IS390 Final

When converting a logical ERD into a physical data model, you will want to specify both primary keys and international keys.

'False'.

Use cases generally have three parts: _____.

Basic information, inputs and outputs, and details

Decomposing a DFD means:

Breaking complex processes into a structured set of detailed diagrams

A repository for data in DFDs is called a 'data store'.

True

An audit control / audit log file might be a system related process, data flow and data store that would be added when creating physical data flow diagrams (DFDs).

True

As a system acquisition strategy, outsourcing requires the least in-house resources.

True

A process model is an informal way of showing the external entities, event triggers, inputs and outputs.

False

Cohesion refers to how well the lines of code within each structure chart module relate to each other. Ideally, a module should perform only one task, making it highly cohesive.

True

Coupling involves how closely modules are interrelated, and the second guideline for good structure chart design states that modules should be loosely coupled. In this way, modules are independent from each other, which keeps code changes in one module from rippling throughout the program.

True

Data Flow diagrams, as a tool for process modeling, can be used with either "AS-IS" systems or "TO-BE" systems.

True

Data models can be either logical or physical.

True

During the design phase, the project team carefully considers the nonfunctional business requirements (such as performance, cultural and political aspects).

True

External entities are a person, organization, or system that is external to the system, but interacts with it.

True

In interviews, Ross has learned that the new order entry system must be available in at least three formats (mobile, web browser, and local area network based); that it must function in either English or Spanish; and that the system must return order forms and data in less than 2 seconds. He recognizes these as nonfunctional requirements.

True

Jorge, Vice President of Operations, has requested that the updated supply chain system keep a record of all 'stock-outs' for six years. This is an example of a functional requirement.

True

The logical entity relationship diagram (ERD) depicts the "business view" of the data; and omits implementation details.

True

The most common way to gather information for use cases are through requirements determination techniques such as interviews and JAD.

True

The normal order of processes would be: requirements gathering, use case development, process modeling (data flow diagrams).

True

Change management is the process of helping people adjust to the new system and its new work processes without undue stress.

true

If the system being analyzed, designed and developed requires programming (as compared to a package or outsourcing), developing the software may be the single largest component of any systems development activity in terms of both time and money.

true

In planning the transition from an "as‐is system" to a " to‐be system", a migration plan is established that encompasses activities to prepare for the technical and business transition, and to prepare the people for the transition.

true

When creating the physical data flow diagram (DFD), you may want to capture system information like date and time of update and user-id of the person who did the update.

true

A __________ represents how a system interacts with its environment by illustrating the activities that are performed by the users of the system and the system's responses.

use case

What is a system context diagram?

A high-level map of a system and its surrounding environment

Outsourcing firms called _____________ supply software applications and/or software related services through the Internet

Application Service Providers (ASPs)

By definition, external entities on the data flow diagram (DFD):

Are outside the scope of the system

Which of the following are steps in moving from a logical process model to a physical process model? 1)Add implementation references. Using the existing logical DFD, add the way in which the data stores, data flows, and processes will be implemented to each component. 2)Draw a human-machine boundary. Draw a line to separate the automated parts of the system from the manual parts. 3)Change entities to tables or files. Beginning with the logical ERD, change the entities to tables or files and update the metadata.

1 and 2 only

Jack is developing an ERD for a small dental practice office patient record system. The dental practice has three dentists, six hygienists, and many patients. A patient is always assigned to the same dentist for all appointments. In particular, he is working on the relationship between dentists and patients. The relationship should be:

1 to many with a modality of not null

Which of the following is an advantage of client-server architectures? 1)They are scalable 2)They can support different types of systems 3)It is easy to separate different logic functions Reliability

1, 2, 3 and 4

Which of the following would generally be considered as options to reduce potential risks when a new systems development project requires the use of very new technologies, and no one within the organization's infomation systesm development team has exeprience with the technologies? 1) Provide upfront training on the new technologies 2) Utilize throwaway prototyping as s system development methodology 3) Utilize system prototyping as a system development metyhodology 4) Supplement the project team with temporary resources duirng part of all of the project 5) Ensure additional time is included in the project plan for team members to learn new technologies

1, 2, 4 and 5 only

Complete the blank in the following statement: An entity relationship diagram (ERD) is a picture which shows the information that is __________ by a business system. 1)created 2)stored 3)used

