Learning Management System (LMS)

Software Requirements Specification

Version 1.0 Date: April 20, 2025
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose
1.2 Scope
1.3 Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations
1.4 References1.5 Overview
2. Overall Description
2.1 Product Perspective
2.2 Product Functions
2.3 User Classes and Characteristics
2.4 Operating Environment
2.5 Design and Implementation Constraints
2.6 Assumptions and Dependencies
3. Functional Requirements
3.1 User Management
3.2 Course Management
3.3 Enrollment Management
3.4 Payment Processing
3.5 Review Management
3.6 Analytics and Reporting
4. Non-Functional Requirements
4.1 Performance Requirements
4.2 Scalability Requirements
4.3 Security Requirements
4.4 Usability Requirements
4.5 Reliability and Availability
5. System Features
5.1 Use Case Descriptions
6. External Interface Requirements
6.1 User Interfaces
6.2 Hardware Interfaces
6.3 Software Interfaces
6.4 Communications Interfaces
7. Other Requirements
7.1 Database Requirements
7.2 Legal and Regulatory Requirements
8. Appendices
8.1 Glossary
8.2 Diagram References

1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose
This Software Requirements Specification (SRS) defines the functional and non-functional requirements for a Learning
Management System (LMS) similar to Udemy. The document serves as a contract between stakeholders, developers, and testers
to ensure the system meets user needs and expectations.

1.2 Scope
The LMS is a web-based platform that enables:
  Students to browse, enroll in, and complete courses, track progress, submit reviews, and download certificates.
 Instructors to create, manage, and upload course content, view earnings, and respond to reviews.
 Admins to manage users, approve courses, process refunds, and access analytics.The system includes features like user
authentication, course management, payment processing, reviews, and reporting. It aims to provide a scalable, secure,
and user-friendly learning experience.

1.3 Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations

 LMS: Learning Management System
 SRS: Software Requirements Specification
 ERD: Entity-Relationship Diagram
 DFD: Data Flow Diagram
 API: Application Programming Interface
 UI: User Interface
 JWT: JSON Web Token

1.4 References
IEEE Standard for Software Requirements Specifications (IEEE 830-1998).
Software Design Specification for LMS (Version 1.0, April 20, 2025).

1.5 Overview
This SRS is organized into sections covering the system’s purpose, scope, functional and non-functional requirements, system
features, interfaces, and supporting diagrams. It provides a comprehensive guide for developing the LMS.

2. Overall Description
2.1 Product Perspective
The LMS is a standalone web application that integrates with external services for payment processing (e.g., Stripe), media
storage (e.g., AWS S3), and search functionality (e.g., Elasticsearch). It operates in a cloud environment, ensuring scalability and
accessibility.
Figure 1: System Architecture DiagramThe architecture diagram (from SDS Section 2.2) illustrates the system’s components,
including the client (browser), load balancer, microservices, database, and external services. (Insert diagram generated per SDS
instructions.)

2.2 Product Functions

 User Management: Register, login, update profiles, and manage roles.
 Course Management: Create, update, delete, and publish courses.
 Enrollment Management: Enroll in courses, track progress, and issue certificates.
 Payment Processing: Process payments and refunds securely.
 Review Management: Submit and view course reviews.
 Analytics and Reporting: Generate reports for instructors and admins.

2.3 User Classes and Characteristics

 Student: End-user who browses and enrolls in courses. Requires an intuitive interface and minimal technical
knowledge.
 Instructor: Content creator who uploads courses. Needs tools for course management and analytics.
 Admin: System manager who oversees users, courses, and payments. Requires administrative access and reporting
capabilities.

2.4 Operating Environment

 Client: Web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) on desktops and mobile devices.
 Server: Cloud-based (e.g., AWS), with support for microservices and databases.
 Network: High-speed internet for streaming course content.

2.5 Design and Implementation Constraints

 Compliance with data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
  Integration with third-party payment gateways (e.g., Stripe).
 Support for multiple browsers and devices.
 Maximum API response time of 200ms.

