System Design

System Design Stage

System design involves five stages: Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation, Maintenance.In maintenance stage, programmers iterate other four stages again and again.

System Requirement Documentation

The official document is called Requirement Specification Document which defines the specific customer requirement of a computer system and used to test and evaluate the system later.

System Flowchart, DFD, and Structure Chart

System Flowchart

A system flowchart illustrates the data processing system including the flow of date through individual programs while excluding details of each program. 

Data Flow Diagram

A DFD shows how data move through a system and the data stores that the system uses without demonstrating specific types of data storage.

Structure Chart

A structure chart describes functions and sub-functions of a system and the relationship between each module.

 

Three Types of Processing

Interactive / Online Processing

Interactive / Online Processing processing is performed by a single processor immediately after users enter the data in the equipment that the system controls. User interface design should be clear, intuitive, and easy to use. Data validation should also be added to check the validity of data users entered and give further instructions to users. 

Applications including: air reservation, electronic banking, order processing, employee time clock systems, e-commerce, and e-Trading. This process is efficient but cannot handle millions of requests.  

Batch Processing

Batch Processing is the iteration the same process to work in different groups of data. It usually groups small bits of data into large units and processed them periodically. Banking and accounting industry use batch processing. Batching processing is capable of doing large amounts of repetitive work. But the process will stop if any error occurs and users cannot enter additional data after the process has begun.

Application involves aircraft control

Real-time Processing

Real-time Processing requires computers to give response after the users enter data. It has four stages: generate, store, analyze, and share. GPS is an example of it as it will constantly update your location. The advantage is that there is no significant delay for response and information is always up-to-date while the disadvantage is that the computer should be continuously online.

Applications including payroll, heart rate monitoring.

Prototype

A prototype is either a working or non-working preliminary version of the final system or a simple version of the final system that is used as part of the design phase to demonstrate how the final product will work. The purposes of using it is: to attract clients’ attention; to provide a representation of the final product to let the investors to decide whether to keep developing; to encourage active participation of users, to help identify problems, and to increase the speed of development.

A Robot Company – Application of Prototype

A robot company develops robots with different functions. By producing prototypes, the company can benefit from testing functions, such as: robotic cleaning, robotic kit, security robots, etc.

Works Cited

Core Computer Science. 1st ed. Berkshire: Express Publishing, 2016. Print.