System Development Integrated Questions
Q1 15M
a) What is the difference between a computer and a system? (4M)
b) Suggest 3 system development model and approaches. (4M)
c) List 6 steps of system development. (7M)
Ans:
a) A system is a set of integrated components interacting with hardware and software to serve a
common purpose. A computer with hardware only cannot perform its functions well; and
software without powerful hardware cannot run fast and effective as well.
b) Waterfall model, System Development Life Cycle and Rapid Application Development.
(1M each, 4M for 3 correct answers)
c) Preliminary investigation, System analysis, System design, System implementation, System
conversion and maintenance and Documentation. (1M each, 7M for all correct)
Q2 15M
Tom is a library administrator and going to improve the library. The library is still running a manual
system and had a lot of problems in operation.
a) List 2 problems of manual system. (3M)
b) What is a system test, explain briefly. (5M)
c) What is Gantt chart? Please draw an example with at least 3 items and 2 concurrent items. (7M)
Ans:
a) Slow processing speed, easy to made mistakes. (1.5M each, accept any reasonable answers)
b) System test performs after individual modules development finished and finished unit test. This
test aims to see if the systems works according to requirements after all required modules
combined together. Volume test, Storage test, Performance Time test are included in a system
test. (5M)
c) Gantt chart is a graph shows planning and progress of a system development process. Duration
of every activities are shown by the length of bars. (3M)
Sample Gantt Chart:
(1M for the layout, 1 mark for at least 3 bars, 1 mark for at least two concurrent activities, 1M
for presentation)
Q3 15M
Tom is an IT manager in a school and he is going to implement a computer based student attendance
system.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
List three computer hardware you may see in a school attendance system. (3M)
List one consideration in both software and hardware when designing a system. (3M)
He wanted to present the project progress by graph. What kind of tools can help him? (2M)
What should Tom to do before the actual implementation of a system? (2M)
Tom asked his colleagues take attendance in both computer system and manual system at the
same time at first week of system implementation. What is this strategy called and why there is
a need to do so? (5M)
Ans:
a) Server Computer, Workstations, Smart Card reader (1M each, accept reasonable answers)
b) The server computer should be in a secure place since it stores sensitive information.
Software should be tested thoroughly before implementation.
c) He may use Gantt chart to show the project progress.
d) He should do the User Acceptance Test for the system before actual implementation of the
system. (no mark for “test” only)
e) This is a parallel conversion of a system. Although there is redundancy, but even if the new
system fail the transition period there is still a backup, and the school operation would not be
interrupted.
Q4 15M
A railway company was going to upgrade its ticketing system from magnetic stored value ticket system
to a cordless smart card in 1997.
a) Why the railway company wants to upgrade its ticketing system? (4M)
b) Cordless smart card was newly available when the railway system started running in 1979. Why
the railway company selected magnetic ticket system instead of smart card system on that time?
(4M)
c) Both ticketing systems were using simultaneously between 1997 and 1998. The stored value
ticket system was ceased running in 1998. Why the railway company did not switch the system
in one evening and what is this strategy called? (7M)
Ans:
a) The old system had limitation and difficult to expand (2M)
The old hardware are ageing and did not have replacement parts. (2M)
(2M each, accept any reasonable answers)
b) There were some considerations when doing the feasibility studies. (1M) Cordless system may
not met the requirements of economic (1M), operational (1M) and technical (1M) feasibilities
on that time.
c) This is parallel system conversion (1M). Ticketing system is critical to railway operation and
cannot be interrupted (2M). Using parallel system conversion can make an old system act as a
backup during the transition period and the fare collection system would not down immediately
even if the smart card system failed. (4M)
Q5 15M
Metro Taipei switched one of its metro lines from old signaling system to new system when they were
extending the services in 2009.
a) Give one reason why they prefer switch to a new system instead of modifying the current one?
(2M)
b) They found few vendors visit the system to find out problems and asks for a solution. What is
this step called and what should they beware when selecting a solution? (4M)
c) The vendor did the test immediately after a small module installed on the track?
What is this test called? (1M)
d) The Metro Company suspended the whole line on a few Sundays 2 months before the
commencement of the extension. Why they need to do so and list out 2 important factors of
their action. (4M)
e) The metro company switched its system to new one and cut off the old system over one evening.
However, the railway services interrupted few days after commencement. What is this kind of
strategy called and explain why there was service interruption? (4M)
Ans:
a) The old system reached its maximum capacity and cannot be further expanded.
(accept any reasonable answers)
b) This is feasibility studies (1M). They should consider Technical Feasibility (1M), Economic
Feasibility (1M) and Operational Feasibility. (1M)
c) Unit test.
d) They need a few Sundays to do the user acceptance test for the whole line. (2M)
System capacity, response time will be tested (2M)
e) This is direct cutover conversion. (1M) The old system was cut off immediately after the
commencement of the new system and cannot be reverted. The old system cannot act as
backup so the service was interrupted when the new system had problems. (3M)
Q6 15M
Tom is a library manager. He is going to switch the manual circulation system to a computer based
system.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Please list 2 ways Tom can acquire software. (2M)
List one advantage and disadvantage of the ways above. (6M)
What should Tom do before he launches the computer system? Explain briefly. (4M)
He decided to cease the manual process once he switched to the computerized system in an
evening. What kind of system conversion strategy called? List an advantage and disadvantage of
this strategy briefly. (3M)
Ans:
a) He can write the program by himself or he can purchase commercial off the shelf software.
b) Program by himself
Adv: The program will meet his needs.
Dis: The program may take long time and costly to develop
Purchase off-the-shelf software
Adv: Save software development time
Dis: The software may not suit all of the needs.
c) He should test the software he acquired before system launch. The test is called user
acceptance test, which he should test its maximum capacity and software responses time, etc.
d) This is cutover conversion.(1M) This is no overlap during the transition and thus it is the most
effective way. (1M) However, the operation may interrupt if the new system failed.(1M)