2.6 Assumptions and Dependencies

 Assumptions: Users have access to modern web browsers and stable internet connections.
 Dependencies: Availability of external services (Stripe, AWS S3, Elasticsearch).

3. Functional Requirements
3.1 User Management
 FR1.1: The system shall allow users to register with an email and password.
 FR1.2: The system shall support login via email/password or third-party OAuth (e.g., Google).
 FR1.3: The system shall allow users to update their profile (name, profile picture).
 FR1.4: The system shall assign roles (student, instructor, admin) during registration.
 FR1.5: The system shall provide password recovery via email.

3.2 Course Management

 FR2.1: The system shall allow instructors to create courses with title, description, price, and category.
 FR2.2: The system shall support uploading video, text, and quiz content for courses.
 FR2.3: The system shall allow instructors to update or delete their courses.
 FR2.4: The system shall require admin approval before publishing courses.
 FR2.5: The system shall allow users to search courses by keyword, category, or instructor.

3.3 Enrollment Management

 FR3.1: The system shall allow students to enroll in courses after payment.
 FR3.2: The system shall track student progress (e.g., completed lessons).
 FR3.3: The system shall issue downloadable certificates upon course completion.
 FR3.4: The system shall display enrolled courses in a student dashboard.

3.4 Payment Processing

 FR4.1: The system shall integrate with a payment gateway (e.g., Stripe) for secure transactions.
 FR4.2: The system shall support multiple payment methods (credit card, PayPal).
 FR4.3: The system shall allow admins to process refunds.
 FR4.4: The system shall notify users of payment status (success, failure).

3.5 Review Management

 FR5.1: The system shall allow students to submit ratings (1-5 stars) and comments for courses.
 FR5.2: The system shall display average ratings and reviews on course pages.
 FR5.3: The system shall allow instructors to respond to reviews.
 FR5.4: The system shall moderate reviews for inappropriate content.

3.6 Analytics and Reporting

 FR6.1: The system shall provide instructors with earnings reports.
 FR6.2: The system shall provide admins with user and course analytics (e.g., enrollment rates).
 FR6.3: The system shall allow exporting reports in CSV format.
Figure 2: Entity-Relationship DiagramThe ERD (from SDS Section 3.1) models the data structure for User, Course, Enrollment,
Payment, and Review entities, supporting the functional requirements. (Insert diagram generated per SDS instructions.)

4. Non-Functional Requirements
4.1 Performance Requirements
 NFR1.1: The system shall handle 1 million concurrent users without degradation.
 NFR1.2: API response time shall be less than 200ms for 95% of requests.
 NFR1.3: Page load time shall be less than 2 seconds.
4.2 Scalability Requirements
 NFR2.1: The system shall support horizontal scaling to accommodate user growth.
 NFR2.2: The database shall handle increasing data volumes via sharding.

4.3 Security Requirements

 NFR3.1: The system shall use JWT for user authentication.
 NFR3.2: All data transmission shall use HTTPS.
 NFR3.3: Sensitive data (e.g., passwords) shall be encrypted.
 NFR3.4: The system shall comply with GDPR and CCPA.

4.4 Usability Requirements

 NFR4.1: The UI shall be responsive across devices (desktop, tablet, mobile).
 NFR4.2: The system shall provide clear navigation and help documentation.
 NFR4.3: The UI shall support accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.1).

4.5 Reliability and Availability

 NFR5.1: The system shall achieve 99.9% uptime.
 NFR5.2: The system shall implement data backups every 24 hours.
 NFR5.3: The system shall recover from failures within 5 minutes.
Figure 3: Level-0 Data Flow DiagramFigure 4: Level-1 Data Flow DiagramThe DFDs (from SDS Section 4.1) illustrate data flow for
functional and non-functional requirements, showing interactions between users, processes, and data stores. (Insert diagrams
generated per SDS istruzioni.)