1, 2, and 3

Which of the following would be considered valid reasons to choose an outsourcing system acquisition strategy? 1)The business need is not core to the business. 2)In‐house functional or technical experience does not exist. 3)The decision to outsource is a strategic decision

1, 2, and 3

Which of the following is true about a JAD facilitator? 1)They can participate in the discussion to settle a disagreement 2)They recognize that some people know more about the system and proposed system and will dominate the discussion and know that is a positive thing 3)They set the meeting agenda

3 only

System prototyping as a development methodology, is BEST characterized as delivering:

A 'Quick and Dirty' system

A data model is a:

A formal way of representing the data that are used and created by a business system

A process model is:

A graphical way of representing how a business system operate

A payroll data flow diagram has a data store called Accumulated Salary Data. At one stage in the DFD, a process "Calculate YTD-Taxes" gets data from that data store, updates it in the process, and writes it back out. The diagram should show:

A line out of the data store labeled: Current YTD Payroll Details; and a line into the data store labeled: Updated YTD Payroll Details

Throwaway prototyping as a development methodology, is BEST characterized as delivering:

A method for exploring design alternatives

An external entity in a process model is:

A person, organization or system outside of the system

Which of the following would be a 'black hole' error on a DFD?

A process has no output

A data flow is:

A single fact

What are data flow diagrams?

A visual representation of how data moves within an information system

TJ has prepared a spreadsheet where the total benefits for an IS project are $182,000; and the total cumulative costs are $120,000. The ROI would be:

About 51.7%

The three types of basic processes on a process model are:

Afferent, central, and efferent processes

Which of the following methodologies might be most appropriate if you have a system project with: unclear requirements; very familiar technologies; not all that complex; reasonably reliable; a short time schedule and the schedule visibility is somewhat important?

Agile development

Which is NOT true of use cases? 1)They contain all the information needed to build one part of a process model. 2)Each use case has a name, a number, importance level, brief description, primary actor, trigger, major inputs and outputs, and a list of major steps 3)Use cases can be identified by reviewing the functional requirements. 4)Use cases should be confirmed by users.

All of the statements listed are TRUE in regard to use cases.

In the context of client-server architecture, thick clients contain:

Almost all or most of the application logic

Austin is a systems analyst. Which of the follow people might be the most valuable to him in developing a use case for an accounts payable system upgrade?

Amy, a team manager in the accounts payable department

A process is:

An activity of a function that is performed for some specific business reason

Kallie is creating use cases, data flow diagrams, and entity relationship diagrams. In what phase of the SDLC would she do this?

Analysis

Which is an activity the information system users probably will NOT do on a project?

Budget funds for the project

Which approach to business process management (BPM) is best described as the use of technology components to complement or substitute for manual information management processes with the intent of gaining cost efficiencies.

Business Process Automation

Balance occurs between DFDs and ERDs when the data stores _____

Can be equated to entities on the ERD and when entities are referred to by data stores on the DFD

Which would likely be an entity on a car insurance ERD?

Car

Which would NOT likely be an attribute of an entity called "Student"?

Class room number

Systems Integration refers to:

Combining multiple disparate software solutions such as packaged software, an existing legacy system, new software, and cloud-enabled SaaS components

Which of the following will probably NOT be at a system walk-through?

Computer Center Director

Which Data Flow Diagram does not have data stores?

Context Diagram

Which Data Flow Diagram shows the entire system with its environment with only one process?

Context Diagram

Which of the following is normally NOT done in the design phase of the SDLC?

Cost / Benefits of the new system are carefully calculated

Which of the following is NOT a purpose of the requirements definition?

Cost-benefit analysis

A sample access control requirement would be:

Customer service reps can modify customer files but not delete them

Amy has created a context diagram. What one DFD component is probably not shown?

Data Store

On an ERD _________________:

Data elements are listed together and placed inside boxes called entities.

The relationship between use cases and data flow diagrams is:

Data flow diagrams start with information in the use cases and the requirements. The set of DFDs that make up the process model simply integrates the individual use cases.

The Major Outputs section on a use case will give the _____________

Destination(s) of that output

Data (like Year-to-date totals) that come from a data store and are used in a process (like 'Calculate YTD Totals') and then the updated amounts are written back to the data store - can be drawn on a DFD model as a two-headed arrow.

False

During the analysis phase, analysts create programming models to represent how the business system will operate.

False

Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) and Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) are two techniques for process modeling.

