Use Case: UC-1
Point of Contact: Xiaogang Ma <max7@rpi.edu>
Version: 1.0
Date: 17-09-2012
Use Case Name
A name that succinctly states the user task in the form of “verb + object” such as “Place and Order”.
Visit data center website of dataset used to generate a report figure
Goal
The goal briefly describes what the user intends to achieve with this use case.
Visit data center website of dataset used to generate report figure.
Summary
A reader of the NCA is browsing the content via the web site. He sees a figure and wants to know where the
data came from. A reference to the paper the figure was originally published in appears in the figure caption.
Selecting that displays a page of information about the paper, including a link via the paper DOI to the journal
article itself on its publisher’s site. It also includes references to the datasets used in the paper. Following
each of those links presents a page of information about the dataset, including links back to the agency/data
center web page describing the dataset in more detail and making the actual data available for order or
download.
Actors
Primary Actor - reader of the NCA
Preconditions
Here we state any assumptions about the state of the system that must be met for the trigger (below) to initiate the use case. Any assumptions about
other systems can also be stated here, for example, weather conditions. List all preconditions.
● Reader is viewing the NCA online report
Post Conditions
Here we give any conditions that will be true of the state of the system after the use case has been completed.
●
Reader visits the data center dataset website
Triggers
Here we describe in detail the event or events that brings about the execution of this use case. Triggers can be external, temporal, or internal. They can
be single events or when a set of conditions are met, List all triggers and relationships.
Normal Flow
Often referred to as the primary scenario or course of events. In the basic flow we describe the flow that would be followed if the use case where to
follow its main plot from start to end. Error states or alternate states that might be highlighted are not included here. This gives any browser of the
document a quick view of how the system will work. Here the flow can be documented as a list, a conversation or as a story.(as much as required)
1) System is presenting the NCA report to the reader in a web site. Presentation includes report figure with
caption that includes reference to paper.
2) Reader selects paper reference in figure caption.
3) System displays information about paper, including link (via paper DOI) to the journal article publisher
page. Paper information includes paper dataset citations.
4) Reader selects a dataset cited by the paper.
5) System displays information about the dataset including links to agency / data center pages where more
information and (potentially) data download links are available.
6) Reader selects data center link and is redirected to data center dataset webpage.
Alternate Flows
Here we give any alternate flows that might occur which still lead to a successful completion of the task and satisfy the use case’s post-conditions.
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Exception Flows
Here we describe how the system responds to conditions that prevent the task from succeeding. Use case post-conditions may not be satisfied at
completion of Exception Flow.
Activity Diagram
Here a diagram is given to show the flow of events that surrounds the use case. It might be that text is a more useful way of describing the use case.
However often a picture speaks a 1000 words.
Activity Diagram Caption
Includes
Reference any use cases that are included in this use case, e.g. “FOO UC-22 View Shopping Cart”.
Priority
How important is this task to implement? Useful to help manage project priorities and dependencies.
Source
What user champion, business rule, or high-level system requirement does this use case originate from? Who or where can we go for
clarification?
Frequency of Use
How often do we expect the targeted user classes to perform this task?
Business Rules
Reference business rules that are related to this task, (e.g. BR-28 Only staff who are authorized may update the database)
Special Requirements
Interoperability requirements, security requirements, regulatory compliance requirements, etc. related to this user task.
Assumptions
The normal and alternate flows probably make some assumptions; this is a good place to state them.
●
Figure caption contains a paper reference
●
Referenced paper has a DOI
●
Referenced paper has data citations
●
There exists an identifier / locator for the dataset as owned by the agency / data center
●
There exists an agency / data center website for the dataset
Notes
There is always some piece of information that is required that has no other place to go. This is the place for that information.
Resources
In order to support the capabilities described in this Use Case, a set of resources must be available and/or configured.
These resources include data and services, and the systems that offer them. This section will call out examples of these
resources.
Data:
Data
Type
Characteristics Description
Owner
Source System
(dataset
name)
Remote,
e.g. – no cloud
cover
USGS, ESA,
etc.
Name of the system
which supports
discovery and access
Frequency
Source System
How often the
model runs
Name of the system
which offers access to
the model
In situ,
Etc.
Short description of the
dataset, possibly including
rationale of the usage
characteristics
Modeling Services
Model
Owner
Description
Consumes
(model
name)
Organization that Short description List of data consumed
offers the model of the model
Event Notification Services
Event
Owner
Description
(Event
name)
Organization that Short description of the event
offers the event
Subscription
Source System
List of subscriptions
(and owners)
Name of the system
which offers this event
Application Services
Application
Owner
Description
Source System
(Application or
DSS name)
Organization that Short description of the application, DSS or portal Name of the system which
offers the
offers access to this
Application
resource
Sensor resources
Sensor
Owner
Description
(sensor
name)
Organization that Short description of the sensor
owns/ manages
sensor
Frequency
Source System
How often the sensor Name of the satellite or
can observe event
system which manages
sensor