5. System Features
5.1 Use Case Descriptions
Use Case 1: Enroll in Course
 Actor: Student
 Description: The student browses courses, selects a course, makes a payment, and enrolls.
 Preconditions: Student is logged in, course is published.
 Postconditions: Student is enrolled, payment is processed.
Steps:
1. Student searches for a course.
2. Student views course details.
3. Student initiates payment.
4. System processes payment via gateway.
5. System enrolls student and updates progress.
Use Case 2: Create Course
 Actor: Instructor
 Description: The instructor creates a course, uploads content, and submits for approval.
 Preconditions: Instructor is logged in.
 Postconditions: Course is submitted for admin approval.
Steps:
1. Instructor enters course details (title, price).
2. Instructor uploads content (videos, quizzes).
3. Instructor submits course.
4. System notifies admin for review.
Use Case 3: Manage Users
 Actor: Admin
 Description: The admin views, updates, or deletes user accounts.
 Preconditions: Admin is logged in.
  Postconditions: User data is updated.
Steps:
1. Admin accesses user management dashboard.
2. Admin selects a user.
3. Admin updates or deletes user data.
4. System saves changes.
Figure 5: Use Case DiagramThe use case diagram (from SDS Section 4.2) shows actors (Student, Instructor, Admin) and their
interactions with system features. (Insert diagram generated per SDS instructions.)
Figure 6: Sequence DiagramThe sequence diagram (from SDS Section 4.3) details the “Enroll in Course” use case, showing
interactions between Student, UI, Course Service, Payment Service, Database, and Payment Gateway. (Insert diagram generated
per SDS instructions.)
Figure 7: Class DiagramThe class diagram (from SDS Section 4.4) models the system’s core classes (User, Course, Enrollment,
Payment) supporting the use cases. (Insert diagram generated per SDS instructions.)

6. External Interface Requirements

6.1 User Interfaces
 UI1: Homepage with featured courses, search bar, and user login.
 UI2: Course page with details, reviews, and enrollment button.
 UI3: Student dashboard showing enrolled courses and progress.
 UI4: Instructor dashboard for course management and earnings.
 UI5: Admin dashboard for user, course, and payment management.

6.2 Hardware Interfaces

 HI1: The system shall run on standard web servers with 16GB RAM and 4-core CPUs.
 HI2: The system shall support client devices (PCs, tablets, smartphones).

6.3 Software Interfaces

 SI1: Integration with Stripe for payment processing (API v3).
 SI2: Integration with AWS S3 for media storage (SDK v3).
 SI3: Integration with Elasticsearch for search (REST API).

6.4 Communications Interfaces

 CI1: HTTPS for secure client-server communication.
 CI2: SMTP for email notifications (e.g., password recovery).
 CI3: WebSocket for real-time updates (e.g., course progress).

7. Other Requirements
7.1 Database Requirements
 DR1: The database shall support NoSQL for flexible schema (e.g., MongoDB).
 DR2: The database shall store user, course, enrollment, payment, and review data.
 DR3: The database shall support sharding for scalability.

7.2 Legal and Regulatory Requirements

 LR1: The system shall comply with GDPR for user data protection.
 LR2: The system shall comply with CCPA for California users.
 LR3: The system shall provide terms of service and privacy policy.

8. Appendices
8.1 Glossary
 Course: A collection of lessons and quizzes offered by an instructor.
 Enrollment: The act of a student joining a course.
  Payment Gateway: External service for processing transactions.

8.2 Diagram References

 Figure 1: System Architecture Diagram (SDS Section 2.2).
 Figure 2: Entity-Relationship Diagram (SDS Section 3.1).
 Figure 3: Level-0 Data Flow Diagram (SDS Section 4.1).
 Figure 4: Level-1 Data Flow Diagram (SDS Section 4.1).
 Figure 5: Use Case Diagram (SDS Section 4.2).
 Figure 6: Sequence Diagram (SDS Section 4.3).
 Figure 7: Class Diagram (SDS Section 4.4).
Diagrams are generated using tools like Draw.io or Lucidchart per the instructions in the SDS. Insert PNG images at the
referenced sections.