Flashcards - FSE Week 5 Computer Science Study Set
What is Architectural Design concerned with?
Understanding how a software system should be organised and designing the overall structure of that system.
What is a critical link between design and requirements engineering?
Architectural design, as it identifies the main structural components in a system and the relationships between them.
What is the importance of selecting an appropriate architecture?
It determines how well the system can meet its non-functional requirements and facilitates stakeholder communication.
What do architectural representations often lack?
Semantics and detailed relationships between entities.
What type of diagrams are frequently used for documenting software architectures?
Simple, informal block diagrams showing entities and relationships.
What is a Layered Architecture used for?
To model the interfacing of sub-systems and organize the system into layers that provide a set of services.
What is a key advantage of clearly defining an architecture?
It allows for stakeholder communication and analysis of system capabilities.
What do architectural patterns describe?
Good design practice that has been tried and tested in different environments.
What are common application architectures used for?
They serve as a configuration template to adapt and create systems that meet specific application requirements.
What type of applications are Data processing applications?
Data-driven applications that process data without explicit user intervention, such as salary payment systems.
What does a Transaction Processing System do?
Processes user requests for information or updates from a database.
What is the role of the Application server in a multi-tier system?
It is responsible for implementing application-specific logic and information storage and retrieval requests.
What differentiates Client-Server Architecture?
It shows how data and processing are distributed across various components (servers and clients).
In an e-commerce system, what does the application-specific layer support?
A ‘shopping cart’ functionality for users to manage items in a single transaction.
What is a disadvantage of Box and Line diagrams?
They do not demonstrate the nature of component relationships or the properties of subsystems in detail.
What involves asynchronous service requests in a transaction?
A coherent sequence of operations that corresponds to a user’s goal, processed by a transaction manager.
How can application architectures assist a development team?
They provide a starting point for architectural design and a means of assessing components for reuse.
What are User communications a part of in Information Systems Architecture?
They are one of the layers in the generic architecture that interacts with users.
What is the primary function of the Database server in a multi-tier client-server architecture?
To handle transaction management and move information to and from the database.
What should architectural patterns include information about?
When they are useful and when they are not useful.
Which architecture organizes systems into layers with separate responsibilities?
Layered Architecture.
What is the primary focus of Week 5 in the Computer Science course?
System Modelling
What does UML stand for?
Unified Modeling Language
What are the four fundamental system modeling perspectives?
Context, Interaction, Structure, Behavior
What is the purpose of Use Case Modeling?
To describe a system’s functional requirements
Who are considered stakeholders in system development?
Anyone affected by or able to influence the system
What is a use case?
It represents a valuable interaction with the system
What constitutes a Class Diagram in UML?
A static structure diagram representing entities and their relationships
What do actors represent in a Use Case Model?
Roles that interact with the system
What are the main components of a use case text description?
Normal flow of events and alternative flow of events
What is the first step in creating a Use-case Model?
Identify actors and use cases in the scenario
How are relationships between actors and use cases represented in a diagram?
Using lines and arrowheads to indicate communication
What should use case names typically begin with?
A verb
What is the significance of a primary key in classes?
It ensures each instance of the class has a unique identifier
What does an aggregation in class modelling signify?
A whole-part relationship between classes
What is Inheritance in Object Oriented Design?
A mechanism where a child class inherits features from a parent class
What are potential factors contributing to software failure?
Misunderstood requirements, frequent changes, lack of communication
What is the benefit of using diagrams in system modeling?
To create appropriate abstractions for system representation
What types of diagrams can be used in system modelling?
Class diagrams, use case diagrams, interaction diagrams
What do contextual models focus on?
The environment in which the system operates
What is the last step in the process of identifying use cases?
Detail the flows in order of priority
What should be included in an actor’s description?
The actor’s responsibility and needs from the system
What are the typical entities in a Class Diagram?
Customers, Companies, Payments
What term describes the flow of events in a Use Case?
A sequence of actions producing an observable result
What is meant by ‘Functional Requirements’?
Requirements describing what the system should do
What is the importance of accurately capturing requirements?
To meet customer needs and ensure project success