False

Examples of external triggers for a use case would be it is time to pay an invoice or a library book is due.

False

In SDLC, analysis is generally divided into three steps: understanding the as-is system; developing a cost-benefit analysis; and understanding the technical feasibility.

False

Most existing systems are well documented which leads to document analysis being a very valuable technique to understand an "AS-IS" system..

False

Projects can be classified by: size, cost, purpose, length, programming language and hardware platform

False

The Design phase of the SDLC uses the requirements that were gathered during the analysis phase to actually build (and code if necessary) the final system.

False

The logical ERD contains the same components for both the logical and physical models, including entities, relationships, and attributes. The difference lies in the fact that logical ERDs contain references to exactly how data will be stored in a file or database table and that much more metadata is added to the CASE repository to describe the data model components.

False

When changing logical process models to physical process models, you will want to change entities to tables or files.

False

James is developing a DFD. What would be a good name for him to use on a data flow from the Calculate Federal Withholding process to a data store called YTD Payroll Data?

Federal Withholding Taxes

When you join two relational database tables together, frequently the primary key in one table will be a(n) ____________ in the other table.

Foreign key

Ruth is an analyst. On her DFD diagram she has just placed a process. She will

Give it a verb phrase name, like 'search inventory'

Which of the following would NOT be considered as best practice motivation for members of a systems development project team?

Giving all team members the same bonus

What is/are the disadvantage(s) associated with n-tiered architecture?

Great load on the network and it is more difficult to program and test software

In the design of a new information system, where are the decisions stored that are made regarding the hardware and software that will be purchased to support the new system?

Hardware and Software Specification

System design is the determination of the overall system architecture-consisting of a set of physical processing components, _______________, and the communication among them-that will satisfy the system's essential requirements.

Hardware, Software, People

Hamid has selected one middle manager from each department that will be affected by the updated system and one lower-level manager from each department, along with a few senior staff as well as the project sponsor for a JAD session. He is trying to: _________

Have a broad mix of organizational levels in the JAD session

As a structure chart is constructed, it is generally best to build modules with:

High cohesion

Which phase of the systems development lifecycle (SDLC) is generally the longest and most expensive part of the development process?

Implementation

Michael, a systems analyst, is preparing a closed wiki site for Northstate Bank. He has written permission from eight other companies to view their internal wiki sites, and also has approval from his manager and the project team to use these other sites for ideas and structure. This would be a form of:

Informal benchmarking

Which would be the normal order of tasks in the Analysis phase of the SDLC?

Interviewing and/or JAD sessions; creating use cases; creating data flow diagrams

In the context of an ERD, an entity:

Is a person, place or thing

An entity relationship diagram (ERD):

Is a picture that shows the information that is created, stored, and used by a business system

Which of the following is NOT a general function of any application program?

Linked list modules

This type of file contains static values, typically a list of values used for validation.

Look-up file

Anthony is working on the cardinality of doctors and patients in a large urban hospital. With the large number of doctors with varying specialties and patients that may have more than one aliment, he thinks the relationship might be noted as:

Many to many

In the context of data storage design, this type of file stores 'core information that is important to the business' and for the application (such as order information or customer mailing information).

Master files

Information in the data dictionary is called: _______________

Metadata

Logical process models are:

Models that describe processes without suggesting how they are conducted

This is a type of database that is designed to store aggregated data (e.g. totaled or averaged) across many records (e.g. "What was the average sales by quarter for product A?")

Multidimensional database

Which of the following would NOT be categorized as a NoSQL database

Multidimensional databases

When normalizing data models, if you take attributes that have multiple values for a single instance of an entity and create separate entities for those attributes you are moving from:

O normal form to 1st normal form (1NF)

When developing a feasibility analysis for a new system, this type of feasibility evaluates whether the system is likely to be accepted and used by the organization. Included in this assessment will be the strength of the sponsor's and management's support for the project and the enthusiasm or resistance of the users for the project.

Organization feasibility

You have entities of ITEM, SOLD-ITEM, SALE and PAYMENT. Which most likely is NOT a relationship?

PAYMENT pays for ITEM

Which of the following methodologies might be most appropriate if you have a system project with: clear requirements; very familiar technologies; not all that complex; reasonably reliable; a short time schedule and the schedule visibility is not important?

Parallel

Alice is calculating whether a system will lower costs or increase revenues. What SDLC phase is she in?

