United Holidays - Essay Example

Running Head: UNITED HOLIDAYS United Holidays Case Study Section B2 a. Inheritance: This refers to the ability of an entity to acquire properties of another entity for example in our case study we have the booking of the airline the classes will inherit from the plane i.e. economy, first class or business class. Aggregation: This is where an entity comprises of other entities within it. When entities that are aggregated the smaller entities exist on their own. In aggregation, the object may only contain a reference or pointer to the object the accommodation can exist independently of the airline booking Composition: Composition is usually where an object contains another object. In object programming the practice to combine simple objects is referred to as composition for example the classes in the airline can not exist if the class airline is removed 3 a. What methods can be used for collecting the user requirements for a new system, and what are their relative advantages and disadvantages 1. Observation Observation has been a major research strategy. Observation allows one to participate as part of the group that requires software system Advantages This allows the investigator to develop empathy for the study population through listening and participating. Additionally, observation allows the observer to become an "insider. The method is also very useful where no records of previous studies exist Disadvantage Requires a good rapport between the observer and the observed Questionnaires This refers to structured questions that are aimed at collecting specific information Advantages Data can be collected quickly on specific items; these data can be easily transferred into forms allowing quantified and computerized analyses; and data collection tasks can be delegated to less expensive field staff. Questionnaires also compel the adoption of some "organized structure" upon data collection (Fowler, M. 2003) Disadvantages May requires constant supervision Interviews Having to collect information by face to face asking of questions Advantages Face to face communications hence clear information as well as qualitative information is gained. It is considerably easy to carry out. Disadvantages It is time consuming Written sources 3 b. Discuss the purpose and features of a CASE tool, which could support the development of the required system for United Holidays Purpose: They enhance software development. They generate codes automatically and also used in normalization. Diagramming tools are used to draw the system models required or recommended in most methodologies. Description tools are used to record, delete, edit, and output non-graphical documentation and specifications. Prototyping tools are used construct system components including inputs, outputs, and programs. Inquiry and reporting tools are used to extract models, descriptions, and specifications from the repository. Quality management tools analyze models, descriptions, and prototypes for consistency, completeness, or conformance to accepted 'rules' of the methodologies that the CASE tools support. 4 a. What are the typical job roles that exist within the software development lifecycle, and at which stage(s) of the lifecycle will they each be active Systems Analyst Programmers: these are the people who develop the codes Users. They give information. Project Manager b. Who are the stakeholders in an information system, and what are their individual priorities System owners. These can be individuals or organizations. System Users. These are the staff or employees who interact with the system on a daily basis System Designers. System builders. Are the programmers Vendors. Are the ones who are in the business of selling and distributing these systems 5 a. What are the relevant advantages and disadvantages of Software Prototyping and the Waterfall with Iteration approach to software development Advantages of prototyping The development time is significantly reduced It also reduces the costs associated with development Prototyping Requires that a user be consistently involved It is possible for the system developers to obtain solid user feedback Allows system implementation because the users are informed on what to expect Users get more satisfaction Expose developers to potential future system enhancements (Fowler, M. 2003). Disadvantages of prototyping The resultant analysis could be insufficient Users have expectations about the performance of the ultimate system to be the same as the prototype. It is possible for developers to become too fond of their prototypes It can also cause systems to be left unfinished and/or implemented before they are ready. Sometimes leads to incomplete documentation. If sophisticated software prototypes (4th GL or CASE Tools) are employed, the time saving benefit of prototyping can be lost (Fowler, M. 2003). The waterfall iteration method Advantages Conceptually simple, cleanly divides the problem into distinct phases that can be performed independently Natural approach to problem solving Easy to administer in a contractual setting - each phase is a milestone Disadvantages Assumes that requirements can be specified and frozen early May force hardware and other technology choices too early in the development phase Follows the "big bang" approach - all or nothing delivery; too risky Very document oriented, requiring documents at the end of each phase (Fowler, M. 2003). b.What are the phases of the RUP, and what is the intention of each Inception: this is the phase in which the idea is conceptualized. Then identify high-level Requirements for the system as well as get to know the scope may be identified and project funding obtained Elaboration: creating of more understanding of the system Where one can flesh out the requirements to the 80% level, to identify architecture for the system, and to prove that the architecture works via an end-to-end technical prototype Construction: The goal is to build a working system that is ready to be put into production Transition: in this phase the goal is to system and user test the system to ensure that it is ready to be deployed into production, to make needed corrections, and to actually deploy the system (Fowler, M. 2003). c. Explain and illustrate the process of iteration within the RUP. Iterations in RUP for analysis models, design models, source code, and test suite are fleshed out to implement that iteration's requirements. In other words your development facts, and data-oriented facts, evolve and change over time. This leads to the fact that data programmers and other professionals need to be prepared to change and grow their models, including their database schema over time. Furthermore, iterations lead to the discovery of the need to re-factor their schema to reflect the needs of new requirements (Fowler, M. 2003). If your system needs to interface with existing legacy systems, and it often does, data professionals will likely be needed to be involved with legacy integration efforts. Data models are very likely needed, but they're not needed up front. Reference: Martin, F. and Kendall, S. (2003). UML Distilled. A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language. Delhi. Pearson Education. Read More