Systems Analysis & Design

Book Chapter 5
Content Week 9
Data and Process Modeling
Introduction
● In chapter 4, you use data and
process modeling techniques to
develop a logical model of the
proposed system and document
the system requirements
– Logical model shows what the system
must do
– Physical model describes how the system
will be constructed

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Overview of Data and Process
Modeling Tools
● Systems analysts use many
graphical techniques to describe
an information system
● A data flow diagram (DFD) uses
various symbols to show how the
system transforms input data into
useful information

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Data Flow Diagrams
● A data flow diagram (DFD) shows
how data moves through an
information system but does not
show program logic or processing
steps
● A set of DFDs provides a logical
model that shows what the
system does, not how it does it

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Data Flow Diagrams
● DFD Symbols
– DFDs use four
basic symbols
that represent
processes, data
flows, data
stores, and
entities
• Gane and Sarson
symbol set
• Yourdon symbol
set

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Data Flow Diagrams
● DFD Symbols
– Process symbol
• Receives input data and produces
output that has a different content,
form, or both
• Referred to as a black box, where the
inputs, outputs, and general function of
the process are known, but the
underlying details are not shown.

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Data Flow Diagrams
● DFD Symbols
– Data flow
symbol
• Represents
one or more
data items
• The symbol for
a data flow is a
line with a
single or
double
arrowhead

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Data Flow Diagrams
● DFD Symbols
– Avoid the
followings
• Spontaneous
generation
• Black hole
• Gray hole

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Data Flow Diagrams
● DFD Symbols
– Data store symbol
• Is a flat rectangle that is open on the right side
and closed on the left side
• Used to represent data that the system stores
for later use.
Ex. Store students’ test scores to calculate the
final grade later
• The physical characteristics of a data store are
unimportant because you are concerned only
with a logical model

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Data Flow Diagrams
● DFD Symbols
– Data store
symbol

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Data Flow Diagrams
● DFD Symbols
– Entity Symbol
• Symbol is a rectangle, which may be shaded to
make it look three-dimensional
• Name of the entity appears inside the symbol
• Also called Terminators: because they are data
origins or final destination
• Each entity must be connected to a process by
a data flow

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Data Flow Diagrams
● DFD
Symbols
– Entity
Symbol

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Rules for connecting processes,
data stores, and entities in a
DFD

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Creating a Set of DFDs
● Create a graphical model of the
information system based on your
fact-finding results
● Performing three main tasks
– Step 1: Draw a context diagram
– Step 2: Draw a diagram 0 DFD
– Step 3: Draw the lower-level diagrams

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Creating a Set of DFDs
● Draw a Context Diagram

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Creating a Set of DFDs
● Draw a Context Diagram
– Drawing Guidelines
1. Draw the context diagram so it fits on one
page
2. Use the name of the information system as
the process name in the context diagram
3. Use unique names within each set of
symbols
4. Do not cross lines
5. Provide a unique name and reference
number for each process
6. Obtain user input and feedback

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Creating a Set of DFDs
● Draw a Diagram 0 DFD
– Diagram 0
– Zooms in on the context diagram and
shows major processes, data flows, and
data stores
– Must retain all the connections that flow
into and out of process 0 (balancing)
– Each process has a reference number
– Diverging data flow

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Creating a Set of DFDs
● Draw a Diagram 0 DFD
– If same data flows in both directions, you
can use a double-headed arrow
– Diagram 0 represents exploded view of
process 0
– Parent diagram: Previous diagram
– Child diagram ： Next Level
– Functional primitive: a process that
consists of a single function that can not
be exploded further.

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Creating a Set of DFDs
● Draw the Lower-Level Diagrams
– Must use leveling and balancing
techniques
– Leveling
• Uses a series of increasingly detailed DFDs to
describe an information system
• Exploding, partitioning, or decomposing

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Creating a Set of DFDs
● Leveling

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Creating a Set of DFDs
● Balancing

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