Topic 1 Flashcards
Identify the context for which a new system is planned
• What is the problem that the new system is going to solve?
• Alternative solutions
• Staffing: numbers, training
• Cost
• Time
• Compatibility with existing systems
• Infrastructure requirements, eg existing network
Bespoke (custom-made) software versus off-the-shelf
Describe the need for change management (8)
• Communication of the need for and benefits of change
• Users may require training
• Recruitment may be necessary to bring in suitable skillsets
• Stakeholder support
• Planning, milestones, completion date
• Dependencies between project stages/components
• Compatibility between old system and new system
Testing
When two businesses merge, their computer systems may be incompatible with each other in terms of
- Operating systems
- Data formats
- Hardware
Legacy systems are not always immediately replaced because
- They might still work well
- It might be too costly to develop a new system
- Perhaps users are comfortable and retraining would be too much of an upheaval (e.g. Nokia and Microsoft are still two separate entities & Pixar and Disney)
- Perhaps nobody understands how it works!
A legacy system is…
an old technology or computer system, often one that is inherited by one company when another company is bought out
Software-as-a-service is …
the idea that your software needs are provided by a remotely hosted system, that is managed by an ASP (Application Service Provider), rather than having your own hardware and technical staff. Most organisations have some mix of in-house and outsourced systems.
• This point is about whether you should buy hardware for your system and manage it yourself (in-house), or rent the hardware and have someone else host and manage it (outsourced)
List four installation processes of a new system
- Parallel running
- Pilot running
- Phased conversion
- Direct changeover
Outline parallel running and its advantages and disadvantages
Old system and new system at the same time.
• Very low risk because even if new system doesn’t work the old system is still there to cope with problems.
_____________________
• May need extra employees to work both systems at the same time. More work and higher salary costs.
• Twice as long when doing things like data entry
Outline pilot running and its advantages and disadvantages
New system used by a some limited group, perhaps one office, rather than the whole company.
• Low risk because old system is still running.
• Cheaper than parallel running in terms of extra staff and extra work required.
_____________________
• Risk that new system problems won’t be detected because number of users and amount of data is unrepresentative.
• Not all possible bugs may be picked up
Outline phased conversion running and its advantages and disadvantages
Going from old system to new system in steps.
• Longer period of time in which employees can learn to use the new system.
• Low risk of large problems because each phase implies only a small change.
______________________
• Not always possible. Some systems are all or nothing and cannot be introduced in stages.
Outline direct changeover running and its advantages and disadvantages
“Big bang” or “flicking the switch”. Going from old system to new system overnight.
• Lowest cost if all goes well.
____________________
• Substantial risk from problems with the new system because old system is no longer there to rely on.
• If there is inadequate training before the new system is switched on, there will be a large risk
Data migration is…
the process of moving data from one system to another, usually an older system to a newer one
Issues that can arise from data migration are
- Incompatible file formats, data structures, validation rules
- Incomplete data transfer
- International conventions on dates, currencies and character sets
Data often has to undergo a _________ process before it can be loaded into the new system.
conversion
List and outline 9 types of testings
- Debugging: Ongoing. Happens during development
- Alpha testing: The first stage of testing, done by the programmers themselves
- Beta testing: Later testing, done by future users when the system is almost finalised
- Black-box testing: Testing what the system is supposed to do, from the point of view of the user, with no knowledge of how the program does what it does
- White-box testing: Testing the system from the point of view of the programmer, with full knowledge of how it does what it does
- Unit testing: Testing the modules or components of the system separately
- System testing: Testing the system as a whole
- Acceptance testing: The last testing phase once the system is delivered to the user
- Automated testing: Using software to test software
Describe the importance of user documentation
- Non-technical (as opposed to system documentation)
- Installation, operation, troubleshooting
- Sample data and screens
- One of the biggest difficulties with a new system is a userbase that is unwilling or unable to adopt the new system (old habits die hard)
- Good user documentation can go a long way to making a new system successful by easing the transition
List one advantage and one disadvantage of paper manuals
• Don’t need to be near a computer
____________________
• Need multiple copies
List three advantages and one disadvantage of online manuals
• Can make use of rich media • Can search • Always available \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ • Bad for eyes • Requires internet and device access
List one advantage and one disadvantage of interactive tutorials
• Makes the learning process more interesting
____________________
• Requires device access
List one advantage and one disadvantage of providing user documentation through dedicated support teams
• Can give accurate, focused assistance
___________________
• Increases salary bill
What is a redundancy system?
a clone of an existing that is kept up-to-date in case the primary system fails
What is failover?
the process of detecting a failure of the primary system and switching users to the redundant system
List 3 places where you can back ups can be taken to.
- offsite
- online
- removable media
The software life cycle involves..
continuous monitoring, testing, bug-fixing and re-development
List 4 reasons for a software life cycle
- Bug-fix (often called a “patch”)
- Security threat
- User requests
- Additional features
What is hardware?
the machines, wiring, and other physical components of a computer or other electronic system
What is software?
the instructions and data that can be stored electronically in a computer system
What is peripheral?
a computer device, such as aCD-ROM drive or a printer, that is not part of the main computer but which is added to provide some extra function
What is network?
group of two or more computers linked via a wired or wireless communication medium
What is human resources?
personnel or workers of a business or organization, esp. when regarded as a significant asset
What are the 6 roles that a computer can take in a network/online world?
- Client
- Server
- Email server
- DNS server
- Router
- Firewall
What is a client?
A computer on a network that makes requests to a server
What is a server?
A computer on a network that listens to and responds to requests from clients.
What is an email server?
a computer on a network dedicated to sending and receiving email
What does DNS stand for?
Domain name service
What is a DNS server?
a computer on a network that translates between user-friendly names of network resources and their numerical IP address
What is a router?
a computer on a network that is responsible for sending network packets to the right host, subnet or network
What is a firewall?
a computer on a network that limits the flow of data packets for a number of different reasons including: port number, application, content
What is a stakeholder?
any person or organisation that is actively involved in a project, or whose interests may be affected positively or negatively by execution of a project
List 4 methods of obtaining requirements.
- Surveys
- Interviews
- Direct observations
- Research
What are the 5 elements that constitute usability?
Learnability Efficiency Memorability Ergonomics Accessibility