Planning

Client-server architecture holds the client responsible for_____ and server is only responsible for _____.

Presentation Logic; Data Access Logic and Data Storage

Thomas is trying to change his Use Case into a Data Flow Diagram. He has found that a use case step generally is the same as a ________ on the Level 1 Data flow diagram.

Process

Which of the following is NOT true?

Programmers can take the logical DFDs and directly implement into code by compiling the metadata in the CASE tools

In the context of system design, for efficiency purposes, it is wise to___________ when there is a basic software need to be satisfied.

Purchase a packaged system

RAD is an acronym for:

Rapid Application Development

If on a limited time budget, the best way to be sure you remain efficient and effective in designing a system is to utilize the ____________.

Rapid Application Development (RAD) and Timeboxing Techniques

Lines on an ERD diagram indicate:

Relationships among the data

Operational requirements of a system include all of the following, except:

Scalability

The most common reason for schedule and cost overruns for an information systesm project is ___________

Scope creep

Andrew, an analyst for PaxMedia Inc., has just learned that the business rules for a system he has been working on have changed. This means that _____.

The ERD components will have to be changed

If the logical data model contains attribute values that depend on an attribute that is not the identifier, then it is in __________.

Second normal form (2NF)

Which is NOT an attribute of a systems analyst?

Selecting which projects to approve

The Major Inputs section on a use case will give the _____________

Source(s) of that input

Agile development is a group of programming-centric methodologies that focus on:

Streamlining the SDLC

Which of the following lists indicates the correct ordering of deliverables in a system specification document?

System Acquisition Weighted Alternative Matrix, Interface Design, Physical Data Model Data Storage Design

In the initial stage of design, what are business requirements converted into?

System Requirements

An example of a nonfunctional requirement is ____________

System can be used in any of 100 offices worldwide

Which is generally NOT true of non-functional requirements?

Systems may need to have actual expenses from global operations

What the MAIN difference between systems prototyping and throwaway prototyping?

Systems prototyping works with users to quickly develop a simplified working version of the proposed system; while throwaway prototyping focuses more on exploring design alternatives

When developing a feasibility analysis for a new system, this type of feasibility looks at the capability of the organization to successfully develop the proposed system. Included in this assessment are the project size, the types of technologies to be used in the project, and the amount of prior experience with that technology and the business application.

Technical feasibility

The V-model for systems development pays more explicit attention to ___________:

Testing

The context diagram shows:

The "big picture" of the system with external entities and only one process

The main difference between the Parallel Development Methodology and the Iterative Development Methodology is that:

The Parallel Methodology will have subprojects and the Iterative Methodology will have various releases

In what SDLC stage do we determine the business needs for an information systems project?

The analysis phase

Which of the following is NOT true about ERDs?

The diagrams are drawn in a sequential order - from top to bottom

A team of developers and customers are in close communication, with frequent communications, simplicity, feedback and courage. This would best describe:

The extreme programming methodology

An n-tiered architecture is distinguished by:

The number of specialized server computers

An example of a functional requirement is _________

The system must provide inquiry/update access to the customer order system

Which of the following would NOT be considered a valid reason to choose a custom development system acquisition strategy.

The time frame is short

Which is NOT true of Structure Charts when designing programs?

They are generally implemented with control flags that pass from the control modules to the subordinate modules

Which of the following is NOT generally true for the role systems analysts play in an organization?

They are the project sponsors for systems proposals

Which is NOT true of structure charts?

They show the user interface

Mark has a data store called 'Items' and it includes all the items sold in a convenience store - sorted by UPC code with the retail price of the item. He has only one data flow called 'Item Details' that flows from the data store to the Process Checkout process. What will be true in this case?

This is correct

Carlos has a Level 0 DFD diagram where one of the external entities is the "Internal Revenue Service" - and he has a data store called "Tax Rate Table". He has drawn a data flow arrow from the Internal Revenue Service to the data store as the data has been loaded into the Tax Rate Table prior to the processing. What would be true?

This is incorrect - he doesn't need a data flow as the data was loaded into the Tax Rate Table someplace else (within the payroll system someplace, but not in this process)

Brianna has a process that has two inputs but only one output.

This is normal as all processes need at least one input and at least one output

Which of the following methodologies might be most appropriate if you have a system project with: unclear user requirements; unfamiliar technologies; very complex; must be reliable; a short to medium time schedule and the schedule visibility is somewhat important?

