Running head: Lab 02 – REMSY Product Specification
Lab 02 - REMSY Product Specification
REMSY - Blue Team
Zachary Regelski
CS411W
Janet Brunelle & Hill Price
March 17th, 2014
Version: 2
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Lab 02 - REMSY Product Specification
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Table of Contents
1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1
Purpose.......................................................................................................................................... 3
1.2
Scope ............................................................................................................................................. 3
1.3
Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations ................................................................................... 4
1.4
References ..................................................................................................................................... 6
1.5
Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 7
2: GENERAL DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Prototype Architecture Description .................................................................................................... 7
2.2 Prototype Functional Description ....................................................................................................... 8
2.3 External Interfaces .............................................................................................................................. 8
Figures
Figure 1: Prototype Major Functional Component Diagram ...................................................................... 9
Tables
Table 1: Effects of Assumptions, Dependencies, and Constraints on Requirements .................................. 10
Lab 02 - REMSY Product Specification
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1: INTRODUCTION
REMSY, REsource Management SYstem, is a web-based tutoring program developed by the
CS410/411 Blue Team of Old Dominion University. REMSY is accessible from a standard web-browser
utility, and is not an application installed on a PC. It operates using a database and a web server to provide
for tutoring management.
1.1
Purpose
The purpose of REMSY is to be an effective tool for managing a widespread tutoring system. As
a tutoring tool, REMSY serves the needs electronic of tutors at a university, the needs of students who
wish to take tutoring, and the needs of system administrators monitoring the tutoring system.
Tutors approved by the institution or university can use REMSY to offer tutoring classes and to
manage tutoring appointments with students. Students who have created an account with REMSY are
able to view classes available for tutoring and sign up for ones they need. After having signed up, they
can manage existing tutoring appointments. The system administrators of REMSY have access to all the
powers of tutors and students, as well as the ability to collect usage data that is vital to the efficiency of
the tutoring operation.
1.2
Scope
The scope of REMSY is a tremendous improvement over any non-electronic means of a
operating a tutoring program. There is less data entry involved than a paper version, and a lot more
convenient because through REMSY, there can be near instantaneous communication which improves the
coordination of students and tutors, as well as resources such as rooms.
REMSY allows administrators to track important usage data such as who is attending which
tutoring classes and whether or not it appears to have benefitted their grade. REMSY is also a boon for
administration, by simplifying the communication between departments, such as math and physics, which
might have different tutoring standards. In some institutions, when those separations are present, the
Lab 02 - REMSY Product Specification
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tutoring center is divided into separate factions that cause problems with one another in the operation of
the tutoring system. Under the umbrella of REMSY these different systems can coexist peacefully.
The REMSY prototype will have a test harness populated with artificial user data to demonstrate
how the system functions when used. The prototype will also simulate a connection to the university
database of users, Banner, and their account log-in methods, Shibboleth. Neither of these real services can
be implemented in the prototype because these services deal with the personal information of many
different students. The REMSY prototype will be FERPA compliant, and will be 508 compliant.
1.3
Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations
508 compliance: Amendment of the Rehabilitation Act which requires Federal Agencies to
make electronic and information technology accessible to people with and without
disabilities.
Administrator: The manager of a software tier. As a User, has all rights and privileges
concerning a program and how it operates.
Apache: A web server format for HTTP.
Banner: Centralized academic and administrative records system.
Blue Team: The creators of REMSY. Zachary Regelski, Seth Hohensee, Denis Mileyko, Eric
Diep, Corey Campbell, and Matthew Letchworth.
CS410/CS411: Classes taken in the Fall semester of 2013 and the Spring semester of 2014.
Taught by Janet Brunelle and Hill Price. The Blue Team was founded in this class.
FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It is a law that gives students privacy to
Lab 02 - REMSY Product Specification
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their personal records.
MySQL: A database query language. It is structured to store and sift through information.
Old Dominion University: University in Norfolk, Virginia. Home of the Monarchs.
PHP: A scripting language used for websites.
REMSY: REsource Management SYstem. The name of the tutoring service designed by the
Blue Team.
User: A person using REMSY either on the web or via the mobile application.
Student: A student who is not currently a Tutor. As a type of user, Students are seeking to either
find tutoring, or apply to be a tutor.
Tutor: A student who has applied to the institution and was granted tutor status. They teach
students about classes they need help in.
TutorTrac: REMSY’s rival. The current system at Old Dominion that is being implemented for
tutoring. It is an online tutoring management software.
