MCS 214 Mid Term Study Guide
Topics are grouped by doc or ppt files on ROAD.
The exam will be multiple choice questions indicating that you understand a particular
concept or term.
As appropriate for each topic….
Know what it is (the concept/meaning /definition/explain).
For example what is a Data Ware House?
Know how or why it is used or recognize an example.
For example what does a TPS do?
For example a POS is an example of what?
For example what does the model layer of a system do?
Know at least two items (just item names not the corresponding details or explanations) if
it is a list (for example… “Characteristics of valuable information”).
If it is a short list (<= 4 items) know the four items.
For example give two characteristics of valuable information.
Design intro g1.doc
Principles of commodity, firmness, and delight applied to software
The process of design characteristics
Why design is needed
Why software design is hard characteristics
Each advance in design was in abstracting more details of the program
Software design methodologies characteristics
Methodology 2.doc
Waterfall model
Problems with waterfall model
Iterative approach – iterative, incremental, parallel
Iterative advantages
Use case – functional requirements
Use case – used to plan iterations
System architecture – how components work together
Risks – obstacles or unknowns which may hinder the system
Risk confrontation
System design
Designer must explore and evaluate alternatives
Class Responsibilities Collaborations (CRC) view of an object
Model View Controller pattern
Design intro g3.doc
SDLC
Requirements specification qualities
Design main concepts
Implementation/Programming
Testing
Operation
Prototyping model
Prototyping advantages/disadvantages
Incremental development model
A continuum of development models
Agile Design.doc
Conceptual perspective
Specification perspective
Implementation perspective
Key concept of iterative development
Benefits of iterative development
Reuse or modify existing models—key point of patterns approach
Logical Architecture and Layers
Typical Information System Layers
Benefits of using layers
MVC Architecture
MVC Separation Principle
Motivation of MVC Separation
MVC is an example of promoting interchangeable software components
The critical design tool for software development is a mind well educated in design
principles. Fundamental object design requires knowledge of 1) principles of
responsibility assignment and 2) design patterns.
Project part 1 and 2
Mission statement
Mission objectives
Critical point
Failure point
Project risk
Project standards
Project scope
Domain dictionary
Project part 3
Data integrity and i/o checking, db constraints
Data security and need to know and/or responsibilities
Authentication and user views
Physical security
Backup and recovery
Recovery and resumption
MCS21402.ppt
Characteristics of valuable information
Computer based information system (CBIS) components
Electronic commerce (purchasing process example)
Transaction processing system (TPS)
Enterprise resource planning system (ERP)
Decision support system (DSS)
Artificial intelligence (AI) major elements
Competitive advantage
Performance based information systems (PBIS)
Btyes.doc
Bit
Byte
Kilobyte
Megabyte
Gigabyte
Terabyte
Petabyte
MCS21403.ppt
Database advantages/disadvantages
Data dictionary uses
Data warehouse
Data mart
Data mining and applications
MCS21404.ppt
Supply chain management
Value chains in E commerce
E commerce applications
TPS MIS DSS Special Purpose Info Systems
Batch and online processing
POS and OPS as examples of TPS
ERP advantages and disadvantages
ERP-intro.pdf
What is Enterprise Resource Planning
Realization and improvements of the 1965 Goal
Characteristics of ERPs
ERP typical honeycomb structure
ERP5.txt
Note that (unfortunately) ERP disasters are quite common
ERP – bad.doc
ERP projects are among the most critical efforts IT ever undertakes, as they touch almost every part of
essential business operations and are complex technically. Not surprisingly, some fail – spectacularly
Customer failures
System integrator failures
Software vendor failures
ERP's complex triad: Getting it right
Define the project completely.
Choose the vendor with care.
Choose the integrator with greater care.
Assemble a strong team to oversee the project.
Actively manage the project.
Understand the impact on the business
Don't shortchange training.
MCS21405.ppt
Participants in system development
Traditional System development life cycle
Prototyping
Use case diagram
System development Maturity
Systems investigation questions
Feasibility analysis
System investigation report contents
Systems analysis tasks
Data collection sources
Data collection steps
Requirements analysis
System analysis report should cover
Systems design phases
System design report contents
System implementation steps
Types of testing
Start-up approaches
System maintenance reasons
Project part 4
Basic use-case
Alternate use-case
Basic use-case scenario
Alternate use-case scenario
Basic test-case scenario
Alternate test-case scenario
Database_design.ppt
Data Model
Database views
Database Indexing
CRUD !
Database Design Basic Steps
Ensuring database Integrity
Strategies for managing Integrity
Temporal Integrity
Step 1 Creating a Data Model
Step 2 Defining an Attribute Model
Step 3 Identify & Capture Business Rules
Step 4 Define Physical Model
Step 5 Review Final Design
Quick DB Analysis.doc
one to one relationship
one to many relationship
many to many relationship
identify one, two, three table structure
Identify parent, child, intersection tables
Zeroth Normalization Rule
First Normalization Rule
Second Normalization Rule -- a
Second Normalization Rule – b
Third Normalization Rule
Design layers.doc
Know the purpose of each layer:
Authentication layer
User interface delegate layer
Action layer
Model layer
Database delegate layer
Database Action layer
Database management system layer
Understand the following diagrams (mainly discussed for part 5 of project)
Database schema diagram with tables, relationships, constraints, primitive operations
Data access control diagram (UML diagram showing which database primitive operations
are needed for the user-type)
Concurrency control diagram
Transaction control diagram