Throwaway prototyping

Assume the project manager has been told by management that his project MUST be completed on time. The project manager's best estimates are more than two weeks after the absolute deadline. Which technique could he use to get a functional system on time?

Timeboxing

The science (or art) of project management is in making ___________ of size, time, and cost.

Trade-offs

In the context of data storage design, this type of file is used to update a master file:

Transaction file

The physical ERD contains the same components for both the logical and physical models, including entities, relationships, and attributes. The difference lies in the fact that physical ERDs contain references to exactly how data will be stored in a file or database table and that much more metadata is added to the CASE repository to describe the data model components.

True

The primary actor, in a Use Case, can refer to a person, another software system, or hardware device that interacts with the system and initiates the event to which the system responds.

True

When changing from logical data models to physical data models, you will want to change the attributes of the logical entity relationship diagram (ERD) to fields in the physical entity relationship diagram (ERD).

True

When changing logical data models to physical data models, you will want to change entities to tables or files.

True

An example of a capacity requirement would be:

Typical transactions will require the transmission of 300 K of data

Which is NOT a requirements analysis strategy?

Understanding of screen design, layout and navigation

The relation between use cases and data flow diagrams is generally:

Use cases are developed first and then data flow diagrams follow

The term in the computing domain which refers to the creation of devices or storage with the use of software and not hardware is:

Virtualization

This planning approach for good relational database performance involves estimating the amount or raw data that will be stored in tables on a physical hardware device, plus some overhead space for use by the relational database management system.

Volumetrics

Which of the following methodologies generally takes the longest to complete all the SDLC steps?

Waterfall

Which of the following methodologies might be most appropriate if you have a system project with: clear requirements; very familiar technologies; not all that complex; reasonably reliable; a very long time schedule, and the schedule visibility is not important?

Waterfall

The objective of architecture design is to determine_______________.

What parts of the application software system will be assigned to what hardware components.

In the context of an ERD, Independent entities are:

When an entity can exist without the help of another entity

In the context of ERDs, Modality refers to:

Whether an entity can exist with or without a related instance in the related entity

Interpersonal skills for a project manager might be important when:

Working with a highly controversial project that may have political implications

Which of the following would NOT likely be an entity on a car insurance ERD?

Zip code

The most prevalent type of database used in application development today is the:

relational database

When applying typical industry standards for business applications to estimate how long a project should last, if the planning phase takes about 7.5 person-weeks, approximately how long will the remainder of the project last?

about 42.5 person-weeks

When applying typical industry standards for business applications to estimate how long a project should last, if the planning phase takes about 7.5 person-weeks, approximately how long will the entire project last?

about 50 person-weeks

Drawing an entity relationship diagram (ERD) is __________.

an iterative process

Wetherbe describes this requirements elicitation technique of interviewing key stakeholders representing key functions in a group process where the group or collective experiences help determine better cross-functional requirements.

application design

Processes in data flow diagramming are represented by:

rounded rectangle

The major architectural components of any system are hardware and software. Which of the following is NOT one of the four basic functions of software architecture ?

client computers

The primary hardware components of a system are

client computers, servers, and networks that connect them.

Which of the following is NOT one of the four basic functions of software systems?

client-server logic

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(n) _____.

control couple

Which of the following is NOT one of the formats shown in a structure chart?

data flows

The outcome of the analysis phase of the SDLC is the:

the system proposal document.

Which of the following would NOT generally be considered a way to classify a project within the project protfolio?

feasibility

Which of the following would NOT generally be included as part of a system request?

feasibility analysis

The major architectural components of any system are the___________.

hardware and software

Myles is studying a system to lessen the number of complaints about the Help Desk. He has formally studied the service counter at Wal-Mart, Target and Kohl's department stores; as well as listened in to complaint phone calls to a hotel booking site. He is trying to see how other organizations work at lessening complaints and also how they handle complaints. This would be what type of analysis?

informal benchmarking

Reusable modules, which are represented in the structure chart as rectangles with vertical lines on both sides, may often appear several times in a structure chart. These are called _____ modules.

library

There are two symbols that describe special types of control in a structure chart. They are a curved arrow and a diamond. These symbols represent _____ and _____.

loop, conditional line

Which of the following methodologies might be most appropriate if you have a system project with: clear requirements; very familiar technologies; not all that complex; must be reliable; a somewhat longer schedule and the schedule visibility is not important?

v-model