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Lab 02 - REMSY Product Specification
1.4
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References
Old Dominion University. (n.d.). Peer Educator Program. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from
http://www.odu.edu/peereducator
Old Dominion University. (n.d.). Tutoring & Mentoring. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from
Academic Enhancement: http://uc.odu.edu/taa/
Redrock Software Corporation. (n.d.). TutorTrac. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from TutorTrac:
http://www.tutortrac.com/subpage.php?go=tutor
REMSY Blue Team. (2014). CS411 Lab01: Product Description. Retrieved February 11, 2014,
from REMSY: http://www.cs.odu.edu/~411blue/?p=deliverables
REMSY Blue Team. (2014, February 2). REMSY Lab 2 Outline. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from
REMSY Deliverables:
http://www.cs.odu.edu/~411blue/uploads/REMSY_lab2outline.pdf
REMSY Blue Team. (2014). REMSY Overview. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from REMSY:
http://ww.cs.odu.edu/~411blue/?p=overview
U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Retrieved February 11, 2014, from ED.gov:
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
Lab 02 - REMSY Product Specification
1.5
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Overview
The REMSY prototype will use a web server and a database identical to the type a real world, full
scale implementation of the project would use. REMSY uses the internet server to access all of the data
from the database and to return that information back to the user who originally asked for it via a web
browser or a mobile application. One external interface that the REMSY prototype will have is the ability
to read student identification data from a student ID card being swiped through a card reader. This
functionality is for appointment checking purposes.
2: GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The REMSY prototype will offer a majority of the features promised in the full-fledged
version of the product. It will function as a general tutoring management product, in order to
solve the original problem brought to the attention of the Blue Team. The mobile application will
also be implemented, but will have a similar capability.
2.1 Prototype Architecture Description
The REMSY prototype uses an Apache web server that hosts its user interface and PHP scripts.
This web server will hold the main functionality of the REMSY programming. Second, the REMSY
implementation will have a database server that runs MySQL. The database is for holding user data and
class data, as well as anything else applicable to the tutoring center. For the purposes of the REMSY
prototype, that information will be created artificially and loaded on as part of the test harness to
demonstrate REMSY capabilities.
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Lab 02 - REMSY Product Specification
2.2 Prototype Functional Description
The bulk of REMSY will be directed towards support of its web portal. When a REMSY user
opens up REMSY in their web browser and log in, they will have access to the web page version of the
prototype. Users will be able to use this website to create tutoring appointments, and use the privileges
associated with their type of account, be it tutor, student, or administrator.
2.3 External Interfaces
The REMSY prototype will be compatible with an HID card reader external interface.
This card reader will allow students to swipe their student ID card to prove attendance or
identification to the REMSY system. This is important for tutor meetings.
The prototype will interface with a web server using HTML and PHP. The database
server will be an Oracle database communicated with by SQL query. The prototype will also
work with the Old Dominion University mail service in order to provide email alerts to users
who sign up for them. A graphical depiction of the services REMSY uses can be found in the
Prototype Major Functional Component Diagram in Figure 1.
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Lab 02 - REMSY Product Specification
Figure 1: Prototype Major Functional Component Diagram
Users will interface with REMSY using common computing input and output devices.
The keyboard, mouse, and monitor display are the tools required when using the web-based
version of the prototype. For the mobile application, fingers are needed. The communication
protocols for REMSY are commonly used and will be compatible with modern systems. It will
utilize TCP/IP connections, LDAP, and HTTP.
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The design for the prototype of REMSY takes a few issues for granted. In Table 1 is a list
of the assumptions, constrains, and dependencies that the prototype and its implementation have.
Each one of these issues could pose a problem at some point or at any given point.
Condition
A HID card-reader is
available for the prototype
A mobile device is available
for the prototype
Integration of REMSY with
legacy software
Use of University resources
is available for the prototype
User data from the
University will be available
to populate the Banner model
database
Only valid data entries will
be provided
Type
Dependency
Constraint
Effect on Requirements
The HID reader function must be simulated
if one is not available
The mobile application must be simulated if
one is not available
Modeled software will need to be created
Constraint
Resources will need to be modeled
Constraint
Simulated data will need to be created
Interface with database
server will be working for
prototype
Interface with web server
will be working for prototype
Only valid entries for all
input are entered and stored
in their respective servers
All valid data regarding
courses, users, and tutoring
sessions are stored in
databases
Mobile devices will have the
latest software installed
All users will have access to
a desktop
All necessary data will be
simulated for the prototype
Assumption
All forms of communication
for sending notification will
be available for the prototype
Assumption
Dependency
Assumption
Assumption
Assumption
Assumption
Assumption
Assumption
Assumption
Allow for minimal error checking for
purposes to developing and demonstrating
the prototype
This enables the prototype to run
This enables the prototype to display
correctly and be accessible
Lab 02 - REMSY Product Specification
Condition
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Type
Effect on the Requirements
Assumption Allow for all browsers to be used for
REMSY will be accessible
accessing REMSY
on all popular browser
Reporting module and
Assumption Reports and tracking workflow will be
Tracking module will be
explained
available for prototype
All functionality of REMSY
Assumption
will be functional for
prototype
Table 1: Effects of Assumptions, Dependencies, and Constraints on Requirements