knowledge bases, and expert systems is considered, and these areas of interest are brought together into the fold of ""conventional"" systems development. Finally, this text shows how the ""rules"" of the knowledge base and the ""deduction"" clauses are directly related to the activity concepts.
This monograph will be a valuable resource for systems analysts and designers and those who are involved in expert systems.

Contenu

Preface
Introduction
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 Introduction
1 The Systems Development Cycle (SDC)
A Reminder: Tasks of Analysis: Inputs to the Task
Chapter 2 Analysis of the Existing System-Synthesis (Continued)
1 Introduction
2 Convert Input to Deliverable Form
Convert Real World Input
Analyze Existing Systems Design/Convert Design Abstractions
3 Match Bottom-up and Top-Down Results
A Bottom-up Activity Has No Top-Down Activity
A Bottom-up Activity Can be Matched with a Top-Down Activity
A Top-Down Activity Has No Bottom-up Activity
4 Refine the Result
Verify Using the Basic Consistency Checks
Extract the Data andUpdate the Data Model
Summary
5 Summary
Top-Down Analysis
Bottom-up Analysis-using Activity Occurrences
Bottom-up Analysis of Design
Chapter 3 Evaluate the Existing System Solution
1 Introduction
2 Identify the Problems
Isolate Problems
Relate Problem to Desired and Actual States
3 Investigate Effect
4 Determine Cause
The Cause of the Problem is Identified
The Cause is Related to the Effect
The Cause is Related to the Activities
5 Identify the Advantages of the Existing Approach
6 Determine Need for Change
Deciding Whether Change is Needed
Decide What Changes are Needed
7 Summary
Chapter 4 Specify the New System and Choose the Solution
1 Introduction
2 Propose the New Solution
Identify Constraints on Business Change
Invent New Business Solution
3 Verify/Test Out Solution
Quality Control Test
Tests for Logical Correctness
Tests for Feasibility
Tests On Working Feasibility-The Prototype
4 Approval
5 Evaluate the Solutions
Determine and Score the Advantages
Determine and Score Disadvantages
6 Choose the Solution
Choosing
Update the Data Model/Record Result
7 Summary
Chapter 5 Perform the Completeness Checks
1 Introduction
2 Perform the Completeness Tests (at a Level)
Entity/Activity Matrix Check
Relationship/Activity Matrix Check
Entity State/Activity Matrix
Refinement-the Search for Common Activities
Obtain Approval of Level of Decomposition
3 Pre-Planning/Pre-Specification Calculations
Derive the User/Activity/Entity Access Matrix
Determine the Partitions of Interest
Produce User Access Authorization to Entity Type
Derive Entity Type/Group Partitioning
Derive Entity Type Distribution
Derive Occurrences by Partition
Derive Archiving Rules
Derive Partioned Degree
Derive Distribution of Activities by Organization Unit/Location
Chapter 6 Specification of Elementary Activity Logic
1 Introduction
What is the Specification of Activity Logic?
Why Do We Specify It?
Is This the End Point of Analysis?
Are There Other Ways of Specifying the Logic?
When Do We Know When to Start the Specification?
Are There Similarities with Top-Down and Bottom-up?
Should all Analysts Produce the Same Results?
What are the Main Tasks?
Is it Too Detailed for the Analysis Stage?
Structured English Does Not Seem User Friendly
Specification Using Structured English Seems a Lot of Work
Are There Any Other Important Points?
Summary
2 Analysis of the Existing System
Analysis of Activities
User Approval
Evaluate the Existing Elementary Activity Logic
3 Specify the New System
Propose the New Solution
Verify/Test That the Description Works
User Approval
Evaluate the Solution(s)
4 Choose the Solution
Choose
Record the Result
5 Final Verification and Refinement
Introduction
Perform Completeness Tests
6 Summary
Chapter 7 Summary
1 Introduction
2 Summary of Tasks
Preparation
Collection
Analysis (of Existing System)
Specify New System
Choose Solution
Perform Completeness Check
3 The Final Meta-Model
4 Conclusion
What Have the Books Shown?
The Level of Detail in These Books
How Will the Methods Evolve?
Opportunities for Automation
Glossary and Acronyms
Index